The expansion of the Nuremberg-Bamberg-Ebensfeld railway line is important for ICE traffic between Munich and Berlin. Nevertheless, the construction project is progressing slowly. Affected Bamberg citizens will soon be able to raise their objections.
Bamberg (dpa / lby) – The four-track expansion of the railway line between Nuremberg and Ebensfeld in Upper Franconia is entering the next phase. The city of Bamberg calls the project “the largest infrastructure project in history”, the project is part of the expansion of the high-speed line between Munich and Berlin.
As the city announced, those affected by the expansion in the Bamberg city area can present possible objections to the government of Upper Franconia this week. The district government is only conducting the hearing at the non-public hearing in Bamberg’s concert and congress hall, it said. Ultimately, the decision on the expansion is made by the Federal Railway Authority.
The expansion is significant nationwide: With the four-track expansion of the approximately 83-kilometer route from Nuremberg to Ebensfeld (Lichtenfels district), the Bamberg railway junction is to be made more efficient and gaps in the ICE connection between Berlin and Munich are to be closed, according to Deutsche Bahn. The S-Bahn service between Nuremberg and Bamberg is also to be increased as a result of the expansion. The Nuremberg-Bamberg-Ebensfeld section is part of the express train connection between the two megacities. Some sections of the route south of Bamberg already have four tracks.
A spokesman for the Bamberg building department said it was not clear when the railway authority would make the planning approval decision for the expansion and would depend on the number and type of objections. If the Federal Railway Authority decides on the construction as planned, a construction period of eight to ten years is then expected.
The city of Bamberg itself makes some demands for the expansion of the railway. These include, for example, the establishment of a Bamberg-Süd S-Bahn station and comprehensive noise protection for the districts bordering on the route. The spokesman for the building department said there were still open questions when it came to compensation areas. Among other things, small gardens are affected by the expansion. When building the necessary bridges and underpasses, structural details still need to be clarified.