During the Federal Garden Show 2019, ICEs stopped regularly at Heilbronn main station. Express trains could return from summer 2024. Photo: Berger, Mario
Heilbronn has been fighting for a long-distance transport connection for decades. There are only a handful of comparable large cities nationwide that have to do without IC or ICE altogether. Now there is at least a temporary connection to the big railway world. Background: In the second half of 2024, the route between Frankfurt and Mannheim, one of the main axes of the German rail network, will be closed for months.
As part of the alternative concept, there is talk of routing individual ICE trains over the Frankenbahn between Stuttgart, Heilbronn and Würzburg for several months. This could relieve pressure on the main alternative routes via Worms and Mainz.
ICE from Stuttgart to Heilbronn | Stuttgart/Heilbronn | April 14, 2020 | 10 images | Photographer: Alexander Hettich
Experts believe it is very likely that this will happen. There remains a sticking point: In Heilbronn, the platforms are only 200 meters long and were dismantled years ago. However, many ICE trains are twice as long. That’s why the maximum penalty is threatened: the ICE could travel on the Frankenbahn for months, but simply roll past Heilbronn.
Does the ICE come from Heilbronn to Berlin and Lake Constance?
Deutsche Bahn is still not commenting on the issue. When asked, we will provide information in the fall. However, draft timetables are circulating on the Internet from usually well-informed sources that give Heilbronn hope. According to a post from fernbahn.de on X, formerly Twitter, the ICE 119, which currently runs from Dortmund via Mannheim and Lake Constance to Innsbruck, would be completely rerouted. In the design it is called ICE 119 from Berlin via Kassel, Würzburg, Stuttgart and Lindau to Innsbruck.
There is no mention of Heilbronn as a stop, but one detail is interesting: it is an ICE 4 (7). This is a so-called seven-parter that is 200 meters long and would fit on the Heilbronn train platform in its current state. Such a team also temporarily drove through the Neckar Valley during Buga 2019, stopping in Heilbronn. So now is the temporary comeback? This is not officially confirmed. The city also says there is no current information.
Ministry of Transport of Baden-Württemberg: A stop in Heilbronn “is expected”
The State Ministry of Transport refers to the railway, but when asked, confirms that temporary long-distance connections are planned via the Frankenbahn. A stop in Heilbronn is “assumed” was the cautious answer from Stuttgart.
According to information circulating online, the Neckar Valley ICE will start on January 2nd. If this actually happens, there would soon be a long-distance connection from Heilbronn to the capital, to Lake Constance and to Tyrol.
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