September and October 2026: Road closures and traffic restrictions
[As at 25 September 2026 | by Arne Rensing]
In September and October 2026, there will be extensive disruption to rail and road traffic in the Ruhr region. In addition to closures lasting several weeks on key rail routes, sections of the A40 motorway will also be affected over extended periods. In some cases, the construction work and the associated closures will take place simultaneously.
On this page, we summarise the currently known restrictions on public transport and car travel, as well as important information on travelling to the university campuses in Duisburg and Essen. As not all timetable changes have yet been finalised, particularly for certain rail services, our overview is updated on an ongoing basis.
Rail services – Phase 1: 4 September to 9 October 2026
Affected routes
- Route between Essen Central Station and Duisburg Central Station
- Route between Essen Central Station and Oberhausen Central Station
Affected lines
The services affected are those on lines RE 1 (RRX), RE 2, RE 3, RE 6 (RRX), RE 11 (RRX), RE 42, RE 44, RE 49, RB 32, RB 33 and RB 35, as well as S-Bahn lines S 1 and S 3.
The impact varies depending on the line and section of the route: in some cases, services are cancelled; in others, trains are diverted. As a result, some stations may not be served.
Details
https://www.zuginfo.nrw/index.html?msg=136315&utm
Rail replacement service (SEV)
The transport operators are organising a replacement bus service for the affected routes.
On lines RE 1 (RRX), RE 2 and RE 6 (RRX), express buses run between Duisburg Central Station and Essen Central Station, stopping at Mülheim (Ruhr) Central Station. At night, these buses continue on to Dortmund Central Station, serving the scheduled stops of the cancelled trains.
On routes S 1 and S 3, buses run between Oberhausen Central Station and Duisburg Central Station, respectively, and Essen West, stopping at all stops along the way.
In addition, express buses operate on the RE 49 service without any stops between Oberhausen Central Station and Essen Central Station.
Rail services – Phase 2: 9 to 30 October 2026
Affected routes
- Route between Düsseldorf Central Station - Duisburg Central Station - Oberhausen Central Station / Essen West
Affected lines
The services affected are those on lines RE 1 (RRX), RE 2, RE 3, RE 5 (RRX), RE 6 (RRX), RE 11 (RRX), RE 19, RE 42, RE 44, RB 32, RB 33, RB 35 and the S-Bahn line S 1.
During this phase too, some routes will be diverted, resulting in some stops being omitted. Other services will be suspended in certain sections.
Details
https://www.zuginfo.nrw/index.html?msg=138847
Rail replacement service (SEV)
On lines RE 1 (RRX), express buses run between Duisburg Central Station and Essen Central Station, stopping at Mülheim (Ruhr) Central Station.
On line RE 19 a rail replacement service will be provided between Oberhausen-Sterkrade and Duisburg Central Station, and on the S 1 line between Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum and Duisburg Central Station.
Relocation of the SEV stops in Duisburg and Mülheim
Please note: During the construction work, from 4 September to 30 October 2026, the stops for the rail replacement service (SEV) will be relocated at the main stations in Duisburg and Mülheim.
Duisburg Central Station
- The SEV stop for services towards Essen/Oberhausen will be relocated to Neudorfer Straße, opposite number 62.
- For journeys towards Düsseldorf, services will continue to stop at the East Entrance on Kammerstraße.
Mülheim (Ruhr) Central Station
- When travelling towards Essen, the bus stop is on the Parallelstraße in front of the bridge.
- When travelling towards Duisburg, the SEV is served by the Parallelstraße above the Tourainer Ring.
Car traffic
Closure of the A40 at the Kaiserberg junction
From 24 September to 5 October 2026, the A40 will be closed in both directions between the Duisburg motorway junction and the Kaiserberg junction. Diversions are signposted, but significant delays are to be expected.
Detailed information:
https://www.autobahn.de/betrieb-verkehr/verkehrsmeldung/a40-sperrung-zwischen-dem-autobahnkreuz-duisburg-und-der-anschlussstelle-kaiserberg-in-beiden-richtungen
Closure of the A40 between Mülheim-Heißen and Mülheim-Winkhausen
Due to works on the Hardenberg Bridge, the A40 will be completely closed in both directions on three weekends in September and October between the Mülheim-Heißen and Mülheim-Winkhausen junctions:
- from 25 to 28 September
- from 9 to 12 October
- from 6 to 19 October
The closures will begin on each Friday evening at around 9 pm and last until Monday morning at around 5 am.
From 9 to 12 October 2026, the A40 will also be closed near Bochum in the direction of Essen.
Cycling
The Cycle Expressway 1 (RS1) between Mülheim and Essen will be closed from 31 August to 28 September. A diversion in Mülheim between Geitlingstraße and Leybankstraße is signposted.
2027: A look ahead to next year
Although some details are still unclear, one thing is already certain: from summer 2027 onwards, commuters in the Ruhr region will once again have to be very patient.
Then, from 9 July to 15 October 2027, there will be further extensive road closures affecting the entire Ruhr region.