Construction work is causing massive rail restrictions between Leipzig and Dresden!

Construction work is causing massive rail restrictions between Leipzig and Dresden!

Train riders between Leipzig and Dresden will have to prepare for massive restrictions in the coming days. Today the details of a complete closure of the railway line between Oschatz and Wurzen were announced. The construction work, which begins on June 23rd at 9 p.m. and lasts until June 29th at 5 p.m., is necessary to carry out switch replacements and to ensure reliable rail traffic in the long term. During this time, long-distance traffic will be significantly affected, meaning that many trains will have to be rerouted or canceled entirely. According to a report by Sächsische.de For example, the stops in Riesa, Dresden-Neustadt and at Dresden main station for the ICE trains between Wiesbaden and Dresden will no longer be available.

In addition to the closures, there are extensive replacement offers. IC buses are used for the connection between Leipzig and Dresden, but passengers must expect travel time extensions of up to 90 minutes. From June 27th, a diversion of ICE trains between Erfurt and Leipzig will also be necessary, which will also lead to longer journey times.

Restrictions on local transport

Local transport is also severely affected by the construction work. Trains on line S3 are canceled between Borsdorf, Wurzen and Oschatz, while the RE50 no longer runs between Wurzen and Oschatz. In order to accommodate travelers, a rail replacement bus service will be organized. These buses run every two hours between Leipzig Central Station and Dresden Central Station and take around two hours to cover the route without any stops in between. The first departure of the buses in Dresden is at 7:05 a.m. and the last at 5:05 p.m. In Leipzig, bus services start between 8:40 a.m. and 6:40 p.m.

According to those responsible at Pro Bahn, the criticism of replacement transport is loud and clear. The passenger association describes the replacement concept as inadequate, especially with regard to the diversions on long-distance transport and the RE50 bus connections. There are calls for direct buses that offer the convenience of long-distance transport, as well as for better information for passengers.

Further construction sites and developments

In addition to the current construction work between Leipzig and Dresden, there will also be restrictions due to bridge construction work in Thuringia in the next few weeks. This work will last between June 26th and July 12th and will affect numerous ICE lines, which means that long travel time extensions must also be expected here. Connections between Leipzig, Halle and Erfurt are particularly affected, as they could also be slower by up to 60 minutes due to diversions.

The situation for rail travelers in Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt is anything but easy. With a maximum of five articulated buses for replacement services and insufficient information for passengers, the Pro Bahn passenger association sees Deutsche Bahn as having an obligation to make improvements as quickly as possible and to provide passengers with a better travel experience. Further information and updates on this topic are available here MDR.de as well as Sächsische.de to find.