Separation of the Hamburg-Berlin railway line: commuters have to change!

Separation of the Hamburg-Berlin railway line: commuters have to change!

The upcoming general renovation of the railway line between Hamburg and Berlin brings massive changes for travelers in August 2025. From August 1st to 4th, the railway node Schwerin will be affected before the route is completely blocked due to the necessary work on lead and security technology as well as software tests in the Schwerin signal box. The closure takes place daily from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. and will particularly hit commuters who are frequently traveling on weekends. This reports n-tv.

From August 1st, the route will be completely blocked by April 30, 2026. Travelers have to expect extensive diversions and the use of replacement buses. The renovation is of great importance, since the route is part of the Trans-European transport network and plays a major role for both passenger and freight transport. But be careful: Derirandings via Uelzen and Stendal are necessary for the long -distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin, while stops in Büchen, Ludwigslust and Wittenberge.

concrete effects on local transport

For local transport, there are also far -reaching changes. During the closures mentioned, some regional trains, such as the RB17 from Wismar via Schwerin to Ludwigslust, can drive to the Schwerin Süd stop. However, other connections, such as the special line RE85 between Schwerin Hauptbahnhof and Bad Kleinen, have to be replaced by buses. The RB13 between Rehna and Plate will also be replaced by buses.

Marcel Drews, the chairman of Pro Bahn in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, is critical of the situation. He describes the measures as uncoordinated and is surprised at the extensive replacement traffic right at the beginning of the general renovation. The passenger association recommends using carpooling to alleviate the inconvenience. The additional buses used during the renovation will be equipped with WLAN and sockets to ensure comfort to travelers.

New information for travelers and commuters

The effects on traffic are significant because the detour route only has a track, which means that the clock of trains from 30 minutes must change to one departure per hour. The travel time will extend an average of 45 minutes. In addition, travelers can only drive from Hamburg to Rostock or Rügen via Lübeck and Bad Kleines, which makes the entire travel planning more complicated.

For commuters from Schwerin, Hagenow or Büchen, the switch to buses to the Hamburg subway stations is necessary. The BC trains towards Dresden and Prague end or start in Berlin. Nevertheless, care is taken to ensure that passengers have at least three direct long-distance trains between Hamburg and Rostock and other connections to other cities every day, even if some lines such as the IC line Warnemünde-Schwerin-Magdeburg-Leipzig are shortened.

For travel planning, all information on connections and replacement offers is available in the electronic timetable information from Deutsche Bahn and the transport associations. The travelers are well advised to inform themselves in good time about the changes and diversions in order to optimally plan their way.

The challenges of the upcoming construction work are great, but with good planning and some flexibility, the inconvenience may be cushioned a little.