The expansion of the rail link between Chemnitz and Leipzig could take place on a much smaller scale than previously planned. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Infrastructure in Dresden in a response to a small question from Green Party member of state parliament Katja Meier.
According to this, the current cost estimate of the rail subsidiary DB InfraGo AG for the expansion of the northern section of the line from Leipzig to Geithain is now 1.32 billion euros. Originally, cost estimates had stated an amount of 750 million euros.
Back in April, the Chemnitz rail initiative warned of a further cost explosion and considerable cutbacks in the expansion of the line and referred to the new estimates.
The Ministry of Infrastructure cites "the fundamental increase in planning and construction costs in recent years" as the reason for the higher cost estimates compared to 2024.
The estimated sum provides for a continuous double-track expansion of the line section as well as electrification. According to current estimates, even a single-track variant would exceed the previously estimated cost framework. DB InfraGo AG puts the estimated cost of this at 995 million euros, according to the report.
