The German Reunification Transport Projects [1] or German Unity Transport Projects [2] (German : Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit), commonly known by their German initials VDE, are a set of major construction projects to increase and improve transport links between Eastern and Western Germany after German reunification. These projects are planned to positively impact regional development and infrastructure in the new federal states and across the inner German border.
Until the 1970s, East Germany (officially the German Democratic Republic or GDR) had not made any large-scale investment into its transport infrastructure. Many of its motorways, roads, and railways had not been upgraded since the 1940s (with the exception of some that were repaired in the 1950s as needed) and were largely neglected: trunk roads, East Germany's long-distance counterparts to West Germany's Bundesstraßen , were still mostly unpaved in rural areas in 1990 and had numerous potholes.
The motorways were, essentially, the same as they were before World War II. Exceptions included the six-lane expansion of a short section of the southern segment of the Berlin ring road and the largest section of the A 24 from Hamburg to Berlin, at a cost of 1.2 billion East German mark (around 1.1 billion euro), which West Germany funded. In contrast, the GDR hardly invested in the Nazi-era Reichsautobahn network. By 1990, most of the motorways had deteriorated significantly and did not have shoulders. There was a lack of accelerating and decelerating ramps at interchanges, and there was also no continuous protective guardrail on long stretches. Routes to West Germany had been brought up to better standards over the years, but had also been in the shadows for decades.
The railroads were the most important means of transport in the east - the Reichsbahn carried more goods on a network that was half as long as the West German Bundesbahn - but that did not save them from the effects of the historically poor East German economy. The replacement and repairing of sleepers, switches, and drain pipes was continually delayed. To make matters worse, faulty concrete mixes had been installed in sleepers for many years, and they became unusable much earlier than planned due to "concrete cancer". In addition, many lines had second and third tracksets dismantled by the Soviet Union as a form of reparations in the 1940s, and these tracks were only rebuilt on a few main lines. In addition, all rail electrification infrastructure was removed, and was only replaced hesitantly, especially in the 1970s. Despite great efforts in the 1980s, electrification was still not at the level of the West. Although the usage of steam locomotives was officially phased out in 1987, the lack of diesel counterparts meant that "Plandampf" (scheduled steam) was a common practice. Slowness was the norm - in fact, trains in the GDR often took more time to travel the same route in 1989 than they did in the 1930s. For example, the Fliegender Hamburger express train on the Berlin–Hamburg Railway took 138 minutes to travel between those two cities in 1933, but typically took 243 minutes on the same route by 1989.
With the fall of the wall and the opening of the borders in Europe, west–east traffic grew and added the then-dominant north–south transport corridors on a massive scale, especially in Germany and other countries on the former Iron Curtain. The north–south direction (Rheinschiene and Hamburg – Stuttgart / Munich) still dominates in western Germany, but since 1989 the importance of the historical west–east axes and the north–south connection between Bavaria and Thuringia / Saxony has increased. An explosion in demand broke out over the GDR transport network, which had been neglected for decades. The number of traffic fatalities rose substantially. While this affected all road types, it was recognized that a number of dangerous areas had developed on federal highways and roads running east to west that were previously sparsely travelled. [3] Alongside the expansion of existing roads, it was also clear that the transport network between the East and the bordering states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Bavaria would need to be consolidated.
On January 9, 1990, the constituent meeting of the German-German Transport Infrastructure Commission East Berlin dealing with cross-border transport connections and medium and long-term traffic route planning in road and air transport. [4] On October 3, 1990, the reunification of Germany took place.
In January 1991, Günther Krause took over the position of Federal Minister of Transport and initiated an inventory of the traffic situation in the new federal states. This was the founding moment for the plans of the German Unification Transport Projects. On April 9, 1991, the Federal Minister of Transport presented the cabinet with the VDE program, which decided on this in anticipation of the 1992 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. [5] The VDE projects are shown separately in this plan. The projects found their way into him without re-evaluation [6]
In order to realize all projects within a decade if possible, two private law project companies were founded outside of the previous authority structures: Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH (DEGES) and Planungsgesellschaft Bahnbau Deutsche Einheit (PBDE). Krause expected the completion of all VDE projects by the year 2000.
In January 1992 the information campaign Neue Wege braucht das Land. Jetzt! was launched to promote the VDE to citizens in the new federal states.
By the end of 1994, around ten billion DM (5.1 billion euros) had been invested in the VDE projects. In December 1991 the Traffic Planning Acceleration Act came into force to accelerate the planning of the VDE projects. On December 1, 1993, the first of several investment measure laws followed, which were to replace plan approval procedures in sections of the VDE projects..
The cost of the VDE projects in 1991 was estimated at 56 billion Deutsche Mark (28.6 billion euros). Of this, DM 32 billion was accounted for the nine rail transport projects. [7] Because of the development of prices it was raised to 64 billion DM (32.7 billion euros) until 1993. By 1995, DM 12.4 billion had been invested. Three of the 17 projects were completed by early 1996. The estimated total investment around that time was estimated at DM 67.5 billion. Of the 1200 km of planned motorways, around 800 km were in the planning approval process or already provided with building rights. 140 km were already under construction.
