Overview
- Deutsche Bahn will close the Berlin–Lehrte mainline for a roughly 14‑month Generalsanierung starting Friday, Oct. 2, to replace tracks, turnouts, overhead lines, stations and signalling.
- All long‑distance trains between Berlin and Hannover will be rerouted via Braunschweig and Magdeburg, lengthening journeys by about 80 minutes and reducing service frequency on the corridor.
- Regional services will face targeted cancellations and extensive rail‑replacement buses, with regional authorities negotiating exact bus start points to limit passenger inconvenience.
- The planned partial relief using the parallel Stammbahn will not be available because its electrification is delayed to December 2027, increasing pressure on detour routes and freight corridors; a second freight diversion via Halle‑Eichenberg is due to open at the end of January 2027.
- The work is part of DB’s program to renovate more than 40 busy corridors to 2030s standards, and recent project delays have prompted DB leadership to review schedules and the Generalsanierung concept.