Bonn Central Train station renovation Roof gets removed for restoration
Bonn · The renovation work on Bonn Central Train Station is progressing and the new roof will be brighter and friendlier with a large glass surface. The federal government, Rhineland public transport and Deutsche Bahn are investing 13 million euros.
The construction work on the roof of Bonn’s main train station is progressing visibly with the first parts of the old roof having been removed. "The roof elements are taken away, restored and then used again," explained a Deutsche Bahn (German Railway) spokesman from Düsseldorf. Because the cast steel construction is under a historical preservation order, the elements must be restored and put back up again. In the end, the high ceiling construction is not only designed to protect against rain, which it recently did quite poorly, but it should also be brighter and friendlier by using more glass surface than previously.
In total, the construction workers will remove 5500 square meters of roof surface, which is held up on 44 roof pillars, according to the spokesperson. In order to carry out the disassembly, the construction companies have installed assembly platforms under the roof. These can be moved as needed. At first, the side of the roof facing the city center will be renovated. When finished, the workers will switch to the other side of the roof.
The construction site at Bonn Central Train Station was set up in November of 2016. It has been a source of irritation for commuters for months now because, at times, there seemed to be no progress. German Railway maintains that the renovation work is on schedule. The construction work that causes platform 1 to be closed is taking place underground so it may not be visible for commuters. Because of that closure, all train traffic has had to be routed onto tracks 2 and 3, which share a common platform. That area can get very crowded at peak travel times. Passengers complain of a dangerous situation but so far, no mishaps have been reported. In any case, Deutsche Bahn was able to award the tender for the roof work this past spring as previously announced.
Commuters will have to deal with the restrictions at the train station for some time to come. According to plans, the renovations will not be completed until the end of 2019. The German federal government, Rhineland public transport and Deutsche Bahn are investing 13 million euros in the project.
Orig. text: Philipp Königs
Translation: ckloep
