Train track crossing UN-Campus stop means longer wait at Ollenhauer Straße

Bonn · For many, the new UN-Campus stop will be a great convenience. But for residents who need to cross the train tracks at Ollenhauer Straße, it means an even longer wait.

There’s a saying “one man’s pleasure is another man’s pain.” Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) wants to have the new UN-Campus stop completed in time for the beginning of November when 20,000 people pour into the Rheinaue and WCCB for the World Climate Conference. And that new UN-Campus stop will be a bonus for many riders. But for others, it will test their patience even further. Pedestrians, bicycle riders and motorists who wait at the Ollenhauer train track crossing will have a longer wait once the UN-Campus stop is operating.

Up to four local trains will stop at the UN-Campus stop hourly. A Deutsche Bahn (DB) spokesperson said that because of trains running to the new stop, the tracks between Rheinweg and Ollenhauer Straße will have to be gated for a slightly longer period of time. With the additional trains passing through, the gate is expected to remain closed around one-and-a-half to two minutes longer. These are the concrete numbers given by the city, referring back to a previous statement from DB. For those affected, especially commuters and students attending high schools in the area, it is not an easy situation. Sometimes, the gates are already shut up to 20 minutes.

Plans were still being drawn up for the new stop, according to a DB spokesperson. But it was expected to be in operation at the beginning of November.

For years already, there has been talk about the situation at the Ollenhauer crossing and how to relax the traffic situation. Despite this, a DB spokesperson said they were still “in an early planning phase.” A proposed underpass would run about 8.5 to 10 million euros but there is no concrete plan for building this in the foreseeable future. Financing regulations call for the costs to be shared between Deutsche Bahn, the federal government and the city but this seems not to be a clear cut case. Political and strategic discussion is ongoing about exactly who uses the tracks and who should pay for any new construction.

Orig. text: Philipp Königs, Richard Bongartz. Translation: ckloep

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