Renovation Initiation for Hamburg-Berlin Line - Crucial Information for Travelers - Hamburg-Berlin Journey Details for Passengers
The railway line connecting Hamburg and Berlin, one of Germany's busiest commuter routes, will be closed for an extended period starting August 1, 2023. This closure, lasting for three-quarters of a year, is for comprehensive renovation works.
During this time, long-distance trains bound for Hamburg from Rostock and partially Rügen will be rerouted via Lübeck and Bad Kleinen, resulting in approximately 60 minutes longer travel times. Freight trains will be diverted via Rotenburg (Wümme) and Verden (Aller), taking a detour through Hannover and Magdeburg towards Berlin.
The closure will cause significant disruptions for long-distance travelers, with trains rerouted via Stendal and Uelzen, adding an average of 45 minutes to the journey and reducing the frequency from every 30 minutes to one connection per hour.
The 280-kilometer-long railway track will undergo a thorough renovation, including the renewal of 165 kilometers of track, repair of 61 kilometers, installation of 249 switches, renovation of 28 stations, construction of six new signal boxes, and modernization of 19 existing ones.
Some freight trains will be rerouted via Uelzen and Stendal, causing delays of several hours for transport companies. Up to 4,000 people from West Mecklenburg use the trains to Hamburg and Berlin daily, and the German Railway assures that it will record passenger numbers in the buses precisely and deploy additional buses if necessary.
Replacement buses will be deployed on 28 connections, covering the route from Seegefeld near Berlin to Hamburg, including Schwerin, Ludwigslust, Hagenow, and Boizenburg in MV. Regional trains from Rostock to Berlin will be rerouted via Lalendorf and will not stop in Güstrow.
Commuters between Schwerin and Hamburg can no longer reach the Hamburg main station directly with the replacement buses; they have to change at the outskirts at the U-Bahn stations Steinfurther Allee or Bergedorf.
The closure affects not just the main Hamburg-Berlin line but also surrounding sections, including Mölln–Büchen–Lauenburg, Hagenow Stadt–Schwerin Süd–Ludwigslust, Ludwigslust–Parchim, Wittenberge–Osterburg, and Kyritz–Neustadt/Dosse, amplifying regional disruption.
Real-time travel information on schedules and replacements will be provided through the DB Navigator app, bahn.de, and regional transit applications to assist passengers during the disruption.
In short, the alternative transportation plan involves extensive bus replacements for regional services and careful rerouting for long-distance travel to maintain connectivity, but the full closure will substantially increase travel times and reduce service frequency between Hamburg and Berlin for the nine-month duration. Passengers should prepare for longer journeys and keep informed via digital platforms.
The railway aims to increase capacities and punctuality with this modernization, but during the construction period, no long-distance trains will stop in Schwerin. The closure will impact regional rail traffic in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, causing detours and longer travel times for commuters, shoppers, and vacation travelers. EC trains between Hamburg and Prague will start and end in Berlin during the closure. The express buses on the X1 line run every two hours, which Bahn estimates is not sufficient given the expected passenger demand; the association demands a 60-minute interval for the express buses.
- The steel industry, reliant on the railway transportation for moving goods, may face challenges due to the closure of the Hamburg-Berlin line, as freight trains will be diverted and travel times will be extended.
- The extended closure of the railway line could also impact the manufacturing industry, as some companies may rely on financial assistance from the community to offset any losses incurred during this period of increased transportation costs and decreased efficiency.
