The busy railway line between Hamburg and Berlin will almost become a permanent construction site in 2024 and 2025. Switches and tracks are updated first, followed by a complete refurbishment. The train is diverted and the journey takes longer.
The rail line between Hamburg and Berlin will be heavily restricted for passengers next year and 2025 due to massive construction work. As Deutsche Bahn announced today, 100 stations and 74 kilometers of track will be renewed there from August 16 to December 14, 2024.
works between wittenberg and ludwig lust
As a result, long-distance traffic has to be diverted, so expect longer travel times. According to Bahn, the work was mainly carried out between Wittenberge and Ludwigslust. “Regional and freight traffic will also be restricted – including on longer routes in the direction of Hamburg,” the state group said.
Just six months later, the line will again undergo major construction work: a complete refurbishment is then planned, which the DB Group has already announced. From June 6 to December 13, 2025, the 280-kilometer high-speed rail line will be closed and expanded into a so-called “high-speed corridor”.
230 trains per day
According to the group, it has examined whether two months of construction work can be tied up. However, it is not possible to postpone construction work due in 2024: “There are clear deadlines for infrastructure maintenance, so construction work must be carried out in the coming year,” it said.
The route between Hamburg and Berlin is one of the most important direct city connections in Germany, used by 230 ICE, regional and freight trains and up to 30,000 passengers every day.
Detour travel time is longer
The fastest ICE trains currently take around 1 hour and 45 minutes to run non-stop to Wittenberg in Brandenburg between Germany’s two largest cities with more than 1 million inhabitants. According to Deutsche Bahn, passengers must plan an extra 45 to 105 minutes if trains have to be diverted via Uelzen, Salzwedel and Stendal or via Hannover.
Deutsche Bahn has not yet provided any details about expected delays next year. “DB is currently preparing a specific timetable in coordination with the railway company,” the group said.