Hello Leipzig: Here’s how Monday 17 August 2026 gets off to a start

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What a lovely way to start the week! For six weeks, children and teenagers have been looking forward to school finally starting (again) 😉  The transport company is delighted that the 1E can now run its loop service again. Passengers travelling to Zwickau are pleased that at least one bus is running and they don’t have to walk – and I suppose we’re all looking forward to the rain that’s on the way.

Welcome, clouds!

It was about time – the long-awaited rain has arrived! The new week begins in our part of the world with the much-needed rainfall for parks, gardens and fields. There were already showers and isolated thunderstorms here and there during the night from Sunday to today. However, according to the German Weather Service (DWD), hail and gusts of wind reaching 70 kilometres per hour are also possible in some parts of Saxony.

In connection with the current weather conditions, the DWD also warns of locally heavy rainfall. For isolated thunderstorms, rainfall amounts of up to around 40 litres per square metre are forecast. Rain is also expected tomorrow, particularly in the early hours of the day. For Wednesday, the forecast models again indicate an increased likelihood of precipitation. On Thursday, following initially fairer conditions, thunderstorms could form again as the day progresses.
Several forecasts point to rain and thunderstorms, as well as heavy showers at times, towards the end of this week. There is still some uncertainty regarding the exact paths of potential rain bands; nevertheless, from today’s perspective, Friday is expected to be the wettest day of the coming days. The weather is set to stabilise towards the weekend.

A word of caution for children starting school

The long-awaited rain is not only washing the dust off the streets, but also sweeping away the summer holidays. From today, more than sixty thousand pupils will once again be making their morning journey to the classroom.

This means there are now significantly more children and young people out and about on the roads – particularly in the morning hours around schools and on school routes. This results in a noticeable increase in traffic, especially in the vicinity of primary schools. As the new school year begins, the Saxon police are drawing particular attention to the situation of Year 1 pupils in road traffic.

For many, this marks the start of “an exciting adventure”, but at the same time, these young road users first have to get used to their daily journey to school. Accordingly, increased vigilance is expected on school routes and in the vicinity of schools during the first few weeks of term. School crossing guards and traffic police officers will be present outside many schools to help the ‘little ones’ cross the road, in the truest sense of the word.

In the previous school year 2025/26, 63,673 pupils were enrolled at the general education schools in Messestadt. The city has 83 primary schools. Demand for secondary schools also remains high. More than 5,000 new enrolments were registered there for the 2026/27 school year.

School-leaving qualifications from Ukrainian schools of origin thanks to online lessons

From today, Ukrainian pupils in Saxony have an additional opportunity to obtain a school-leaving certificate from their home country. According to a notice to parents issued by the State Office for Schools and Education, pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 can voluntarily take part in Ukrainian online school programmes during the 2026/27 academic year. This is subject to an application for an exemption from compulsory school attendance under Section 26(3), second sentence, of the Saxon School Act (SächsSchulG).

The pupils concerned will remain enrolled at their Saxon school but will not attend regular on-site lessons. Once the exemption has been granted, participation in Ukrainian online lessons is compulsory. At the same time, pupils may continue to take part in voluntary extracurricular activities and events organised by Saxon schools to promote integration and support the acquisition of the German language.

Applications must be made using a specified application and withdrawal form; parents are responsible for ensuring that the information provided is complete and correct (download HERE
). Participation in Ukrainian online lessons is expressly voluntary. It should also be noted that Saxon schools bear no responsibility for the content of the Ukrainian online educational programmes. Furthermore, families are advised to take personal responsibility for supporting their children’s acquisition of the German language.

LVB trams back on track in Schönefeld

From today, the Schönefeld track loop on Volbedingstraße – which has been completely rebuilt – is being used regularly by trams. Leipzig Transport Authority (LVB) had announced a few days earlier that work on the facility had been completed on schedule. Line 1E now runs between Lausen and Schönefeld, whilst Line 1 continues to run every 20 minutes to Mockau, Post.

This marks the end of a major project that has kept north-east Leipzig busy for more than two years. The redevelopment of Volbedingstraße began on 3 June 2024 and extended between Mockauer Straße and Wenckstraße. Tram tracks, overhead lines and traction power systems were renewed, as were road surfaces, pavements, lighting, traffic lights and drinking water and sewage pipes. Accessible tram stops were also constructed.

According to the Leipzig Group, around 900 metres of track, including overhead lines and traction power systems, were renewed. Furthermore, LVB increased the track centre-to-centre distance to allow for the use of wider trams in future.

According to the plans, a net investment of around 28.8 million euros was earmarked for the entire project. Of this, approximately 13.5 million euros was contributed by the LVB, around 9.8 million euros by the waterworks, and around 5.5 million euros by the city itself.

Replacement transport services towards Zwickau and Eilenburg

The railway is commencing a new construction phase on the Saxony-Franconia Main Line, set to last several months, with far-reaching consequences for passengers travelling between Leipzig, Altenburg, Gößnitz and Zwickau. Work is scheduled to take place at the Gößnitz railway junction and Werdau station until 12 December 2026. Among other things, tracks and points will be renewed, overhead line systems upgraded, bridges installed and Werdau station modernised.

For passengers, this means extensive changes to train services. According to DB, no DB Regio S-Bahn services will run to Zwickau as scheduled. During the construction phase, buses will operate between Gößnitz and Zwickau. From 23 August to 18 October, the rail replacement service will be extended to cover the Altenburg–Zwickau section.

This measure is particularly significant for commuters and travellers from Leipzig, as the S5 and S5X are among the most important connections to western Saxony. Regular local transport tickets, including the Deutschlandticket, are valid for the replacement service.

Tonight, there will also be restrictions on the RE 10 Regional Express line between Leipzig Central Station and Eilenburg. Between 10.00 pm and 1.00 am, some train services will be cancelled and replaced by buses.

The RE 10 service 18397, travelling towards Leipzig, is affected. This service is scheduled to arrive at Eilenburg at 10.30 pm. The replacement bus departs from there at 10.40 pm from the station forecourt, bus platform 6, and arrives at Leipzig Central Station (east side), Osthalle exit, bus platform T, at 11.25 pm. In the opposite direction, the RE 10 18398 will be replaced by a bus, which departs at 23:31 from the east side of Leipzig Central Station, bus platform S. Arrival in Taucha is scheduled for 11.56 pm, with Eilenburg reached at 12.16 am. There, passengers can connect to the onward journey on the RE 10, which is due to depart at 12.22 am.

Although these engineering works only affect a short period at the turn of the hour, they may result in longer journey times and altered connections for passengers on this important route between Leipzig and Northern Saxony.