Groningen-Bremen route to be expanded
Deutsche Bahn has officially begun upgrading the Wunderline railroad line between Bremen and Groningen in the Netherlands. On Friday, representatives of the railroad company and politicians lifted the first sleeper into the route to be upgraded at a symbolic kick-off for the construction work in the municipality of Westoverledingen (Leer district).
According to the railroad company, the renewal of the 173-kilometer line will offer passengers a faster connection between northern Germany and the north of the Netherlands. To this end, the line is to be upgraded in two stages by the mid-2030s - with the majority of the work on the German side.
In the first expansion stage, the section between the German-Dutch border and Ihrhove is to be modernized by the 2024/2025 timetable change. This will involve work on tracks, points, signals and overhead lines. The signal box technology in Ihrhove near Leer will also be replaced.
At the end of next year, the new Friesenbrücke bridge over the Ems will also become part of the route. Since a freighter destroyed the bridge in 2015, replacement bus services have been operating on the route between Lower Saxony and the Netherlands.
At the start of the work, Ute Plambeck, DB Group Representative for Lower Saxony, said that the expansion of the line is not only a sign of climate-friendly rail transport, but also strengthens the economy and tourism in the region.
From the end of 2024, the journey time for travelers between Bremen and Groningen should be reduced to less than two and a half hours. After the second expansion phase, the journey time should be less than 2:15 hours. Before the route was interrupted, the journey time was 2:43 hours.
The expansion of the railroad line will significantly impact transportation in the region, potentially reducing traffic congestion on existing roads. The modernized section of the Wunderline railroad line, once completed, will contribute to smoother transportation between Bremen and Groningen, increasing the efficiency of railroad construction and transportation as a whole.
Source: www.dpa.com
