🚧 Constructing the Rail Link to the Baltic Sea Tunnel 🚧
Construction on the railroad line to the much-anticipated Baltic Sea tunnel has commenced, bringing Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President Daniel Günther (CDU) and representatives from Deutsche Bahn and the Federal Ministry of Transport to Fehmarn for the monumental event. The project envisions a 88-kilometer rail route between Puttgarden and Lübeck, which, upon completion in 2029, will seamlessly connect the planned road and rail tunnel to the German rail network. The Autobahn 1 will also see an extension to the tunnel, with nearly half of the 85-kilometer route undergoing a total reconstruction and running parallel to the Autobahn 1.
In total, approximately 55 kilometers of the planned line will be drastically altered, featuring 80 bridges, six new stops, and the displacement of a staggering 6.5 million cubic meters of earth. The ambitious project, with a projected cost of 7.1 billion euros (2015 estimate), boasts a spot among the most sizeable infrastructure projects in Northern Europe. Though the project remains a topic of considerable contention among environmentalists, due to both the project's cost and potential environmental consequences, the Federal Administrative Court ultimately dismissed several objections to the construction in 2022.
💡 Enrichment Insights: The construction of the railroad line for the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, began in January 2025, with 88 kilometers of track slated to be constructed between the village of Puttgarden on Fehmarn and Lübeck. As trains will journey from Copenhagen to Hamburg via the Fehmarnbelt tunnel in just two and a half hours, the rail link will be indispensable in shifting freight traffic to rail between northern Europe and Italy.
However, on a broader scale, specific environmental impacts related to this project are not extensively detailed in available sources. Despite general environmental concerns related to large infrastructure projects like potential disruptions to local ecosystems and habitat destruction, it's worth noting that the Baltic Sea region faces environmental challenges of its own, including algal blooms, eutrophication, and a large anaerobic dead zone on the seafloor. Nonetheless, these issues are primarily due to fertilizer runoff from agricultural land and other human activities, rather than the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link specifically.
- Günther, D., Deutsche Bahn, and Federal Ministry of Transport join forces to commence construction of rail link to Baltic Sea tunnel in Fehmarn.
- Construction of railroad line for Baltic Sea tunnel to cost an estimated 7.1 billion euros by 2029.
- Over 55 kilometers of the 85-kilometer rail route to be reconstructed and run alongside Autobahn 1, featuring 80 bridges, six new stops, and 6.5 million cubic meters of earth displacement.
- Project faces opposition from environmentalists due to costs and potential environmental repercussions, but Federal Administrative Court dismisses legal objections.
- Construction for rail link to Baltic Sea tunnel marks significant progress in Germany's railway network, connecting Denmark and Fehmarn with improved traffic flow.
- Construction on railLink begins in January 2025, with anticipated completion by 2029, enabling faster transportation between Copenhagen and Hamburg.
- Lübeck – a German city – to see direct connection to planned road and rail tunnel through completion of rail link for Baltic Sea tunnel, increased railway traffic, and enhanced connectivity.
