Politics · Germany · 2 days ago
Germany delays eight major rail renovations, with 13 planned by 2031
Deutsche Bahn and Germany’s federal government have reduced the number of major rail routes planned for renovation by 2031 from 21 to 13.
They say the other projects are delayed, not canceled, and will set priorities for work from 2032 onward next year.
The plan is to focus on fewer routes so construction can be better managed and train services disrupted less.
Past projects faced delays, difficult diversions and problems when services resumed.
The revised approach includes preparing alternative routes more thoroughly and bringing train services back in stages after construction.
Renovated lines will also be prepared for the European digital train-control system ETCS, which is intended to become the standard.
The changes follow earlier criticism of the renovation program, while poor punctuality across Germany’s rail network remains a wider problem.
Germany’s government and Deutsche Bahn will carry out major renovations on 13 railway routes by 2031, down from 21 planned.
The eight other renovations have been postponed, not cancelled, the railway and transport ministry said.
They said the slower pace should make construction more reliable and take account of limited rail and construction-industry capacity.
The revised plan includes better preparation of diversion routes, phased reopening of renovated lines and broader preparation for the ETCS digital train-control system.
- Who
- Deutsche Bahn and the German government.
- What
- They reduced the number of major railway routes planned for renovation by 2031 from 21 to 13, postponing eight.
- When
- The change was announced on October 9, 2026.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- To make construction and rail services more reliable and account for limited capacity in the rail network and construction industry.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
In the past, implementation too often did not produce the desired results.
We want to carry out the renovations more efficiently and, above all, keep the burden on our customers during the construction work as low as possible.
The major-renovation concept was presented under then-transport minister Volker Wissing and then-railway chief Richard Lutz.
Work began on the first of the planned 40 renovations, on the Riedbahn route between Frankfurt and Mannheim.
The Riedbahn reopened after six months of construction.
The plan was revised to limit renovations to four or five per year and extend the overall schedule to 2036.
Evelyn Palla said she would review the renovation concept.
The railway and government announced that 13 rather than 21 routes would be renovated by 2031.
- Routes by 2031
- 13, down from 21
- Postponed renovations
- 8
- Planned for 2027
- Lehrte-Berlin, Rosenheim-Salzburg and Fulda-Hanau
- Planned for 2029
- Hamburg-Hannover and Aachen-Köln
- Riedbahn punctuality
- Trains leave the renovated section 20 percent more punctually than they enter it, according to the railway and government
Sources
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