Hamburg-Hanover route: Deutsche Bahn insists on new construction

This and no other: Deutsche Bahn has now taken a clear stance in the decades-long dispute over the expansion or new construction of the railway line between Hamburg and Hanover. "There is no alternative to the planned new construction. We have no Plan B," a railway spokesperson told the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. The railway company has thus clearly rejected the extension of the existing line desired by the state of Lower Saxony and several neighboring municipalities.

In June, when Deutsche Bahn presented its plans for the line, the tone was still conciliatory. There was talk of a "preferred option." That sounded like a bargaining chip. However, Deutsche Bahn made it clear even then that "pure route expansion (...) had proven to be significantly undersized despite intensive examination." In addition, time is running out for all parties involved: traffic is growing and the route is already operating at 147 percent capacity.

Railway takes a "two-track" approach

For this reason, Deutsche Bahn wants to pursue a two-track approach, figuratively speaking: The existing line running further east via Uelzen, Bad Bevensen, and Lüneburg is to be upgraded in a general renovation in 2029, but not expanded. The new line running along the A7 motorway, which will pass through Bergen and Soltau and Seevetal on its way to Hamburg, is then expected to create additional capacity in the 2030s.

However, it remains questionable whether and when this will be possible against the declared will of the state of Lower Saxony and several affected districts. The then Minister of Transport, Olaf Lies (SPD), is now Minister-President. He rejects the project in its current form. Moreover, the railway company still lacks the green light from the Bundestag. If the Bundestag does not approve funding, the project will be off the table anyway.

Railway highlights the advantages

The railway company argues that it has examined 29 variants and narrowed the selection down to four. These were examined in more detail on the basis of 200 criteria. The proposed preferred variant meets the criteria of the Germany-wide integrated timetable and is suitable for creating space for more passenger and freight trains. In addition, a number of connections would be improved. The ICE journey between Hamburg and Hanover would be shortened by 20 minutes to 59 minutes. This would have a positive impact on the entire country. Soltau and Bergen would benefit from significantly faster local transport connections.

Critics are not convinced. Back in the 1990s, there was already controversy over a so-called Y-route that was to run through the Lüneburg Heath and split into two lines at Walsrode, one to Hamburg and one to Bremen. Due to protests and economic concerns, the project was rejected in the 2010s. After a dialogue forum with various stakeholders, initiated by Lies at the time, it was replaced by the "Alpha E" plan. The compromise ultimately provided for the expansion of the existing line with a third track befor –, a plan that did not sit well with all residents, but was also called into question by increasing traffic and the plan to synchronize timetables throughout Germany.

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Deutsche Bahn now believe that expansion will not be sufficient to cope with the increase in traffic. They are receiving support from the passenger association Pro Bahn and the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (German Transport Club).

(mki)