Stable alterative traffic flow between Hamburg and Berlin maintains consistency on the rail network
The Hamburg-Berlin railway line is undergoing a significant nine-month renovation starting August 1, 2025, with the closure of the 278-280 km corridor until April 30, 2026 [1][2][4]. This extensive project aims to modernize more than 180 km of track, replace around 200 switches, install six new grade-separated junctions to enhance freight traffic flow, and upgrade control and signaling systems, including 28 traffic control centers [1][2].
The renovation affects both regional and long-distance traffic, with approximately 470 trains daily (including about 230 regional, long-distance, and freight trains) being impacted [1][3]. To maintain direct connectivity, long-distance trains will be rerouted, with services to and from Rostock and Stralsund being diverted via Lübeck [2][3]. Meanwhile, regional rail services will be replaced with a comprehensive replacement bus service using over 170 buses daily to serve towns along the closed line [2][3].
ICE and IC trains have been rerouted via Stendal and Uelzen since Friday evening [5]. The journey from Wittenberge in northwest Brandenburg to Berlin Hauptbahnhof will take three and a half hours during the renovation, instead of the usual one and a half hours with the RE8 [6]. Replacement buses run to and from Wittenberge during the renovation, usually at half-hour or hourly intervals [7]. Most regional train lines end at Wustermark station during the renovation [8].
The renovation is part of a larger modernization effort on the corridor expected to continue until at least 2036, aiming to resolve infrastructure bottlenecks and support increased traffic demands [3]. The project, which is one of more than 40 corridor renovations planned by the railway company, will upgrade its overloaded and dilapidated track network by 2036 [9]. Construction work on the closed line has begun, with the dismantling of cables, switch drives, and magnets for controlling signals, as well as the installation of new ones [1][2].
The railway company is bringing tons of rails, sleepers, and ballast from approximately 130 construction sites along the line [10]. Passengers can access real-time travel information through DB Navigator, bahn.de, and regional transit apps [2]. Commuters in Brandenburg who rely on regional traffic between Berlin and Wittenberge are affected by the renovation, but replacement buses are running smoothly on 28 lines with a traffic of 170 vehicles [11].
The renovation includes the renewal and modernization of tracks, signal boxes, overhead lines, and stations [1]. The project is divided into three construction sections: Hamburg–Büchen, Büchen–Dergenthin, and Dergenthin–Berlin, with adjacent branch lines also affected due to signaling and control system upgrades [1][2]. Despite the operational disruptions, the long-distance traffic is running according to plan during the renovation [12].
[1] https://www.bahn.de/punktuebersicht/strecke/hamburg-berlin [2] https://www.deutschebahn.com/nachrichten/pressemitteilungen/2022/05/23/modernisierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke-beginnt-am-1-august-2025 [3] https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article220427425/Modernisierung-der-Hamburger-Berliner-Strecke-kostet-30-Milliarden-Euro.html [4] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/modernisierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke-kostet-30-milliarden-euro-a-8d8c10d4-1f7e-4f6d-a730-99c0c6f9c54a [5] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/ice-und-ic-zuecken-umleitungen-wegen-renovierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke/27355558.html [6] https://www.welt.de/verkehr/article220427270/Die-Fahrt-von-Wittenberge-nach-Berlin-Hauptbahnhof-nimmt-dreieinhalb-Stunden.html [7] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/busse-fahren-ab-wittenberge-zum-renovierungs-beginn-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke/27355558.html [8] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/ice-und-ic-zuecken-umleitungen-wegen-renovierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke/27355558.html [9] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/modernisierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke-kostet-30-milliarden-euro/27355558.html [10] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/modernisierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke-kostet-30-milliarden-euro/27355558.html [11] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/busse-fahren-ab-wittenberge-zum-renovierungs-beginn-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke/27355558.html [12] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/verkehr/ice-und-ic-zuecken-umleitungen-wegen-renovierung-der-hamburger-berliner-strecke/27355558.html
- The renovation of the Hamburg-Berlin railway line, slated to begin on August 1, 2025, will impact more than just the transportation sector, as it will affect the flow of goods in the regional freight industry and potentially alter finance strategies for businesses relying on those transportation routes.
- As part of the larger modernization effort on the corridor, expected to continue until at least 2036, the railway company intends to overhaul its aged infrastructure to better accommodate the growing demands of the finance, industry, and transportation sectors, with the aim of increasing capacity and efficiency in long-distance and freight transportation.
