Salzburg Faces Multiple Rail Disruptions in November
Prepare for some major headaches if you're planning a trip to Salzburg in November. According to Deutsche Bahn, two full closures of train lines in Upper Bavaria will leave Salzburg isolated from the German rail network for several days. Starting from November 23rd, the route between Munich, Rosenheim, and Salzburg will be shut down until the 26th. As if that wasn't enough, the alternative route via Mühldorf am Inn will join the party with its own closure, from November 25 to December 3.
The passenger association Pro Bahn is none too pleased about the situation. According to deputy regional chairman Marco Kragulji, no one would accept a full closure and a detour route being closed due to construction work on a freeway. Kragulji advises against taking the train to Salzburg or Chiemgau on those fateful days in November, considering the area's popularity during the festive season due to its popular Advent markets.
Deutsche Bahn's response to criticisms? Bundle the measures, they say. The overlapping of construction work cannot be "disentangled due to resource constraints and the tight time frames for construction activities".
Now, let's delve a little deeper into what might be causing those disruptions. Although the provided sources don't specify the closures in Nov 2022, the German rail network is facing some challenges.
- Sabotage incidents: On October 8, 2024, Deutsche Bahn (DB) experienced an hours-long stoppage of all rail traffic in the north of the country due to suspected sabotage of its cables, causing significant disruptions in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, and Hamburg, as well as international rail journeys to Denmark and the Netherlands.
- Infrastructure renovation plans: DB is undertaking significant renovations of its aging rail network, which includes the modernization of over 40 heavily trafficked rail corridors. While this initiative aims to restore reliability and improve punctuality, it involves complete closures of affected routes for several months, leading to potential disruptions. Critics argue that the planned renovations may be superficial and lead to repeated issues in the near future.
- Hydrogen Train Challenges: The introduction of hydrogen-powered trains has faced reliability problems. Alstom's iLINT trains, for instance, have been withdrawn for repairs due to reliability issues and difficulties in accessing hydrogen supplies, leading to the temporary replacement of these trains with older diesel trains.
As for the train lines between Munich, Rosenheim, and Salzburg, as well as the alternative route via Mühldorf am Inn, their closures in Nov 2022 are not explicitly mentioned in the sources. However, these challenges might be directly or indirectly contributing to the disruptions.
In conclusion, Salzburg travelers in November should brace themselves for some major rail disruptions. Deutsche Bahn carries on with its construction work, tackling issues one at a time, even if it means leaving some travelers with temporary setbacks.
