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Development in the 1990s

After the fall of the Wall, the gap between Lichtenrade and Mahlow was closed for the S-Bahn and traffic to Blankenfelde was resumed on a single track on August 31, 1992. Occasionally, freight trains with compacted waste containers even ran on the S-Bahn track from the Gradestrasse transfer station to landfills south of Berlin.

On May 17, 1991, the Deutsche Reichsbahn commissioned the Berlin and Dresden Reichsbahn directorates to quickly upgrade the line for a maximum speed of 160 km/h. On July 15, 1991, the board of the Deutsche Reichsbahn decided on the corresponding measures. Less than a year was available for implementation. The planned costs were 145 million marks . In some cases, preparations should also be made for a top speed of 200 km/h. In November 1991, WSSB Verkehrstechnik GmbH , which belongs to Siemens, was awarded the contract to retrofit the control and safety technology. From January to May 1992, extensive retrofitting and renewal work was carried out on the route. Point-based train control was also installed, switch-on routes were changed and the overhead line system was slightly adjusted. The superstructure was not changed. When the timetable changed in May 1992, the maximum speed was increased in sections to 160 km/h. At the same time, switches with larger radii were installed, signal distances were increased and 100 new switch drives were installed. The route block was automated throughout. This reduced travel times on long-distance transport by 35 minutes to under two hours. For the first time in several decades, speeds of more than 120 km/h were driven on the route. The scheduled travel time for long-distance traffic between Berlin Ostbahnhof and Dresden Central Station was one hour and 59 minutes. Like the historic Henschel-Wegmann train, it ran via Radebeul and Dresden-Neustadt on the Leipzig-Dresden route to Dresden main station. The Deutsche Reichsbahn had purchased the 112 series for express traffic.

In 1992, the IC line 7 (Dresden–Prague) was introduced with a two-hour service with a connection to Hamburg. From September 25, 1994, a pair of ICE trains ran along the route every day. The ICE ran from Berlin Zoological Garden station to Dresden main station in the evening and in the opposite direction in the morning. From 1998, the ICE ran via Berlin Ostbahnhof before the ICE connection was discontinued on May 27, 2000.

The D-trains running on the route were converted in 1992 by the Deutsche Reichsbahn into Interregios from Rostock to Chemnitz on the Berlin to Elsterwerda section. All through rail connections with stops along the way to Dresden were canceled and replaced by regional trains with the possibility of changing in Elsterwerda. The connections without intermediate stops on the route, e.g. B. those of the Vindobona, were reclassified as InterCitys from Hamburg to Dresden and EuroCitys from Hamburg, Berlin to Budapest , Prague, Vienna and used with cars from ČD, DB, MÁV and ÖBB.

The serious Elsterwerda train accident occurred on November 20, 1997 at Elsterwerda train station. A brake failure caused a tank car block train loaded with gasoline to derail due to excessive speed. Two cars exploded and 15 others burned out.

Situation from 2000 to 2020

At the beginning of the new millennium, the condition of the route had noticeably deteriorated due to inadequate maintenance in the 1990s. Since 2002, regional traffic has been relocated between Großenhain (Berlin train station) and Radebeul-Naundorf to the Großenhain–Priestewitz and Leipzig–Dresden railway lines. From Coswig, regional traffic was relocated from the Leipzig route via Dresden-Neustadt to the longer, original Berlin route via Cossebaude. This was part of the “segregation” so that on the Großenhain–Dresden and Medessen–Dresden section, regional trains on the Großenhain–Priestewitz and Leipzig–Dresden railway lines (eastern route) and express trains on the Medessen–Böhla and Berlin–Dresden railway lines (western route ) should operate.

On May 28, 2006, with the last Interregio in Germany from Berlin via Elsterwerda and Riesa to Chemnitz (IR line 34), this type of train was abolished and replaced by Regional Express and Regionalbahn, e.g. B. RE 5, since 2006 RE 3 Stralsund – Elsterwerda and RB 45 Elsterwerda – Riesa – Chemnitz , replaced. Recently, three pairs of trains ran from Berlin to Chemnitz every day.

In 2007 the route had a capacity of 144 trains per day per direction. From 2006 to the end of 2010, all long-distance trains ran from Berlin to Dresden without stopping. From 2010 onwards, isolated EC stops were introduced again in Elsterwerda, but these were not worth the time due to poor connection times for travelers to intermediate stations.

