The investment includes the renewal of 1500km of track, more than 1500 points and 300 bridges, as well as the modernisation of 650 stations.
DB also plans to commission 28 major projects, including starting work on the Bonatz building at Stuttgart main station as well as projects in Remagen and Buchenau, Upper Bavaria. Investments are also being made at numerous small and medium-sized stations, to install amenities such as new escalators, elevators, information boards, benches, signage systems, floors and ramps for barrier-free access.
In order to reduce the impact of construction, DB has set up a Construction Situation Centre, which oversees all major projects and identifies ways to limit disruption by merging or postponing work.
“We are getting better control over driving and building,” says DB infrastructure director, Mr Ronald Pofalla. “Despite a 20% increase in construction volume, we have reduced the associated delays by 27%.”
High-speed renewal
DB will also begin the renewal of the country’s high-speed network, which first began operation in Spring 1991, with work on the Hannover - Würzburg and Mannheim - Stuttgart routes due to take place between 2019 and 2023.
Work on the Hannover - Würzburg line will take place in four stages:
- Hannover - Göttingen: June 11 to December 14
- Göttingen - Kassel: April 23 2021 to July 15 2021
- Fulda - Würzburg: 2022
- Kassel - Fulda: 2023
Work on the Mannheim - Stuttgart line will be completed over 205 days with a total closure between April 10 2020 and October 31 2020.
