The Hamburg/Bremen-Hanover rail project: Why we are already thinking abo ut the day after tomorrow today?

摘要

SINCE THE EARLY 1960s, there have been plans to expand the rail network in the hinterland of the North German seaports. At the beginning of the 1990s, these ideas took on a concrete form with the 'Y route'. But the planned new line through the Lower Saxony Heath ultimately failed due to budgetary resources that were not continuously available. In 2016, Deutsche Bahn (DB) completely re-organised the project and is now planning the expansion and modernisation of several existing lines between Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover instead. The mission: More attractive connections for millions of travellers; sustainable infrastructure for a quarter of all German freight traffic; noise protection for 200,000 residents; and an essential contribution to climate protection. The European Union (EU) declared 2021 as the 'European Year of Rail' to promote the switch to rail as a safe and sustainable means of transport. In this article, we describe how we have been planning the expansion of around 400km in the existing rail network and what benefits and opportunities this means for people, the climate and the economy in the north.