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HamburgBerlin Rail Overhaul Hits 58 Kilometers of New Track, 43 Switches Installed

Long‑distance trains are rerouted via Uelzen and Stendal with journeys about 45 minutes longer.

Overview

  • The corridor has been fully closed since early August for a comprehensive renovation scheduled through the end of April.
  • Deutsche Bahn reports roughly one third of planned track installation completed with 58 of 165 kilometers laid and 43 of 249 switches in place.
  • Current work focuses on the upper structure of the line, prioritizing tracks and switches before signalling, overhead lines and platform upgrades begin in later phases.
  • A rail‑mounted rotary crane operated north of Wittenberge to lift six‑meter slab‑track sections, with the embankment to be rebuilt using ballast and sleepers.
  • Regional services are running on a 170‑bus replacement network while long‑distance services operate on detours that extend travel times.