Executive Department for
Press, Communication and Marketing
Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2a Gebäude AVZ (Gebäudeteil AR-NA) 57068 Siegen
Phone: +49 (0)271/740-4915 Fax.: +49 (0)271/740-4911 E-Mail: presse@uni-siegen.de
Important News about Bus and Rail Service
Commuters should prepare for significant upcoming disruptions to the rail connection between Cologne and Siegen. In addition, VWS (Verkehrsbetriebe Westfalen-Süd), Siegen's regional public transit service, has announced the cancellation of various bus routes for Siegen-Wittgenstein, and has now posted a modified schedule.
News about the SemesterTicket and VGWS job ticket
Until December 12, 2022, one additional person (adult or child) and up to three children or one person (adult or child) and up to two bicycles may be taken along per SemesterTicket on holidays and weekends as well as during the Christmas vacations from December 23 to December 31, 2022, throughout NRW at no extra charge. The VGWS job ticket is valid throughout NRW during the above-mentioned times and includes the same transport rules.
The following provides an overview of how best to prepare for your commute to the university via bus or train.
Traveling by Train
Due to a variety of construction projects, the rail connection between Cologne and Siegen has not been running normally since September 16, 2022. Deutsche Bahn has announced a series of canceled or detoured trains as well as rail replacement buses that will be running for several months. These changes also affect the RE9, which runs from Siegen to Cologne. The new schedule is as follows:
• September 16 - 30: The rail line is closed between Kirchen/Brachbach and Siegen Hbf. A rail replacement bus service (known as Schienenersatzverkehr, or SEV) has been established. See https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/rf/re9nw_16-30092022_fahrplan.pdf
• September 30 - October 4: Closure of rail line between Betzdorf and Siegen. A rail replacement bus service (SEV) has been established. See https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/rf/re9nw_3009-05102022_fahrplan.pdf
• October 5 - 15: Closure of stretch between Köln Hbf (Cologne Central Station), Köln Messe/Deutz (Cologne Trade Fair), and Siegburg. During the period from October 5 (9 pm) and October 15 (5 am), passengers with a subscription to the public transit system in that area will be allowed to use Inter City Expresses (ICE) between Siegburg/Bonn and Cologne. This includes holders of NRW Semestertickets. An express bus version of the rail replacement service (SEV) will also be established for the RE9, running non-stop between Siegburg/Bonn and Köln Hbf (SEV see: https://ekapweb.vrs.de/fileadmin/user_upload/DB_RE9_SEV_Siegburg_Koeln_05bis07102022_ver2.pdf .
• Between October 18 and November 1, bridgework will be taking place between Wissen and Scheuerfeld (total closure of the section). The RE 9 will be replaced along this stretch by buses (for SEV info click here).
• November 23 - December 3: Total closure of the track between Troisdorf and Eitorf (S-Bahn canceled between Troisdorf and Eitorf, RE 9 replaced by buses between Troisdorf and Herchen. Updates for SEV can be found here.
• December 3 - December 9: Total closure between Herchen <> Hennef. RE 9 and S-Bahn will be replaced by bus service between Herchen and Hennef. Updates for SEV can be found here.
• In addition, there will be construction-related restrictions to public transit in the Cologne area between November 19 and December 12 (work on switches and bridges). As a result, the RE9 will generally be re-routed via the southern bridge (stopping in Köln Süd instead of Hauptbahnhof and Deutz), eliminating the need for most additional cancellations. The specific measures will be published as soon as they have been officially approved.
In general: current updates on construction sites related to rail travel can be found at https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/nrw
Traveling by bus
VWS (Verkehrsbetriebe Westfalen-Süd), the local public transit system, has announced a variety of deviations from the posted bus schedule for Siegen-Wittgenstein. The changes directly reflect a lack of professional drivers on the labor market due to the Corona pandemic, the VWS claims. According to VWS, the impacts of this trend can be seen in public transit systems across Germany, NRW, and also in Siegen. Because trained drivers are in high demand and the labor market is not producing enough candidates, various bus and rail routes must be cut — including for VWS.
As a result, VWS has pro-actively created a replacement concept for the UX buses that will be trialed during the period from October 4 – 14.
Key highlights:
• UX1: Total trips for the UX1 line will be cut by seven percent. Of 90 scheduled trips, 84 will be included on the replacement travel schedule. The new schedule for the UX1 can be found here.
• UX2: All trips are canceled. The trip between Weidenau ZOB – Weidenau Uni H – Weidenau Uni AR will continue to be covered by the R16, C111, and C106.
• UX4, UX6: All routes will run normally.
• UX5: All trips are cancelled for the period from October 4 - 14 (construction on Olper Straße between Birlenbach and Langenholdinghausen). Starting on October 17, morning trips between Langenholdinghausen – Geisweid – Weidenau Uni AR will be running.
• R16, C114, C111, C106: All routes will run normally during the period from October 4 - 14.
For all current information, please visit the VWS website: