Cologne Trains

Cologne's rail network spans two centuries of infrastructure, from the vaulted underground tunnels of the Stadtbahn to the long-distance platforms of Köln Hauptbahnhof beside the cathedral. The central station, whose current building dates to 1957, replaced one destroyed in World War Two and continues to serve as one of Germany's busiest rail junctions.

The Stadtbahn's underground lines run beneath the old town in raw poured concrete tunnels, with stations like Heumarkt built to a brutalist standard that prioritised durability over ornament. Heumarkt station takes its name from the market square directly above it, one of Cologne's oldest public spaces.

Köln Hauptbahnhof has been a node for international high-speed services since Thalys began connecting Cologne to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam in 1996 on the PBKA route. That service operated under the Thalys brand until 2023, when it merged into Eurostar, consolidating cross-channel and continental high-speed rail under a single operator.