Report on Cologne Deutz train station

The Cologne Deutz train station has the best connections to the Cologne trade fair. In 1845 the Cologne-Mindener Railway Company was launched. The end of the line on the right bank of the Rhine was where today's train station is. The connection to the left bank of the Rhine should be realized by a railway bridge. The two-track bridge over the Rhine was replaced by the four-track Hohenzollern Bridge in 1911. The so-called Deutz train station was built in 1912/1913. The city had a second Hauptbahnhof on the right bank of the Rhine.

Unfortunately this station played a big and sad role in the concentration camp transports to Buchenwald from 1940 to 1944. A memorial commemorates these transports. The guest worker special trains, which mainly arrived from the Iberian peninsula, were dispatched at Deutz Bahnhof . The millionth guest worker in Germany also arrived here in 1964 and was duly welcomed. At the end of 1980 the station was expanded to include S-Bahn tracks.

Nationalization of various railways

In 1913 the nationalized railway lines Prussian State Railways, also called PSE, and the Bergisch-Märkische train stations, known as "Deutzer Feld" and "Schiffbrücke" were rebuilt, and the resulting new lines were integrated into Deutz Hauptbahnhof / b>. The former station “Deutzer Feld” was located exactly in the area of ​​the exhibition center and the ship bridge. Nowadays, the RTL building is located there. “Deutzer Feld” was later called the Cologne-Deutzenfeld marshalling yard.

Starting in 1988, the express line to Frankfurt was supposed to bring about some order in the ICE traffic. The station was to be converted into an ICE station. Since November 2006 the exhibition grounds can be reached via the south entrance of the train station . The access from the north to the Messe has been extended to two tracks, and the maximum speed of the trains has been increased to 100 km / h. The underground station had to be shut down from December 2006 to December 2007.

Future plans

In 2009 the station was awarded the "sour lemon" award because of its shabby condition, a prize for unfortunately particularly unsuccessful buildings. It was even said that this train station ruined the city. A decision was made that the train station should get four elevator systems, to enable barrier-free access to all platforms. In 2010, it was agreed that the expansion and renovation should be implemented by 2019 for around 11 million euros. Possibly an S-Bahn platform should be built to the fair so that travelers can get on and off faster. This station is said to be the only long-distance station, because all trains stopping at the main station go through Deutz station without stopping anyway. That would be a plus point in terms of traffic.

Competitions for the renovation of the train station

In 1999 an architectural competition took place. 57 applications were registered . Urban planning and traffic aspects should be taken into account. Eight participants were shortlisted. The total area was 22 hectares and 150,000 square meters. The adaptation of the underground platforms for ICE traffic and the double-track expansion of the access route should also be taken into account. Four ICE platforms were planned, and an approx. 800 meter long treadmill could connect to the main train station.

This project was initiated jointly by DB, the city and the trade fair and was completed in 2000. In October 2000 the planning approval procedure was started. In November 2001, extensive measures began to begin with the modernization. Initially, there should only be an hourly train to Cologne Central Station .

Shopping street in the train station

Two fast food outlets, a bakery, a restaurant and a bookstore contribute to the well-being of travelers in the entrance center. The forecourt shows the Otto monument. The stone column bears the approx. Two tonne "atmospheric gas engine" of the inventor Nikolaus August Otto, which is reproduced from the original . The restored monument became an eye-catcher.

Current situation of the Deutz train station

The newly built ICE line to Frankfurt brought Deutz Bahnhof the importance of the central stop . The station was supplemented by the route to the local airport . This airport is the third German airport, apart from Frankfurt am Main and Düsseldorf, that has a connection to the ICE network. Since 2007 there have been up to 50 trains a day in north-south long-distance traffic. All trains that approach the junction have to go through Deutz first. This train station is the arrival point for the Cologne fair . At the same time, the station is the transfer point between ICE and Regional Express, S-Bahn traffic Rhein-Sieg and Rhein-Ruhr.

A pedestrian tunnel enables the traveler to comfortably reach the underground station to the exhibition center in order to get to the city center as quickly as possible. A long-term renovation is to transform the current train station into a modern transfer station through the redesign. The historic station building on the south side should be a focal point. Only after these projects have been carried out can the station no longer be called a problem station.

Modernization of the train station

Here proposals have been made to build a more modern long-distance train station. The direct connection to the fair is already in place. In order to realize this idea, expensive modifications have to be carried out. For example, there are still no handicapped-accessible elevator systems between high and low platforms. Construction work has been going on for years. In December 2016, a 10 quintals bomb was found near the train station, which was successfully defused. In November 2017 the escalators were taken out of service in order to install new staircases. Another construction phase will take place in January, February 2018, which will again cause annoyance among travelers. Construction work should be finished by the end of March. Around 69,000 travelers or visitors use this station every day, which is the sixth most popular station in North Rhine Westphalia.

Still many problems

Unfortunately, the train station has many defects, such as the fact that almost all escalators are defective. The only elevator is also not always functional. The interim renovations bring some relief at the moment, but they are not a permanent solution . Physically disabled people avoid going to Deutz train station in the city. The train advises these people to go to the main train station and then use the S-Bahn, return to the Deutz train station and use the passenger elevator on this track. Quite a cumbersome procedure for disabled people . The railway is working on making this station accessible, but the implementation of this project will probably take years.

Tower station

The train station is called the tower station , which means that several routes intersect. Trains from east-west and north-south meet here on two levels. A direct connection to the main train station for transfer passengers with a cable car across the Rhine is under discussion. The station is currently served by four Intercity Express lines and one Intercity line. Seven regional express, six regional train and four S-Bahn lines are used in local transport. In the early morning, an RE line still serves this station.

Very close!

And we can't say it often enough: if you want to go to the trade fair or want to see the Cologne Cathedral , then book the Apartment Cologne ! Close to everything, including the Deutz train station! You can walk there in 7 minutes! We are in Deutz! Not in Höhenberg or anywhere else where you have to travel by train or car for a long time!