An expert and ex-train planner suggests that the southern train station could be expanded into the new Frankfurt central station. A long-distance train tunnel is unnecessary.
- The city plans to expand Frankfurt Central Station via a long-distance tunnel
- However, an expert believes that a mainline tunnel is not necessary
- Instead, the Frankfurt Süd train station should be expanded to the new main train station
Frankfurt - A long-distance train tunnel for Frankfurt is unnecessary, an expansion of above-ground routes would suffice. Sven Andersen is convinced of that. The recognized specialist journalist and retired railway engineer suggests expanding the Südbahnhof to the new main station in Frankfurt *. In Sachsenhausen, however, houses would have to be demolished in rows.
More capacity is needed for Germany's most important rail node. The experts agree, especially since the federal government wants to double the number of long-distance passengers by 2030 with the "Germany tact". For this, the federal government wants to dig a long-distance railway tunnel under Frankfurt Central Station . Almost all ICEs and ICs are supposed to drive through the seven-kilometer long east-west tube. You could gain important minutes to connect elsewhere. Above all, the capacity of the main train station would increase. This is important because the Rhein-Main transport association wants to offer many more regional trains.
Expert: Don't dig at Frankfurt Central Station, but expand Frankfurt South
"It is undisputed that we need two additional long-distance tracks and four platform edges," says Sven Andersen. However, he does not want to dig them under the main train station, but to grow them above ground at the southern train station. "Cheaper and in a much shorter amount of time" can be realized. Andersen knows his way around: He worked for the railway until retirement in 2001. From 1984 to 1992, the engineer took care of the board's "production cost optimization in long-distance rail passenger transport".
Frankfurt Central Station is one of the most important traffic hubs in Germany. However, in view of the increasing number of travelers, there is a risk of overload. Does #Frankfurt need a long-distance train tunnel? https://t.co/vTvxMkzg0Z
- VCD Hessen (@VCD_Hessen) January 5, 2020The man from Düsseldorf is currently making his contribution known in a contribution by the trade journal "Bahn-Report". He carefully examines the planning for the "Germany cycle" and comes to the conclusion that the tunnel is not necessary. Rather, Andersen only wants all long-distance trains to stop at Südbahnhof. The trains can go through there and do not have to turn. He shows how everything would work from the track infrastructure.
Engineer Sven Andersen, recognized rail expert
© Pfeiffer-Goldmann, Dennis
Frankfurt: Bahnhof Süd expanded from nine to twelve tracks
The former Federal Railway Director plans to expand Süd Station from nine to twelve tracks. To do this, the platform at platform 9 would have to be widened and extended, then three more platforms and another platform had to be added. He looked at it "on site," says the specialist. "I guess you can." The tracks then moved "directly to the houses", but outbuildings would have to go. Is that enough then? "I don't know if you need anything from the houses themselves," says the specialist. Investigating this "should now be the task of DB Netz".
Demolitions may also be necessary east of the southern train station. According to Andersen, a fifth track south of the railway line must be added there. The railway and the city reject such strong interventions. Gerd-Dietrich Bolte from the DB Netz railway infrastructure division and Klaus Oesterling (SPD), Head of Transport, have already made this clear.
Oesterling rejects such an extensive expansion, also for urban planning reasons. Andersen believes that the city has to solve how the area around the station can also handle hundreds of thousands of passengers a day. For a large taxi access, for example, "you would have to intervene" in the building stock, that is, demolish more houses, preferably on Mörfelder Landstrasse. The city and the railways also refuse to divide the main train station traffic between two train stations.
All regional trains are to go to Frankfurt's southern and central train stations
Andersen wants to avoid long interchanges between long-distance and local transport by having all regional trains go to both stations. For this, RE lines would have to be linked, for example from Fulda to Mannheim or from Koblenz to the Odenwald. Like Andersen, the "Frankfurt 22" initiative by social scientist Klaus Gietinger also calls for an above-ground solution.
It can be realized for 500 million euros, says Gietinger. Sven Andersen can name no costs for his expansion idea: "I'm not so firm in that." He estimates that the above-ground expansion "remains significantly below" below the long-distance tunnel costs.
The engineer explains that ideas for above-ground expansion dates back to the 1930s. His suggestion is based on ideas from the Federal Railways in 1960. "I could have guessed that," says Sven Andersen. "Header stations are counterproductive," he emphasizes. "I don't understand why you stick to it."
By Dennis Pfeiffer-Goldmann
Section picture: Pfeiffer-Goldmann
Hesse is planning an investment of 20 billion euros because of the traffic turnaround. The money should also flow into Frankfurt Central Station *.
* fnp.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.