Development of the infrastructure

In 2024, about € 20.1 billion was spent for the expansion, renewal and maintenance of the network, stations and energy systems. This includes among others:

• Performance and Financing Agreement (LuFV) funds (grants and own contribution) amounting to € 8.6 billion, about € 4.5 billion for maintenance, € 2.9 billion for projects in the requirement plan, and
• funds for the existing network outside the LuFV such as the Municipal Transport Financing Act (Gemeindever­kehrs­finanzierungsgesetz; GVFG), Digital Rail for Germany or the Climate Action Program amounting to about € 4.1 billion.

Key developments in the expansion and renewal of the rail network in 2024 included:

• General modernization of the Riedbahn: The first general modernization of the highly utilized rail network was successfully completed in mid-December 2024. Since mid-July 2024, the fault-prone and outdated infrastructure on the about 70-km-long Riedbahn line between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim has been almost completely renewed. Rerouting and substitute transport services continued to get passenger and freight transport customers to their destinations. The modernization is expected to reduce operational disruptions on one of the busiest lines in Germany by up to 80%.
• Expansion of Cottbus — Görlitz: The Federal Govern­ment and DB Group signed an agreement in July 2024 al­low­ing ten further projects to be planned in the coal regions. The largest project is the expansion of the Berlin — Cottbus — Weißwasser — Görlitz line. In the future, trains shall be able to travel faster, which should significantly reduce travel times. A higher line capacity should also enable a greater number of trains to be offered. To this end, the Cottbus — Weißwasser — Görlitz section is to be expanded to two tracks and electrified.
• Digital interlocking in Donauwörth: In Bavaria, the first digital interlocking with network technology is in operation on the high-speed line between Nuremberg and Augsburg. DB Group, the Federal Government and the Federal state have invested € 127 million in total. In the Donauwörth digital interlocking, the traffic controllers have been controlling the switches and signals for train traffic between Mertingen and Meitingen online via fiber-optic cable using standardized interfaces since the end of January 2024. The line section is part of the trans-European rail corridor Scandinavia — Mediterranean and is part 
  of one of the most important expansion projects of Digital Rail for Germany.
• Modernization of the Falkenberg railway hub: DB Group has started planning the comprehensive modernization of the Falkenberg railway hub. The aim is in particular to shorten travel times and expand the freight transport hub. Plans include the construction of a digital interlocking. Stations shall also be modified and extensive accessibility shall be created. In addition, tracks for freight traffic are to be extended and their position improved in order to increase the speed to up to 120 km/h.
• High-speed line Cologne — Frankfurt: DB Group has modernized the high-speed line Cologne — Rhine/Main, one of the most important axes in the ICE network. Longdistance trains were rerouted via the Rhine Valley during the line closure.
• Flensburg — Maschen line: In August 2024, DB Group began modernizing the Flensburg — Maschen line. In total, 216 km of track have been equipped with ETCS since the end of August. In the first construction phase, the interlocking technology will be modernized and replaced by digital interlockings and electronic interlockings or technically upgraded so that they are compatible with ETCS. In the second construction phase, the line will be equipped with ETCS. The measures should be completed by 2030.
• Chemnitz rail arch: DB Group has modernized the Chemnitz rail arch. On September 8, 2024, the 2.8 km line was officially put into operation. In recent years, the tracks have been renewed and two fully accessible stops have been constructed. In addition, four new bridges were built, the overhead wires and signaling systems were renewed and noise reduction walls were erected.
• Connection to the Czech Republic: DB Group is modernizing the existing command and control technology from Marktredwitz to the Czech border. In Schirnding, the relay interlocking is being replaced by an electronic interlocking. In addition, the line section Arzberg — border (CZ) on about 8 km will be equipped with ETCS. The first preparatory measures for this began in August 2024. Until the time the electronical interlocking goes into operation in summer 2025, 87 km of cable shall be laid and 47 signals and 18 switch drives shall be replaced. In addition three level crossings are to be renewed. To equip the line with ETCS, about 250 balises are to be installed to transmit data to the train. Overall commissioning is planned for the end of 2025.
• Augsburg-Gersthofen transhipment terminal: Construction of a new transhipment terminal in the Augsburg region Freight Transport Center (Güterverkehrs­zentrum; GVZ) began at the start of July 2024. The terminal, which has a direct connection to the Federal road and the highway, is intended to help shift more freight transport to rail. DB Group, the Federal Government and the EU plan to jointly invest about € 83 million. The new terminal is scheduled to go into operation in 2026 and will handle loading units such as containers, semi-trailers and swap bodies.
• Electronic interlockings in Baden-Baden and Rastatt: DB Group has put two new electronic interlockings into operation in Baden-Baden and Rastatt-Süd. These are a pre­requisite for equipping the Karlsruhe — Basel line with ETCS.
• Rheintalbahn: DB Group completed construction work on the Rheintalbahn between Rastatt and Baden-Ba­den in August 2024. A large section of about 2 km of track has been completely renewed. In addition to four new switches, the overhead wires and the command and control technology were adapted. Work on the line section between the new tunnel and the connection to the Rheintalbahn will continue until 2025. Commissioning of the tunnel is planned for the end of 2026.
• High-speed line Hanover — Würzburg: DB Group has re­newed the high-speed line Hanover — Würzburg for about € 850 million. Passengers now travel faster between Lower Saxony and Bavaria.
• Weddel loop: Since March 22, 2024, regional, long-distance and freight trains have been meeting on the Weddel loop. After two and a half years of construction, the line, which is now double-track, was commissioned. The Weddel loop was the first building block in Lower Saxony for Germany in sync.
• Line extension Frankfurt (Main) West — Bad Vilbel: The continuous four-track line extension between Frankfurt (Main) West and Bad Vilbel has been completed. As a result, passengers will be able to travel much more reliably in future. The expansion of the second section of the route from Bad Vilbel to Friedberg is currently scheduled to begin at the end of 2026.
• New construction line Dresden — Prague: The region and the Free State of Saxony have confirmed the selection of the preferred option for the new construction line Dresden — Prague. For the completion of the preliminary planning of the new construction line with a tunnel about 30 km long through the Ore Mountains, DB Group has received comments and demands from the region. DB Group additionally received a total of 12 comments from towns and municipalities, the district of Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains as well as authorities and ministries.
• Stuttgart 21: The shell construction of the future through station has been completed apart from remaining works. Work is underway on the light eyes and the lattice shells, which will form the entrances to the station hall. The topping-out ceremony for the new Stuttgart Airport long-distance train station took place in October 2024. Work on the slab track and the rail equipment has progressed further and the first journeys of the extensive acceptance campaign have begun. Commissioning is planned in several stages until December 2026.

