The busy Frankfurt-Mannheim connection is dilapidated and is causing problems for train traffic across the country. It is now being renovated from the ground up. And construction is not only taking place there.
Shortly after the end of the European Football Championship, Deutsche Bahn will begin the largest infrastructure renovation program in decades. From Monday evening, 11 p.m., the important railway line between Frankfurt and Mannheim will be closed for months. The so-called Riedbahn is the first of 41 lines that are to be fundamentally modernized by 2031. In addition, the ICE high-speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt will be closed from Tuesday to mid-August due to construction work – but this is not a general renovation.
Wissing: No reason why general renovations should not work
The railway has high hopes for the 41 general renovations. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) expressed his confidence that the program can be successful. “It is well prepared, the construction industry has the capacity, the materials are there. So there is no reason why it shouldn’t work,” Wissing told Deutschlandfunk. The construction industry, for example, recently expressed doubts that the general renovations will be successful as planned.
To start with, the Riedbahn, one of the most important routes in Germany, is being modernized: more than 300 regional, long-distance and freight trains travel there every day – although there has recently been a disruption every day. Tracks, overhead lines, signals and switches will be replaced by mid-December. After that, there will be several years of freedom to build.
“The Riedbahn is something like a blocked main artery in an organism. It will now be closed off, repaired, and the system will function better afterwards,” said Wissing.
Travel from Cologne to Mannheim particularly difficult due to further construction work
The ICE high-speed line between Cologne and Frankfurt will also be closed for the next four weeks. The line will be closed from Tuesday.
According to the railway, travelers must expect train cancellations and delays of between 40 and 90 minutes until August 12. As the trains are being diverted, the Siegburg/Bonn, Montabaur and Limburg Süd stops will be cancelled. They can be reached by replacement bus services. In the four weeks, 70 kilometers of tracks and 13 switches along the route will be renewed.
Association: Investments in rail will increase significantly in 2024
Wissing criticized the fact that too little money had been invested in the renovation of the railway in recent years. This is supported by new figures from the lobby association Allianz Pro Schiene: According to them, per capita investments in rail in Germany in 2023 were 115 euros – just one euro more than in 2022.
“The slight increase in investments was nowhere near enough to offset the increase in construction prices,” said Andreas Geißler, head of transport policy at the association. For the current year, Geißler expects a big jump to 174 to 215 euros.
Riedbahn costs higher than originally planned
The Pro Schiene Alliance has been calculating annual per capita investments in rail infrastructure for Germany and numerous other countries since 2005. It is supported by the management consultancy SCI Verkehr. Since 2014, there has been a steady increase in investments in Germany. In 2021, per capita investments reached a record high of 124 euros – although this included an increase in equity for Deutsche Bahn. In 2014, per capita investments in rail in Germany were still 49 euros.
The general renovation of the Riedbahn will cost 1.3 billion euros – significantly more than initially assumed. The next general renovation is planned for the Hamburg – Berlin route from August 2025. This will take nine months.
Source: Stern
