The railroad line between Bonn and the Ahr Valley has always been an important route for commuters and tourists. During the flood disaster in 2021, the line was badly damaged, so badly in fact between Walporzheim and Ahrbrück that it had to be completely rebuilt. The reconstruction is costly, as Deutsche Bahn has to build new embankments and numerous bridges - and all of this has to be flood-proof. Trains are already running again as far as Walporzheim, but the reconstruction to Ahrbrück will take until the end of 2025 despite the high speed.

The good news is that Deutsche Bahn is bringing the line up to date during reconstruction. It will be fully electrified and equipped with new signaling technology and an electronic signal box. Thanks to the modernization, the Ahrtalbahn will be faster, more comfortable and more reliable in future. Trains will also be able to run more frequently and one train per hour will even travel as far as Cologne. New stops are also being examined and some are being relocated - the Dernau station, for example, to the town center.