U5 subway gets priority: S-Bahn tunnel has to wait until 2035!

U5 subway gets priority: S-Bahn tunnel has to wait until 2035!

In Hamburg, transport projects are currently at the top of the agenda because the Senate has decided to prioritize the construction of the new U5 subway line. Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks (Greens) has made it clear that the U5 construction cannot wait any longer, even if the project for the new S-Bahn tunnel between the main station and Altona cannot be realized until 2035 or later at the earliest. This news is generating conversation and questions about what will happen to Hamburg's transport, especially given the current financial situation of the federal government, which is not providing any funds for the S-Bahn tunnel. NDR reports that Tjarks is also very upset that the city would have to bear the planning costs for the tunnel, which may never be built.

“Another waiting time is not acceptable,” said Tjarks. The plans for the S-Bahn tunnel are rather vague and raise the question of how Hamburg can adapt to growing traffic. Another transport project, the connecting railway relief tunnel, was considered urgently needed and is intended to relieve the existing infrastructure. According to the information from mehr-bahn-fuer-hamburg.de, in the medium term it will be necessary to expand the capacities in the Hamburg transport hub.

Connecting railway relief tunnel: Important measure for Hamburg

The Connecting Railway Relief Tunnel (VET) is intended to play a crucial role and has been identified as part of the large-scale Germany approach. The aim is to move S-Bahn traffic into the new tunnel. This would not only relieve the load on the connecting railway, but also create additional space for regional and long-distance traffic.

With a load of around 300 trains a day, which even increases to around 900 trains with S-Bahn trains, the need is clearly visible. The expansion is intended not only to improve local and long-distance transport connections, but also to reduce travel times for Hamburg's population and enable additional connections to smaller towns. mehr-bahn-fuer-hamburg.de emphasizes that the release of two tracks also enables a four-track expansion, which ensures more capacity.

The feasibility studies show that several tunnel variants were considered. The Hamburg Senate has recommended two of these for further planning while various criteria for the route are still being considered. The good news is that the railway can start concrete planning steps for the variant-independent sections this year, which will certainly increase anticipation for the project.

Expansion of the main train station and new connections

The plans for a new S-Bahn tunnel not only focus on expanding capacity, but are also intended to redesign Hamburg Central Station and make it fit for regional and long-distance traffic. hamburg.de reports that S-Bahn traffic will be routed through this new tunnel and there could potentially be 150 additional trains daily. This could mean around 55,000 more seats are available at the main station. New stops are planned at Sternschanze and Holstenstrasse, which would improve connections to new urban areas.

Finally, it shows that Hamburg is making a lot of progress in the transport sector. With the city's unstoppable growth, the demands on the infrastructure are also increasing. It remains to be seen how quickly the projects can be implemented and whether they will actually bring the hoped-for relief for those who commute every day. However, it is already clear: the future of Hamburg's transport will depend on courageous decisions.