To curb violence around weekend events, the Federal Police Directorate in Sankt Augustin has issued a general order banning the carrying of weapons and dangerous objects at nine of North Rhine-Westphalia’s busiest stations—including Cologne Hbf, Düsseldorf Hbf and Dortmund Hbf—from 15:00 CET on 13 November until 03:00 CET on 15 November 2026. The order covers station buildings, platforms and connecting regional lines (for example, the Mönchengladbach–Düsseldorf corridor) but excludes underground Stadtbahn areas. Exemptions apply to police, military personnel and on-duty security staff. Passengers may transport knives or firearms only if they are secured in locked containers in accordance with Germany’s Weapons Act. The directive follows a spike in knife incidents and pyrotechnic offences linked to football fixtures and Christmas-market crowds. Random bag checks and metal-detector sweeps will be performed; violations risk on-the-spot fines, eviction from trains and confiscation of prohibited items. From a mobility perspective the ban primarily affects travellers carrying work tools: technicians and couriers should carry proof of assignment if transporting screwdrivers or similar equipment. Rail operators have alerted catering tenants that kitchen knives must stay behind counters. International visitors arriving via Cologne/Bonn or Düsseldorf airports should note that the rule applies the moment they step onto main-line platforms. Because the order is time-limited and geographically precise, companies can keep weekend itineraries intact by rerouting luggage vans to non-affected stations or scheduling maintenance crews outside the restricted hours. The Federal Police hint that similar bans could recur around Bundesliga derbies in December, so travel planners should monitor official gazettes for fresh notices.
Source: Bundespolizei Allgemeinverfügung
