The train service is resuming operations in a restricted capacity.
Following the completion of renovation works on the Riedbahn, trains on the route between Frankfurt and Mannheim will be back in action from next Sunday, albeit with some initial limitations. Approximately 95% of regular passengers are expected to have access to long-distance and regional travel from December 15, as per the German Railway's announcement.
However, the Regionalbahn lines RB 62 between Worms and Biblis, and RB 63 between Worms and Bensheim, will not restart until December 24. Until then, bus replacement services will continue to operate in these areas. The same applies to the southern route section, where the replacement buses of line S91 will continue until January 13. Only after this period will the S-Bahn lines S8 between Biblis and Mannheim, and S9 between Groß-Rohrheim and Mannheim, resume operations, as per the announcement.
There won't be any restrictions in long-distance traffic at the start of operations on December 15. In freight traffic, trains will initially only use the route at night. The number of freight trains will be gradually increased until December 23. "All trains will run according to the regular timetable from January 13, 2025," the railway announced.
The Riedbahn is just the beginning
The Riedbahn was closed for five months for renovation. Over 70 kilometers, tracks, switches, overhead lines, signal technology, platforms, and noise protection were all upgraded. Additionally, the route was fitted with the electronic train control system ETCS.
All construction works have now been completed. The Riedbahn is the first of 41 heavily used rail corridors that will be extensively renovated and modernized over the coming years. This initiative aims to gradually resolve the major reliability issues facing the railway.
The improvements on the Riedbahn are expected to boost the local economy, as smoother train operations will attract more passengers and businesses. However, freight traffic along the route will have initial limitations, with only night-time train operations and a gradual increase in the number of freight trains until December 23.
