Rail traffic Trains on the Ahrtalbahn will be electric in future
Ahrtal · The Ahrtal railway, which was damaged in the 2021 flood, is to become an e-train from Remagen via Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler to Ahrbrück. Rail transport in the Eifel is also saying goodbye to diesel locomotives.
Rail transport in the Ahr valley and the Eifel is to say goodbye to diesel locomotives and be fully electrified by 2028. "This is a real milestone for climate protection," said Minister President Malu Dreyer (SPD) on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Mainz. The electrification will cost about 388 million euros. Of this, the federal government is contributing 308 million, the state 80 million Euro.
"It is a good day that I can now sign these contracts," said Climate Protection and Mobility Minister Katrin Eder (Greens). And further: "Rail is the key to achieving the climate goals." Rhineland-Palatinate wants to become climate neutral in a period from 2035 to 2040. Therefore, local public transport itself must also be operated in a climate-friendly way, said Eder before the trip to the German Local Transport Day in Koblenz.
Trains should be more reliable, quieter and more punctual
The Ahrtal railway, which was severely damaged in last year's floods, is to be electrified from Remagen via Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler to Ahrbrück. The line will be double-tracked for 14 kilometres, single-tracked for twelve kilometres and over station tracks for 1.8 kilometres. The electrification of the Eifel line from Trier-Ehrang to the state border with North Rhine-Westphalia will be much larger and thus more cost-intensive. Of this, 50.1 kilometres are single-track, 21.8 kilometres are double-track and 30.6 kilometres are partially parallel station tracks.
The agreement was reached in consultation with the municipalities involved and Deutsche Bahn. The electrification makes it possible for trains to run more reliably, quietly and punctually on both lines in the future, explained Jens Bergmann of DB Netz AG. "In this way, we want to win even more people over to climate-friendly rail."
Original text: dpa
Translation: Mareike Graepel
