The comprehensive sanierung of the railway line between Hamburg and Berlin is delayed due to the harsh winter. Deutsche Bahn states that the original completion date of April 30 cannot be met. A new timeline is to be announced on March 13.
The sanierung of the 280-kilometer railway line between Hamburg and Berlin, closed since early August 2024, is taking longer than planned. Originally, nine months of construction time were anticipated, but the cold winter has hindered progress. "We must say after the last days that we currently assume it will no longer be possible to resume operations on April 30," explained Gerd-Dietrich Bolte, board member for infrastructure planning and projects at DB InfraGo.
The harshest winter in 15 years in northern and eastern Germany has made cable laying for signaling and interlocking systems nearly impossible. "That's where we have extreme difficulties and factually no progress," Bolte said. Overhead line work also had to be postponed. By mid-December, around 165 kilometers of tracks, 241 switches, noise barriers, signals, overhead lines, and platforms had been renewed. The most challenging phase, renewing the control and safety technology with hundreds of kilometers of cables, signals, and switch drives, is upcoming, followed by a multi-stage testing process.
The line crosses five federal states and is one of Germany's most important commuter routes with 30,000 long-distance passengers daily and 470 trains. During the closure, long-distance services are rerouted via Stendal and Uelzen, adding at least 45 minutes to travel times. Instead of two connections per hour, there is only one, and stops like Ludwigslust and Wittenberge are omitted. In regional transport, many trains run only partially or are canceled; commuters use replacement buses with significantly longer journey times. Freight traffic must take detours.
The delay also affects the planned sanierung of the Hamburg-Hannover line, which will now start only after the Hamburg-Berlin corridor is complete. This is part of Deutsche Bahn's broader program to modernize over 40 rail corridors by the mid-2030s to improve the dilapidated network and increase punctuality. The Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim was the starting point in 2024.
Criticism comes from competing railways: Peter Westenberger from the Association of Freight Railways called the delay "a complete tragedy" and demanded better planning. Deutsche Bahn plans to catch up by deploying additional teams. "Every day counts," Bolte emphasized. A new timeline is to consider passengers and freight operators.
