Marodes rail network: Bahn is planning with a longer general renovation by 2035

The dilapidated rail network and the subsequent high unpunctuality in the long -distance traffic of Deutsche Bahn could burden passengers much longer than previously planned. The federal group wants to stretch the comprehensive modernization of more than 40 busy routes and urgently needed routes until 2035.

That would be four years longer than previously planned – with a significant impact for travelers. The railway has made a corresponding proposal to the railway company and associations at an industry meeting. “The aim of the industry forum is to develop a adapted proposal for a time extension of the corridors renovations by 2035,” said the train.

Originally, she wanted to renovate the 42 routes by 2031. It is about heavily burdened and due to their poor condition, particularly troubleshooting nodes in nationwide long -distance transport. The so -called general renovations started last year on the Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim. Work on the Hamburg-Berlin route begins from August.

The respective sections are completely blocked for the duration of the renovation work – usually for half a year. Then tracks, soft, gravel, signal boxes and top lines are renewed, train stations are renovated and the network digitally equipped. After that, the sections for at least five years should remain construction and, above all, trouble -free. Little by little, punctuality in long -distance transport should improve.

Template met with criticism early

But the close schedule for the more than three dozen renovation projects met with criticism right from the start. The competitors in freight transport in particular were dissatisfied. You have to avoid the blocked routes far and with high time losses. In their view, the detour routes are not sufficiently planned. The train is too many renovations a year.

The Union was also one of the critics of the concept. In the coalition agreement of the new federal government from the CDU, CSU and SPD, it is agreed to check the strategy and possibly adapt.

Competitors are pleased with the proposal

According to its own information, the railway now wants to couple the modernizations in terms of the term of the so -called special fund of 500 billion euros, with which the federal government wants to make up for neglected investments in the infrastructure in the coming years. The draft should now be specified in dialogue with the industry and then coordinated with the federal government.

A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Transport said that the suggestions were to be looked at and then positioned.

The competitors were positive on the rail. “The adaptation of the schedule is a real step – this takes professionalism before political symbolism,” said the managing director of the association the freight railways, Peter Westenberger. “Overwhelming in planning and construction as well as unreasonable restrictions on the current traffic, this reduces and opportunities for better preparation are increased.”

Four instead of nine routes in 2028

From 2027, the rail proposal provides for an equalization of the construction projects and a shift in several projects in the years after. The Frankfurt-Heidelberg route is to be renovated until 2027. The renovation of Lübeck-Hamburg would shift by one year to 2028.

In 2028, only four instead of nine routes as previously planned will be renovated. According to the Bahn’s ideas, the renovations of Würzburg-Ansbach-Treuchtlingen (new: 2029), Aachen-Köln (2029), Forbach-Ludwigshafen (2029), Minden-Wunstorf (2034) and Weddel-Magdeburg (2032). The last and only renovation in 2035 would be the Flensburg-Hamburg route.

What should bring more predictability for competitors, however, mean longer loads for passengers. In particular on the routes, which are now to be renovated only years later, the disorders continue unabated. Again and again, short -term construction work should be necessary to keep the routes at all.