The estimated total cost is €39.4 billion. By the end of 2011, almost €32 billion of this had been spent, [8] rising to 33.9 billion in 2012. Around 16.2 billion euros of this was attributable to railways, 15.1 billion euros to roads and around 1.6 billion euros to waterways. [9] By the end of 2013, around 34 billion euros had been spent. [10]
There are 17 VDE projects, all either finished or under construction, numbered from north to south in ascending order. They consist of nine rail projects, six motorway/Autobahn projects, and a waterway.
Out of the rail projects, six have been completed (VDE 2 through 7) and work on projects 8 and 9 is ongoing. Two planned sections of the VDE 1 project will not be worked on due to a lack of cost-effectiveness (as of 2014). [10]
By the end of 2011, out of an estimated total cost of 20.1 billion euros, 15.4 billion euros "worth" of infrastructure had been installed. [8] In two years, those figures had increased to 20.3 and 16.9 billion euros, respectively. [10]
As the first project in the series to be completed, VDE 6 was inaugurated on May 27, 1994. Project 7 followed in May 1995 and project 5 at the end of 1995. The rail transport projects were largely supervised by the Planungsgesellschaft Bahnbau Deutsche Einheit at first, which was merged into DB Projekt Verkehrsbau in 2000 and finally into DB ProjektBau in 2002.
Alongside the projects, new traction power lines were built, such as the 162 km line from Muldenstein through the Kirchmöser power plant to Rathenow. On March 27, 1995, a new gas and steam combined cycle power plant started operation in Kirchmöser.
A total of seven road construction projects worth 17.3 billion euros are planned or under construction. By the end of 2011, 14.9 billion euros had been invested. [8] By the end of 2013, 15.4 out of an estimated 17.4 billion euros had been invested. Four of the projects (10, 12, 14, 16) have been built, and the other three, projects 11, 13 and 15 have largely been completed. By the end of 2013, more than 1,895 km of new and expanded motorways had been created. [10]
The projects are supervised in the new federal states by DEGES.
The section of the Mittelland Canal from Magdeburg to the Dortmund-Ems Canal is to be navigable from the end of 2016 with 185 m long and 2.80 m unloaded pushing units with 3600 t load. VDE 17 is scheduled for completion in 2019.[ needs update ] [18]
This project is controversial among environmental groups and residents. According to the 1992 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan, the extension to 280 kilometers of waterways should have a water depth of four meters and a width of 42 to 77 meters in curves. Critics claim that this endangers the Havel river landscape and the cultural heritage of Berlin and Potsdam.
With the abandonment of the Osthafen by Berlin, the Südtrasse was spun off from the VDE 17. [19] The Nordtrasse is now to be expanded to a lesser extent than originally planned. The goal is to ensure a limited expansion to avoid collisions between groups of pusher boats. [20]
By the end of 2013, 1.6 billion of around 2.0 billion euros had been invested in the project. [10]
For the Berlin-Spandau area, the scope of expansion was reduced from the original plans. Here, the Spree-Oder waterway from km 0 to km 4.673 (Rohrdamm) (Höhe Rohrdamm) and the Lower Havel waterway from km 0 to km 4.3 from 2018 will be deepened and corrected in some places, such as the Spandauer Horn. Instead of the originally planned four meters, the fairway is now lowered to 3.50 meters, and the number of trees affected by felling is reduced from around a thousand to 90. The expected construction time is given as three years. [21]
The Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed railway is a 78-kilometre-long (48 mi) high-speed railway running between the cities of Nuremberg and Ingolstadt in Bavaria, Germany. It branches off the Nuremberg–Regensburg railway and runs parallel to the A9 Autobahn to Ingolstadt, where it joins the Munich–Treuchtlingen railway at Ingolstadt Nord station.
Erfurt Hauptbahnhof (Erfurt Hbf) or Erfurt Central Station is the central railway station at Erfurt in Germany. It is an important junction on the German rail network, served by numerous local and long-distance rail services. Immediately north of the station is Erfurt's city centre. The station was used by approximately 12.5 million passengers in 2006, an average of about 34,000 per day. The station lies on the Thüringer Bahn, which connects Halle to Bebra. It is served also by the Erfurter Bahn.
The Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway is a 191-kilometre-long (119 mi) German high-speed railway, between Nuremberg and Erfurt. The line is listed in Germany's federal transport plan as Verkehrsprojekt Deutsche Einheit Nr.8.1 and is a section of the high-speed route between Berlin and Munich and a section of the line connecting Italy and Scandinavia in the European Union's Trans-European Rail network. It consists of an upgraded line between Nuremberg and Ebensfeld and a new line between Ebensfeld and Erfurt. The journey time between Erfurt and Nuremberg will be reduced to approximately one hour and 20 minutes after completion.
The Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway is a 123 km (76 mi)-long high-speed line in Germany between Erfurt and Leipzig and Halle, built as part of the Berlin–Munich high-speed railway.
