Due to renovation work, the busy railway line between Mannheim and Frankfurt will be closed for months in 2024. Hesse's Transport Minister Al-Wazir still speaks of "good news".
Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) - Hesse's Transport Minister Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens) has welcomed Deutsche Bahn's plans to renovate the so-called Riedbahn between Mannheim and Frankfurt in 2024. "It is good news that the railways are now tackling the Riedbahn as a nationwide pilot project for general renovation," said the minister on Thursday in Wiesbaden. The tracks between the two cities are very busy and prone to delays due to their poor condition.
"I expressly welcome the fact that the general overhaul of railway lines is starting here in Hesse," said Al-Wazir. The Frankfurt railway junction in particular is completely overloaded. Additional trains cannot run, the current connections are often unpunctual, and the poor quality of the infrastructure not only affects regional transport in the region but also causes delays throughout Germany.
The Riedbahn is the first project in the planned general overhaul of Germany's heavily used rail corridors from 2024 to 2030. With around 300 trains a day, the section is one of the busiest rail routes in Germany. According to Deutsche Bahn, the connection between Mannheim and Frankfurt will be closed for five months during construction work on Thursday.
Work is scheduled to begin on July 15, 2024 and be completed by Christmas 2024. During the closure, long-distance and freight trains will be diverted, sometimes over a wide area. According to the railways, passengers have to be prepared for the fact that they are on the road longer.
A total of 1,200 control and safety systems are to be renewed, 152 points, four level crossings and a good ten kilometers of noise protection walls. In addition, there will be new overtaking opportunities for trains and equipment for digital rail operations. 20 stations along the route will also be renewed. Deutsche Bahn calculates total costs of around 500 million euros.