In 2012, the regional train from Elsterwerda to Dresden Hbf took 61 minutes, a regional express did not run, and the Eurocity took 37 minutes. Towards the north, the RE from Elsterwerda to Berlin Hbf took 127 minutes, the Eurocity took 89 minutes. In 2012, there were political demands that, in addition to stopping some ECs in Elsterwerda, a few trains should also stop in Doberlug-Kirchhain, especially because of the slow expansion of the route. Individual REs could have driven via the Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord connecting curve to Finsterwalde instead of via Elsterwerda.

In 2013, according to Deutsche Bahn, a market volume of around 6,700 trips per day was estimated across all modes of transport between the metropolitan areas of Dresden and Berlin.

In August 2016, the route between Wünsdorf-Waldstadt and Elsterwerda was completely closed in order to expand the route to a speed of 200 km/h by removing level crossings and building new tracks.

Since 2019, in addition to the Czech Railways' Eurocitys, an Intercity has been running every two hours from Rostock via Berlin to Dresden. With scheduled stops in Doberlug-Kirchhain and Elsterwerda, this connects the Elbe-Elster-Land and parts of Lower Lusatia to the two major cities with short travel times. The double-decker multiple unit used for this runs at 160 km/h and also stops at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. In the future, it is planned to accelerate this connection to 200 km/h using new safety technology.

Development of travel time

A RE Stralsund–Elsterwerda in Doberlug-Kirchhain station The travel time of the Henschel-Wegmann train from 1936 to 1939 (100 minutes in the shortest case) has not yet been reached again, but the Anhalter Bahnhof in Berlin was around 2 km south of today's main train station and therefore a little closer to Dresden. Until 2019, there were scheduled travel times of just under 100 minutes for the section from Berlin-Südkreuz to Dresden-Neustadt.

While the condition of the route enabled travel times of under two hours from 1992 onwards, a journey from Dresden to Berlin took longer until the mid-2010s. There were numerous slow speed zones . In May 2008, only around 45 percent of the Blankenfelde–Neucoswig section used by long-distance traffic was still passable at 160 km/h. At the end of 2011, around a quarter of the Brandenburg section, between Blankenfelde and Elsterwerda, could not even be driven at the speed of 120 km/h intended for regional traffic.

The following table provides an overview of the development of the scheduled travel time in long-distance transport (fastest connection in each case):

Jahr	Berlin–Dresden Hbf (in min)	Dresden Hbf–Berlin (in min)	Berliner Bahnhof
1905	170	165	Anhalter Bahnhof
1937/1938	101	100	Anhalter Bahnhof
1939	116	109	Anhalter Bahnhof
1960	152	168	Ostbahnhof
1976	114	115	Ostbahnhof
1988	161	145	Lichtenberg
1994	108	110	Ostbahnhof
2005	131	135	Ostbahnhof
2009	138	136	Hauptbahnhof
2011	118	130	Hauptbahnhof
2012	127	129	Hauptbahnhof
2013	126	130	Hauptbahnhof
2014	124	131	Hauptbahnhof
2015	123	128	Hauptbahnhof
2016	118	124	Hauptbahnhof
2017	112	122	Hauptbahnhof
2018	108	106	Hauptbahnhof
2019	128	115	Hauptbahnhof
2020	110	107	Hauptbahnhof
2021	110	107	Hauptbahnhof
2022	111	107	Hauptbahnhof
2023	126	124	Hauptbahnhof
2024	110	109	Hauptbahnhof

Depending on the annual timetable, up to 20 minutes of timetable reserve are included. With the completion of further expansion stages, the shortest travel time should fall to 102 minutes in December 2020. Further expansion stages are being planned (see below). In the long term, the aim is for a journey time of 90 minutes. Currently (timetable year 2024) there are direct connections between the two major cities every hour during the day with a travel time of around two hours.

For journeys between Berlin and Prague, the use of multi-system locomotives has eliminated the need to change locomotives in Dresden since mid-2018 and the time spent at Dresden Central Station has been shortened by 10 minutes.

