Stop construction work S4: Replacement buses with longer travel times until June 15th!

Stop construction work S4: Replacement buses with longer travel times until June 15th!

From Friday, May 30th, the S4 route between Heilbronn and Eppingen will be closed until June 15th. This measure is necessary in order to carry out construction work to build a second track between Leingarten and Schwaigern. As echo24.de reports, the single-track section near Schwaigern has regularly led to delays in the past. The Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG) is carrying out the construction work during the closure.

Replacement buses will be used, but these will take longer travel times. This means that the journey time can sometimes double, and bicycles are not allowed to be taken on the replacement buses. In addition, tickets are not available everywhere. The new connections and better punctuality will be offered on the S4 on June 15th, which will also include the new departure times. An additional departure at 7:46 a.m. from Eppingen will be introduced, and the 6:30 a.m. train will now only take 23 minutes to Heilbronn, stopping at five stations.

Additional construction work and diversions

Parallel to this work, the municipal utilities will begin renewing the station forecourt in Heilbronn from May 31st, which will also have an impact on the S41 and S42 lines. These lines are rerouted via the Harmonie stop on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. In addition, the S5 between Eppingen and Sinsheim-Steinsfurt will remain interrupted on the weekend from May 31st to June 1st. The AVG recommends passengers to be well informed before starting their journey.

The double-track expansion between Leingarten and Schwaigern was already an important project that was successfully completed on December 15, 2023. At that time, AVG and DB Regio resumed regular rail operations. During the six-month closure period, numerous individual measures were implemented, including the renovation of the single-track part of the railway line and preparation for the double-track expansion. In addition, a noise barrier was built and several switches were replaced. Details can be found in the report on eppingen.org.

With the successful completion of this construction work, an improvement in the timetable offering on the Kraichgaubahn is expected from summer 2025, as the single-track “bottleneck” in the approximately 3-kilometer-long section will no longer exist. This will significantly ease the commute between Heilbronn and Eppingen and contribute to increasing punctuality.

For further information on current developments in local public transport, the VDV offers comprehensive statistics and analyzes that shed light on the growth and challenges of the industry.