Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Current Operations

Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Current Operations

Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Passenger Services

(Schnellfahrstrecke Köln–Aachen)

In long-distance traffic, the Cologne–Aachen high-speed line is operated with ICE International services using class 406 sets and Thalys services using PBKA sets. This offer is supplemented by individual Intercity and Intercity Express services that run once a week and thus create direct connections to/from other regions in Germany at the weekend.

The Regional-Express services RE 1 (NRW-Express) and RE 9 (Rhein-Sieg-Express) serve the entire length of the line hourly and together provide an approximately 30-minute cycle. The NRW-Express is operated with push–pull trains composed of double-deck carriages from Bombardier and class 146.0 locomotives. The Rhein-Sieg-Express is operated with locomotives of class 146.0 or class 111 as well as Talent 2 railcars in coupled sets. Class 120.2 locomotives were also used until 2018.

Between Cologne Hauptbahnhof and Köln-Ehrenfeld, the RE 8 regional express (Rhein-Erft-Express) service is operated with class 425 multiple units and the Regionalbahn RB 27 service (Rhein-Erft-Bahn) with push-pull trains consisting of three double-decker coaches and a locomotive of class 143. Between Cologne and Horrem, the Regionalbahn RB 38 service (Erft-Bahn) is operated with class 644 railcars and S-Bahn services S 13 and S 19 with class 423 multiple units. The S 12 service also runs between Cologne and Düren with class 423 sets.

Euregiobahn services on the section between Aachen Hauptbahnhof and Stolberg Hauptbahnhof are operated with Bombardier Talent DMUs every 30 minutes in coupled sets on weekdays and in single sets on Sundays. The Euregiobahn services leave the Cologne–Aachen line between Stolberg and Langerwehe and return to Langerwehe and Düren, running hourly.

Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Freight Transport

The Cologne–Aachen high-speed line is used by numerous freight trains due to its location between the Köln-Eifeltor freight yard on the West Rhine railway and Aachen West, the eastern end of the Aachen–Tongeren railway. Much of the freight traffic is carried by DB Cargo and Cobra (Corridor Operations Belgium Rail), a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, and SNCB. Other regular services are a SBB Cargo Combined transport train hauled by TRAXX locomotives and freight trains operated by Crossrail (now part of Cargologic) and RTB Cargo, which uses diesel-hauled goods exchange trains (Übergabegüterzuge) from Düren to Stolberg and back. The line is also used by freight trains to and from Mönchengladbach on the section between the Cologne-Ehrenfeld and Köln-Müngersdorf Technologiepark stations.

Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Overview

Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Native Name: Schnellfahrstrecke Köln–Aachen
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Line Number:
2600 (Cologne–Aachen)
2622 (Cologne–Düren)
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Locale: North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Service
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Route Number: 480
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Line Length: 70 km (43 mi)
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Electrification: 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Operating Speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)

Cologne–Aachen High-Speed Railway Route Map

km

         HSL to Frankfurt…
         and line to Düsseldorf…
         Hohenzollern Bridge
         (from Köln Messe/Deutz)
         Cologne Stadtbahn
0.0    Cologne
0.8    Köln Hansaring
0.8    Köln Hansaring turnback facility
1.4    to Cologne depot
         West Rhine Railway to Köln West
         West Lower Rhine Railway
         to Köln-Nippes
2.0    Köln-Nippes–Köln West freight line
         Herkulesstraße junction
         from Köln West
         S-Bahn Flying junction
3.2    Cologne Stadtbahn
3.7    Köln-Ehrenfeld
         Köln-Ehrenfeld freight yard
         Cologne–Frechen line (HGK)
5.9    Köln-Müngersdorf Technologiepark
          to Mönchengladbach
9.0    Lövenich (former station)
9.7    Lövenich (S-Bahn)
11.1  Köln-Weiden West
13.8  Frechen-Königsdorf
15.0
         start of cutting
         (former Königsdorf Tunnel)
16.5
         North-South Railway
         (RWE Power)
16.6
         start of cutting
         (former Königsdorf Tunnel)
18.5 Erft Railway to Neuss
18.7 Horrem
         former Bergheim District Railway
         to Mödrath
         Erft
21.4 Sindorf crossover
21.4 Sindorf
22.4 Sindorf
22.6 Sindorf siding
26.0 Dorsfeld
27.8 Buir crossover
30.3 Buir
35.0 Merzenich
         former line from Neuss
35.7 Merzenich crossover
37.3 Düren Vorbf
         former bypass curve
         to Euskirchen
         former Distelrath–Schneidhausen line
39.0 from Euskirchen
         from Distelrath
39.1 from Jülich
39.2 Düren
         DKB tramway Düren–Kreuzau
39.8 to Heimbach
        Rur (Düren triangular truss bridge)
42.2 Hubertushof crossover, siding
         Derichsweiler
48.9 Langerwehe
         (link line to Inde Valley Railway
54.1 Nothberg (until Dec 2009)
         Jägerspfad (last level crossing until April 2020)
56.9 Eschweiler Hbf
57.0 Ichenberg Tunnel (95 m)
57.9 Three arch bridge (Inde)
58.0 Inde Valley Railway
59.8 Stolberg (Rheinl) freight yard
60.3 to Eupen
60.3 Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf
         Stolberg (Rheinl) part V
         to Herzogenrath
         Nirm Tunnel
         Eilendorf Tunnel
64.9 Eilendorf
         from Aachen Nord
         Aachen-Rothe Erde Wertz
         (siding)
67.0 Aachen-Rothe freight yard
         former line from Hahn
68.2 Aachen-Rothe Erde
         Moltkebahnhof
         Burtscheid Viaduct
70.2 Aachen Hbf
         to Mönchengladbach
72.9 Aachen Süd
         Busch Tunne
77.0
         Germany
         national border
         Belgium

         main line… HSL 3… to Liège