Planning and financing after 1990

On behalf of the Free State of Saxony, the Institute for Railway Construction at the TU Dresden developed concepts for various new lines in the new federal states in the second half of 1990. A new line was largely planned between Berlin and Dresden. This should largely follow the existing route to the north of Großenhain and run in a southwesterly direction to the west of Cossebaude in order to be integrated into a planned high-speed line from Leipzig to Dresden. From Dresden a continuation towards Prague was planned. [26]

In 1991 the considerations were further developed. While planning to expand the existing line to 200 km/h was already underway, the university continued to recommend a new line. [26]

The expansion of the route for higher speeds (than the 160 km/h already largely achieved) was listed in the 1992 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan as a new project with planned total costs of 395 million German marks (price status: January 1, 1991). [27]

Subsequently, preliminary plans were developed by 1996 to expand the route to a length of 148 km for a speed of 200 km/h. Uckro , Elsterwerda and Böhla were to be bypassed and the Doberlug-Kirchhain train station was to be rebuilt. The costs for this were estimated at 2.295 billion marks (as of January 1, 1993). [28]

Towards the end of these plans, an intergovernmental agreement was concluded on June 7, 1995 to further develop the Berlin- Prague -Vienna railway connection. This was already based on a general expansion of the route to 200 km/h. In the long term, the travel time on the Berlin-Prague section should be reduced to three hours, which would also require the completion of a high-speed line from Dresden to Prague . However, a completion date was not agreed upon. [15]

On June 5, 1997, the transport ministers of Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria reached a government agreement to expand the Berlin-Prague-Vienna axis. [29]

In October 1997, the planning company Bahnbau Deutsche Unit was commissioned to plan and implement the expansion project. For 1.6 billion German marks, 125 km of railway line should be upgraded to a maximum speed of 200 km/h by 2008. The plan included the construction of 45 railway and 15 road bridges, 99 culverts, 435 km of overhead lines and twelve electronic signal boxes . The travel time between the main train stations [30] of Berlin and Dresden was supposed to decrease from 111 minutes (1997) to 59 minutes. [31]

In 1998 it was decided to begin expansion work immediately, which had the character of repair work and was to be completed in sections without any change in travel time by 2002. An expansion to 200 km/h should only take place after 2003. [30]

The European Commission awarded a grant of 10 million euros in 2007 under the TEN program . [15]

On December 11, 2008, a financing agreement was signed for the continuous upgrading for 160 km/h as a continuation of the first expansion stage. This should be completed by 2014 and the travel time should be reduced to around 103 minutes after the work is completed. [32] [33]

From the funds of the economic stimulus package I, the following funds were made available from 2009: [34]

• Track renewal at Doberlug-Kirchhain: 2 million euros
• Track renewal near Brenitz-Sonnewalde: 10 million euros
• Complete renovation of the superstructure, partial substructure with new construction of all bridges and removal of the level crossing between Weinböhla and Radebeul West (part of VDE 9): 34 million euros

In 2010, renewed planning became necessary in order to access the available funds and carry out the approved construction work. A benefit-cost study in April 2010 determined a benefit-cost factor of 2.9 for the expansion project. [35]

In mid-2010, the Federal Ministry of Transport expected total investment costs of 802 million euros for the route expansion. [36] The costs are broken down into the different implementation and expansion stages as follows:

• 1st expansion stage, 1st implementation stage: 148 million euros [32]
• 1st expansion stage, 2nd implementation stage: 224 million euros. [32] [37]
• 1st expansion stage, further implementation stage(s): 213 million euros [37]
• 2nd expansion stage: 217 million euros [37]

A financing agreement was still missing in 2010 for the last two points. [37]

In 2014, EU funding of 30 million euros was won from the Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the supra-regional function of the project. [38]

In order to implement the complex tasks required to realize the overall project, DB Netz set up a project that regularly provides information about the activities. [39] For this purpose, the work was carried out on the three main route sections

• Berlin urban area to Berlin outer ring,
• Berlin outer ring to Böhla,
• Böhla to Dresden city center

subdivided.

The planned work in the Berlin urban area was legally difficult because the intended use of the former Dresden Railway was locally controversial. The plans were only fully approved in 2019. [40]

The Berlin Outer Ring section to Böhla runs through predominantly rural areas. The expansion as a high-speed railway leads to little economic benefit in this structurally weak area. After various individual projects on the part of Deutsche Bahn, the state and federal level felt compelled to overcome the deadlock through special funding for municipal contributions. [38] This made the complex and fundamental reconstruction possible between 2016 and 2018. Due to deployment problems with the necessary ETCS train control system , the maximum speed of 200 km/h should only be achieved from the end of 2020. [41] The reason given is a version change to version SRS 3.4.0 of the ETCS specification ordered by the EU Commission in 2015 . Now, ESTW and ETCS equipment should not be done in parallel, but one after the other. [42] The section between Berlin Südkreuz and Blankenfelde is to be equipped with ETCS by the end of 2025, and all remaining sections between Blankenfelde and Kottewitz junction are expected to be equipped by 2028. The ETCS equipment between Kottewitz and Dresden main station is open. [43]

