Walsum Railway Line to be Reactivated for Improved Rural Mobility

The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) has given the green light for the reactivation of the Walsum railway line, connecting Duisburg to Wesel. The move is considered to be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the Niederrhein area and is aimed at improving rural mobility. The plan is to extend the tram line S3 from the Oberhausen main station through the Duisburg North, Dinslaken, Voerde, and Wesel, with a possible 30-minute train interval in each direction. According to the VRR representatives, the estimated cost of construction alone is expected to be around 275 million Euros.

TL;DR

• The VRR has approved the reactivation of the Walsum railway line.
• The project is aimed at improving rural mobility and connecting Wesel, Voerde, Dinslaken, and the Ruhr area.
• The estimated cost of construction alone is expected to be around 275 million Euros.
• The reactivated tram line S3 will operate with a possible 30-minute train interval in each direction.
• The railway line is expected to be completed by the early 2030s.

Reactivating the Walsum railway line

The reactivation of the Walsum railway line has been approved by the VRR, marking one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the Niederrhein area. The railway line will connect Duisburg to Wesel, improving the mobility of the rural areas. The plan is to extend the S-Bahn line S3 from the Oberhausen main station through the Duisburg North, Dinslaken, Voerde, and Wesel, connecting the right bank of the Wesel-Datteln Canal to the Ruhr area. The estimated cost of construction alone is expected to be around 275 million Euros, with additional planning costs.

The VRR representatives are confident that the project is worth the investment. They expect around 1,600 passengers per day to use the railway line in the Voerde/Wesel area, while more than 12,000 people in Oberhausen are predicted to use the Walsum railway line daily. The reactivated S-Bahn line S3 will operate with a possible 30-minute train interval in each direction. Moreover, the Regionalbahn RB 31 from Xanten through Moers and Duisburg to Walsum will be extended, connecting the two Rheinseiten in the Wesel district.

Improvements for mobility

The project is aimed at improving the rural mobility and connecting Wesel, Voerde, Dinslaken, and the Ruhr area. The VRR-Vorstandssprecherin, Gabriele Matz, emphasized that the modernization and expansion of the transportation infrastructure are essential for a mobility revolution. Frank Berger, the CDU-Politiker, believes that the railway line will significantly increase the attractiveness of the right-bank area.

The railway line is expected to be completed by the early 2030s, after detailed planning with the VRR, municipalities, and the Deutsche Bahn. The construction of a bridge over the Wesel-Datteln Canal for the connection to Wesel will be the most significant challenge. The current plan includes stops at the Hansestadt train station and other halts in Spellen, Voerde-West, Möllen, Dinslaken-Eppinghoven, Overbruch, Walsum, Fahrn, Marxloh, Hamborn/Röttgersbach, and Neumühl.

The CDU-representative, Frank Berger, expects the railway line to start operation until 2030. However, he acknowledges the challenges of such a large-scale project,

This post is also available in:
English