Train chaos between Cottbus and Leipzig: four weeks of change required!

Train chaos between Cottbus and Leipzig: four weeks of change required!

From Monday evening, August 25, 2025, rail travelers between Cottbus and Leipzig must expect significant restrictions. How Tagesschau.de reported, the lines RE10 and RB43 are particularly affected.

The reason for the inconvenience is urgently needed work on the control and safety technology systems. These will take place from August 25th to September 22nd, 2025, which unfortunately means that the trains will no longer run continuously from 9 p.m. Passengers can board the train in Cottbus towards Leipzig, but must change from the Finsterwalde stop to buses that allow them to continue their journey to Falkenberg (Elbe-Elster).

Timetables and alternatives

However, the change brings with it some challenges. Travelers should note that the bus journey to Falkenberg takes about an hour longer than the usual train route, which usually only takes 30 minutes. From Falkenberg, passengers can then use S-Bahn line 4 in the direction of Leipzig, which is currently the only way to reach the city. By the way, at night individual buses run from Finsterwalde directly to Cottbus main station.

The railway company expressly emphasizes that the bus travel times do not always correspond to those of the trains. The stops for replacement services are also not always located directly at the train stations. Travelers should therefore inform themselves in advance about the changed timetables, which are available on the railway website or app. Particularly important for people with disabilities: It is only possible to take bicycles, wheelchairs and strollers on the buses to a limited extent, with wheelchairs and strollers having priority.

Alternative routes and commuters

If you don't want to have to rely on the replacement bus, there are also some alternative routes. For example, there is the option of taking the RE18 to Ruhland and then changing to the RE11 to Leipzig. However, this journey would take at least 2 hours and 30 minutes, with a transfer time of 5 minutes in Ruhland. Alternatively, there is the option of taking the RB49 to Falkenberg and from there taking the S4 to Leipzig, which takes around 2 hours and 50 minutes.

You can also use the RE13 to Elsterwerda, then take the RB45 to Riesa and finally the ICE to Leipzig. This connection takes at least 2 hours and 36 minutes, but the ICE is not included in the Germany ticket, which can be a certain obstacle for many commuters.

The coming weeks promise a real test of patience for all travelers. Commuters should expect longer travel times and possible delays while maintenance work is carried out. LR online emphasizes that the restrictions should last four weeks and that trains can run regularly again from September 22, 2025, 10:45 p.m.