The Böhla – Neucoswig section before Dresden is part of the German Unity Transport Project (VDE) No. 9 to expand the Leipzig – Dresden route and is also included in the balance sheet in terms of costs. The Weißig–Böhla connecting curve links the Leipzig–Dresden railway line in Böhla with the Berlin–Dresden railway line. This means that this section can also be used by fast long-distance and freight traffic from and towards Leipzig. The former regional traffic between Großenhain and Radebeul via Weinböhla has been routed via Priestewitz and Coswig since 2002 and is thus separated from fast long-distance traffic. [44] The Dresden-Friedrichstadt-Radebeul-Naundorf section of the route, which historically belonged to the Berlin-Dresden Railway, is not part of the current expansion projects as it is predominantly used for freight traffic. For this purpose, together with the VDE 9 project in connection with the expansion of the Dresden railway junction, the Radebeul – Dresden-Neustadt route was brought to the four-track condition that existed before 1945 plus a maximum speed of 160 km/h for the long-distance railway tracks. [45]

The measures were defined individually for each of these route and project sections, which will create a maximum line speed of 160 km/h as expansion stage 1 and 200 km/h as expansion stage 2 .

After completion of all construction measures in expansion stage 1 , including the reactivation of the section in Berlin, the travel time between Berlin Südkreuz and Dresden-Neustadt should be 74 minutes. After completion of the Böhla–Radebeul section as part of VDE 9, the travel time is expected to be shortened by a further five minutes, [37] but this is not foreseeable in 2017 due to the lack of a tunnel south of Böhla.

The extensive expansion of the route to 200 km/h is referred to as expansion stage 2 . According to the new planning from 2010, the first sections of the route with this track quality were completed in 2012, without any impact on driving technology (see chapter Berlin outer ring to Böhla ).

As part of the i2030 program , the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, among others, are investigating: an extension of the S-Bahn by around five kilometers to Rangsdorf with stations in Dahlewitz, Dahlewitz-Rolls-Royce and Rangsdorf. In April 2020, the financing agreement amounting to around 16 million euros in state funds for preliminary, draft and approval planning was signed. [46]

Expansion

Restoration of the Dresden Railway in Berlin

Overview

The now abandoned level crossing at Berlin-Lichtenrade station, 2011

Since the end of May 2006, most long-distance and regional trains to the Dresden Railway have been running from Berlin Central Station through the Tiergarten Tunnel of the North-South Long-Distance Railway and meet the old route of the Dresden and Anhalter Railway at the level of the track triangle . Until the inner-city route between Berlin Südkreuz train station and the southern Berlin outer ring is restored, trains will run via a detour via the Anhalter Bahn, a newly built connecting curve at Genshagener Heide and the Berlin outer ring to the Glasower Damm junction. There the trains rejoin the Dresden Railway at kilometer 19.0.

Once the expansion has been completed, the trains will switch from the North-South long-distance railway to the Berlin-Dresden railway line (route kilometer 5.0) near the Priesterweg S-Bahn station without crossing. [47] The state of Berlin is planning to set up a regional transport stop at Berlin Buckower Chaussee train station . However, a specific order is not initially made in order not to further delay the planning approval process. [48] ​​A total of 14 railway bridges are to be built, among other things.

The design speed in Berlin's urban area is (as of 2001) at 160 km/h. [49] The expansion of the 14.2 km [49] long direct section between Südkreuz train station and the southern outer ring (Blankenfelde) is intended to reduce travel time on long-distance passenger transport by around ten minutes. [15] In the final state, a travel time between Berlin and Dresden of 75 minutes would be possible (as of May 2014). [50] The expansion is also important for connecting Berlin Brandenburg Airport with Airport Express trains . [51] After the Dresden Railway goes into operation in December 2025, BER Airport will be reached from Berlin Central Station via a new connecting curve to the Berlin outer ring via the “Airport Express” in 20 minutes. [52]

The reconstruction of the section is expected to cost around 558 million euros [53] ; construction officially began in 2019 and commissioning is planned for the end of 2025. [54]

Planning approval procedure

The first planning approval procedure was initiated in 1998; [55] the last planning approval procedure (PFA 3) was completed in August 2019. [40] The middle section 2 ( Berlin-Lichtenrade ) was to be approved first , but this was delayed due to legal proceedings (see below). [37] In 2008, the DB accused the Berlin Senate of having delayed the process for implementing structural changes, which began in 1997, for several years. [47] [56] At the end of July 2000, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would postpone the expansion of the access route in Berlin until further notice in order to save costs. [57]

