Rail infrastructure encompassing track, points, signalling systems, bridges and stations will receive €5.4bn with DB planning to renew 1800km of track and more than 1900 points as well as modernise 160 bridges during the year.
Around €1.6bn of these funds will support improving facilities at more than 800 stations, including the main stations in Hannover and Dortmund, and Zoological Garden in Berlin. Among the improvements are upgrades to passenger information and improving accessibility as well as general renewal work including new escalators, elevators, ramps, floors, and benches. The railway will also allocate €341m to improve station structures and reception areas
New construction projects will receive €2.2bn. In 2020, 46 large-scale construction projects are underway across Germany with 18 ground-breaking ceremonies pending including ETCS expansion on the Rhine-Alpine corridor and new stations at Rostock-Bramow and Wünsdorf. 11 projects will be completed during the year, including the MegaHub freight handling system in Lehrte and the Munich - Lindau electrification project.
Renewals
Among the major construction sites is the renewal of 190km of track and 54 points on the Mannheim - Stuttgart high-speed line, with work set to take place between April and October. The projects underway include the new Wendlingen - Ulm high-speed line, and upgrades to the Oldenburg - Wilhelmshaven line and the Karlsruhe - Basel line, and the electrification of the Ulm - Friedrichshafen line.
DB is also set to spend €2.4bn on maintenance while a further €2.2bn of improvements will come from budgets including the Municipal Transport Financing Act (GVFG), the Railway Crossing Act and special federal programmes.
“This is the largest sum we have ever invested in modern infrastructure in a year,” says DB board member for infrastructure, Dr Ronald Pofalla. “With these funds, we will continue to improve the rail network, make large and small stations more attractive and drive our construction projects across Germany. Thanks to political support, we are starting a decade of investment.”
