Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completed the extensive construction work on the Rhine Valley Railway between Rastatt and Baden-Baden on time. Train traffic has been running again since Friday, August 30, 2024, 9 p.m. DB would like to thank all long-distance and regional customers for their patience during the construction work.
The Karlsruhe-Basel railway project has completed a demanding construction workload over the last three weeks: the construction teams have converted around two kilometers of track between Rastatt and Baden-Baden so that the tracks coming out of the Rastatt tunnel can be connected to the Rhine Valley Railway. The project has thus taken another important step towards the commissioning of the railway tunnel. The Rastatt tunnel and the expansion of the Rhine Valley Railway will help ensure that even more people and freight customers can switch to climate-friendly rail in the future – a declared goal of the DB Group’s Strong Rail strategy.
Meike Schlitter, sub-project manager in the Karlsruhe–Basel railway project: “Since August 9, we have completely renewed a large part of the tracks on a stretch of around two kilometers. Four new switches ensure that the trains in this area can switch between the new and existing lines. We also adapted the overhead lines and the control and safety technology, which was a real challenge due to the large technical dependencies. The construction experts were on duty almost around the clock. Completing the work on time was a great team effort.”
On Friday, the necessary test and measurement runs were carried out successfully, so that the route could be reopened for rail traffic.
Following this intensive construction phase, DB will continue to carry out work on the section of track between the new tunnel and the connection to the Rhine Valley Railway until 2025. The tunnel is scheduled to be put into operation at the end of 2026. No further closures are required for this.
IInnovative pilot project for diversions in freight traffic
The Rhine Valley Railway is an important part of the European Rhine-Alpine freight transport corridor between the ports in the Netherlands and Genoa. During construction, freight traffic was diverted over various routes, some of them over large areas. The innovative concept of a German-French diesel train shuttle service was used for the first time. After a challenging start, a total of more than 400 freight trains from seven different freight transport companies were successfully routed over the Wörth (Rhine)–Lauterbourg–Strasbourg–Kehl route to rejoin the Rhine Valley Railway in Offenburg. To implement the project, DB InfraGO worked hand in hand with its French infrastructure partner SNCF Réseau and the railway companies SBB Cargo International and Captrain France.
Construction programme for a strong railway continues
As planned, DB’s construction work on the section of the line running parallel to the Rhine Valley Railway via Durmersheim is still ongoing. Here, DB is building auxiliary bridges in the north of Rastatt and a road underpass in Durmersheim. DB is also continuing work on signal boxes and switches in Rastatt and Baden-Baden. This will affect the regional transport timetable until 5 a.m. on September 9, 2024. DB asks for your understanding for the restrictions and recommends using its electronic timetable media for information. Real-time information is available in the travel information on www.bahn.de and in the DB Navigator app.
