Bahnverkehr: Entwurf: Union und SPD für neue Bahntrasse Hannover-Hamburg

The long-standing dispute over a new railway line between Hamburg and Hannover is nearing a decision: the responsible transportation policymakers of the red-green coalition in the Bundestag are advocating for a decision in a draft resolution for a construction project instead of an expansion. The paper has been seen by Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

The decision on the construction is not yet made. The draft is still being worked on, according to the coalition. The Bundestag's Transport Committee is set to discuss the planned new railway line on September 23rd, and the Bundestag's plenary session will follow a day later to clear the way for the railway to continue planning the new line concretely.

The Bundestag's involvement is seen as a crucial step for a new railway line. The draft states that a new railway line is preferable to an expansion in all four main categories (spatial planning, environment, operation, and cost), and thus also in the overall assessment. The journey time between Hamburg and Hannover would be reduced by 18 minutes, and residential areas would be exposed to significantly less noise and vibrations.

Additionally, the reliability of transport would be increased, and in urban transport, a half-hourly frequency would be possible. Minister-President Lies stated that the expansion is "really faster" in the affected region in Lower Saxony. However, it has been a controversial topic for years: the state government pushes for the implementation of the expansion variant Alpha-E.

"This solution is really faster because it is realistic," said Minister-President Olaf Lies (SPD) in June. "The railway plans something that has no chance of making an impact over 30 years if it is even given a chance of being implemented. However, we must put the quickest possible thing in the spotlight and not the option for our grandchildren."