This industry dialogue addresses provisions included in the federal coalition agreement, which require aligning renovation schedules more closely with available industry resources and ensuring stable diversion traffic conditions. The goal is to refine existing plans and propose an updated schedule extending the corridor renovation strategy through 2035.
Industry feedback, particularly regarding diversion route stability and the construction sector’s capacities, will influence these discussions. Experiences gathered from the completed pilot renovation project on the Riedbahn line between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim—finished within five months and reopened on December 15, 2024—are also being taken into consideration. The next scheduled renovation under this framework will begin on August 1, covering the route from Hamburg to Berlin.
Following the dialogue, DB InfraGO will submit a revised scheduling proposal to Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) for final review and approval. A follow-up industry meeting is planned for July 9.
In parallel, the rail freight industry alliance DIE GÜTERBAHNEN, representing over 100 companies active in rail freight transport, has emphasized that schedule adjustments should be accompanied by improvements in implementation planning, route preparation, and diversion management. The alliance highlighted the postponement of renovations between Hamburg and Lübeck, allowing integration with the Lübeck–Bad Kleinen expansion, which had been previously requested by the industry. It also emphasized the necessity of enhanced planning efforts ahead of 2026 to maintain operational confidence and efficiency.
