Train cancellations and detour due to construction work in Halle

Train passengers with routes via Halle's main station must be prepared for considerable restrictions from Saturday (22:00). As announced by Deutsche Bahn, the routes will be closed in stages. Operations are not expected to resume as normal until March 27 (04:00).

Both local and long-distance services will be affected. Replacement buses and detour will cushion the impact. The reason for the closures is work at the Halle railroad junction, during which old signal boxes are being switched off and replaced with modern technology.

Long-distance services: detour and train cancellations

From Saturday evening, several intercity connections will be diverted:

• IC line 55 (Dresden - Cologne) will run via Bitterfeld and Dessau.
• IC lines 56 and 57 (Leipzig - Rostock/Norddeich) will take the detour via Großkorbetha.

From Monday evening (22:00), Halle will be completely closed to long-distance services. Particularly affected:

• ICE Sprinter line 8 (Berlin - Munich) will be canceled.
• ICE lines 18 and 29 (Hamburg - Munich) will be rerouted via Leipzig and will also stop in Lutherstadt Wittenberg.
• IC lines 55, 56 and 57 will continue to run via Bitterfeld and Dessau.

In the final phase of the construction work, on Wednesday evening, March 26, there will finally be no long-distance connections between Erfurt and Berlin. Passengers will have to switch to alternative routes. Deutsche Bahn is operating replacement buses between Leipzig/Halle Airport and Halle and between Bitterfeld and Halle.

Local transport: buses replace S-Bahn trains

The connection between Halle and Leipzig will be interrupted from Saturday evening (22:00). This will mainly affect the S-Bahn lines S3, S5 and S5X, on which no trains will run during this time. Instead, replacement buses will run between Halle, Leipzig/Halle Airport and Schkeuditz.

According to Deutsche Bahn, all local trains will end early or be canceled from Monday evening (10 p.m.). Passengers will have to change to buses.

Reopening planned for the Leipzig Book Fair

Travelers must be prepared for longer journey times: The replacement bus from Halle to Leipzig/Halle Airport will take around 30 minutes, and additional transfer times must be factored in, according to Deutsche Bahn. However, the plan is to fully resume regular train services in time for the Leipzig Book Fair on March 27.