German Railways Delay Renovation of Key Rail Lines Until 2035, Affecting Long-Distance Traffic to Hannover and Beyond
Scheduled Repair Train for Hanover's Track Route - Rail Repair Delayed: Service Interruption for Hanover Route Until Future Date
Get ready for delays on some of Germany’s busiest rail lines - the planned renovation could stretch out until 2035, a massive four years longer than initially anticipated. German Railway giant Deutsche Bahn revealed this extended timeline at an industry event.
It's not just Germany that's affected, unfortunately. North Rhine-Westphalia will also feel the wrath. The line from Minden to Wunstorf, crucial for long-distance traffic between the Ruhr area, Hannover, and Berlin, will now see renovations much later than first expected. Originally slated for 2028, the project now has a start date of 2034.
Railway competitors in the freight transport industry has been vocal about the initial timeline being too ambitious, with insufficient planning and preparation for detour routes. Even political parties like the Union have chimed in with concerns.
Mind you, Deutsche Bahn isn’t just doing a regular renovation - they've got big plans for a nationwide digital upgrade as well. Over the next few years, they aim to modernize and prepare more than 40 heavily traveled and outdated corridor sections for a digital boost. This move is aimed at gradually improving long-distance punctuality, which took a beating last year, marking the worst performance since the 1994 railway reform. The crumbling infrastructure and overload are the main culprits for the poor reliability.
More than a quarter of these 40 projects affect North Rhine-Westphalia. Currently, the Niederrhein section between Emmerich and Oberhausen is being worked on as part of the general renovation. This stretch is part of the European freight corridor connecting the North Sea port of Rotterdam to the Mediterranean Sea in Genoa, linking important European economic hubs to major seaports via rail.
In the coming year, the Hagen-Wuppertal-Cologne line will go through an extensive renovation, as previously planned. Work kicks off from February 6 and runs through July 10, 2026. During these five months, the line will be closed for long-distance traffic, with ICEs diverted via Düsseldorf, Duisburg, and Essen. Some S-Bahn trains might still run, but passengers will face restrictions.
After July 2026, extensive work is planned on the right bank line between Troisdorf and Unkel.
Work on the Hagen-Unna-Hamm and left bank lines between Cologne, Bonn, and Koblenz is scheduled for 2028. The Aachen-Cologne line is planned for 2029, a year later than initially intended. The Münster-Recklinghausen line is scheduled for 2030, and the renovation of the lines between Osnabrück and Münster, as well as Hamm-Düsseldorf-Cologne, is planned for 2033.
These renovations, including the key corridors, are now expected to be completed by 2035 instead of the previously targeted 2031.
Before the final timeline is confirmed, input from other transport companies and associations will be considered. Once that’s done, DB InfraGo, the railway subsidiary responsible for these renovations, will coordinate with the federal government to approve a final concept.
- Inadequate Planning
- Long-Distance Traffic
- Disrupted Travel
- Critical Rail Lines
- Germany
- Hannover
- Ruhr Area
- Berlin
- Cologne
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Intercity-Express
- Rail Line
- Hagen
- NRW
- Inefficient Infrastructure
- Digital Upgrade
- Minden
- Wunstorf
- Wuppertal
- Düsseldorf
- Freight Transport Industry
- Union Party
- Consultations have been held by the Commission regarding the draft proposal for a directive on the protection of employees in the event of an accident, considering the impact on industries such as transportation, including rail services like Deutsche Bahn and freight transport industry, and financial institutions, who may be affected by any potential disruptions or delays in long-distance traffic to cities like Hannover, Berlin, and Cologne, particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The delayed renovation of key rail lines in Germany, which will stretch out until 2035, may necessitate a digital upgrade in the rail sector not only for Deutsche Bahn, but also for other transport companies, ensuring the infrastructure can cope with the increased traffic and provide a more reliable service, thus providing better protection for employees working on these lines.
