Ten days stuck at Cologne Central Station: Andreas Schröder from passenger association Pro Bahn explains why DB also faces big problems staying at ZDFheute.
November 15, 2025 | 11:35 min
Cologne Central Station, which is a Deutsche Bahn hub, temporarily stopped operations on Friday evening. Long-distance and regional trains will be diverted for ten days, with only the S-Bahn continuing to operate through the station.
The reason was the planned commissioning of a new digital signal box – but a software error discovered at short notice prevented the start for now. For passengers, this means extensive restrictions and continued operation via old signal boxes from the 1970s.
Cologne Central Station is closed due to renovation work. The initial reason for blocking no longer applies.
11/14/2025 | 1:32 min
Railway expert Andreas Schröder from the passenger association “Pro Bahn” criticized the railways’ approach and spoke directly in an interview on ZDFheute about the big problems in the railway network. But there are also positive developments.
Watch the entire interview with passenger representative Schröder in the video above and read an excerpt here. That’s what Schröder said…
… regarding the consequences of the closure in Cologne and the surrounding region
According to Schröder, the ten-day closure is one of the most sensitive points in West Germany’s railway network. Cologne Central Station is the “central hub” through which around 1,300 trains pass every day. The impact is also very broad.
Ehrenfeld and Messe/Deutz are used as alternative stations:
Not only passengers in Cologne are affected, but also people from cities like Leverkusen or Bonn, where connections are very limited.
This really has a huge impact.
Andreas Schröder, Pro Bahn Passenger Association
And although Deutsche Bahn had to suspend the operation of a new electronic signal box due to a software error discovered at short notice, extensive shutdowns occurred anyway – a nuisance from the association’s point of view.
Passengers initially “did not directly benefit” from this: the old signal box from the 1970s was still active, so Cologne remained “plagued by delays and unreliable traffic,” Schröder said.
In the first half of 2025, more than a third of long-distance trains were late – meaning they once again missed their punctuality targets.
June 30, 2025 | 0:20 min
… about suspected lack of preparation
According to Schröder, the question of how the disruption could have happened so slowly is almost unanswerable – also because the railways seem to be “very tight-lipped”.
But the fact is: discovering a software error two days before the planned start of a construction project that had been prepared for years was a “major disruption.” Inevitably the impression emerged that the preparations were not thorough enough.
Of course, we found it very difficult because the ten day closure was not enough and a second closure was necessary.
Andreas Schröder, Pro Bahn Passenger Association
General renovation: Where railroads were built and when
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One thing is clear: passengers will have to continue to live with the old signal box technology. Therefore, the problem that has long characterized Köln as a hub of traffic jams still remains – a “untimely place”, says the rail expert.
Deutsche Bahn wants to complete 40 major construction sites by 2036. However, renovation of the damaged network is progressing slowly.
July 31, 2025 | 1:51 min
…to dilapidated infrastructure and slow digitalization
Schröder is not surprised that many signal boxes in Germany are technically outdated. Some systems date back to the imperial era, many others from the 1970s. Although this system is very powerful, it no longer meets the requirements of tightly scheduled rail traffic.
Modern digital signal boxes can control traffic more flexibly and stably – and thus also improve punctuality.
Passenger representatives see the slow pace of digitalization as a structural problem: decades of too little investment, the network has shrunk and fallen into disrepair.
The railway renovation will be financed with special funds. Federal state transport ministers discussed how this should be done at the end of October.
29 Oct 2025 | 1:27 min
Infrastructure is currently in a difficult condition.
Andreas Schröder, Pro Bahn Passenger Association
But there are also bright spots, Schröder said. There are more new trains and new connections, which will especially ensure better connections in rural areas.
There have also been positive “fare” developments that have made train travel cheaper for passengers. For example, a German ticket is a significant upgrade.
Marc Burgemeister conducted a live interview on ZDFheute and was evaluated by Tim-Niklas Grimm.
Prices may continue to rise
:Deutschlandticket: Financing guaranteed until 2030
The Bundestag has decided to finance the Deutschlandticket until 2030. Prices for next year have also been set. How much it will cost starting in 2027 remains unclear.
