The vice president of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Robert Rückel, sees a considerable burden on the economy due to the two complete closures of the railway line to Hamburg, which will last a total of 13 months. “This will place a considerable burden on both cities due to their close economic ties,” Rückel told the Tagesspiegel.
In addition to the tourism and event industry, the industrial, trade and service sectors are also affected. The Chamber of Commerce vice president cited as an example that “the engines of Hamburg’s Airbus jets come from the capital region.”
As reported, the ICE route to the Elbe has been closed since mid-August until probably mid-December. Every second train is cancelled. The rest take 45 minutes longer because the trains are diverted over a partially single-track route between Stendal and Uelzen. Freight trains take even longer because they are sent over more distant routes.
Rückel calls for alternative rail connections. “From an economic perspective, we should consider whether parallel tracks for freight traffic might not bring a noticeable improvement to the Berlin-Hamburg route in the long term,” said Rückel.
Recommended editorial content
Here you will find external content selected by our editors that enriches the article with additional information. You can display or hide the external content with one click.
I agree to the external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data can be transmitted to third-party platforms. You can find more information about this in the data protection settings. You can find these at the very bottom of our page in the footer, so that you can manage or revoke your settings at any time.
Experts believe that the Expansion of the route from Neustadt (Dosse) via Pritzwalk and Karow to Güstrow sensible. This single-track line has not yet been electrified. There are currently no concrete plans for expansion. 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the “America Railway” between Stendal and Uelzen has not even been expanded to two tracks. Capacity is therefore low. Every train that is even slightly delayed triggers a chain reaction in the opposite direction, with the trains blocking each other. The shortest connection to Hamburg has not existed since the Second World War. The Elbe bridge near Dömitz was not rebuilt, and the route between Wittenberge and Dömitz has been deconsecrated.
The expansion of parallel routes makes sense from the point of view of Berlin’s economy: “On the one hand, they would stabilize ICE traffic on the route and could also be used as an alternative route in the event of an accident,” said Rückel.
The Hamburg transport authority welcomes the fact that Deutsche Bahn is now fundamentally renovating the route to Berlin. “The very poor condition of the Hamburg-Berlin route shows that renovation is urgently needed, unavoidable and also in the interests of passengers,” said spokeswoman Rika Bootz.
2.2 billion euros are to be spent on the renovation of the line to Berlin alone. For decades, the railways in Germany have been running to the point of wear and tear, said the spokeswoman.
“We welcome the renovation of the infrastructure, but we are also aware that this will be a burden and a great test of patience for many commuters,” Bootz continued.
