01.09.2023 | Corporate News

Operation of the Rhine ferry ‘Fritz Middelanis’ is temporarily suspended owing to steering problems.

The ‘Fritz Middelanis’ is temporarily out of service on the Rhine between Köln-Langel and Leverkusen-Hitdorf. During a routine inspection following resumption of services after the ferry had been temporarily suspended due to exhaust problems, damage was found in one of the two hydraulic steering units. Whether it will be possible to put the vessel back into service in the coming week is not yet known.

‘The same hydraulic steering problem has occurred every now and then. Unfortunately, for the first time the other unit is affected, which previously worked perfectly’, says Norbert Di Raimondo, Managing Director of Rheinfähre Köln-Langel / Hitdorf GmbH. He added; ‘We apologise sincerely to our loyal customers that another breakdown has occurred. But it is simply not possible to operate under these conditions. The safety of our passengers, the crew and the vehicles onboard is not negotiable for us.’

Replacement parts must be obtained to bring the ‘Fritz Middelanis’ back into service. ‘We are looking for these locally and internationally. We know from experience that this process can take several days. As far as we can tell, we will be out of service next week as well’, added Di Raimondo.
Ferry passengers can find out from a traffic light symbol on the www.hgk.de website whether the ferry is currently operating.