The following requirement plan and GVFG projects were also under construction in 2024:

At the end of 2024, a total of 217 requirement plan and GVFG projects were in planning and construction (46 GVFG, 171 requirement plan). Further information on the projects is available on the BauInfoPortal.

Small and medium-sized measures program

The small and medium-sized measures infrastructure program for the rapid expansion of capacity in the existing network, which is worth about € 4 billion, is making progress. By the end of 2025, 138 of the total of 355 planned projects are to be implemented, which corresponds to about 40% of the measures planned until 2030. The capital expenditure volume since the start of the program until the end of 2024 is about € 1.2 billion. The projects include infrastructural measures such as additional track change opportunities, signals and track switching operations or new platforms. The program aims to achieve rapid positive effects on capacity and punctuality for passengers and freight transport customers. The projects are mainly financed by Government funds and DB Group’s own funds.

Measures at stations

• Dortmund central station: Once all the planned modernization measures have been completed (in the first quarter of 2025), the station will have full step-free access and will enable the fully accessible linkage of different means of transport. In June 2024, the seventh of the eight platforms undergoing modernization went back into operation.
• Duisburg central station: Work on the renovation of all platforms and the construction of the new hall roof at Duisburg central station has been underway since mid-2022. In June 2024, the second of the total of six platforms, including the associated new hall roof, was reopened to traffic following new construction. According to current planning, the overall project will run until 2028.
• Hanover central station: All platforms, platform roofs and some bridge structures at Hanover central station are being gradually renewed from summer 2022. Work on the first platform A should be completed by mid-2025. Renovation work on the second platform B has been underway since mid-2024. As the construction work is focused on the time around the summer vacations for operational reasons and is dependent on parallel projects at the Hanover hub, works are not expected to be completed until after 2033.
• Berlin Ostbahnhof: At Berlin Ostbahnhof, construction work on the hall roof to renew the roof membrane, install new skylights and renew the corrosion protection on all roof girders is progressing according to plan. Thanks to the chosen form of construction, traffic could be maintained almost continuously during the work on the roof. The main measures were completed by the end of 2024.
• Hamburg-Altona station: In Hamburg-Altona, the terminal station for long-distance and regional services is being moved. The current Diebsteich S-Bahn (metro) station shall be expanded to become a through station. A total of four platforms and a concourse building shall be constructed. Work has already begun. The new S-Bahn (metro) platform was put into operation at the beginning of 2025. The three long-distance and regional platforms are expected to be completed in 2027.