Line S12 is a
S-Bahn
The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...
line of the
S-Bahn Köln
The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...
network in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It is operated by
DB Regio
DB Regio AG () is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and therefore part of the DB Regio business segment, which also includes DB Regionn ...
using
class 423 electric multiple units. The S12 runs from
Horrem via
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
to
Au (Sieg). It shares this route for most of its run with the S 19. With over , it is the second longest S-Bahn line in North Rhine-Westphalia, after
S9.
The S12 operates every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday between Köln Ehrenfeld and Hennef (Sieg), with every third train continuing to Au (Sieg). The S19 also operates hourly between Au (Sieg) and Hennef, so there is a service every 30 minutes. One S12 services an hour is extended to Horrem, so with the S19, four trains operate hourly in each direction between Hennef (Sieg), Cologne and Horrem. On Sundays and public holidays, the S12 operates every 30 minutes between Horrem and Au (Sieg).
The route runs on the
Cologne–Aachen line (opened by the
Rhenish Railway Company
The Rhenish Railway Company (German language, German: ''Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft'', RhE) was along with the Cologne-Minden Railway Company (CME) and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (BME) one of the railway companies that in the m ...
between Cologne and Horrem in three stages between 1839 and 1841), the
East Rhine Railway
The East Rhine Railway (German: ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'', literally 'right (of the) Rhine railway') is a major, double-track, electrified railway line, running along the right bank of the Rhine from Cologne to Wiesbaden. The -long line forms two ...
(opened to Troisdorf by the Rhenish Railway in 1870, with
an extension to Cologne opened in 1874) and the
Sieg Railway
The Sieg Railway ( is a long, electrified Rail transport in Germany, German main line railway between Köln Messe/Deutz station, Cologne-Deutz via Porz (Rhein) station, Porz, Troisdorf railway station, Troisdorf, Siegburg/Bonn station, Siegburg, ...
(opened by the
Cologne-Minden Railway Company
The Cologne-Minden Railway Company (German, old spelling: ''Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft'', ''CME'') was along with the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company and the Rhenish Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th ...
between 1859 and 1862). The eastern section of the S 12 service from Au (Sieg) to
Köln-Nippes
Nippes (; ) is the fifth borough (') of Cologne, Germany. Nippes was incorporated into the city of Cologne in 1888 and the district was created in 1975. A large Ford Europe production plant is located in Niehl, the north-eastern part of the dis ...
was opened on 2 June 1991. It was extended to Düren on 13 June 2004, dropping Köln-Nippes. It was cut back to Horrem in December 2015.
[ ]
References
{{Reflist
Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn
1991 establishments in Germany