Rail transport
Wissing: Railway more reliable after first route renovation
It’s a first for the railway: a general renovation with full closure. The section between Frankfurt and Mannheim is now completed on schedule. Trains are even rolling earlier than initially planned.
The main railway route is symbolically released: After five months of construction, the general renovation of the important Riedbahn route between Frankfurt and Mannheim has officially been completed. “The reliability of the Riedbahn will also provide greater security for the entire railway system,” said Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (independent) in Gernsheim, southern Hesse, at the opening celebrations. He was referring to the unpunctuality of many trains in recent years.
Delays that occur on the Riedbahn often have an impact on the nationwide route network. Around 360 trains travel along this section every day, including the ICE from Switzerland and Stuttgart to Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin – and in the opposite direction.
Just in time for the timetable change, the route is scheduled to open a little earlier than planned on Saturday evening. Train cancellations on some routes initially planned until January are now to be lifted on Christmas Eve.
From Sunday, 95 percent of long-distance and regional customers will be able to use Riedbahn trains on the route again. It cannot be ruled out that something will shake in the coming days, said the railway’s infrastructure director, Berthold Huber.
“The railway renovation concept is working. This means we are on the way to a punctual and reliable railway,” said Wissing. The railway must once again meet its demands for punctuality and high capacities. Sustainable infrastructure financing is needed at a very high level. “We need an infrastructure fund.”
“Aorta” of the rail network
“Many have questioned the concept of general renovation,” said railway boss Richard Lutz. “We made it.” He described the Riedbahn as one of the most important routes, the “aorta” of the German rail network. During the construction work, around 20,000 long-distance trains traveled over 1.5 million kilometers on diversion routes.
Wissing and Lutz praised the gigantic construction work that was completed on schedule. “You have achieved a great achievement,” said Wissing to all those involved. Work was carried out around the clock in heat, cold and constant rain. According to Lutz, the team managed a huge construction volume. “The experiences are now being incorporated into other general renovations.” As a thank you, there will also be a regional express in the future with the inscription “Thank you #Riedteam”.
The general renovation has so far cost 1.3 billion euros. Following the example of the Riedbahn, dozens of other busy routes will have to be comprehensively modernized in the coming years, which in turn will mean complete closures for months.
The construction companies have renewed a total of 111 kilometers of tracks, 152 switches, 619 signals, 15 kilometers of noise barriers, 130 kilometers of overhead lines, 383 overhead line masts and eight platforms. In addition, 20 train stations along the route were renovated. Commuters and travelers were transported by buses in a replacement service.
Red buzzer on the side of the track
With a symbolic act, Wissing and Lutz ceremoniously opened the route. After pressing a red buzzer, train horns sounded.
dpa
Source: Stern
