Twelve years of construction
Bahn is planning Germany’s longest railway tunnel
November 20, 2023, 7:20 p.m
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The fastest connection between Dresden and Prague is around two and a half hours. The construction of a new route should be much faster and the pressure on the Elbe valley should be relieved. In addition, according to the plans, the Dresden-Heidenau route is to be expanded. Construction is scheduled to start in 2032.
Germany’s longest railway tunnel is to be built in the Eastern Ore Mountains and will significantly shorten the travel time between Dresden and Prague. After examining various variants for the new line, the construction of a single, around 30 kilometer long tunnel between Heidenau on the German side and Usti nad Labem on the Czech side is now favored, said Deutsche Bahn. The full tunnel variant is the best solution for the environment as well as technically and economically.
The new construction project is considered an internationally important rail transport project. The background is that the current route through the Elbe Valley is reaching its capacity limit. The new route is intended to offer a flood-safe alternative and shorten travel times. In the future, passengers should be able to travel from Dresden to the Czech capital in just about an hour. Currently the journey usually takes around two and a half hours.
The project connects nations and creates the conditions for more passenger and freight transport by rail, stated Deutsche Bahn’s representative for Saxony, Martin Walden. The construction of the route needs absolute priority, emphasized the Saxon SPD Transport Minister Martin Dulig. With the decision now announced on the course, another milestone has been reached. The full tunnel variant also has greater approval among citizens in the region, explained Dulig.
Construction time was around twelve years
According to the plans, two parallel tunnel tubes are to be driven through the eastern Ore Mountains. The tubes are each single-track and are intended to be used by both passenger and freight trains. On the German side, the new construction of the tunnel also includes the expansion of the route between Dresden and Heidenau. To this end, around 46 kilometers of new tracks, modern control and safety technology as well as new parking spaces for trains are to be built.
The Dresden-Prague route is part of a European rail corridor from German North and Baltic Sea ports through southeastern Europe to Istanbul and Athens. According to Deutsche Bahn, citizen dialogues are planned in the communities from January to provide information about the planning. The preferred option should be finalized by the middle of next year and the documents will then be submitted to the Bundestag. A decision on implementation and financing should be made at the end of the legislative period. However, rail travelers will have to wait at least another two decades until the first train rolls through the tunnel.
According to current forecasts, construction is expected to start around 2032, according to Deutsche Bahn, and the construction time is estimated to be around twelve years. The longest railway tunnel in Germany to date is the Landrückentunnel in Hesse at 10.8 kilometers. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, which is currently being built, is expected to be around 18 kilometers long.