Replacement rail service between Wilhelmshaven and Osnabrück until August!

Replacement rail service between Wilhelmshaven and Osnabrück until August!

From July 1, 2025, passengers will face some changes on the tracks between Wilhelmshaven and Osnabrück. The reason is track renewals and maintenance work by Deutsche Bahn. In order to keep travelers mobile, a comprehensive rail replacement service is being set up. This affects both the regional express line RE 18 and parts of the regional train line RB 59. All train connections on the RE 18 will probably be replaced by buses by August 15th. On July 7th and August 4th and 5th, passengers will also have to change to buses in the evening, night and early morning hours, as there will be no stop in Sande on these days. The rail replacement service also extends between Varel and Wilhelmshaven and also affects four RB 59 train connections between Esens and Wilhelmshaven on July 2nd, 7th and 9th. Passengers are urged to keep an eye on the changed travel times, as bicycles are not permitted on the SEV buses. This information has been published by Radio Jade.

But that's not all: from August 2025, the Hamburg-Bremen route, which runs via Ludwigslust and Wittenberge, will also be completely renovated. Here the connection will be completely blocked for nine months. Long-distance traffic will be rerouted, but a direct connection between Hamburg and Berlin will remain. In regional transport, up to 180 buses on 26 different lines replace many train connections. The buses will travel up to 86,000 kilometers a day to meet transport needs during construction work. Information about these changes has been available on various platforms since February, e.g. B. in the DB Navigator or on DB Hamburg Berlin.

Extensive planning for future changes

Deutsche Bahn is also planning comprehensive rail replacement services for 2026 and 2027. The contracts for this were awarded following a Europe-wide tender process. The orders go to various providers such as deu.mobil GmbH and a consortium that includes several well-known companies. In total, almost 60 million bus kilometers are available for replacement services. As part of this program, the Hagen-Wuppertal-Cologne and Nuremberg-Regensburg routes are affected, among others. Particular attention is paid to the quality and accessibility of the vehicles so that there is sufficient storage space for luggage and modern amenities such as WiFi and, in some cases, toilets on board. The costs for the replacement services will be shared between the states, the federal government and DB InfraGO AG. Further details can be found at [Deutsche Bahn](https://www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse/pressestart_zentrales_uebersicht/Generalsanierung-Deutsche-Bahn-vergehen-Auftraege-fuer-um comprehensive-Ersatzverkehre-in-den-jahre-2026-und-2027-13246356).