Separation of the ICE route: Travelers have to expect long waiting times!

Separation of the ICE route: Travelers have to expect long waiting times!

Deutsche Bahn will block the ICE route between Erfurt and Halle/Leipzig between June 26 and July 12, 2025. The reason for this measure is the exchange of camps on two railway bridges in the Sömmerda district in Thuringia. These bridges are located between Großmölsen and Ollendorf as well as between Hardisleben and Buttstädt. In the current work, the current elastoma bearings, which consist of rubber seals, are replaced against dumplings, which are bullets on a flat component.

The change to kalotted bearings brings with it the advantage of a lower maintenance effort. However, the blocking of the route is essential to carry out this exchange. The effects of this work concern all long-distance trains about Erfurt, including the ICE trains of Deutsche Bahn and Flixtrain connections.

extended travel times and diversions

The blocking has a significant impact on the timetables: During the closure, Flixtrain trains between Halle and Erfurt now need 1 hour 20 minutes instead of the usual 35 minutes. The ICE connections between Leipzig and Erfurt also extend from 40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Sometimes the trains in Naumburg hold, which results in additional detours and changes to the timetable holding.

In addition, some ICE trains are deleted between Halle and Erfurt. Travelers can view the changed arrival and departure times in the electronic timetable on Bahn.de. The changes also affect customers who travel from and to Dresden: these will have to expect extensive construction work on the Leipzig-Dresden route from the end of June.

test drives to improve the route availability

During the blocking, ICE test rides with Siemens Mobility are also planned. The test drives are intended to provide valuable data that should contribute to the renovation of quick driving routes and the technical development of high -speed trains. Travelers are asked to get into digital travel information media such as the DB Navigator app or on the website before starting their journey [deutschebahn.com] (https://www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse-regional/Pre-leipzig-de/aktuell/Presseinformations/deutschebahn-work-an-zwei-bruecken-win-erfurt- and-halle-leipzig-13406822). In summary, the route closure is a necessary step to ensure the railway infrastructure and to improve availability, despite the associated restrictions on rail traffic. However, travelers on this important traffic axis have to expect significant travel time extensions and connections during the renovation work.

Further information on this development can be found in the article by MDR.