German railway starts major modernisation project, Euro cup highlights glaring deficiencies
ARD / Die Welt / Clean Energy Wire
One of the most used stretches of the German rail system will be closed for the next five months due to major modernisation works, ARD reports. The repairs on the 70 kilometre-long section running south from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt and Mannheim are expected to affect one in seven long-distance trains, while regional trains are being replaced with a bus service. Rail cargo will also be impacted as the line that roughly follows the course of the Rhine River is one of most important in Europe. Tracks, switches, and cables are among the equipment being modernised as part of the work, with construction scheduled to end by mid-December. The works showcase a change in strategy for Deutsche Bahn, who previously focused on smaller closures that were difficult to manage and constantly interrupted, reports ARD. As such, the modernisation is regarded as a pilot project for things to come, with similar plans in the pipeline for 40 lines over the next six years.
During the UEFA Euro Football Championship in Germany that ended on 14 July, international visitors made many complaints about the German railway system. Visitors took to social media to complain about lengthy travel disruptions and packed trains. “What has happened to some of the fans does not meet Germany's standards and does not meet the standards I have for our transport infrastructure,” said Germany’s transport minister, Volker Wissing, to newspaper Die Welt.
German rail transport has long come under criticism, with only about two thirds of long-distance trains reaching their destination on time in 2023. A recent report also found that planned measures to improve the quality of the railway system are inadequate, and industry associations have warned about cuts in the sector, particularly when the money will instead be used to build new roads. Trains are central to Germany’s plans to reduce transport emissions – passenger numbers are meant to double by 2030 compared to 2019 figures.
