Germany's longest railroad tunnel is to be built in the Eastern Ore Mountains and will significantly shorten the journey time between Dresden and Prague. After examining various options for the new line, the construction of a single, approximately 30-kilometre-long tunnel between Heidenau on the German side and Usti nad Labem on the Czech side is now favored, Deutsche Bahn announced on Monday. The full tunnel variant is the best solution for the environment as well as technically and economically.
Tunnel construction time around twelve years
The Dresden-Prague route is part of a European rail corridor from German North Sea and Baltic ports through south-eastern Europe to Istanbul and Athens. According to Deutsche Bahn, citizen dialogs are planned in the municipalities from January to provide information about the planning. The preferred option is to be finalized by the middle of next year and the documents will then be submitted to the Bundestag. A decision on implementation and financing should then be made at the end of the legislative period.
But rail travelers will have to wait at least another two decades before the first train rolls through the tunnel. According to current forecasts, Deutsche Bahn is aiming to start construction around 2032, with a construction period of around 12 years.
The longest railroad tunnel in Germany to date is the Landrücken Tunnel in Hesse with a length of 10.8 kilometers. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, which is currently under construction, is expected to be around 18 kilometers long.
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