Germany’s national railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) has unveiled plans to overhaul the Hamburg-Berlin and Emmerich-Oberhausen railway corridors.
Rehabilitation and expansion of the Emmerich-Oberhausen corridor will involve new tracks and improvements to existing systems, among others.
Improvements to this 72km route is expected to start in November 2024 and conclude in June 2026, with scheduled closures.
Work on the 280km Hamburg-Berlin corridor will include a revamp of the tracks, points and overhead lines.
Signalling systems will also be enhanced, with the route being shut from June to December 2025 for the upgrades.
According to DB, these projects will result in increased capacity for passenger and freight transportation, reduced delays linked to infrastructure-related disruptions, and more punctual trains.
Both projects are part of DB’s broader plan to refurbish the country’s high-intensity railways.
The operator wants to renovate at least two main rail lines annually from now until 2030.
DB CEO Dr Richard Lutz: “The Hamburg-Berlin route connects the two largest German cities and, with 30,000 passengers a day on long-distance trains, is the front-runner among direct city connections in Germany. The trains already run here every half hour according to the Germany cycle. We also focus on freight transport.
“With Emmerich-Oberhausen we are rehabilitating the transport artery Rotterdam-Genoa. Both corridors are central building blocks in the future high-performance network. Our clear goal is to attract even more people and companies to the climate-friendly rail system through the combined renewal of the most important corridors.”
