Rail traffic - Altenburg station to be renovated in September: line closure
Extensive construction works on the Sachsen-Franken-Magistrale through Thuringia are progressing according to railway announcements, but they come with restrictions for travelers. The train station Altenburg in Ostthuringen is expected to be completed by September, as announced by Deutsche Bahn in the Thuringian town of Goesnitz (Altenburger Land) on Thursday. This will improve conditions for mobility-impaired people and travelers with heavy luggage, wheelchairs, or strollers. However, track closures are necessary.
To connect new tracks, switches, and signals to the electronic signaling technology, train traffic on the Neukieritzsch-Altenburg/Schmolln-Goessnitz/Meerane-Crimmitschau lines must be suspended from July 7 to September 2. Intermittent closures are planned. A bus replacement service will be provided.
Bus Replacement and Altered Schedules
Work will be carried out at numerous construction sites between Leipzig and Crimmitschau simultaneously, explained Jens Hettwer, Technology Manager at DB InfraGO. Certain track work and electronic signaling work can only be done when no trains are running. Therefore, construction work will be concentrated between Regis-Breitingen, Altenburg, Goessnitz, and Crimmitschau.
On the S 5 Halle (Saale)-Leipzig-Altenburg-Zwickau and RE 1 Goettingen-Glauchau and RE 3 Erfurt-Altenburg/Greiz lines, there will be disruptions between Neukieritzsch, Altenburg/Schmolln, Goessnitz/Meerane, and Zwickau from July to early September, with bus replacement services and schedule changes. The revised schedules can be obtained from the railway information systems.
Renovation of 52 Stations along the Magistrale
According to Deutsche Bahn, the Sachsen-Franken-Magistrale covers approximately 288 kilometers. It connects the railway sections Dresden-Hof and Leipzig-Werdau in Saxony, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt with Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg. A comprehensive renovation program is underway.
Approximately 850 kilometers of tracks will be rebuilt on the lines and at stations, 900 kilometers of overhead power lines will be renewed, and 52 stations and halts will be modernized. Thirty-two electronic signaling systems will be built, and 233 railway bridges will be repaired or replaced. After the completion of the Magistrale upgrade, trains could travel at a speed of 160 km/h instead of the current 120 km/h.
Bahn Information on the Magistrale
- Due to the extensive construction works on the Sachsen-Franken-Magistrale, traffic on the Neukieritzsch-Altenburg/Schmolln-Goessnitz/Meerane-Crimmitschau lines will be suspended from July 7 to September 2, resulting in a railroad closure.
- The construction works in Schmölln, located in Saxony, are part of the larger renovation program along the Sachsen-Franken-Magistrale, affecting both rail and road traffic.
- Travelers should be aware of the road closure in Neukieritzsch in East Thuringia, as it may impact their commute during the construction period.
- German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) has announced that the closure of the railroad in Altenburg, Saxony, will be temporary, aiming to improve rail traffic and mobility for people with disabilities.
- The completion of the renovation of the 52 stations along the Magistrale in Bavaria and Thuringia will increase the train speed from 120 km/h to 160 km/h, benefitting rail traffic especially between Goettingen and Zwickau.
- With the bus replacement service in place during the railroad closure between Altenburg and Schmölln, Bavarian and Thuringia commuters can still depend on reliable transportation options during the construction period.
