Repair at the Niederfinow ship lift: decommissioning until August 2025!

Repair at the Niederfinow ship lift: decommissioning until August 2025!

In the past few days, extensive repair work has been initiated at the Old Shipping Low in Niederfinow in the Barnim district. This necessary maintenance was triggered by cracking noises during the trough trips, which moved the experts of the waterway and shipping office Oder-Havel to analyze the Situation more precisely. Ultimately, wear was found on a disc coupling, which is part of the drive system of the lifting plant and ensures the precise synchronization of its four drives. According to Tagesschau this is a rather rare event, since the last comparable repair took place more than 25 years ago.

On Monday, July 21, 2025, the work officially started. The specialists not only had to check the disc coupling, but also extend specific parts such as the nose wedges and their seat on the shaft to carry out a complete renewal. This complicated procedure requires the use of the large roof crane of the lift itself, since some of the components to be processed weigh several hundred kilograms. The overall investment for the repair is estimated at around 37,000 euros, whereby the financing is made through the federal government, as can be seen on the website of the Water Street and Shipping Authority (Wsa).

a piece of history in danger

The ship's lift in Niederfinow is an impressive technical monument that has been in operation since 1934 and is considered the oldest still working lift. With a height of 60 meters and a trough weight of 4,290 tons, it is not only an important element of the shipping infrastructure, but also a popular destination for around 150,000 visitors annually. The trough itself has an impressive size of 85 meters in length and 12 meters in width, which ensures its functionality for the transport of ships with a weight of up to 1,000 tons. This technical data demonstrates the outstanding importance of the lifting plant in the area of the waterway (Wikipedia).

Although the current repair work is uncomfortable, everyone involved is optimistic about the future: The lift is expected to be put back into operation on August 8, 2025. This is good news for the numerous skippers who rely on this important connection between the waterways in Germany.

The challenges that can be mastered in these repairs are also reflected in the history of the lifting. Since its opening, it has undergone several modernizations, including a general overhaul in 1980 and the renewal of the carrying ropes in 1984/1985. Despite the technical hurdles, it remains an integral part of the German shipping system and contributes to maintaining the waterways, which means that it works practically without water loss and optimizes water supply.