STRABAG Rail upgrading rail network in eastern Germany for Deutsche Bahn

• Two large DB Netz AG orders on the railway lines south of Berlin and between Leipzig and Dresden

• Project Südkreuz (a)–Blankenfelde (Berlin–Dresden Railway / VP 5) in consortium with STRABAG AG also includes the connection to the new BER airport

• Project Zeithain (VDE 9) comprises the fundamental renewal of the Bogendreieck–Leckwitz rail section in a consortium with Hentschke Bau GmbH

STRABAG SE has been awarded two major railway construction contracts in eastern Germany from DB Netz AG. STRABAG Rail GmbH, working in a consortium with STRABAG AG, has been commissioned to upgrade the railway line between the Berlin/Brandenburg border and the Berlin outer ring for long-distance trains (Berlin–Dresden Railway / VP 5). The project also includes the connection of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to the long-distance network of Deutsche Bahn. The contract has a volume of around € 105 million. Construction will begin in August 2020, with completion of the main construction works scheduled for January 2025.

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STRABAG Rail will also be leading a consortium with Hentschke Bau GmbH to upgrade the section between Zeithain and Leckwitz on the Leipzig–Dresden railway line for long-distance train service (Project Zeithain / VDE 9). This contract has a volume of around € 87 million. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2025 after about five years (61 months) of construction. STRABAG Rail GmbH will carry out both orders with teams from its Business Unit East.

“We are very happy about the confidence placed in our railway construction expertise and are delighted to be playing a key role in the upgrade of Germany’s railway infrastructure with two large projects at once. These are important steps on the way to further increasing the competitiveness of rail travel as an environmentally friendly and fast means of transport,” explained Thomas Birtel, CEO of STRABAG SE.

New tracks for high-speed ICE connection to BER airport

DB Netz AG is having the 16 km section in the south of Berlin from Berliner Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Berlin–Dresden railway) upgraded to handle modern local, regional and long-distance trains, among other things to provide a high-speed ICE link from the centre of Berlin to the BER airport. This section of the Berlin–Dresden line is currently only open to S-Bahn commuter service and diesel freight trains. The contract (VP 5) awarded to the consortium consisting of STRABAG Rail and STRABAG Subdivision North-East includes the construction of the approximately three-kilometre long track section between the Berlin/Brandenburg border and the Berlin outer ring as well as the construction of the Mahlow Curve to link the BER airport to the Berlin–Dresden Railway. As part of the project, the STRABAG team will construct two mainline tracks including switches, overhead lines and safety technology, relocate the existing S-Bahn track and build noise protection walls, among other things. Four overpasses and a passenger tunnel will also be built to replace the existing level crossings, along with a new crossing structure for the grade-separated extension of the Mahlow Curve.

The approx. 10 km double-track section of rail between Zeithain and Leckwitz is being completely renovated and rebuilt as part of the ongoing upgrade of the Leipzig–Dresden railway line to a high-speed link. The Zeithain project (VDE 9) comprises not only the new construction of the track system including ground engineering works, drainage and underground cables, but also the complete renewal of the signalling and signal box technology, the installation of new overhead contact lines and the new construction or renovation of the Glaubitz and Nünchritz stops (platforms and park-and-ride facilities). The modification of four bridge structures along the line, the construction of new overpasses and culverts, and the erection of noise barriers with a total area of 30,000 m² also form part of the contract.