One week before the completion of the general overhaul of the Riedbahn between Frankfurt/Main and Mannheim, Deutsche Bahn has completed all construction work: in addition to tracks, points, signals, noise barriers and contact wire, the overhead lines and all platforms have also been completed.
The acceptance and reconnection of the overhead line have already taken place, as have the final measurements and the acceptance of the superstructure. This week, the telecommunications and electrical systems will also be approved and the stations put into operation. Load and test runs will also be carried out. T
For the reopening of the long-distance service, all trains will run over the Riedbahn line according to the timetable. In total, more than 95 per cent of customers will be able to use the trains on the Riedbahn line for long-distance and regional services again from 15 December.
The first scheduled train to travel over the tracks on the night of 15 December will be a freight train. To ensure stable operations and to carry out any minor corrections and remaining work that may still be necessary, the number of freight trains on the Riedbahn will be increased in stages up to full capacity by 23 December. Supply to companies along the route is already being provided directly via the new tracks.
The Riedbahn is one of the busiest routes in Germany. In the past, the infrastructure on the route, which is too old, too prone to disruption and too full, has caused disruptions on the Riedbahn to spread throughout the entire network. That is why Deutsche Bahn has completely renovated the route over the past five months. As part of the general overhaul, a total of 1,500 kilometres of track in the highly stressed network are to be renewed and modernised by 2027 using this model.
According to DB, the general overhaul is a fundamental component of the overall S3 programme, with which DB is overhauling not only the infrastructure but also the operations and profitability of the group over the next three years.
