FEHMARNBELT TUNNEL RAIL CONNECTION DELAYED
RailFreight.com reported this week that the opening of the railway connection through the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany is expected to be delayed until 2035, three years later than planned. The delay is primarily linked to infrastructure works on the German side of the project.
The main bottleneck is the Fehmarnsund crossing, which connects the island of Fehmarn to mainland Germany. The existing single-track railway bridge, dating from the 1960s, is not equipped to accommodate the additional traffic expected once the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel opens. Germany is planning a new crossing, including a railway tunnel with two tracks and four road lanes expected to enter service by 2035, compared with the previous target of 2031–2032.
To limit the impact of these delays, Danish state-owned company Sund & Bælt has decided to open the Fehmarnbelt link in two stages, with road traffic expected to start using the tunnel in 2032, while rail services will follow once the necessary infrastructure on the German side is completed. Construction on the Danish side is also around two years behind schedule, partly due to technical problems with the specialised vessel used to install the tunnel elements.
The delay means that rail freight between Scandinavia and Germany will have to continue using the longer route via the Great Belt and Jutland for several more years. The development also adds to delays affecting major infrastructure projects along the TEN-T Scandinavian–Mediterranean Corridor, following the postponement of the Brenner Base Tunnel opening from 2032 to 2034.
Source: RailFreight.com