Defective signal box: water ingress paralyzes Cologne main station

A signal box at Cologne Central Station has been broken since this morning. The reason is water damage. Many trains are canceled or, in some cases, heavily delayed.

Several regional train lines are affected, including the RB 48 from Wuppertal and the RE 6 between Düsseldorf and Cologne. Some of them will be diverted without stopping or separately between Leverkusen and Cologne-West. Only S-Bahn could drive, said a railway spokesman.

There are also stop failures in long-distance traffic. The connections between Hamburg and Munich or Berlin and Cologne are affected. According to Bahn, these trains will – if possible – via the station Cologne Messe/Deutz diverted.

Note for train travelers to Cologne

Travelers with the destination Cologne Hbf are asked to get off in Deutz and then take the S-Bahn or walk to the left bank of the Rhine. Local trains were also diverted or partially canceled.

Water damage and signal box failure

The reason for the signal box failure was water ingress, said the railway spokesman. In the morning there was water damage outside the main station, water then flowed into the station and damaged the signal box. Technicians worked flat out to eliminate the fault. It is unclear how long this will take.

Source: wdr.de