Disrupted train traffic: Carnival cities also affected - Carnival Saturday chaos as signal failure halts trains near Dormagen

Train travellers around Dormagen faced major disruptions on Carnival Saturday, February 14, 2026. An unstaffed signal box caused widespread cancellations and delays from early afternoon until late evening. Several key routes, including RE6, RE7, and S11, were severely affected by the issue.

The problems began at 13:00 when the signal box near Dormagen was left unattended. As a result, all RE7 services were cancelled outright. Passengers on this route had to rely on replacement buses running between Köln Hbf and Krefeld Hbf.

On the RE6 line, trains skipped all stops between Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn Airport in both directions. Meanwhile, the S11 line saw truncated services. Trains from Düsseldorf terminated early at Neuss, while those from Bergisch Gladbach ended at Cologne-Nippes.

The disruptions dragged on for hours, with normal operations not expected to resume until around 22:00. No further details were provided about the cause or any potential solutions beyond the temporary measures put in place.

The signal box issue led to a full day of travel chaos for thousands of passengers. With no advance warning, many were forced to find alternative transport during one of the busiest weekends of the year. The incident highlighted the impact of operational failures on regional rail networks.