From Friday: closure on railway line between Berlin and Hamburg
Passengers traveling between Hamburg and Berlin should prepare for significant restrictions starting Friday evening for approximately four months due to construction work. The route will be closed from 10 PM until December 14th. Long-distance trains will be rerouted westwards via Stendal, Salzwedel, Uelzen, and Lüneburg, adding 45 minutes to the journey time. Instead of two trains per hour, there will only be one.
For commuters between Hamburg and Wittenberge, a replacement bus service will be established, also serving Ludwigslust. These connections are already integrated into online timetables and can be accessed there. There will also be restrictions for passengers between Hamburg and Schwerin, where construction work is ongoing until September 29th. No ICE trains will be running, but there will be direct replacement buses and one daily Intercity train via Lübeck.
This is the first of two extended closure periods between Hamburg and Berlin. Starting next August, a comprehensive modernization and renovation project, known as the "Generalsanierung," will begin, which will again result in long-term restrictions for passengers.
The initial closure period for passengers traveling between Hamburg and Berlin ends on December 14th, falling in the month of December. Due to this closure, alternative long-distance train routes will be available, taking a 45-minute detour via Stendal, Salzwedel, Uelzen, and Lüneburg.
