The construction on the Hamburg-Berlin railway line is taking longer than initially expected. A prolonged period of frost and snow in northern Germany is hindering the corridor’s renovation work, the rail operator said on Monday.
Work has been stalled due to weather since the end of December. InfraGO board member Gerd‑Dietrich Bolte complained that “the worst winter dip in more than 15 years” is being experienced. Consequently, the line’s reopening by 30 April “no longer fits the original plan”.
Frozen and partially blocked cable channels prevent the installation of signal and control cables as scheduled. In some sections, ground frost extends up to 70 cm deep. Because of this, tasks such as overhead line work, mounting of switch drives and signaling systems have been on hold for weeks.
When the heavily frozen ground finally thaws, the postponed tasks will need to be rescheduled. More workers will be brought onto the site once temperatures allow the next phases. By 13 March, a concept for the line’s operation must be produced. The aim is to find a solution that satisfies both passengers and freight operators.
The operator also warned that there could be “interactions” with the large-scale renewal works scheduled to begin on the Hamburg-Hannover line on 1 May. If the timetable for reactivating the Hamburg-Berlin line is altered, these measures must be readjusted so that detour plans for long‑distance and freight traffic between Germany’s two largest cities continue to operate smoothly.
