Under the agreement signed on November 29 in Berlin by Hamburg’s mayor, Mr Peter Tschentscher, Schleswig-Holstein prime minister, Mr Daniel Günther, federal transport minister, Mr Andreas Scheuer, and German Rail (DB) CEO, Dr Richard Lutz, the federal government will contribute approximately €1.5bn to the project. Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein will contribute 70% and 30% respectively to the €290m due from the regions, while DB will contribute €20m.
Due to the importance of the Hamburg - Lübeck corridor for pan-European transport, co-financing will also be sought from the European Union (EU).
The project will extend the existing Hamburg - Hasselbrook - Ahrensburg-Gartenholz line by around 20km, providing a separate alignment from the existing main line to reduce congestion and increase capacity for inter-city and freight services.
The project is divided into three planning approval sections (PFAs), each of which will go through its own planning approval procedes
Two additional tracks will be built on the 17km section between Hasselbrook and Ahrensburg, with another 3km single track built from Ahrensburg to Ahrensburg Gartenholz. Around 45km of soundproof walls will also be constructed, including central walls between the mainline and S-Bahn tracks, as well as passive noise control measures if required.
Numerous level crossings will be eliminated or replaced, with 32 overpasses rebuilt along with six pedestrian overpasses.
Four new stations in Hamburg will be built at Claudiusstraße, Bovestraße, Holstenhofweg and Am Pulverhof, with the Ahrensburg-West station in Schleswig-Holstein built as an additional stop. Seven stations in Hamburg and the Stormarn district are being upgraded for S-Bahn services.
The line will connect around 250,000 people to Hamburg’s S-Bahn and U-Bahn networks, and the line is expected to carry up to 100,000 passengers a day during weekdays after it is completed.
If there are no holdups during the planning approval process, construction could start in 2020. A partial opening of the Hasselbrook - Rahlstedt section is planned for 2025, while commissioning of the full line could take place in 2027 or 2028. The project will be implemented by DB Network.
Around 7km of the project is located in Schleswig-Holstein, with around 13km running through the Hamburg area. S-Bahn services are expected to operate to Ahrensburg every 10 minutes, to Bargteheide every 20 minutes and to Bad Oldesloe every 60 minutes.
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