Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Long-distance trains will stop calling at Duisburg and Oberhausen from 21:00 on Friday 9 October to 21:00 on Friday 30 October 2026, apart from a few night and early or late trains, as Deutsche Bahn moves into the second phase of its autumn works in the Ruhr, according to the railway’s regional announcement of 21 August.
ICE trains to and from Berlin still run hourly from Essen, and Düsseldorf keeps a direct Berlin train every two hours. Thirteen regional lines are also affected, with express replacement buses between the main stations.
If you are travelling by ICE to or from the Ruhr in that window, plan to board or leave the train at Essen or Düsseldorf rather than Duisburg. The same autumn has also brought the Berlin to Hannover closure from 2 October, which adds time to many journeys between the Ruhr and Berlin.
- When: 21:00 Friday 9 October to 21:00 Friday 30 October 2026.
- Duisburg and Oberhausen: long-distance stops cut, except a few night and edge-of-day trains.
- Berlin ICE: hourly from Essen; Düsseldorf keeps a direct train every two hours.
- Regional: 13 lines affected, including RE 1, RE 2, RE 5, RE 6 and RE 19, with replacement buses.
- Status date: Deutsche Bahn announcement of 21 August 2026 and VRR notice of 25 August.
Long-Distance Stops Cut at Duisburg and Oberhausen
“In Duisburg and Oberhausen, all long-distance stops are dropped, apart from individual night services and trains at the edges of the day,” Deutsche Bahn says of the second phase.
Duisburg is a major junction on the Rhine-Ruhr network, where many ICE and IC services normally stop. Oberhausen is the junction for the line toward Emmerich and the Dutch border.
Deutsche Bahn says long-distance trains in this phase are routed via alternatives including Wuppertal, Hagen, Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen. It does not give a single figure for the extra journey time, so check your specific train.
Berlin ICE Trains Run Hourly From Essen
Berlin services are the clearest part of the plan. “ICE trains to and from Berlin continue to run hourly to and from Essen,” the railway says, and “Düsseldorf is still connected directly to Berlin every two hours.”
For a trip from the Ruhr to Berlin, Essen is the practical station to use. From Düsseldorf, check whether your train is one of the two-hourly direct services or whether you need a change.
That is a change from the first phase, running since 4 September, when Deutsche Bahn kept at least two-hourly direct Cologne and Düsseldorf connections to Berlin, hourly services from Essen, Bochum and Dortmund, and only occasional long-distance stops at Duisburg.
Regional Trains and Replacement Buses
The regional transport association VRR lists RE 1, RE 2, RE 3, RE 5, RE 6, RE 11, RE 19, RE 42, RE 44, RB 32, RB 33, RB 35 and S 1 as affected in the second phase. It says timetable details between Oberhausen and Dortmund were still being finalised when it published on 25 August.
Deutsche Bahn says express replacement buses run every five to ten minutes between major stations. VRR adds that a temporary RE 100 connects Essen and Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof throughout both phases.
RE 19 is the regional line toward Emmerich and the Dutch border. Anyone using it to connect with Dutch trains should check the timetable closely.
Why the Lines Are Closing
Deutsche Bahn is bundling several projects around the federal motorway company’s work on the Kaiserberg interchange in Duisburg.
The second phase includes widening the Ruhr Canal bridge, maintenance on two other bridges, work at Duisburg Hauptbahnhof, and a 900-metre noise barrier for the RRX expansion in Düsseldorf-Lichtenbroich. The railway says some of the work can only be done safely when no trains are running.
How to Check Your Train
The official source is Deutsche Bahn’s regional announcement, in German. The VRR notice lists the regional lines, and zuginfo.nrw carries the regional timetables.
For long-distance trains, DB Navigator and bahn.de show the actual stops for your date. Search from Essen or Düsseldorf if a Duisburg search returns nothing.
| If you are travelling… | What to do |
|---|---|
| By ICE to or from Duisburg, 9 to 30 Oct | Use Essen or Düsseldorf instead. Most long-distance stops are cut. |
| From the Ruhr to Berlin | Board at Essen for the hourly ICE. |
| From Düsseldorf to Berlin | Check for the two-hourly direct train. |
| On a regional train between Duisburg and Essen | Use the express buses or the temporary RE 100. |
| Toward the Netherlands via Oberhausen | Check RE 19 and long-distance times for your date. |
Three weeks. Duisburg and Oberhausen lose most long-distance stops from 9 to 30 October.
Essen is the hub. Berlin ICE trains run hourly from Essen.
Buses fill in. Express buses run every five to ten minutes between main stations.
Will ICE trains stop at Duisburg in October 2026?
Only a few night and early or late trains, from 21:00 on 9 October to 21:00 on 30 October, Deutsche Bahn says.
How do I get from the Ruhr to Berlin?
Take the hourly ICE from Essen, or a two-hourly direct train from Düsseldorf.
Which regional lines are affected?
VRR lists RE 1, RE 2, RE 3, RE 5, RE 6, RE 11, RE 19, RE 42, RE 44, RB 32, RB 33, RB 35 and S 1.
Why is the work happening?
Bridge work including the Ruhr Canal bridge, station work at Duisburg and noise barriers, bundled with the Kaiserberg motorway project.
