DB InfraGO, Germany’s rail infrastructure manager, has announced a revision of its ambitious programme for the comprehensive renewal of the rail network, which will affect more than 40 of Germany’s busiest corridors.
After months of criticism for the total closures of lines and the accumulated delays, the state company proposes to extend the construction schedule until 2035, four years longer than initially planned.
The aim is to mitigate the impact of the closures and respond to the sector’s demands, particularly the freight sector, which considered the original plan too aggressive and lacked sufficient alternative routes.
The new approach maintains the works already scheduled until 2026, such as the nine-month total closure of the Berlin-Hamburg line from August. However, from 2027 onwards, the renovations will be spaced out over time.
For example, the modernisation of Frankfurt-Heidelberg is postponed to 2030 and Lübeck-Hamburg to 2028. Other key lines, such as Würzburg-Treuchtlingen, Aachen-Cologne or Minden-Wunstorf, will see their works delayed until the end of the next decade.
The rail sector has cautiously welcomed the proposal, appreciating the lower concentration of closures and the potential for improved planning of detours and logistics. The final plan will be agreed upon in a sectoral forum and must be approved by the federal government.