The Berlin-Hamburg railway is set to be integrated with 5G technology.
If things go as planned, the Hamburg-Berlin railway line is expected to be operational again by mid-December, following construction work. Post this, another significant closure for improvements is scheduled from August 2025 to April 2026. This closure aims to make the route 5G compatible, among other objectives.
The agreement for this project involves the German government, Deutsche Bahn, and mobile network operators 1&1, Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica/O2, and Vodafone. Minister of Transport and Digital, Volker Wissing, stated in Frankfurt, "The Hamburg-Berlin railway line will be transformed into Germany's innovation route for high-speed mobile communication."
The 278-kilometer-long railway route between Berlin and Hamburg is one of Germany's busiest, with up to 230 trains and 30,000 passengers daily. Construction work has led to partial closures until mid-December. The second closure, from August 2025 to April 2026, will be utilized to make the connection 5G-ready.
During these closure periods, the railway will construct radio masts for the future train radio system FRMCS. The mobile network operators will use this opportunity to assess the potential of installing new radio masts along the tracks for providing gigabit bandwidth to their customers for mobile and data connections in the future. This involves not just the masts but also the necessary power and data lines for 5G mobile stations.
" Collective Efforts for a Common Goal"
A unified effort from all parties is necessary to overcome the technical and economic challenges associated with providing mobile coverage for train passengers, as per a joint statement from the involved parties.
The mobile network operators have also agreed to use each other's antenna systems, similar to the 5G supply for the Berlin U-Bahn. In this case, Telefónica established the LTE (4G) and 5G mobile networks, which are also accessible to the other networks' customers.
Wissing mentioned that this joint rail and mobile network expansion leads to significant synergies and cost savings, benefiting all travelers, who can anticipate a high-performance and continuos mobile network in the future.
Limited Network Coverage Presently
At present, passengers cannot rely on maintaining a steady internet connection with acceptable speed between Hamburg and Berlin. The poor network coverage in rural areas along the route via Ludwigslust and Wittenberge contributes to this issue, in part.
The quality of mobile connections is also influenced by the type of window glazing in the trains. A few years ago, the railway had certain ICE trains' windows tinted to prevent overheating due to sunlight. These tints obstruct mobile signals. Newer ICE trains already have mobile-friendly windows. To make older trains' windows permeable to mobile signals, the tints are now laser-etched.
The European Union, recognizing the importance of improved connectivity, has shown interest in this project, as it aligns with their digital strategy. This collaboration could potentially bring funding opportunities for the 5G-compatible upgrades on the Hamburg-Berlin railway line.
Furthermore, representatives from the European Union have expressed their intent to explore the possibility of replicating this innovative model of integrated rail and mobile network expansion in other European Union countries, leveraging the proven synergies and cost savings achieved in this project.
