Deutsche Bahn has revealed plans to connect cities in northern Germany with new high-speed lines as part of its “Metropolitan Network”. The development would allow the company to cut the journey time between Hamburg and Copenhagen down to just two hours.
A new study by Deutsche Bahn has suggested developing a new “Metropolitan Network” across northern Europe which would see northern German cities better connected with high-speed, long-distance trains. The study is being used as an exercise by Deutsche Bahn to explore how the company can reach the EU sustainable transport goals set for 2030 and 2050.
According to the proposal, the new metropolitan network would allow trains travelling between German cities such as Hanover, Hamburg, Kiel, Schwerin, Rostock, Bremen and Berlin to run at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.
The new network would also improve the transportation network between Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark. In the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel, which is already under construction between the two countries and should be completed by 2030, trains will be able to travel between Hamburg and Copenhagen at 200 km / h, cutting the journey from five hours to less than two.
Deutsche Bahn’s plans predict a natural growth in demand, spurred on by population growth and improved services. If all goes to plan, the additional network would sprawl 4.649 kilometres across Germany, a development that will cost billions of euros but could significantly improve the services provided by the environmentally-friendly mode of transport.
Full steam ahead with developments, the company is also poised to renovate a third of its train stations by 2030. Speaking of the new study, a board member for Deutsche Bahn said that the company hopes the developments will mean “millions of people on the continent will benefit from attractive connections and shorter travel times."
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