After a long period of planning, the construction machinery is now rolling: On 15 July 2024, the renovation of the Riedbahn began as the first measure in the "general renovation" of the German rail network. The aim is to create a high-performance network for passenger and freight transport. The heavily used Riedbahn is the pilot corridor that will be followed by others. Today we are informing you about the background, objectives and measures of this modernisation, which we will be accompanying with exciting insights over the coming months.
Excursus general refurbishment
Deutsche Bahn has identified 40 heavily used corridors for general refurbishment and plans to refurbish them by 2030. The special thing about this is that each corridor will be completely closed and refurbished "in one go" in a concerted refurbishment phase. All relevant systems will be modernised: Tracks, points, overhead lines, signalling technology, bridges, level crossings, stations, stations and platforms. The aim is to create a reliable and stable infrastructure. The general refurbishment is also good news for European freight flows, as six of the ten trans-European freight corridors run through Germany.
This will ultimately result in a high-performance rail network as the backbone for climate protection and the economy. Rail freight transport will also benefit from this, as forecasts show a steady increase in demand for freight transport. Strong Rail is therefore called upon to fulfil all these needs - climate protection, mobility, freight flows, high quality and reliability - and to support them with modern infrastructure. At the end of the refurbishments, more passenger transport, but also more freight transport, should be made possible on the railways, thus saving 13 million lorry journeys per year on German roads.
The importance of the Riedbahn for rail freight transport
The general refurbishment of the Riedbahn marks the first step towards a high-performance network in Germany. The route between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim, which is almost 70 kilometres long, is used by up to 300 passenger trains a day, which puts a heavy strain on the infrastructure. The route is also heavily frequented by freight traffic, with up to 500 trains running here every week. On some sections, capacity utilisation reaches 150 percent at peak times. Due to this "bottleneck location" between the Rhine/Main area and the Rhine/Neckar region, delays affect the entire German rail network, which is why the Riedbahn was chosen as the busiest route for the start of the refurbishment campaign.
The Frankfurt-Mannheim route is a bottleneck. Also for freight transport. As a train driver at DB Cargo, it is important to me that traffic on the diversionary routes runs to the satisfaction of our customers.
Mathias Führer, DB Cargo train driver
Internationally important corridor
The importance of the Riedbahn for rail freight transport can already be surmised from some of these points. Of the eleven trans-European freight corridors, three are connected to the Riedbahn, including the Rhine-Alpine Core Network Corridor, the most important freight transport axis in Europe. DB Cargo's customers are therefore dependent on reliable transport along the route. This is to be guaranteed in future by the refurbishment of the corridor. And within a single closure lasting five months, as opposed to the alternative: more than 16 selective closures over several years.
Karte im Bild-Riedbahn
The Riedbahn is one of the busiest railway lines in Germany. More than 300 trains run on it every day.
Refurbishment from A to Z: What's happening on the Riedbahn railway
The refurbishment is scheduled to last five months until the end of the year. While some measures, such as the refurbishment of railway stations, primarily affect passenger transport, others have an impact on all train services, including rail freight transport.
This naturally includes the renewal of 117 kilometres of track and 152 points. These will not only be replaced, but also with more efficient points. The figure of 117 kilometres of track becomes even more impressive when we look at the parts being installed here: 265,000 sleepers and 380,000 tonnes of ballast are needed and show the gigantic scale of this renovation. Some sections of track are being rebuilt so that higher speeds are subsequently possible. In addition, 140 kilometres of overhead line will be renewed, the signal box technology will be replaced with electronic interlocking and modern cable systems will be laid. Once the construction work is complete, the Riedbahn will be equipped for digital railway operations - a crucial building block for the rail freight transport of the future!
We have an enormous amount of work ahead of us. The preparatory work in January showed that we can manage it together with our construction partners. That makes me confident - with all due respect for the task. We are all highly motivated to build a better railway. For travellers, for freight transport customers in the region and throughout Germany.
Gerd-Dietrich Bolte, Head of Infrastructure Projects Centre
Diversion concept ensures operation during the renovation phase
There is a diversion plan for both passenger and rail freight traffic during the renovation phase, so that traffic can continue to run during the five months. Customers with sidings will also continue to be served during this period. This will take place in a four-hour slot during the night.
Exciting glimpses behind the scenes
In the coming months, you will find various glimpses behind the scenes of the refurbishment, interviews with those involved and different perspectives on the construction work in Logistics News. A tip from us: Subscribe to our newsletter and don't miss any content!
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