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Major train closure: Longer travel times between Erfurt and Leipzig!
From June 26, 2025, the railway line between Erfurt and Halle/Leipzig will be closed for bridge work, resulting in longer journey times.
Major train closure: Longer travel times between Erfurt and Leipzig!
Deutsche Bahn is planning extensive maintenance work on two railway bridges between Erfurt and Halle/Leipzig. This work will start on June 26th and will last until July 12th, 2025. The aim of the measure is to replace the bearings on the bridges in Großmölsen Ollendorf and Hardisleben-Buttstädt. The installation of modern spherical bearings is intended to reduce maintenance costs in the long term and improve the availability of the route. While the route is closed, Deutsche Bahn will also be carrying out test drives with Siemens Mobility in order to gain insights for future renovations. Deutsche Bahn offers more information on this on its website.
The upcoming renovation work also has an impact on train traffic. Travelers should expect significant changes to the arrival and departure times of trains between Munich and Leipzig. In addition, the trains between Erfurt and Leipzig will take a different route, which will result in no stops. The journey time between Leipzig and Munich is extended by up to 60 minutes, while the connection between Leipzig and Erfurt takes around 20 minutes longer.
Affected connections and redirects
The affected connections include both Intercity Express (ICE) and Intercity (IC) trains. The direct connections between Frankfurt/Main and Halle (Saale) will be canceled during the work. An overview of the affected connections:
- ICE: Frankfurt – Berlin, Berlin – Leipzig, Erfurt – Frankfurt – Stuttgart – München, München – Erfurt – Berlin, Hamburg – Berlin – Halle – Erfurt – München, Hamburg – Berlin – Leipzig – Erfurt – München, Frankfurt – Leipzig – Dresden.
- IC: Nürnberg – Leipzig, Karlsruhe – Stuttgart – Nürnberg.
Travelers are urged to check digital travel information media, such as the DB Navigator app or www.bahn.de, before starting their journey in order to receive up-to-date information about their connections.
Comparison: Previous renovation projects
A look at similar projects shows that renovations on important railway lines are not an isolated case. The HNA reported on the complete closure of the ICE high-speed route between Kassel and Göttingen took place in 2021. Here too, extensive renovation work was necessary, which was accompanied by a significant increase in travel times and diversion of train traffic.
At that time, Deutsche Bahn invested 114 million euros in the renovations to ensure a sustainable improvement in the infrastructure. Such measures are part of a comprehensive program to maintain and modernize the rail network, which will last several years and include, among other things, the renewal of tracks and bridges. As in the case of the work between Erfurt and Halle/Leipzig, passengers in other projects are also asked to inform themselves about changes in good time.