Overloaded rail network - Railroad wants to make timetables more stable with new construction method
The German Railway (Deutsche Bahn) aims to organize and bundle future construction works on the overloaded rail network in a different way and make the schedule more reliable. "We will continue to build at this high level, which is why we now need to fundamentally change our approach," says Philipp Nagl, CEO of the new railway infrastructure subsidiary InfraGo. "The greatest burden for rail passengers and freight transport companies are the constantly new schedules due to the endless number of small-scale, often short-term measures." This will change with the new principle. "We simplify the complex process of running and building."
The way it was built before
To curb the decay of the aging network at many locations, more construction work has become necessary in recent years. This regularly disrupts passenger and freight traffic, leading to train failures and delays.
Construction projects are registered with InfraGo as they occur, and then a possible time window is made available. The schedule must then be adjusted accordingly. Since this often happens very short-term for smaller projects, uncertainty and a lack of reliability arise for passengers.
Moreover, not all necessary construction work is carried out in one go but is spread over months or even years. This results in constant restrictions on the same stretch and confusion and frustration for customers.
The new concept
The railway intends to build differently in the future. For major investment projects as well as for smaller maintenance work, regular time windows, so-called containers, should be established. Construction work must then be carried out within these time corridors.
For smaller maintenance work, such as signal or switch inspections, these time windows could occur in a several-weekly rhythm. For major projects, the railway plans longer, but fixed time periods per year.
The advantage: The railway no longer needs to change the schedule due to short-term construction work. Anyone who wants to build must use one of the fixed time windows. The schedule can be set up early around these corridors. "Through the new principle, the medium-term requirement for schedule adjustments that we have in the course of the year is halved," emphasizes Nagl.
Guaranteed construction-free period
Moreover, the individual trades must coordinate better and bundle construction work. Since construction work will be carried out on a section during one of the new time windows, it must be construction-free for a certain period after that.
For major construction projects, it could take anywhere from five to seven years before construction can resume at that location, Nagl emphasizes. "The shorter or longer the construction window, the shorter or longer the subsequent construction-free period." This should lead to all necessary work being completed within a single siding phase.
The new model is expected to be implemented for smaller projects as of mid-July. The consortium plans to change its approach for major investments by the latest 2027.
General renovation as a role model
The initiation for the new concept were the plans for the Riedbahn, says the InfraGo CEO. The stretch between Frankfurt and Mannheim is the first of a total of 40 highly frequent railway corridors, which are supposed to be fully closed and then fundamentally renovated over several months in the coming years.
During the period of full closure, all necessary construction measures must be carried out. "We have noticed how much coordination is possible", emphasizes Nagl. The work on the Riedbahn starts on this Monday. The line will then be closed for five months. Here it will be shown whether the new construction concept of the railway really works.
- The constant changes in schedules due to numerous small-scale construction projects are a significant burden for both rail passengers and freight transport companies in the overloaded German Rail network.
- To address this problem, German Railways plans to adopt a new construction method, establishing regular time windows, or 'containers', for both major investment projects and smaller maintenance work.
- This means that construction work must be carried out within these fixed time corridors, eliminating the need for last-minute schedule adjustments caused by short-term construction projects.
- In Berlin, a city with a dense railroad network and heavy traffic, this new construction method could significantly improve the reliability of the timetable for both commuters and long-distance travelers.
- German Railways hopes that this new approach, demonstrated through the renovation of the Riedbahn corridor between Frankfurt and Mannheim, will lead to a more efficient and less disruptive construction process across the entire rail network in Germany.