The planned construction period after completion of the planning approval process was given as “four years” in 2009. [58]

In the meantime, the construction of a second entrance to the Marienfelde S-Bahn station was open, which the DB rejected due to high costs. [51] Another point of contention was a second entrance to the Buckower Chaussee train station requested by the Senate . [59]

The planned investment volume was stated as 470 million euros in 2009. [58] In the investment framework plan for the federal transport infrastructure up to 2010 from 2006, investments amounting to 430 million euros were planned for the restoration of the Südkreuz–Blankenfelde section. [60] The investment framework plan 2011–2015 reported 417.2 million euros. [61]

The reconstruction was divided into four planning approval phases (PFA) [40] :

• The PFA 4 (“Schöneberg”) begins at the exit from the Anhalter Bahn and extends to the Attilastrasse S-Bahn station . [40] The exit structure and the subgrade in this section were built at the same time as the reconstruction of the Anhalter Railway.
• The PFA 1 (Marienfelde [55] ) extends from Südkreuz train station to the Schichauweg stop. [53] The report of the hearing process was available at the end of 2012 . [55] According to railway information, the submitted plans had to be corrected and then the public authorities would probably have to be heard again. [53] The planning approval decision for the 6.3 km long section was issued in May 2017. [62]
• The 2.5 km [63] long PFA 2 (Lichtenrade [55] ) leads from Schichauweg via Lichtenrade to the state border. [53] At the end of 2012, the Federal Railway Authority began developing the plan approval decision , which was available in November 2015. [64] In this section, the construction of a tunnel instead of an above-ground route was controversial. In its ruling of June 29, 2017, the Federal Administrative Court, as the first and last instance, dismissed all related lawsuits and, in particular, found that the Federal Railway Authority had rightly rejected the idea of ​​relocating the line into a tunnel. This solution, according to the court, is not preferable. [65]
• In May 2013, Deutsche Bahn presented new plans for PFA 3 (Blankenfelde–Mahlow), which extends from the Berlin city limits to Blankenburg. After corrections in 2017, the planning approval decision was issued on August 30, 2019. [40] Two electrified long-distance railway tracks that can be used at speeds of 200 km/h and a connecting curve to BER Airport will be built. The parallel, largely single-track S-Bahn line is being modernized. At Blankenfelde station, the S-Bahn platform will be moved to the south and designed as a combined platform for S-Bahn and regional trains. Five level crossings will be replaced by bridges and noise barriers will be built. [66]

Dispute over a tunnel in Lichtenrade

While Deutsche Bahn in Lichtenrade applied for a surface route for planning approval , residents and the Senate demanded a tour of the tunnel. [51] Around 4,000 objections were raised in the proceedings against the course on the surface . [67] From 1998 onwards, the Berlin Senate also supported Lichtenrad's residents, who at the time included the later Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit , and interrupted the plan approval process that had just begun for two years. [54] In 2008, several corresponding lawsuits from residents were pending before the Federal Administrative Court. The Berlin-Lichtenrade Dresdner Bahn citizens' initiative was founded in Lichtenrade and is committed to a tunnel solution. [47] The initiative called for a tunnel between Buckower Chaussee and the outskirts of the city; other initiatives want a tunnel that is around 1.2 km shorter and begins at the Schichauweg stop . [68]

A feasibility study of various tunnel solutions carried out by Deutsche Bahn [55] in 2001 revealed additional costs of at least 254 million marks (equivalent to around 197 million euros in 2024), which today include: would be even higher due to increased security requirements. [61] According to Deutsche Bahn, the federal government would not finance a tunnel solution. [69] The Berlin Senate Administration offered to contribute 30 million euros to a tunnel solution. Various tunnel variants developed by Deutsche Bahn were examined by the Federal Railway Authority around 2012. [55] In May 2014, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would wait for a decision from the Federal Railway Authority as to whether an above-ground solution could be approved. [53] In 2015, State Secretary for Transport Christian Gaebler estimated the costs of a ground-level route at 128 million euros, that of a cut-and-cover tunnel at 223 million euros, and that of a tunnel with shield driving (as requested by the citizens' initiative) at 360 million euros. Commissioning would be delayed by eight years, to 2031. [63] While the citizens' initiative wants to leave the S-Bahn on the surface, the DB expects that it will also have to run in the tunnel. [53]

