Increased Travel Duration and Bus Replacements During Hamburg-Berlin Restoration - Examined the alignment of the aid with the domestic market by the Commission.
Hamburg-Berlin Railway Line to Undergo Nine-Month Renovation
The Hamburg-Berlin railway line is set for a comprehensive nine-month renovation, starting on August 1, 2024. The closure of the route will have significant implications for passengers and freight transport companies, with detours and longer travel times expected.
The renovation is essential to address the strain on the important connection between the two metropolises. The work will involve upgrades to stations, track renewal, switch installation, and the replacement of contact wires and overhead lines. A total of 249 switches will be installed, with 25 kilometers of contact wire and 22 kilometers of overhead line being replaced. Six new signal boxes will be built, and 19 will be modernized, preparing them for the use of digital control and safety technology (ETCS).
During the renovation, around 30,000 people who travel daily on the 280-kilometer route will have to adjust their travel plans. Passengers on the RE1 route (Hamburg-Büchen-Schwerin) will use replacement buses, with the buses not departing from or arriving at Hamburg Central Station, but at Hamburg-Bergedorf or the U-Bahn station Steinfurther Allee in Hamburg-Billstedt. Transfer to the S or U-Bahn will be required for travel to the city center.
Long-distance trains will be rerouted, with trains between Hamburg and Rostock taking around 60 minutes longer due to the detour via Lübeck and Bad Kleinen. Trains will also be rerouted via Stendal and Uelzen, taking an average of 45 minutes longer.
The through connection between Lübeck and Stettin is disrupted, with trains to the Polish port city running from Güstrow (Rostock district). Some freight trains will be rerouted via Uelzen and Stendal, but rerouting via Rotenburg (Wümme) and Verden (Aller) is also planned, causing delays of several hours for transport companies.
In a positive note, larger trains are to be deployed on the line between Lübeck and Bad Kleinen on the Schweriner See. The EC trains between Hamburg and Prague will start and end in Berlin, rather than Hamburg, during the renovation.
Following the completion of the Hamburg-Berlin renovation, the focus will shift to the Hamburg-Hanover railway line. The German government has approved a high-speed line project between Hamburg and Hanover, which is scheduled for a Bundestag vote in mid-2025. Once approved, construction is expected to begin, but a detailed renovation and construction schedule has not yet been announced.
Germany's strategy for rail refurbishment includes fully closing and renovating heavily used corridors thoroughly and rapidly to create high-performance networks by 2030. Given the existing heavy traffic on the Hamburg-Hanover route, it is likely that this corridor will be part of the overall modernization effort.
In summary, the Hamburg-Berlin railway line will be closed for nine months from August 1, 2024, to April 30, 2026. The renovation will involve upgrades to stations, track renewal, switch installation, and the replacement of contact wires and overhead lines. Following the completion of the Hamburg-Berlin renovation, the focus will shift to the Hamburg-Hanover railway line, with a high-speed line project scheduled for construction in the near future. However, a detailed renovation and construction schedule has not yet been announced.
The renovation of the Hamburg-Berlin railway line will impact both community policy and employment policy, as over 30,000 daily commuters will need to adjust their travel plans. Additionally, the finance industry and transportation sector may experience implications due to potential disruptions in freight transport and longer travel times during the nine-month renovation.
