Closure of the ICE route: construction work between Bamberg and Forchheim!

Closure of the ICE route: construction work between Bamberg and Forchheim!

From Monday, August 25, 2025, the ICE route between Erfurt, Nuremberg and Munich will be completely closed for two weeks. This measure specifically affects the section between Bamberg and Forchheim and is necessary to complete the four-track expansion in this area. The plan is to maintain the closure until September 9, 2025, which will entail some changes for travelers.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) has already announced that long-distance traffic will be rerouted via Fulda, Würzburg and Augsburg during the closure, which could extend journey times by up to 105 minutes. Important to know: The ICE stops in Coburg, Bamberg and Erlangen will be canceled during this time and some connections will be canceled. In addition, the regional express trains between Sonneberg/Erfurt and Nuremberg will be replaced by buses on the same section, which will require additional transfers to Nuremberg.

Reason for the construction work

A look at the background shows that the four-track expansion of the section between Forchheim and Eggolsheim is part of the German Unity transport project (VDE 8.1). This connection between Nuremberg and Bamberg is one of the busiest routes in Bavaria and is a central part of the Munich-Berlin high-speed route. The expansion includes a total of 64 kilometers of state-of-the-art rail infrastructure, which ensures improved stability and punctuality in train traffic.

• Neue Gleise ermöglichen eine Erhöhung der Zugfrequenz im Fern-, Regional- und Güterverkehr.
• Barrierefreie Mobilität kommt durch einen neuen S-Bahn-Halt in Forchheim Nord, der ab Dezember in Betrieb geht.
• Bund, Freistaat Bayern und DB investieren stolze 298 Millionen Euro in den Abschnitt Forchheim–Eggolsheim.

However, this expansion is only part of a more comprehensive plan: The federal government has planned to invest a total of 166 billion euros in infrastructure by 2029, with around 107 billion euros to flow into rail alone. The goal is clear: the renovation of dilapidated railway lines and motorway bridges should be pushed forward. There will be a new focus on the general renovations, which should be completed by the mid-2030s.

Outlook for the future

Despite the unpleasant construction sites, travelers will benefit from improved punctuality and reliability in the future. Deutsche Bahn is also planning to modernize around 100 train stations into “train stations of the future” this year in order to increase comfort for passengers. Travelers can look forward to a uniform design, better train information and modern facilities.

The construction work between Altendorf and Strullendorf in the Bamberg district can be unpleasant, but it is an important step towards a more efficient rail infrastructure. The closures are scheduled to end on September 9th at 5 a.m., and until then it's time to replan and be prepared for the changes in driving operations.

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