Deutsche Bahn delays Nuremberg-Regensburg reopening by three weeks, orders review of renovation program

Nuremberg-Regensburg line postponed

Deutsche Bahn confirmed on Tuesday that the corridor renovation between Nuremberg and Regensburg will not be completed on schedule. The line was due to reopen on July 10 after months of full closure, but safety inspections of the new signalling equipment are still underway. The new target date is July 31, just before the start of the Bavarian school holidays.

Many travellers, residents and our partners have borne considerable burdens in recent months. It is all the more disappointing that we cannot put the Nuremberg-Regensburg line into operation as planned on July 10.

Existing diversion and replacement bus services will remain in place. Long-distance and freight trains continue to use alternative routes, while regional services are covered by buses.

Second delay triggers program review

This is the second so-called general renovation that has missed its deadline. In spring, the Hamburg-Berlin line was also not finished on time. In response, CEO Evelyn Palla said the entire approach to corridor renovation will be re-examined.

I have decided that the way we handle corridor renovation, how we plan, how we implement, how we commission, will be comprehensively reviewed.

Palla made the announcement alongside Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU). The program aims to fundamentally overhaul around 40 key routes by the mid-2030s, using extended full closures to avoid working around live operations. Deutsche Bahn has already deviated from the original concept, developing slightly different plans for each route, particularly regarding construction duration.

Other corridors on schedule

Not all projects are affected. The Hagen-Wuppertal-Cologne and Hamburg-Hannover corridors remain on track. Replacement bus services for regional traffic and wide-ranging diversions for long-distance and freight trains on those routes will end on Friday evening, the company said.