Frankfurt U1 and U9 disrupted by depot works from 19 October

Construction work at the Römerstadt U-Bahn depot in Frankfurt will cut the U1 and U9 underground lines back from the early hours of Monday, 19 October. According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, replacement buses will run between Nordwestzentrum and Ginnheim Mitte until normal service returns in the early hours of Thursday, 22 October.

What happened

The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that the city of Frankfurt announced the work in a press release this week. The construction takes place at the U-Bahn-Abstellanlage Römerstadt, a depot where underground trains are parked when they are not in service. It is in the north of the city, and the work affects passengers on two lines there.

The disruption starts at 2am on the night from Sunday into Monday, 19 October. According to the city, regular service should resume at around 3am on the night from Wednesday into Thursday, 22 October. The restrictions therefore last three days.

The city has set up Schienenersatzverkehr between Nordwestzentrum and Ginnheim Mitte. This is the German term for rail replacement services, which means buses take over a section of track that trains cannot use.

What it means for you

If you take the U1 or U9 in the north of Frankfurt, your usual journey will change from Monday. The source gives the following details.

• U1: For the three days, the line runs only between Südbahnhof and Nordwestzentrum. North of Nordwestzentrum, you will need the replacement buses.
• U9: The city is suspending the U9 completely during the work.
• U8 covering the northern U9: During the day, the U8 takes over the northern section of the U9. Between 5am and 22.30, the time the city gives, it continues past Riedberg to Nieder-Eschbach. The source does not say how this section is served outside those hours.
• Ginnheim/Niddapark station: The city says passengers who normally use this station can walk to Ginnheim Mitte or take the S-Bahn, the suburban rail network that is separate from the U-Bahn.
• Replacement buses: These run between Nordwestzentrum and Ginnheim Mitte. The source does not give bus stop locations or frequencies.

The Frankfurter Rundschau report mentions no changes to fares or tickets.

Two organisations are asking passengers to look up the best connection before they travel. One is traffiQ, the city-owned company that plans and organises local public transport in Frankfurt. The other is the Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt (VGF), the transport company that runs the city’s U-Bahn and trams.

In practice, residents should:

1. Check whether their regular route uses the U1 north of Nordwestzentrum, any part of the U9, or Ginnheim/Niddapark station.
2. If you travel towards Riedberg or Nieder-Eschbach, plan around the U8 and the daytime hours the city has given.
3. Leave extra time if part of your trip will be on a replacement bus between Nordwestzentrum and Ginnheim Mitte.
4. Look up your route in a journey planner before travelling on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as traffiQ and VGF advise.

If you travel very early, note that the closure begins at 2am on Monday. Anyone heading out in the small hours of Sunday night should already expect the new arrangements.

What to watch next

According to the city, normal service on the U1 and U9 is due to return at around 3am on Thursday, 22 October. The city gives this as an approximate time, so check before your first trip on Thursday morning that both lines are back to their usual routes. Until then, follow updates from traffiQ and VGF, especially if you rely on the U8 extension or the replacement buses.

Source: Frankfurter Rundschau