Another major German railway route will undergo major renovations from October, requiring a full closure for several months. The rail line between Berlin and Hanover is set to shut down for extensive construction work beginning on 2 October, according to an announcement by Deutsche Bahn (DB) on Thursday. Trains will be diverted during the works, with journey times increasing by at least one hour. The route is the most important rail connection between Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The comprehensive refurbishment between Berlin-Spandau and Lehrte will be carried out in several phases. From October to December this year, and again during the same period in 2027, the section between Berlin-Spandau and Fallersleben near Wolfsburg will be completely closed.
During those closures, long-distance trains operating between Berlin and Hanover will be diverted and will alternate stops in either Braunschweig or Magdeburg. Travel times will increase by between 60 and 80 minutes. Trains running between Berlin and Amsterdam will be rerouted via Hamburg, resulting in journey times that are around 70 minutes longer.
Between the two closure periods, trains travelling from Berlin towards Hanover will return to the regular route via Wolfsburg. Services heading towards Berlin, however, will continue to operate via Magdeburg.
“Wherever possible, regional trains will continue operating up to points close to the closed section of track so that passengers can retain rail connections that are as familiar as possible,” DB stated. “Wherever rail services cannot operate, replacement bus services will be provided.” According to the company, regional rail services in the Berlin and Brandenburg area will also be subject to “extensive changes”.
Passengers can already view timetables for the first construction phase, running from October until 12 December, through the DB Navigator app and the applications of regional transport associations.
The Berlin–Hanover route is the second-longest railway line to undergo a complete modernization after the Berlin–Hamburg line. The route is 221 kilometres long and, according to DB, carries more than 400 long-distance and regional trains as well as around 90 freight trains every day. By the end of 2027, Deutsche Bahn plans to replace more than 175 sets of points, 260 kilometres of track and 13 kilometres of noise barriers.
Along the route, 25 stations will be modernised and, in some cases, upgraded to improve accessibility. Bridges, culverts and point-heating systems will also be replaced. DB said that overhead line equipment, signalling systems and safety technology will undergo maintenance as part of the project.
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