The Leipzig–Dresden line is a German railway line. It was built by the Leipzig–Dresden Railway Company between 1837 and 1839. It was the first long-distance railway and the first railway using only steam traction in Germany. It also included the first standard gauge railway tunnel in continental Europe.
Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in the city of Halle (Saale) in southern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The station is situated east of the city centre and is a category 2 station.
The Berlin–Halle railway, sometimes called the Anhalt railway, is a twin-track, electrified main line found in the German city and state of Berlin, and the states of Brandenburg and Sachsen-Anhalt. The railway was originally built and managed by the Berlin-Anhaltische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft.
The Berlin–Hamburg Railway is a roughly 286 km (178 mi) long railway line for passenger, long-distance and goods trains. It was the first high-speed line upgraded in Germany to be capable of handling train speeds of over 200 km/h (120 mph).
The Halle–Hann. Münden railway is a 218 km long main line operated by the Deutsche Bahn in Germany, which links Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt with Hann. Münden in the state of Lower Saxony. It is mainly used by regional and east-west goods trains. From 1990 to 1994 it was upgraded as part of a German Unification Transport Project.
The Halle–Bebra railway, known in German as the Thüringer Bahn, is a 210 kilometre-long railway line from Halle (Saale) via Erfurt and Gerstungen to Bebra, mainly in Thuringia. As far as Gerstungen the line originally belonged to the Thuringian Railway Company. From Gerstungen to Bebra, it was owned by the Frederick William Northern Railway (Friedrich-Wilhelms-Nordbahn), named after the Prussian king, Frederick William IV. It is now a two-track, electrified, standard gauge mainline operated by DB Netze. It was opened between 1846 and 1849 and was the first railway line in Thuringia. All types of trains from Regionalbahn to ICE currently run on the line except Interregio-Express. Four of the six largest cities in Thuringia are located on the line.
The Magdeburg–Leipzig railway is a double-track, electrified railway in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, connecting Magdeburg via Köthen and Halle to Leipzig.
The Berlin–Dresden railway is a double track, electrified main line railway in the German states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony, which was originally built and operated by the Berlin-Dresden Railway Company. It runs from Berlin through the southern Teltow countryside and then between Lower Lusatia and Fläming Heath through Elsterwerda and the Großenhainer Pflege countryside to Dresden.
The Trebnitz–Leipzig railway is a double track electrified main line in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony built and originally operated by the Berlin-Anhalt Railway Company. It formally starts at Trebnitz on the former border between the Duchy of Anhalt and Prussia and runs via Dessau and Delitzsch to Leipzig. The section from Bitterfeld to Leipzig is part of Line 1 of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). Until 1871, the Zerbst–Roßlau section was called the Anhaltische Leopoldsbahn.
Riesa station is the only passenger station of the town of Riesa in the German state of Saxony. It is a regular stop for Intercity and Intercity-Express services. The station is located at kilometer 65.8 of the Leipzig–Dresden railway. In addition, it is at the beginning of the Riesa–Chemnitz railway and the disused Riesa–Nossen railway.
Lutherstadt Wittenberg Hauptbahnhof is a railway station located in Wittenberg, Germany. The station opened on 3 August 1859 is located on the Berlin–Halle railway and Roßlau–Falkenberg/Elster railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn. With over 5000 passengers per day, it is the most important railway station in the eastern part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The Stendal–Uelzen railway is a mostly single-track, electrified main line and connects Stendal in the east of Altmark, Saxony-Anhalt with Uelzen in Lower Saxony. The most important stop along the way is Salzwedel.
The Halle–Cottbus railway is a 176 km long double-track electrified main line in the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Brandenburg. It was opened in 1871 and 1872. It formed the central section of the network of the Halle-Sorau-Guben Railway Company. Today it is part of a connection between the Central Germany and Poland.
The Weißig–Böhla railway is a two-track, electrified main line in the German state of Saxony. It passes through an area near Großenhain called the Großenhainer Pflege and connects the Leipzig–Dresden and Berlin–Dresden railways, running between Leckwitz junction near Weißig and Kottewitz junction near Böhla. Its official opening took place after two years of construction on 3 December 2010 and the operations of regular trains started at the timetable change on 12 December 2010.
The Sangerhausen–Erfurt railway is a two-track, electrified railway, which is located mainly in the north of the German state of Thuringia; a small section is in southwestern Saxony-Anhalt. It represents the southern section of the Erfurt–Magdeburg(–Berlin) connection, the shortest regional connection between these major Thuringian and Saxony-Anhalt cities. The timetable number of 335 applies to the whole route from Erfurt to Magdeburg, including the Sangerhausen–Erfurt section.
Leinefelde station is a major railway junction in the German state of Thuringia and is the most important station in Eichsfeld. It is located in the town of Leinefelde in the Thuringian municipality of Leinefelde-Worbis in the Eichsfeld district. The Halle–Kassel and Gotha–Leinefelde railways meet there and in the past the now closed Leinefelde–Wulften and Leinefelde–Treysa railways also connected with the station. The latter route was part of the Kanonenbahn between Berlin and Metz.
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