GERMANY: Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr has extended its Kaarst – Düsseldorf – Mettmann S-Bahn route S28 to Wuppertal Hbf with effect from the December 13 timetable change.
The local service which previously terminated at Mettmann Stadtwald has been extended by around 7 km using a mix of reactivated tracks and new construction.
The first section follows a freight-only section of a former through line which had been retained to serve a chalk quarry. Just before the old station at Dornap-Hahnenfurth, the link diverges onto a new alignment around the north side of the quarry to join the Essen – Wuppertal route S9 at Dornap. A single new station has been provided on this section at Wuppertal-Hahnenfurth/Düssel.
A half-hourly service is being provided by incumbent operator Regiobahn GmbH. VRR has terminated its previous transport contract and awarded a new one covering the operation of 1·6 million train-km a year until December 2026, by which time the delayed electrification of the route should have been completed. As an interim measure, Regiobahn has put into service a number of Jenbach-built Integral diesel multiple-units dating from 1998. These were previously operated by Bayerische Regiobahn, but were displaced by new DMUs earlier this year.
- Regiobahn Fahrbetriebsgesellschaft has commissioned Molinari Rail to provide type support for the 17 Integral units until the end of 2026, including ECM2 maintenance development. Under a contract signed on November 13, training of the Regiobahn staff at Mettmann depot is expected to begin during the second half of January 2021.
