Berlin–Munich high-speed railway explained

The Berlin–Munich high-speed railway is a 623km (387miles) high-speed rail line connecting the German cities of Berlin, Leipzig, Erfurt, Nuremberg, and Munich. The line was opened on 10 December 2017.[1] The line was first planned in 1991 as part of the "Travel Project for German Unity" - a scheme of linking up east and west German travel infrastructure after reunification.[1] About two million passengers traveled the route in its first year of operation, exceeding the expectation of the rail operator Deutsche Bahn.[2]

The new line reduced travel time by train between Berlin and Munich from 6 hours to currently 3 hours and 45 minutes.[3] [4]

Construction began in 1996 and cost about €10 billion ($11.8 billion),[5] making it the most expensive transport project in Germany since reunification.[6] The line traverses the Thuringian Forest and required the construction of 22 tunnels and 29 bridges.[7]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Opening of new Berlin-Munich high-speed train line to be celebrated Friday. The Local. 6 December 2017.
  2. Web site: Deutsche Bahn to beef up express Berlin-Munich route amid soaring passenger numbers. The Local. 15 June 2018.
  3. Web site: Faster - More direct - More convenient: the new Berlin-Munich high-speed line. 2019-01-10. DB Vertrieb.
  4. Web site: Fahrplan 2024: bis zu 25 Prozent mehr Sitzplätze zwischen München und Berlin . 2023-12-03 . www.deutschebahn.com . de-DE.
  5. Web site: Berlin-Munich high-speed train line to be opened. Deutsche Welle. 7 December 2017.
  6. Web site: Billions Upon Billions for Berlin-Munich Bullet Train. Christian Wüst. Spiegel Online. 27 October 2011.
  7. Web site: Berlin and Munich Are Finally Connected by High-Speed Rail. Conde Nast Traveler. 8 December 2017.