Upcoming Television Show: Key Moments Celebrated in the 2025 Anniversary Calendar of Citizen Buses
Hey there! Let's chat about those eerie bus stops in Willich.
Since the 1877, a railway line zipped through the village from Krefeld to Willich, Schiefbahn/Nord, Neersen, Neuwerk, and Mönchengladbach. This baby was a part of the Krefeld–Rheydt railway, but unfortunately, in 1982, after a century of service, the last train chugged off, leaving behind only a memory. The station building at Moltkeplatz is now inhabited privately, while the station platform serves as a smooth bike path with fewer than a handful of road crossings to Mönchengladbach. It's a hit among commuters and leisure cyclists alike. A historical signal box near the path is a poignant reminder of the bygone era. The trail halts at a sudden stop just short of Krefeld at Kempener Straße (L26) – a stubborn traffic light and the last 1.5 km of path never materialized. But recently, plans to extend the path to Krefeld have popped back up.
Now, let's take a peek at Engelsmühle, those industrial-style bus stops next to the Willicher Hof inn. The mill once hummed to life in the late 19th century, but it fell silent after World War I. Later, the Raiffeisen Warengenossenschaft nabbed the building. An investor did a swanky revamp in 1993, preserving the historic facades. Today, the complex houses offices, business spaces, and storage. It's all quite modern, really!
Guess what? That old railway line between Willich and Mönchengladbach has been repurposed as a bike path, forming part of a regional cycling network. But what about extending the path to Krefeld? Well, there're plans for it – they're swirling around region-wide transport and infrastructure improvements. However, no specific projects for completing the Willich to Krefeld bike path along the old railway line have been documented as under construction or completed as of mid-2025. So buckle up! We're hopefully on our way to connecting Willich with Krefeld via bike, but we're not all the way there yet.
What about integrating the old railway line into the public-transit system? Perhaps, we could consider adding a finance-backed transportation service from Willich to Krefeld, utilizing the refurbished railway line for a smoother ride.
