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Up to 80,000 passangers a day to be delayed by rail project near Düsseldorf

No long-distance trains are to stop at Düsseldorf Airport for six weeks and a key route will be completely closed as part of rail upgrades which will affect tens of thousands of people.

Published: 10 July 2019 11:06 CEST
Up to 80,000 passangers a day to be delayed by rail project near Düsseldorf
File picture shows building work on a rail line in Essen. Photo: DPA

With the summer holidays about to get underway in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), many people are set to travel to and from the region.

But those setting off on a trip should be aware that a huge railway construction project will likely cause disruption.

SEE ALSO: How travelling by train in Germany is set to improve

The six-week 'Mega-Bündle', one of Deutsche Bahn's most extensive construction projects in NRW, kicks off on Friday, the start of the school holidays in the western state, reported regional newspaper the Rheinische Post.

According to Deutsche Bahn, around 70,000 to 80,000 passengers a day will be affected.

The project includes the complete closure of the railway line between Duisburg and Essen to allow for preparatory work for the Rhine-Ruhr Express, interlocking and bridge work and the renewal of the long-distance tracks between Duisburg and Düsseldorf.

One of the consequences: long-distance trains will no longer stop at Düsseldorf Airport station.

It will result in timetable changes, diversions and replacement buses. The project is due to last until August 26th.

What does this mean for passengers who want to take the train to Düsseldorf Airport?

The Airport will not be served by long-distance trains during the six week project. It’s a pretty bad time for this to happen: the airport is expecting a record this weekend, with almost 260,000 passengers expected. 

On average, about 20 percent of the passengers travel by public transport. 

“We therefore advise passengers to take this (building work) into account in their transport planning and to make sure they find out before they start their journey whether their desired train route to the airport is affected by the measures and what the alternative routes may be,” said a spokesman for the airport. 

It's not all bad though. Train travellers can reach the airport via the Düsseldorf or Duisburg main railway stations using regional and S-Bahn services.

Photo: DPA

Should air passengers be dropped off at the airport by relatives or use the long-term multi-storey car park?

“We do not generally advise people to take their cars in,” said the airport spokesman, regarding drop-offs.

With a view to the parking situation he added: “We also assume that the multi-storey car parks will be booked up, especially in the favourable long-term savings zones.”

For this reason, he recommended that passengers inform themselves at home on the dus.com/parken website. “Passengers can obtain detailed information about current occupancy, costs and descriptions of the various parking options here.”

Where can railway customers obtain further information on the Mega Bundle?

All timetable changes have been made available by Deutsche Bahn in the “DB Bauarbeiten” app, which is available for both Android and Apple devices. 

Rail customers can filter timetable information by route, time period and local, regional or long-distance traffic. 

SEE ALSO: Why so many trains in Germany are late

The respective trains affected by construction sites are displayed. The app also indicates whether replacement rail services are available and where they can be used. By clicking on the message, more detailed information about the planned line closures and construction work becomes visible. 

Passengers can also call 0800 5996655 for more information.

What disruptions will there be away from the airport?

In long-distance traffic, there will be diversions, train cancellations and changes in journey times in both directions, especially between Dortmund and Düsseldorf. Regional traffic will also be massively impaired – in particular by the complete closure between Duisburg and Essen. 

During the day, express buses only stop in Mülheim between the main train stations of Duisburg and Essen. During the day they run every 10 minutes, in the evening every 15 minutes and at night every 30 minutes. There are also rail replacement buses that run every 10 minutes during the day and stop at the usual S1 and S3 stops.

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TRAVEL

Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts

Catch the very tail-end of the wine season and autumn foliage in one of the lesser-explored corners of the Austrian capital: Mauer.

Published: 12 November 2021 17:03 CET
Updated: 24 September 2023 08:20 CEST
Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts
Beautiful views and cosy taverns await you on the edge of Vienna. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Wine-hiking is an autumn must-do in Austria. There’s the official Wine Hiking Day (Weinwandertag) that usually draws in big crowds, but it’s also possible to follow the routes through beautiful scenery and wine taverns on your own.

Mauer in the southwest of Vienna is one of the routes that is mostly frequented by locals.


The footpath takes you through scenic vineyards. Photo: Catherine Edwards

You can reach this part of the 23rd district using Vienna’s public transport, and you have a few options. From the Hietzing station on the U4 line, you can take the tramline 60 or bus 56A. The former will take you either to Mauer’s central square or you can get off earlier at Franz-Asenbauer-Gasse to start the hike. If it’s too early in the day for wine just yet, you could start your day at the small and charming Designo cafe (Geßlgasse 6).

Otherwise, the residential area itself doesn’t have much to see, but keep an eye out as you wander between the taverns later — there are some beautiful buildings.

To start the hike, head west along Franz-Asenbauer Gasse, which will take you up into the vineyards, growing some red wine and Vienna’s specialty Gemischter Satz or ‘field blend’, which as the name suggests is a mixture of different types of grapes.

Photo: Catherine Edwards

The paved road takes a left turn, but the hiking route follows a smaller path further upwards. Here you’ll have magnificent views over the whole of Vienna.

If you stick to the official hiking route (see a map from Weinwandern here) you can keep the whole route under 5 kilometres. But more adventurous types don’t need to feel limited.

You can also follow the Stadtwanderweg 6 route (see a map here) either in full, which will add on a hefty 13 kilometres, or just in part, and venture further into the Mauerwald. If you do this, one spot to aim for is the Schießstätte, a former hunting lodge offering hearty Austrian meals.

EXPLORE AUSTRIA

In any case, you should definitely take a small detour to see the Wotrubakirche, an example of brutalist architecture from the mid-1970s built on a site that was used as a barracks during the Second World War.

Not far from the church is the Pappelteich, a small pond that is not only an important habitat for local flora and fauna, but a popular picnic spot for hikers. Its only water supply is from the rain, and due to climate change the pond has almost dried out in recent years, prompting the city to take action to boost its water supply by adding a permanent pipe.


The church is made up of over 150 concrete blocks. Photo: Catherine Edwards

What you really come to Mauer for, though, are the Heuriger or Viennese wine taverns. 

The most well-known is Edlmoser (Maurer Lange Gasse 123) which has previously been named as the best in Vienna. Note that it’s not open all year so check the website, but in 2021 it should be open between November 5th and 21st, and is also serving the goose that is a popular feature on Viennese menus this time of year.

Tip for translating Heuriger opening times: look for the word ausg’steckt, which is used by those taverns which aren’t open year round. They will also often show that they’re open by attaching a bunch of green twigs to the sign or front door.


Buschenschank Grausenburger. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Also worth visiting are cosy Buschenschank Grausenburger (Maurer Lange Gasse 101a), Heuriger Wiltschko (Wittgensteinstrasse 143 — located near the start of the hiking route, this is a good place to begin your tour) and Heuriger Fuchs-Steinklammer (Jesuitensteig 28).

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