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Deutsche Bahn Completes €60 Million Restoration of Elstertalbrücke After Four Years

The project returns the 19th-century brick viaduct near Plauen to full, future-ready rail service.

Overview

  • Deutsche Bahn says the renovation is complete after more than four years of work that began in August 2021, at a cost of about €60 million.
  • The program returned the bridge to modern standards with a new trackbed, rails, overhead lines and switches.
  • About 36,000 masonry bricks were replaced with replicas made to historic models behind extensive scaffolding.
  • Rail service continued during construction with single-track operations, speed limits and occasional closures, and full two-track traffic has been restored for roughly a year.
  • Project lead Elke Hering said the viaduct is now fit for the future, and the 270-meter-long, 68-meter-high structure remains recognized as the world’s second-highest brick bridge.