Overview

• The Berlin–Hamburg line will be shut for nine months from August 1 to April 30, 2026, to allow comprehensive refurbishment of tracks, stations, overhead lines and signaling systems.
• Long-distance ICE services will be rerouted via Stendal and Uelzen on an hourly schedule, adding at least 45 minutes to journey times.
• Regional connections will shift to bus replacements, doubling travel times for commuters between Wittenberge or Perleberg and Berlin.
• Excavators are slated to arrive within the first seven days, with track renewal targeted for completion by December and signaling upgrades through April 2026.
• As the second corridor overhaul following the Riedbahn pilot, this nine-month project will test the scalability of Deutsche Bahn’s €40 billion network modernization program.