In August 2015, the Federal Railway Authority decided in favor of the above-ground expansion requested by Deutsche Bahn. [70] A corresponding planning approval decision was issued on November 13, 2015. [65] Lawsuits against the decision were filed by a recognized environmental association and three owners at the Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) as the first and last instance, as well as an application for interim legal protection . Deutsche Bahn sought immediate completion and announced that it would begin construction work in 2017 if possible. [71] The main hearing took place on June 14th and 15th, 2017 in Leipzig, [72] the judgment of the Federal Administrative Court was issued on June 29th, 2017 and dismissed the lawsuits. In particular, the Federal Railway Authority rejected the idea of ​​relocating the route into a tunnel without making any errors in consideration; it does not impose itself as a preferable solution. [65]

Construction

Construction status at Blankenfelde train station, June 2023 On September 20, 2017, an interactive information point was opened in the former train dispatcher's house at Lichtenrade train station, providing information about the construction project. The construction work itself began in October 2017 with preparatory measures, including felling trees between Lichtenrade and the city limits. From November 2017, a temporary pedestrian bridge was built at the Säntisstraße railway crossing. [73] The level crossing was closed on March 29, 2018. [74]

The Marienfelde electronic signal box went into operation on April 3, 2018 . It controls the track systems, which initially continue to be operated jointly by the S-Bahn and long-distance railways (freight transport). In addition to the new train control system ZBS, point train control (PZB) is still used. The parking area extends from Attilastrasse station to Lichtenrade station. In this context, the former Attilastraße stop was converted into a train station and the Mariendorf (BMD) junction was closed. [74] On December 2, 2018, the parking area (including ZBS) was extended to Blankenfelde, while maintaining the PZB on the shared route to Mahlow station. [75]

With the lifting of the last element of a sound barrier at the Wolziger Zeile railway crossing in Berlin-Lichtenrade in the presence of the DB Infrastructure Board member, Ronald Pofalla , and the coordinator of TEN projects at the European Union, Mathieu Grosch , on February 5, 2019, the Construction of the Dresden Railway in the south of Berlin begins. The planned total costs at the start of construction were estimated at around 560 million euros. [76]

The Berlin Hbf to Blankenfelde section is scheduled to go into operation in December 2025. [77] [78] The remainder of the second phase of construction is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2028. [79]

Berlin outer ring to Böhla History of the expansion for 200 km/h in the 2000s The expansion of the route between Blankenfelde (near Berlin) to Böhla (near Dresden) is to be carried out in two construction stages over the entire section. The first expansion stage includes measures that enable a speed of 160 km/h with an option of 200 km/h. The tracks , switches and engineering structures are to be renewed and the control and safety technology is to be modernized. [15] After completion of the second expansion stage, in which all 35 level crossings will be eliminated, and with the commissioning of ETCS, 200 km/h will be released. [80] [81]

Expansion of the route to Brenitz, May 2010

Preliminary planning for the expansion began in 2002. [71] Following a decision by the Mediation Committee to reduce subsidies in December 2003, numerous new construction and expansion measures in the transport infrastructure, including those on the Berlin–Dresden railway line, were extended. The first construction stage was therefore divided into several implementation stages. As part of the first implementation stage, the expansion only took place from Doberlug-Kirchhain to around Hohenleipisch and between Wünsdorf and Neuhof to a total length of 21 kilometers by the end of 2006. [15] In 2005 the federal government stopped the expansion. [71] In April 2007, Deutsche Bahn also listed the further expansion of the route among the “projects postponed in the medium term”. [82] Planning was resumed in 2009. [71] The expansion of the subsequent section from Doberlug-Kirchhain to Brenitz and Sonnewalde, including signaling and safety technology, took place from the end of 2010 to 2011.

The second implementation stage includes the following project sections:

Rangsdorf train station and new construction of the Rangsdorf railway overpass Renewal of the Nordkopf and Notte Canal railway overpass at Zossen station Wünsdorf station including to Hp Neuhof exclusively and railway km 43.7 to Golßen exclusively (section railway km 43.7 to Baruth exclusively started in March 2009) Hohenleipisch station including up to Elsterwerda excluding the Elsterwerda-Biehla crossing structure Bf Großenhain Berl Bf only to railway km 29.2 near Böhla From the end of 2011 to the end of 2012, as the third part of the first expansion stage, the section between Neuhof and Baruth was to be expanded to 200 km/h. [83] According to media reports from 2010, it is not yet possible to predict when the first construction stage will be completed. There is still no concrete schedule for the second construction phase (as of 2010). [84] Construction of the second construction phase should not begin before 2015 (as of February 2009). [85] During the renovation work in the first construction stage, all measures are being carried out for a line speed of 200 km/h. [86]

