Together Nürnberg–Regensburg.

Our teams have done a great job: Our work on the track bed, foundations, and overhead line construction has been completed on schedule. But a large project like this also entails many additional tasks that were not yet determined when construction began. Due to a large number of additional services and a significant increase in the scope of work, some tasks remain to be done.

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High above Laber Valley, SLG is transporting materials to the construction site. The corridor modernization of the Nuremberg-Regensburg line also includes renewal work on the railway bridge spanning the Schwarze Laber. Over the past several weeks, our teams from the Buchloe branch have been replacing the bridge girders on the 42-meter-high Laber Viaduct. Wind, frost, and snow made this work on the bridge extremely challenging. For the duration of the rehabilitation work, the structure was fitted with a protective safety net. Our Buchloe colleagues, and likely the locomotive engineers of SLG, probably had little opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking views and beautiful surrounding landscape. Many thanks to our site manager from Buchloe for this outstanding photograph!

The last sleeper has been installed. Of course, additional sleepers will still be replaced between Nuremberg and Regensburg, but today Heinrich the Strong completed his final shift. The mechanized rail and sleeper replacement using our UM-S 2001 track renewal train has been completed halfway through the construction period of this major project in the Upper Palatinate.

The final shift of Heinrich the Strong was witnessed by Ulrich Lange, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Transport, Bavarian Minister of Transport Christian Bernreiter, and DB InfraGO Executive Board Member Gerd-Dietrich Bolte.

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The comprehensive modernization of the Nuremberg–Regensburg line remains on schedule. Challenges and isolated delays are being successfully mitigated. Our teams have now been working between Regensburg and Neumarkt for nearly eight weeks, and approximately one-third of the construction period has been completed. The challenging rocky subsoil continues to present significant demands, particularly for our foundation teams (see below). Despite these conditions, our team recently completed its 1,000th foundation.

Overview of the current status of our 7 technical lots (selected highlights):

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Loading sand, gravel, and crushed stone. The track formation protection layer (PSS) material being newly installed as part of the comprehensive modernization of the Nuremberg–Regensburg line consists of natural aggregate blends. The PSS is installed between the subgrade and the ballast bed and serves several important functions. It distributes loads, provides frost protection, drains water, and separates the ballast from the soil. As such, it is an essential component in ensuring the load-bearing capacity of a track’s superstructure. Our operators of the MFS cars (Material Conveying and Silo Cars), construction equipment operators responsible for managing the supply areas, and many others work together to ensure that the required materials are available at the right place and at the right time.

At the invitation of the client, numerous members of the press and journalists visited the project to observe construction progress firsthand. In Sengenthal and Seubersdorf, our project managers, together with representatives from DB InfraGO and the construction supervision team, answered questions and provided updates on the project. Particular interest was on our RPM-RS-900 track formation rehabilitation and cleaning machine, known as Katharina the Great.

This unique machine removes the ballast, recycles it, and feeds it back into the track together with new ballast. The outstanding capability of the 200-meter-long machine is that, at the same time, it excavates the subgrade and installs, grades, and compacts the new track formation protection layer.

Our teams quickly settled into their work, and all technical areas are making good progress. After just one week, the following work has already been completed:

• The existing overhead line system has been dismantled, material for new catenary supports has been transported into the construction site by spectacular helicopter flights, and dozens of foundations have been installed.
• Old station buildings, platforms, and bridges have been demolished, support structures for new pedestrian underpasses have been installed, and culverts have been constructed.
• Countless kilometers of cable have been removed, and new cable crossings have been installed.
• Several hundred meters of track have been renewed using conventional construction methods. At the same time, our track construction teams are cleaning the ballast bed around the clock using assembly line techniques and improving the track formation.

After months of intensive preparation, planning, and coordination, the thumbs up has been given for the extensive modernization work. Together with the Board of DB InfraGO and representatives from the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Bavarian State Chancellery, we officially launched the construction work with a symbolic buzzer. Starting immediately, unlike the de-energized overhead line system, our teams are energized and ready to work hard over the next 22 weeks.

Together, we will draw on all of our expertise, experience, and technology to achieve these ambitious goals. We wish everyone involved a successful start, every success, and strong collaboration throughout the project.

Only four weeks to go: With the start of the new year, preparations have intensified once again. The critical phase is now beginning, and the focus is on preparing for the project launch as effectively as possible while accommodating any changes. In numerous discussions with the client, the construction schedule for all trades is being finalized. This also includes the many additional work packages, such as the 19 signal brackets currently planned, compared to the three which were originally anticipated.

Over the coming weeks, tens of thousands of tons of material will be transported to the Upper Palatinate region. Despite the winter weather conditions, the site installation areas must be completed, and navigation points designated and signposted to successfully manage this logistical challenge. The anticipation is growing, and we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Preparations for the comprehensive modernization of the Nuremberg–Regensburg line are in full swing. Since May, the teams at our Buchloe branch have been working to ensure that all planning data is complete and available as scheduled. The Head of Cost Estimating serves as the central point of contact with the client for the corridor project. Together with five additional planning coordinators, he ensures the creation of the detailed design documentation and obtains the numerous required documents from the responsible authorities and stakeholders.

The first construction crews have been active since fall of 2025, working night shifts to relocate cables, conduct unexploded ordnance surveys (UXO), and investigate subsurface conditions for the overhead line foundations.

Photo: Petr Štefek – original work, CC BY-SA 3.0 cz

The renewal of the line will largely be carried out using an assembly-line construction method. In stations and other locations, however, conventional track renewal work will be required. Currently, approximately 5 kilometers are planned to be renewed using conventional construction methods, meaning manual reconstruction with road-rail excavators or railway cranes, including complete ballast renewal.

Our Equipment/Electrical Engineering division will be responsible for all electrical engineering activities. One of the most challenging tasks will be the installation of approximately 250 kilometers of cable in the newly constructed cable ducts. In addition to the complete cable management, this division will also be responsible for equipping the catenary supports. Continue reading for more information.

We are preparing for the next major corridor project on the Nuremberg–Regensburg line. Line 5850, which is more than 80 km long, between Nuremberg and Regensburg will undergo a comprehensive modernization from February 6^th to July 10^th, 2026. As the general contractor, we have been awarded Section 1, Regensburg–Neumarkt.

Production at our manufacturing companies is currently running at full capacity: SPITZKE FAHRWEGSYSTEME GmbH in Möllenhagen is producing the foundation heads for roughly 1,000 foundations, while SPITZKE MAST- UND STAHLBAU GmbH in Naumburg is manufacturing catenary supports. Once completed, these components will be transported to staging areas along the line.