Frankfurt rail shutdown begins April 4 for critical upgrades
A major rail line in southern Frankfurt will shut down for over a month starting April 4, 2023. The closure will affect services between Forsthaus and Südbahnhof stations while essential upgrades take place. The shutdown runs from April 4 to May 15, 2023. During this time, the RE59 line between Frankfurt-Ost and Frankfurt Airport long-distance station will not operate. RB58 daytime trains will instead run via Frankfurt-Louisa, while night services between Hanau Hauptbahnhof and Rüsselsheim Opelwerk will be cancelled entirely.
Workers will remove parts of the embankment and drive new pilings into place. Heavy-lift cranes will position the structures, including two temporary bridges over Mörfelder Landstraße. These bridges will carry train traffic until the end of 2027, when the permanent replacement is completed. The project also includes renovating a grade-separation structure near Forsthaus. New pilings will be installed, and future abutments for the railway bridge will be built during this period.
The upgrades will disrupt travel for over a month, with some services rerouted and others suspended. Once finished, the temporary bridges will remain in use until the new permanent bridge is ready by late 2027.
