DB InfraGO will carry out extensive scheduled construction works on the Anhalter Bahn between Berlin Südkreuz and Bitterfeld from 24 September to 13 December.
The works, which were already announced earlier this year, affect a 130-km section of the ICE line Berlin–Leipzig/Halle (Saale)–Erfurt–Munich. They include the installation of 33 new switches and the refurbishment of a further 59. Around 100 km of track will be completely renewed, with another 38 km undergoing refurbishment. Once the comprehensive, tightly coordinated works are completed in time for the December timetable change, the line will be considered construction-free for the next three years.
Preparations for this construction phase began as early as 2024 when ten switches and 19 km of track have already been renewed on the Bitterfeld–Lutherstadt Wittenberg section, with a further 20 km of track and 15 switches to be added. In Berlin, during the closure period from 24 October, work will also be carried out in parallel on connecting the new Dresden Railway (Dresdner Bahn).
The scale of the construction, the complex logistics, and the coordination involved make it unavoidable to impose a full closure of the line for both regional and long-distance rail services. Deutsche Bahn asks all passengers and customers for their understanding regarding the necessary disruptions.
Long-distance trains between Berlin and Munich will continue to run at least once per hour but will be diverted. Journey times between Leipzig or Halle (Saale) and Berlin will be extended by 45 to 60 minutes.
The long-distance service between Frankfurt and Berlin via Kassel remains unchanged. However, direct connections between Frankfurt–Erfurt–Berlin will be suspended during the works. In Berlin, long-distance trains will not call at Südkreuz but will instead partly be routed via Berlin Ostkreuz. As a result, there will be disruptions to regional services on the Berlin Stadtbahn. Lutherstadt Wittenberg will be omitted as a stop for long-distance trains.
In regional transport, several services in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt will be replaced by buses. This affects six regional lines as well as S-Bahn lines S2 and S8 on the Bitterfeld–Lutherstadt Wittenberg section.
Anhalter Bahn is an important line that historically connected Berlin and Halle (Saale) via Dessau, ensuring connection between the German capital and central and southern Germany. The original Anhalter Bahn corridor is still in use as part of country’s modern railway network and its sections are used for long-distance trains (ICE/IC), regional trains and freight services.
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