On July 28, 2010, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would reorganize the expansion of the route. As far as building law is available, the approximately 80 kilometer long Wünsdorf – Hohenleipisch section was to be expanded between 2012 and December 2014 - with complete closures in sections - for a maximum speed of 200 km/h. To do this, 21 level crossings would have to be removed and this section would have to be equipped with ETCS . The travel time between Berlin and Dresden should be reduced to a maximum of one and a half hours. [87] [80]

Doberlug-Kirchhain tower station in the direction of Berlin As of 2012, the Wünsdorf–Neuhof, Uccro–Walddrehna and Brenitz–Hohenleipisch sections were upgraded to 160 km/h with an option to 200 km/h.

According to plans from October 2011, the approximately 80 km long Wünsdorf – Elsterwerda section was to be completely closed in 2014 in order to convert all level crossings to make them level. [88]

In June 2012 it became known that, according to the Federal Ministry of Transport, completion, which was unofficially planned for 2016 at the time, was at risk. Deutsche Bahn did not give a date for completion of the expansion, but announced that it would submit the planning approval documents for the sections that have not yet been approved by the end of 2012. [89] Deutsche Bahn sees financing problems on the part of the road construction authorities for the removal of around 20 level crossings in Brandenburg. [90] At the end of 2012, agreements under the Railway Crossing Act had been concluded for two level crossings, corresponding agreements were in preparation for 14 others, and 11 further agreements are to be approved by the end of 2013. A crossing agreement was still pending for four other crossings due to a lack of funds; The state of Brandenburg promised to promote the municipal share with unbundling funds . [55] The state of Brandenburg announced in September 2013 that it would assume large parts of the municipalities' own contribution required under the Railway Crossing Act. In Brandenburg, 75 percent of the municipal share of the removal of the 21 level crossings in the 16 affected municipalities is to be paid for from state funds; financially distressed municipalities can receive up to 90 percent. The state of Saxony promised general support, but made no specific commitment. [91] In order to remove a level crossing at Dahlewitz train station , the station building there was demolished in spring 2014. [92]

Because there was no building law, this section was not scheduled to go into operation for 200 km/h before 2016, according to the planning status at the end of 2012. [55] Deutsche Bahn announced another delay in June 2013, according to which the full closure of the Wünsdorf–Elsterwerda section, originally planned for the 2016 annual timetable, was postponed to 2017. [91] The reason for this was that there were still outstanding crossing agreements to eliminate a total of 21 level crossings in the Brandenburg section. [93] The expanded route was scheduled to be put into operation in mid-2013 at the end of 2017. At the beginning of September 2013, Deutsche Bahn wanted to discuss with the Federal Railway Authority and the transport ministries of Berlin and Brandenburg how the expansion could be accelerated. [94] According to DB information from the end of 2013, the expansion measures for 160 km/h should be completed in 2017 and the travel time should then be shortened by 25 minutes compared to 2013. The majority of the work should take place in Brandenburg; in Saxony, only a line improvement at Großenhain is necessary. [95] When the timetable changed in 2018 [outdated], the travel time between Berlin and Dresden was planned to be reduced by 20 minutes, to one hour and 45 minutes (as of 2015). [96] The further expansion for 200 km/h, which is to be completed in 2018 [outdated] , should bring another five minutes. [95]

Construction work in the area of ​​the Elsterwerda-Biehla intersection (2014) According to information from the beginning of 2014, 80 of 125 kilometers of the upgraded route should be passable at 200 km/h by the end of 2018 [outdated] . This should reduce the scheduled travel time between Berlin and Dresden by 20 to 106 minutes. [38] According to DB information from May 2014, the 125 km long section between the Berlin outer ring and Kottewitz should be completely closed from August 2016 [outdated] . Among other things, nine train stations are to be converted, 20 level crossings removed and a European train control system installed. The contract award should begin in May 2015. [50] At the end of November 2014, Deutsche Bau advertised the construction work for the reconstruction of the section between Neuhof and Hohenleipisch in the Official Journal of the European Union . [97] The expanded section between Hohenleipisch and Elsterwerda is scheduled to be put into operation at the end of 2015 [outdated] for a permissible speed of 160 km/h. [98]

Actual expansion for 200 km/h since 2014

From 2013 to 2016, the Rangsdorf train station was fundamentally rebuilt for 40 million euros [50] , and from mid-2014 to July 2015, the Elsterwerda train station . [99] [100] Between June 2014 and June 2016, an electronic signal box was built for the Elsterwerda and Hohenleipisch area [101] and the six kilometer long section was also renewed by the end of 2016 [102] .

