Anyone traveling between the Bergisches Land, the Ruhr area and the Rhineland today should plan significantly more time. There is extensive replacement bus service for the canceled trains – but they take significantly longer than the train. In addition, some of the buses do not stop directly at the train stations. Commuters should therefore definitely check their connection on the Internet before setting off; the departure stops are also listed there.
On the A46 The magenta-colored replacement buses between Haan and Wuppertal are currently in a traffic jam. The reason is an accident. Commuters therefore have to plan for a delay of more than 45 minutes.
Even during the morning rush hour there was more going on than usual: The A46 between Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Hagen was used by significantly more commuters than usual, reports the WDR traffic studio. In the direction of Wuppertal there were at times traffic jams of up to 10 kilometers, in the direction of Düsseldorf there were up to 6 kilometers of traffic jams. This meant between 30 and 45 minutes more travel time.
The situation in the morning in Hagen, Solingen and Wuppertal-Vohwinkel
In Wuppertal-Vohwinkel, the chaos was limited early on Monday morning. Only a few commuters were surprised by the outages, reports one WDR-Reporter on site. Instead, most people chose to take the ride SEV and set to 45 minutes more from Wuppertal to Düsseldorf. There is a mixed picture when it comes to occupancy: from relaxed emptiness to overcrowding, everything was there on the first day.
At the rail replacement stop in Wuppertal, our WDR reporter meets 18-year-old Marie Schumacher, who has to go to school in Essen. “My bus was supposed to come ten minutes ago, but it’s still not here. Let’s see if it’s still coming.” The woman from Wuppertal has now planned half an hour more – each way.
“Of course it’s annoying, but there’s no other solution. I hope it works now with the buses.”
Marie Schumacher, student from Wuppertal
In Solingen and Hagen, commuters are still in a good mood early in the morning, even though they are also on the road for significantly longer. A woman who has to get from Hagen to Wuppertal was expecting around an hour more travel that morning. Commuters in Solingen report that they sometimes need three hours longer.
In Leverkusen, Sharantan Kethiswaran was waiting for the rail replacement service: “I have to plan an extra hour in the day. I get home much later in the evening. For me that means I’ll be on the road for 3 hours. That’s been going on for 5 months now. I’m really thinking about having to buy a car.”
Bahn speaks of a good start
Despite commuter anger, the railway spoke at midday of a very good start to the general renovation. The construction work started on time. The rail replacement service also worked well during rush hour on Monday morning, according to a railway spokesman: “Now it’s important to maintain operational stability.” It is important to continue to provide commuters with comprehensive information about current connections, whether online or at the stops.
Solingen, Leichlingen, Haan: No trains for five months
There have been no trains running around Wuppertal since Friday evening. All long-distance and regional connections, but also S-Bahn lines, are affected. Only the suspension railway still swings over the Döppersberg. The reason for the complete closure is extensive renovation work on the important train route. According to Deutsche Bahn, they last until July 10, 2026.
The consequences for rail commuters in the Bergisches Land are drastic. Leichlingen and Haan have been cut off from train traffic for more than five months. Only the S-Bahn runs from Solingen main station. On the important axis from Düsseldorf, Mettmann via Wuppertal to Hagen, full closures alternate with partial closures. Ours provides a detailed overview FAQ to the railway closure.
date: 2026-02-09 23:39:00