Status: 07/15/2021 10:02 a.m.
The storms in the west have caused disruptions in train traffic nationwide. Numerous routes, for example through the Ruhr area, are impassable, the main train station in Hagen is closed. The Cologne-Brussels route is also interrupted.
The floods and continuous rain in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate also have a massive impact on nationwide rail traffic. The railway called for trips to and from North Rhine-Westphalia to be postponed if possible. Due to line closures, numerous S-Bahn and regional lines do not run or only run to a limited extent, as Deutsche Bahn announced.
The Cologne-Wuppertal-Hagen-Dortmund railway line is currently closed. The main train station in Hagen was closed due to a water ingress. Trains could also not run on the route from Cologne to Koblenz via Bonn Central Station. There are also significant restrictions on the route from Cologne to Dortmund through the Ruhr area. Trains from the north and east ended in Münster, Hamm and Dortmund. From the south, the connections ended in Koblenz or Cologne.
Cologne-Brussels line interrupted
International long-distance traffic to and from Brussels is also currently interrupted. The affected long-distance trains are canceled between Cologne Central Station and Bruxelles-Midi, said the railway.
In many places there were flooded tracks, road disruptions and damage to operating systems. A recording of the storm damage is only possible with draining water masses.
Closures on motorways
There are also significant consequences of severe weather on the motorways. According to the police, Autobahn 1 was closed in both directions between the Leverkusen and Burscheid junction due to flooded lanes.
There are currently no cars in either direction on the A 61 between the Bliesheim junction and the Meckenheim junction.