Railway line between Frankfurt and Mannheim closed for months - Al-Wazir welcomes renovation

Created: 09/15/2022, 18:51

By: Christoph Sahler

People who often travel the Frankfurt - Mannheim route will soon have to bring a lot of patience with them.

Deutsche Bahn is asking for understanding.

Frankfurt - The Frankfurt - Mannheim railway line will be closed for at least five months for the planned general renovation in 2024.

As reported by fnp.de, the work should begin on July 15 of the year and be completed by Christmas 2024, as Deutsche Bahn announced on Thursday (September 15).

Restrictions for customers could not be avoided, it said.

The section is of great importance for the entire railway network.

During the closure, long-distance and freight trains from Frankfurt Central Station to Mannheim and vice versa will be diverted, sometimes over a wide area.

Buses are to replace up to 200 local trains a day.

"We are aware that we are asking a lot of customers during the general renovation of the Riedbahn," remarked Deutsche Bahn board member Berthold Huber.

However, they then benefited from better quality, punctuality and more attractive stations.

"Persevering is also worthwhile because the Frankfurt - Mannheim corridor will be spared from major construction work for the next decade after the general renovation."

Deutsche Bahn promises: traffic between Frankfurt and Mannheim will not collapse

The so-called Riedbahn is the first project in the planned general overhaul of the heavily used rail corridors in Germany from 2024 to 2030. With around 300 trains a day, according to Huber, the infrastructure is nowhere more stressed than on this section.

With the renovation, this will become the "stability anchor" for the entire rail network.

During the closure, 1,200 control and safety systems are to be renewed, 152 switches, four level crossings and a good ten kilometers of noise protection walls.

In addition, there will be new overtaking opportunities for trains and equipment for digital rail operations.

20 train stations along the route in Hesse and Baden-Württemberg will also be renewed.

And in Frankfurt, too, massive renovation work is planned in rail traffic. 

The Frankfurt-Mannheim railway line will be closed for five months.

© Roberto Pfeil/dpa

"Traffic will not collapse because of the closure," assured Huber.

"We'll make the diversion routes fit beforehand so that they can accommodate additional trains."

In view of the planned duration of five months, she spoke of a record speed of the work.

At the "Bahn Summit" in Berlin on Thursday, Huber spoke of a six-month blockage.

Hesse's Transport Minister Al-Wazir welcomes the general renovation of Deutsche Bahn

Hesse's Minister of Transport Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens) welcomed Deutsche Bahn's plans to refurbish the so-called Riedbahn between Mannheim and Frankfurt in 2024: "It is good news that Deutsche Bahn is now tackling the Riedbahn as a nationwide pilot project for general refurbishment." The tracks between the two cities are very busy and prone to delays due to their poor condition.

"I expressly welcome the fact that the general renovation of railway lines is starting here in Hesse," said Al-Wazir.

The Frankfurt railway junction in particular is completely overloaded.

Additional trains cannot run, the current connections are often unpunctual, and the poor quality of the infrastructure not only affects regional traffic in the region but also causes delays throughout Germany.

(dpa)