The heavily used Frankfurt-Mannheim railway line is the first in Germany to be completely renovated using a new process. Other corridors are to follow in the coming years.
According to Deutsche Bahn, the general renovation of the busy Frankfurt-Mannheim route is on schedule. “We have achieved everything we set out to do in the last six weeks,” said Berthold Huber, Head of Infrastructure, during a tour of the construction site in Walldorf in southern Hesse. Among other things, the tracks have been renewed on 37 kilometers, which is about half the route. The Riedbahn team is doing everything it can to ensure that the work can be completed on time in December.
The route is to be modernized in a pilot project within five months. Work will include the rails, switches, stations and control technology. A total of 40 heavily used sections are to be renovated in this way in the coming years. The Hamburg-Berlin section is to follow in 2025.
The cost of the Riedbahn renovation alone is currently estimated at 1.3 billion euros. Huber said he was confident that the federal government would adequately finance the project. Building in one go would be more efficient and cheaper than having to keep setting up new small construction sites.
“Big problem child” in the rail network
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) also took a look at the progress of the construction work. It shows that the concept for renovating the high-performance corridors is working, said Wissing. He spoke of a “very good signal” that made him optimistic. Now everything must be done to ensure that the work is completed on time. The Riedbahn is one of the biggest problems in the German rail network, as it is outdated and at the same time of central importance.
Source: Stern
