Construction - Timetable changes: Criticism of planned rail measures
Construction sites on the railway between Hamburg and Berlin are expected to cause significant schedule changes and train cancellations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern soon. Starting from August 16, there will be maintenance and renovation work on the section between Hamburg and Berlin, as the railway announced on a Wednesday. This work is predicted to last until mid-December. Over 74 kilometers of tracks and 100 switches between Wittenberge and Ludwigslust, as well as between Hamburg and Büchen and around the Hagenow-Land, will be renewed.
Long-distance trains will reportedly only run hourly between Hamburg and Berlin as a result. The travel time will therefore increase by 45 minutes. The stops in Ludwigslust, Wittenberge, and Büchen will be eliminated, with traffic instead being redirected through Saxony-Anhalt. Buses will be provided as replacements for passengers at the affected locations.
The ICE line on the Hamburg-Schwerin route will be suspended from August 17 to September 29. In its place, buses and a continuous IC train per day will be available on the route. Longer travel times should be expected in regional traffic between Hamburg, Schwerin, and Rostock. The railway held informational events for those affected by the construction projects.
Criticism came from the parliamentary factions regarding the schedule changes. Jutta Wegner, the transport policy spokesperson for the Green party, criticized the far-reaching consequences of the planning. "Besides the daily mobility of citizens, economic development opportunities and the tourist appeal of our federal state will be weakened," she said. The AfD fraction also called the extension of train connections "a disaster" for tourism.
Daniel Peters, the chairman of the CDU fraction, criticized the planned measures, stating that they would make railway travel "even less attractive." Specifically for people in rural regions, the cancellations would be a disconnection from essential transport connections. "It is not acceptable that, of all places, regions that already suffer from limited offerings are further detached," he said.
Marcel Falk, the transport policy spokesperson for the SPD fraction, also deemed the railway's plans "unacceptable." The eastern part of the country would be particularly affected. "I explicitly call on the traffic light coalition to remind the railway board that the people in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also have a right to equal living conditions," he said.
Additionally, construction work is scheduled to begin on the section between Halle and Berlin. The railway stated that the work would begin on July 26 and last approximately three weeks.
- The construction site on the railway between Hamburg and Berlin, expected to last from mid-August to mid-December, will particularly affect commuters in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
- Over 74 kilometers of tracks and 100 switches, including between Ludwigslust and Wittenberge, will be renewed as part of the large construction site.
- Long-distance trains will only run hourly between Hamburg and Berlin due to the railway maintenance and renovation work, causing a 45-minute increase in travel time.
- The ICE line on the Hamburg-Schwerin route will be suspended from August 17 to September 29, with buses and a daily IC train replacement provided instead.
- Most stops on the affected route, including Ludwigslust, Wittenberge, and Büchen, will be eliminated, with traffic being redirected through Saxony-Anhalt.
- Criticism over the railroad's plans has come from various political factions, including the Green party, AfD, CDU, and SPD, who argue that the changes could negatively impact tourism, economic development, and the mobility of citizens in rural regions.
- Construction work on another section between Halle and Berlin is also scheduled to begin on July 26, lasting approximately 3 weeks.
