New construction site horror: Train travelers in Bremen have to prepare!

New construction site horror: Train travelers in Bremen have to prepare!

The summer months in Bremen and Lower Saxony are all about construction work by Deutsche Bahn (DB), which have already caused a number of failures and delays in the past. As the Weser-Kurier reports, Bremen-Nord was cut off from train traffic for several weeks. Even if some construction projects are planned for summer and autumn 2023 that affect the timetables, the restrictions should not be as serious as in the previous year. However, one reason for relaxation is not in sight, because the train travelers have to expect further disabilities.

A look at the planned work shows that the Northwest Railway (NWB) in particular is affected by smaller construction projects. From June 11th to 26th, overhead line work will be carried out on the RS 1 line between Bremen-area and Bremen Vegesack. In addition, a new electronic signal box in Bremen-Burg is expected to be put into operation at the beginning of October, but this also brings with it a closure of the route between the castle and the Vegesack from October 2 to 14. Again and again travelers have to expect temporary closures of level crossings that take place before the main barrier.

construction work in detail

From Wednesday to Pentecost Sunday, the trains on line RS 1 between Verden and Achim will be replaced by buses in the evening and night hours. Another significant measure affects the RS 2 line between Oldenbüttel and Bremen-Burg, where from July 10th to September 20th due to work on noise protection systems will lead to longer restrictions. Lines RS 3 and RS 30 also affect track renewals from August 29 to September 16.

• Replacement traffic on the RS 4 line between Bremen and Nordenham: 5 to 13 June
• Re 18 (Oldenburg - Cloppenburg) with a bus replacement between July 2 and August 13
• delays on line RE 58 (Bremen - Osnabrück): July 4 to October 1
• passengers have to switch to buses from July 12th to October 5th when trains of lines RE 8 and RE 9 end at Bremen Central Station.

punctuality and forecasts

Punctuality in German rail traffic has suffered from current conditions. According to a current evaluation of the DB group, punctuality in the first half of 2024 was only 89.9%, which represents a decline compared to previous years. The reason for this is the outdated infrastructure, a high traffic density and a personnel bottleneck that was caused by recruitment difficulties in key positions.

per railway fears chaos in train traffic, in particular due to planned renovations on main routes, which should be completed by 2030. Until then, all travelers are well advised to consult the websites, apps or newsletters of the transport companies regularly in order to stay up to date and plan it in the best possible way.

conclusion: Even if summer and autumn 2023 are not comparable to the massive disorders of the previous year, the Situation for train travelers in Bremen and Lower Saxony remains tense. It remains to be seen whether the planned measures actually have the hoped -for positive effect.

For more details on the situation in rail transport, there is further information here: Weser-Kurier and Kreiszeitung . Current values ​​for punctuality offers Deutsche Bahn .