Train traffic between Hamburg and Lübeck severely disrupted – emergency plan activated!

Train traffic between Hamburg and Lübeck severely disrupted – emergency plan activated!

On Tuesday afternoon, December 3, 2025, rail travelers in Hamburg and the surrounding area will have to prepare for significant restrictions in train traffic. How NDR reported, the railway line between Hamburg main station and Rahlstedt will be closed until the end of operations. The reason for this is urgent repair work on both tracks. The regional trains RE 8, RE 80 and RB 81 are affected.

In order to offer travelers an alternative despite the disruptions, Deutsche Bahn has set up a replacement bus service. These commute between the main train station and Ahrensburg, which unfortunately means that travel times could be extended by up to an hour. In addition to the replacement service, there is a connection between Ahrensburg and Ahrensburg West, where there is a connection to the U1 subway line in the direction of Hamburg Central Station. Trains are also canceled on the route between Lübeck and Hamburg, which makes the situation even more complicated for many commuters.

Construction work on the important connection

The current disruptions in Hamburg come amid extensive construction work on the railway connection between Hamburg and Berlin, which is one of the central arteries for German and European rail traffic. Loud deutschebahn.com The route will be completely renovated from August 2025 to April 2026. This renovation work is necessary to cope with the high traffic on the route, which is used daily by around 110 long-distance trains, 270 regional trains and 90 freight trains. In total, around 470 trains make their way here every day.

The general renovation includes comprehensive work on the superstructure, control and safety technology as well as a total of 28 traffic stations. As part of these measures, 165 kilometers of tracks will be renewed and 61 kilometers repaired. In addition, 249 new switches are to be installed and 25 kilometers of overhead lines are to be replaced. Particular attention is also being paid to the creation of six new transfer points in order to increase stability and flexibility in operations.

Technological advances and environmental protection

In addition to the pure workshop work, investments are also made in the future. The aim is to introduce the “Future Railway Mobile Communication System” (FRMCS) based on 5G in order to improve mobile phone reception on the route. For this purpose, radio masts are installed along the connection. At the same time, vegetation work is planned, the aim of which is to protect the railway infrastructure from falling trees. Particular attention is paid to native plants in order to increase biodiversity. This work will begin in October 2025 and is intended to ensure that the trees are not larger than the distance to the tracks.

In summary, the situation for rail travelers in Hamburg and the surrounding area is currently not easy. With well-organized information and eye-catching replacement services, Deutsche Bahn hopes to make the inconvenience for travelers as pleasant as possible until the work is completed and the rail connections function regularly again.