Frankfurt's long-distance railway tunnel: This is how the future of railways will be shaped!

Frankfurt's long-distance railway tunnel: This is how the future of railways will be shaped!

Things are currently very busy in the Rhine-Main region: the planned long-distance rail tunnel under Frankfurt not only promises more space for rail traffic, but also a significant reduction in travel times to popular destinations such as Hamburg and Berlin. Loud FAZ The tunnel is planned as a single tunnel with two tracks after various models were discussed, including a tunnel with three tubes. The most recent concept appears to be a sensible compromise in terms of flexibility, costs and structural implications. Above all, the number of trains that can use the new route depends largely on the planned four tracks that are intended to complement the main station.

What does that mean specifically? If four tracks were implemented at the main station, up to 16 trains could stop per hour in each direction, while the tunnel itself could allow up to 20 trains to pass through at the same time. In order to bring all of this under one roof, two open excavations are required, which will have a significant impact on the construction work.

Infrastructural developments

The project has been discussed since 2018 in order to accommodate the additional rail traffic at the main station. The new underground tracks will increase capacity from the current 28 tracks to 32. Experts are working intensively to determine the exact route; The tunnel is expected to run largely under the Main and branch out at the level of the European Central Bank. However, it remains to be seen whether this branching will take place north or south of the Main.

In addition, Deutsche Bahn is examining the connection to the railway line to Höchst and is planning parking facilities on the south side of the main station. The underground station itself could be up to 29 meters below the site, although the decision on the exact depth is still under discussion. A deeper trench could have less of an impact on subway operations, but would result in longer journeys for passengers. The station will be around 550 meters long and will be built using an open construction method.

Conclusion and outlook

Seven variants are currently being examined for the project, including two for the tunnel, two for the western end and three for the station. The goal is to have a single variant per section by the end of 2026. When exactly construction will begin and commissioning will take place is still unclear; In all likelihood, however, the first trains could run in the early 2040s.

While planning for a state-of-the-art transport system is progressing in Frankfurt, there are also innovative developments in other areas, such as the creative software Canva. This has introduced new tools and functions that are attracting more and more users. Spanish users have created over 870 million designs, important for the design of both marketing campaigns and today's magazines. As with Canva, where new creative tools make the design process easy, it is also important in railway construction to find innovative solutions to improve mobility in our region and increase user-friendliness. The future will certainly be exciting for everyone waiting for the trains in Frankfurt.