On May 30, 2016, the symbolic start of construction (1st construction stage) on the Baruth (Mark) – Hohenleipisch section of the line was celebrated in Baruth in the presence of DB boss Rüdiger Grube , State Secretary Norbert Barthle and Brandenburg's Transport Minister Kathrin Schneider . [103] The 73 km long section between Wünsdorf-Waldstadt and Elsterwerda was expanded as part of a full closure that lasted from August 5, 2016 to December 9, 2017. In addition to the renewal of tracks, platforms and railway technology, 18 level crossings were replaced without crossings. After the expansion is complete, a travel time of 107 minutes should be achieved.

In order to be able to fully close the route for construction projects, long-distance trains in particular were rerouted via the partly single-track Jüterbog–Röderau railway line and the Berlin–Halle railway line . Despite the longer route, the journey time did not increase due to the high-speed sections between Jüterbog and Berlin Südkreuz. In addition, trains were rarely rerouted via Leipzig ( without stopping ).

In front of the upgraded route at Zossen [104] and at Doberlug-Kirchhain [105] there are still speed limits of 50 km/h.

With the commissioning of ETCS, travel time should be further reduced. [106] Since December 4, 2020 [107] the section Neuhof (b Zossen) to Rückersdorf (Niederl) has been accessible at 200 km/h. However, as there are not yet enough vehicles with ETCS equipment available, a further reduction in travel time has not yet been achieved.

Once all construction work has been completed, the travel time from Berlin to Dresden should be reduced to 69 minutes (as of 2009) [108] and the route between Blankenfelde [109] and a few kilometers from Dresden [109] should be passable at 200 km/h.

From 2020 to 2022, the Wünsdorf-Waldstadt train station was rebuilt. [110] Zossen train station has been being rebuilt since January 2023; The work is scheduled to be completed in 2025. [111] The 2nd construction stage, with the sections Blankenfelde (exclusively) - Wünsdorf-Waldstadt (exclusively), the Doberlug-Kirchhain train station and Elsterwerda - Großenhain Berliner Bahnhof, is planned by 2028. [43]

From the mid-2020s, a travel time of 80 minutes is planned (as of 2016). [71] With the construction of the Kockelsberg Tunnel, a travel time of 78 minutes would be possible (as of 2020). [43] For economic reasons, the Gehrener Bogen (160 km/h) and the Hohenleipisch–Elsterwerda section (160 km/h) are excluded. The route is not included in the Federal Railway Authority's ETCS national implementation plan , so that no prioritized increase in the maximum speed through ETCS Level 2 has been registered even after 2023. [112] The Doberlug-Kirchhain area (140 km/h) should also be accessible at 200 km/h at a later date, after a bridge has been replaced.

The state of Saxony registered the Berlin-Dresden expansion and a subsequent new building towards Prague for the 2030 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan . [113]

Böhla to Dresden =

As part of the sections assigned to the Leipzig–Dresden expansion line, initial construction work began in 2008 on the Weißig–Böhla connecting curve . The connecting route is integrated into the Berlin – Dresden route without any elevation and went into operation in December 2010. [114]

The further expansion sections Böhla–Weinböhla and Weinböhla train station [115] were originally supposed to be completed by 2016, but have not yet started (as of 2022). [116] One component of this is the Kockelsberg Tunnel , which has been under consideration since the 1990s and has been part of the planning since 2020. When the timetable changed on December 15, 2002, Weinböhla station on the route to Berlin was closed and a stop of the same name was opened on the route to Leipzig. [117]

As part of the economic stimulus package I, the Weinböhla – Neucoswig and Neucoswig – Radebeul West sections were modernized in 2010. That's why the route between Neucoswig and Großenhain was closed for a year after the timetable change in December 2009. [114] The six kilometer long section between Neucoswig and Weinböhla was completely renovated. [114] In the area of ​​the crossing structure of the former Az signal box up to the area of ​​the Radebeul-Zitzschewig stop, bridges were replaced between the beginning of 2018 and mid-2020 and curve radii were increased. [118] [119]