Faster from Altenburg to Leipzig - railroad line renovated

The construction restrictions are over, passengers can now get from Altenburg to Leipzig a little faster: a section of the Saxony-Franconia Main Line in eastern Thuringia has been modernized by the railroad. The line between Altenburg and Treben-Lehma has now officially gone into operation, announced Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the Thuringian Ministry of Transport. The journey time between the Saxon city of Leipzig and the Thuringian district town of Altenburg now takes just under 30 minutes.

Future speed of 160 km/h on the rails

Work on the 6.2-kilometre section of the Magistrale started in 2021. A new platform, an elevator and disabled access as well as an electronic signal box were built in Altenburg. Six kilometers of new track, 14 kilometers of overhead line and 42 new points were also laid. Nine bridges were renovated or built and noise barriers erected. Trains will be able to pass the section at a speed of 160 km/h in future, the railroad explained.

Altenburg's mayor Frank Rosenfeld praised the fact that the railroad is also investing in lines in rural areas. He hopes that Altenburg, with its medieval old town, will become a more attractive place to live for people from Leipzig. Thuringia's Transport Minister Steffen Schütz (BSW) spoke of an important piece of the puzzle of an important east-west rail project that has been completed. The section of track is now state-of-the-art, he said. Passengers benefit from shorter journey times and greater reliability.

The entire route is being renovated in sections

According to Deutsche Bahn, the Saxony-Franconia Main Line stretches over around 288 kilometers and connects the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt with the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg with the Dresden-Hof and Leipzig-Werdau sections. According to Deutsche Bahn, the lines are being completely renewed. The DB Group representative for Central Germany, Martin Walden, spoke of a mammoth task that is being implemented section by section.

According to DB, the overall project will involve rebuilding around 850 kilometers of track, modernizing 52 stations and stops and installing 32 electronic signal boxes. Once the Magistrale has been upgraded, trains will be able to travel at speeds of 160 instead of 120. According to the information provided, the completion of the Dresden-Hof line will reduce the journey time by a total of 50 minutes.