Cologne Hbf interlocking: delayed completion works set for January 2027

The "Linker Rhein" (Left Rhine Bank) electronic interlocking serving Cologne-West, Cologne-South and Hürth-Kalscheuren has been operational since 19 May 2025 (investment over €100 million, roughly 160 signals, 400 km of cabling). Because a software error was identified in the heavily used Cologne Messe/Deutz–Hauptbahnhof section requiring extensive software adjustments, the remaining completion works on ESTW Linker Rhein plus the second, decisive construction stage of ESTW Cologne Hauptbahnhof (controlling over 5,000 route settings) for regional and long-distance traffic are now scheduled for a twelve-day line closure from 8 to 19 January 2027. In parallel, platform canopies at Cologne Messe/Deutz are being renewed and an obsolete signal box building at Hansaring operating depot is being demolished. Update (24 Nov 2025): DB is investing about EUR 360 million in the two new interlockings in the Cologne hub alone (Linker Rhein and Köln Hbf). Commissioning of stage 2 of the Köln Hbf interlocking, originally due on 24 November 2025, was split into two phases after a software error was found on 11 November 2025 (partner Hitachi): during the closure from 14 to 24 November 2025, up to 120 specialists carried out work on points, overhead lines, cable civil works and the platform extension (track 8/9), and the main station stayed reachable with about 540 trains a day. Integrating the new technology, which is meant to control the roughly 1,300 daily train movements, needs a further closure, for which DB had not yet named a date at the time. (LOK Report, 7 Oct, 12 Nov, 13 Nov, 14 Nov and 24 Nov 2025)