Marode Infrastructure - Traffic Club: General renovation of the railway is not enough
The Traffic Club Germany (VCD) considers the upcoming general renovation of German Railway main lines as a step in the right direction but not sufficient. "With general renovations alone, we will not get more trains or a better rail network, only the basic level on heavily loaded tracks will be significantly reduced," said VCD chairwoman Kerstin Haarmann before the closure of the Frankfurt-Mannheim line on Monday.
To make the entire network suitable for the future, we need to build and digitize railway nodes in major cities, and above all, provide enough bypass tracks so that passenger and freight traffic on the railways can continue to run during repairs.
"Despite tight budgets, the railway should not be cut back – we are demanding higher investments in rail construction, digitalization, and electrification instead, otherwise the transport turnaround cannot succeed. The originally promised 45 billion Euros by 2027 would be a good start," said Haarmann.
On the heavily trafficked connection Frankfurt-Mannheim, tracks, overhead lines, signals, switches, bridges, and railway stations will be modernized until mid-December. A similar general renovation is planned for 40 highly loaded corridors in Germany by 2030. The sections Hamburg–Berlin and Emmerich–Oberhausen are next in line for the coming year.
- The Traffic Club in the state of Baden-Württemberg also supports the general renovation of German Railways, viewing it as a positive development, but sees it as just a beginning.
- The Traffic Club Germany (VCD) and its counterpart in Rhineland-Palatinate are advocating for the prioritization of infrastructure improvements, particularly in major cities, to support the growth and growth of both passenger and freight traffic on railways.
- In addition to the renovations in Hesse, General renovation projects are also planned for other heavily trafficked corridors across Germany, with a goal of completing 40 such renovations by 2030.
- The Traffic Club and VCD are urging German Railways and the German government to increase investments in rail construction, digitalization, and electrification, in order to meet the promised 45 billion Euros by 2027.
- The German railways in states like Hesse are not only undergoing general renovations, but also modernizations to facilities like tracks, overhead lines, signals, switches, bridges, and railway stations to improve traffic flow and safety.
- The concept of traffic clubs and advocacy groups like Traffic Club Germany and VCD play a key role in the German transportation landscape, providing constructive feedback and recommendations to improve the country's rail infrastructure and promote sustainable transportation.
