Frankfurt: DB presents rail tunnel study

Frankfurt Central Station today. Photo: Deutsche Bahn AG / Volker Emesleben

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn these days presented its proposal to increase the capacity of Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof station by supplementing the terminal station with a through tunnel line. This will speed up long distance traffic and simplify operation.

Different from other large terminal stations in Europe, Frankfurt has an exceptionally high share of through traffic. Roughly, one in three German long distance trains pass here. The station is operating at capacity. It will not be able to handle the additional volumes that the higher train frequencies of the future “Deutschland-Takt” anticipates.

The tunnel would include an additional four-track underground station at Hauptbahnhof and connect with existing rail infrastructure east of Frankfurt downtown. A main challenge will be to bypass the foundations of the high-rise city buildings. DB expects that planning and construction will each take time, so that the proposed tunnel may become operative after 2040. Find the details here (external link, German language).

Wiesbaden: Closure of Autobahn Bridge felt locally

Symbolic photo (Martin Brandt): Outside Wiesbaden City, the Autobahn system remains operative

More than a week after the sudden closure of a main Autobahn link in Hesse state’s capital of Wiesbaden, there is a first assessment of the fallout. While Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof station remains inaccessible from any main railway line and public transport is severely disrupted, traffic jams affect the city. However, local media report that this remains a local problem and does not significantly affect through traffic along the Rhine-Alpine corridor.

In the meantime, it became clear that neither half of the bridge will reopen: The damaged half is in immediate risk of collapse, which might take the other half along. While closure will thus last longer than a year, new construction plans already exist, and new permanent detours will ease the situation in the coming weeks. Find the details here (external link, German language).

How to increase rail’s share in transporting people and goods in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor?

Last Friday, the EGTC held the 9^th Rhine-Alpine Talks online, with more than 60 participants. A central slogan of the EGTC is “The Rhine-Alpine Corridor: Smart, Reliable and Green”. Accordingly, the rail as the backbone of our corridor was in focus of the contributions of high-level representatives from European, national and regional level. They highlighted their vision and projects for the future of rail transport from their particular perspectives. Find the details and the presentations here.