Railway Delays: German Railways Shifts Hannover Line Sanitation to a Later Date
Hanover's railway track undergoes renovation in the future. - Delay in Restoring Hanover Railway Track
Wait a minute!
The planned sanitation of crucial railway lines in Germany might stretch up to 2035, pushing the timeline four years beyond initial plans, as German Railways announced at an industry briefing.
With such an extension, North Rhine-Westphalia could be affected, as suggested by insiders. The line running from Minden to Wunstorf, crucial for long-distance travel between the Ruhr area and Hannover, Berlin's gateway, would reportedly be addressed much later in the proposed schedule. Initially, it was slated to begin work in 2028; now, it's expected in 2034.
Critics have long been skeptical of the original timeline for the nationwide railway network overhaul. They argue that it was excessively ambitious, insufficiently preparing alternate routes, and the projects' planning.
Comprehensive Overhaul to Boost Reliability
German Railways aims to modernize over 40 heavily trafficked and aging corridors across Germany as part of a massive, multi-year overhaul, preparing the network for digital advancements. This initiative is expected to improve punctuality in long-distance travel, which saw particularly poor performance last year, the worst since the 1994 railway reform. The network's wear and tear and overcapacity are blamed for the poor reliability.
Approximately every fourth of these major projects targets lines in North Rhine-Westphalia. Currently, as part of the overhaul, the section between Emmerich and Oberhausen is being expanded. This route is part of the European freight corridor running from the North Sea port of Rotterdam to Genoa on the Mediterranean. The goal is to connect key European economic hubs to major seaports via rail.
Upcoming Project: Hagen-Wuppertal-Cologne
As previously scheduled, the Hagen-Wuppertal-Cologne line will undergo an extensive renovation next year, from February 6 to July 10, 2026. Long-distance trains will be rerouted between Düsseldorf, Duisburg, and Essen during this five-month period, while the S-Bahn services will be limited, requiring passengers to adapt to certain restrictions.
From July 2026, extensive work on the right-bank stretch between Troisdorf and Unkel is planned.
The lines running from Hagen-Unna-Hamm and left-bank between Cologne, Bonn, and Koblenz are expected to begin work in 2028. The Aachen-Cologne line is slated for 2029 - all things considered.
keywords:
- Railway network
- Hannover
- Germany
- Minden
- Berlin
- Cologne
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Intercity-Express
- Railway line
- Hagen
- NRW
- German Railways
- Wunstorf
- Wuppertal
- Ruhr area
- Düsseldorf
- Amidst the planned railway line sanitation in Germany, concerns about the draft policy-and-legislation concerning employee protection in case of accidents have also been raised, with the Commission consulted on the matter.
- The discussions about the railway network overhaul in Germany, including the Hagen-Wuppertal-Cologne line renovation, fire up debates in transportation, finance, industry, politics, and general news.
- In the context of the general news about railway delays and the extension of the sanitation schedule for the Hannover line, the transport and infrastructure policies are expected to experience significant changes in the coming years.
