traffic - 41 rehabilitations until 2031: construction program of the railway begins
After the end of the Football European Championship, the largest infrastructure renovation program in decades begins at the German Railway. From Monday evening, 23.00 hours, the important railway line between Frankfurt and Mannheim will be closed for months. This is the first of 41 lines that are scheduled to be fundamentally modernized by 2031. In addition, from Tuesday until mid-August, the ICE high-speed rail line between Cologne and Frankfurt will be closed due to construction work, but this is not a General Overhaul.
Wissing: No reason why General Overhauls should not work
The railway places great hopes in the 41 General Overhauls. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) expressed confidence that the program will succeed. "It is well prepared, the capacities are available in the construction industry, the materials are there. So there is no reason why it should not work", Wissing told "Deutschlandfunk". The construction industry recently expressed doubts that the General Overhauls will proceed as planned.
The Riedbahn is one of the most important lines in Germany overall, with over 300 trains passing through it daily in regional, long-distance, and freight traffic. However, there have been disruptions every day. Until mid-December, rails, overhead lines, signals, and switches will be replaced. After that, several years of construction-free periods are planned.
"The Riedbahn is like a clogged main artery in an organism. It is now being clamped, repaired, and then the system functions better", said Wissing.
Travel from Cologne to Mannheim due to construction site particularly difficult
In the coming few weeks, the ICE high-speed rail line between Cologne and Frankfurt will also be closed due to construction work. The line will be closed from Tuesday.
According to railway information, passengers should expect delays and disruptions between 40 and 90 minutes. The trains will be rerouted, eliminating stops at Siegburg/Bonn, Montabaur, and Limburg Süd. They can be reached with bus replacement services. Along the line, 70 kilometers of tracks and 13 switches will be renewed in the four weeks.
Association: Investments in rail to significantly increase in 2024
Wissing criticized that in recent years too little money has been invested in railway maintenance. New figures from the lobby group Allianz Pro Schiene support this: According to their data, per capita investments in rail in Germany in 2023 were 115 Euro - only one Euro more than in 2022.
"The slight increase in investments has not come close to offsetting the price increases", said Andreas Geißler, Transport Policy Leader at the association. For the current year, Geißler expects a significant increase to 174 to 215 Euro.
Riedbahn costs higher than originally planned
Allianz Pro Schiene has been calculating annual per capita investments in railway infrastructure for Germany and numerous other countries since 2005, with the support of the transportation consulting firm SCI Verkehr. Since 2014, there has been a steady increase in investments in Germany. In 2021, the per capita investments reached a record high of 124 Euro - however, this included an equity increase for the German Railway. In 2014, per capita investments in rail in Germany were still at 49 Euro.
The General Overhaul of the Riedbahn currently costs 1.3 billion Euro - significantly more than originally planned. The next General Overhaul is planned from August 2025 on the line Hamburg - Berlin, which will then last for nine months.
- The German Railway is focusing on the largest infrastructure renovation program in decades after the Football European Championship.
- The closure of the important railway line between Frankfurt and Mannheim is the first step in this 10-year renovation plan, scheduled to complete by 2031.
- Volker Wissing, the Federal Transport Minister from the FDP, expresses confidence in the success of the renovation program, citing the industry's ready resources and available materials.
- The Riedbahn, one of Germany's most vital rail lines, will undergo comprehensive modernization as part of the renovation program, with a focus on replacing rails, overhead lines, signals, and switches.
- With modest investments in rail maintenance in recent years, per capita investments in Germany have barely increased, according to data from the lobby group Allianz Pro Schiene.
- Wissing criticizes the scarcity of funds allocated to railway maintenance, with Geißler of the association predicting a significant increase to 174 to 215 Euro in investments for 2024.
- The upgrades to the Riedbahn are currently costing 1.3 billion Euro, significantly higher than the originally projected budget.
- The Riedbahn's General Overhaul is expected to improve traffic, with Wissing comparing the railway line to a clogged artery in the body, being clamped, repaired, and functioning better when completed.
- The General Overhaul of the rail line Hamburg - Berlin is set to commence in August 2025, lasting nine months and following the Riedbahn's renovation in Germany Waves.
