Ruhr area transport authority VRR approved the long-term introduction of passenger services in 2016 as part of plans to provide a temporary rail service for the North Rhine Westphalian state garden show.
The freight line serving collieries in Kamp-Lintfort closed in 2012 and has never had a public passenger service. €1.5 million has been spent improving around 7km of track and providing the temporary station at Kamp-Lintfort South adjacent to the garden show site. Services will continue until October 11.
The local authority in Kamp-Lintfort and the Rath group from Düren founded the Lower Rhine Railway in 2019 and have acquired the railway infrastructure between Rheinkamp and Kamp-Lintfort. Full rebuilding will commence in October with an extension planned to Kamp-Lintfort’s town centre, the third largest town in Germany that has no passenger rail service.
At Rheinkamp a new chord will be built to connect the Lower Rhine Railway to the DB Networks Moers - Xanten line, enabling direct trains to Moers and Duisburg, and replacing the reversal currently required for the garden show shuttle service.
Re-signalling of the junction and the line is required, and the state government committed €12.3m of the €18 million total cost in February 2020. Lower Rhine Railway will provide €2.5m. Full re-opening with daily passenger services is currently forecast for June 2026.
