by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

(AI-Translations): Deutsch

On 1 August, the renovation of the key railway route between Hamburg and Berlin started and is expected to continue for nine months.

DB InfraGo, the infrastructure company, estimates the cost of the railway renovation at EUR 2.2 billion, with an additional EUR 300 million allocated as a risk buffer.

The 249-kilometre line will be fully closed during the renovations, with completion date expected in April 2026.

German railway company METRANS issued an advisory last week stating that its cargo rail is "running on detour routes only with minor delays."

However, the company expects that the closure of the key line will affect container arrivals at the Port of Hamburg.

According to DVZ, the renovation will involve replacing 165 kilometres of track and 228 switches, reconstructing 21 switches, and extending 47 kilometres of overhead lines.

DB InfraGo reports that around 470 trains run daily in both directions between Berlin and Hamburg, 20% of which are freight trains.

German media Deutsche Welle further reports that this route accommodates up to 30,000 passengers daily and is the most heavily used direct connection in Germany's long-distance rail transport.

Germany's national rail network spans approximately 33,500 kilometres, and Deutsche Bahn, a state-owned company that operates both passenger and cargo rail, relies on federal government subsidies.