Five main train stations modernized
Deutsche Bahn is renovating 2,000 kilometers of tracks
April 29, 2024, 8:24 a.m
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Train passengers have been waiting for this for a long time, and it seems to be starting this year: the railway is renewing routes and numerous stations on a large scale. Five main train stations alone are being modernized. All of this will cost commuters a lot of nerves – and the federal and state governments billions.
Deutsche Bahn is renewing thousands of switches and hundreds of stations this year. In total, more than 2,000 kilometers of tracks, 2,000 switches, 150 bridges and 1,000 stations will be expanded, modernized and renewed, as the company announced. This will make the existing infrastructure “more efficient and more robust” and create more capacity in the rail network.
Modernization and new construction measures will be carried out at around 1,000 train stations and stops in 2024, including the main train stations in Duisburg, Dresden, Hanover, Ulm and Munich. The railway also says it is investing in numerous smaller and medium-sized stations, for example in barrier-free access, weather protection and passenger information. “For the first time in many years, in 2024 we will succeed in stopping the aging of the railway infrastructure,” explained Philipp Nagl, CEO of DB InfraGO AG.
The renovations are part of a comprehensive infrastructure program by DB InfraGO AG, a public interest subsidiary for rail and station infrastructure. DB InfraGO emerged from the merger of the former subsidiaries DB Netz and DB Station&Service and, according to DB, is intended to sustainably improve the quality, capacity and stability of railway operations.
39 general renovations announced
The railway wants to completely renovate the highly stressed rail network by 2030, bundled into 40 so-called high-performance corridors. The first general renovation starts in mid-July on the Riedbahn between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim. A further 39 general renovations are to follow in the coming years. Diversion routes will be renewed in advance.
By the end of 2030, 355 small and medium-sized measures are expected to improve the quality of the existing network. These include, for example, additional signals and track changing operations or new platforms. The DB is also building additional modern signal boxes for digital rail operations.
It was said that staff would also be increased for the modernization. With 5,500 new employees for maintenance and expansion, the team will continue to grow in 2024, the railway explained. The investments by DB, the federal government and the states in the rail infrastructure will total around 16.4 billion euros in 2024 alone.