Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high-speed rail line

The Erfurt - Leipzig/ Halle high-speed rail line is a 123 km-long German high-speed railway, currently under construction, between Erfurt and Leipzig/Halle. It is listed in the Germany's federal transport plan as "German Unity rail project no 8.1" and is a section of the high-speed route between Berlin and Munich and a section of the line connecting Italy and Scandinavia in the European Union’s Trans-European Networks. [cite web
title = TEN-T priority axes and projects 2005
work =Trans-European Transport Network
publisher =European Commission
date =2005
url =http://ec.europa.eu/ten/transport/projects/doc/2005_ten_t_en.pdf
format =PDF
accessdate = 2007-07-15 (14.4 MB)] It connects in the north to the Berlin-Leipzig rail line ("German Unity rail project no 8.3") and to the south by Nuremberg-Erfurt high-speed rail line. After completion of the entire line the travel time between Munich and Berlin will be reduced to three hours and 45 minutes.

The high-speed line is to be used by a mixture of freight trains and ICEs. Travel time on the line for the 120 km between Erfurt and Leipzig for ICEs is expected to be 39 minutes (compared to about 65 min at present) and between Erfurt and Halle it will be half an hour (about 75 min at present).

The total cost is expected to amount to more than € 2.6 billion.Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs: [http://www.bmvbs.de/Anlage/original_995025/Investitionsrahmen-plan-bis-2010-fuer-die-Verkehrsinfrastruktur-des-Bundes-IRP.pdf "Federal framework transport investment plan for the period to 2010] , April 2007 de icon] The Saale-Elster viaduct will be the longest bridge of Germany with an overall length of approximately 8,700 metres. The project is being managed by DB ProjektBau, a subsidiary Deutsche Bahn. It is expected to be completed in approximately 2015/2016 (status as of April 2007).

The connection to Leipzig/Halle Airport will allow fast freight trains to connect to DHL’s air freight network.

Planning

Planning of the line began in 1991. Five main options with numerous sub-options were examined and in June 1994 the Federal Ministry for Transport, Construction and Urban Development selected the current route. Detailed planning approval was obtained for all twelve planning statement sections between 1994 and 1996 under an accelerated planning law adopted for new transport routes in the new German States (the former East Germany). Construction commenced in October 1996 at Leipzig and is due to be finished in 2015.

Route

The new line runs north of the existing Erfurt-Weissenfels-Leipzig route in the Thuringia basin past Buttstädt, crosses between Rastenberg and Bad Bibra the Finn hills and crosses the Unstrut near Karsdorf. The six km-long Saale-Elster viaduct crosses some meadows in the Saale and the Weiße Elster valleys between Schkopau and Halle that are part of a protected area under the European Union’s Habitats Directive. In the center of this bridge, a grade-separated junction connects to another 2.1 km viaduct to connect the new line to Halle via the existing Weißenfels–Halle line. Halle station is 11.8 kilometers from the junction with the new line.

The line continues to Leipzig by linking with the existing Halle-Leipzig line at Gröbers, where freight trains for Leipzig will leave the new line. Passenger trains will stop at the Leipzig/Halle Airport station. The line here runs for 13 km (290 to 303 km marks) on the southern side of the A 14. The foundation stone for the line between Gröbers and Leipzig was laid on 3 October 1996 and it was opened on 30 June 2003.

At Leipzig Wiederitzsch the new line joins the Berlin-Leipzig line running southward eight km north of Leipzig station.

Engineering

The engineering of the new line is based on a maximum grade of 1.25 % designed for a maximum speed of 300 km/h. It is intended to replace lost ecological habitats and landscapes by reclaiming 16 square kilometres of land used for the dumping of excess earth.

Engineering structures

15.4 km of the line is form part of three planned tunnels, which are each composed of two single-track tubes, with centres approximately 25 m apart. Emergency passages will connect the main tubes at a maximum spacing of 1000 m. 13.4 km of the line form part of six proposed viaducts.

Equipment

The line is to be equipped with ETCS train control system. The line is being built on slab track. Three new substations will be built near Bachsted, Saubach and Dörstewitz.

Situation in May 2007

The 23 km line, costing euro 370 million, from Leipzig to Gröbers has been finished and in service since June 2003, including new stations at Leipzig Messe (exhibition ground) and Leipzig/Halle Airport. In December 2006, the Saubach viaduct, begun in 2004, was completed as the first large engineering structure of the line.

Construction has been under way since October 2005 on the reconstruction of the southern entry to Halle (cost: € 92.5 million); this work is expected to be completed in 2008. In 2005, tenders were called for the Saale-Elster viaduct and the contract was let in 2006. In January 2007, tenders were called for the Unstrut viaduct. In December 2006, a contract was let for the Finne tunnels, with a planned commencement of work in 2007 and completion in late 2011.

In December 2006 the Federal Government and Deutsche Bahn gave the completion date as 2015. [ [http://www.eurailpress.de/news/news.php3?id=15629 Bundestag: Unterstützerkreis für ICE-Strecke Nürnberg–Leipzig gegründet] , "eurailpress.de" of 20 December 2006 de icon]

Notes

References

*de| Neubaustrecke Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle

External links

* [http://www.db.de/site/shared/de/dateianhaenge/infomaterial/bauprojekte/bauprojekte__erfurt__leipzig__streckenkarte.pdf Line map] on the Deutsche Bahn site (PDF, 3,1 MB) de icon
* [http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/bahnwelt/bauprojekte/vde/nuernberg__erfurt__leipzig__berlin.html Information on the Deutsche Bahn site] de icon
* [http://mgrobe2.free.fr/nbserfurthalleleipzig.pdf PB DE: Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle section (pdf)] de icon
* [http://www.kuk.de/content/pro/1995-1602/1995-1602-d.pdf KuK: Viaducts on the new line] de icon