As of: March 27, 2024, 4:46 p.m
By: Dirk Walter
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The electronic signal box is being built in this inconspicuous building (right).
© DB
There's no end to it: The completion of the new electronic signal box at the Ostbahnhof has been postponed again.
Now the investment that is urgently needed for more punctual S-Bahn traffic is not scheduled to go into operation until the summer of 2025 – a good two years later than planned.
“The reason for this is a structural implementation problem,” explains the railway in a statement.
Linking the signal box with the neighboring existing signal boxes is more complicated than initially assumed.
The problem has now been solved, they say.
“However, individual processes of software planning and structural implementation had to be adapted at great expense.” The communication speaks of “further testing loops” and also of a “preventive construction break” during the European Football Championship.
Because games are also taking place in Munich, the S-Bahn trains should not be disrupted by construction work during this time.
“The railway expressly regrets the delay.”
So the railway will have to continue to make do with the existing old relay signal box at the Ostbahnhof.
The technology comes from Siemens, was installed in 1969 and is very prone to failure despite various retrofits.
Because of the delay, there will now be maintenance work in the old signal box again.
In addition, the signal boxes in Munich-Allach and Dachau will be upgraded for 1.5 million euros.
They are also “repeatedly prone to failure”.
An employee in the old signal box.
© Marcus Schlaf
The railway estimates that signal box malfunctions are responsible for ten to 15 percent of all delays.
The fact that the railway wants to completely replace the relay signal box was celebrated with great celebration in 2021 when construction started.
Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and the then DB infrastructure director Ronald Pofalla also stopped by.
At that time it was said that the signal box would go into operation in June 2023.
Last May, DB project manager Kai Kruschinski announced that the start would be delayed by a year until August 2024.
So now the new postponement by one year.
The mayor is angry
Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) is angry.
“Unfortunately, delays at Deutsche Bahn are, to a certain extent, the order of the day.
But it is inconceivable that the commissioning of the new signal box at the Ostbahnhof has been postponed for a whole year.” The railway must “definitely explain” how this came about.
In addition, the DB must be “run more closely” by the state government and the ministry.
The signal box controls switches and signals from Giesing to Berg am Laim, as well as the Ostbahnhof Leuchtenbergring and St.-Martin-Straße stations.