German railway shuts key line at start of massive renovation project

Visitors to the Euro 2024 football championship, which concluded on Sunday with a win for Spain, have praised Germany's stadiums and fans - but were critical of the trains used to transport them to the games.

The state-owned German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) is hoping that the next time foreign fans descend on the country's stadiums, its massive rail line modernization plan, which started on Monday, will make the numerous train delays a thing of the past.

A total of 41 lines are set to be comprehensively modernized by 2031. This means that instead of trying to upgrade while the trains keep rolling, DB is completely closing down the lines for a more complete renovation.

The kick-off track is the route between Frankfurt and Mannheim - one of the most important railway connections in the country. It will be shut until mid-December.

More than 300 regional, long-distance and freight trains move along this stretch of tracks on a daily basis. Every seventh long-distance journey in Germany, or what amounts to 60,000 passengers, travels along this north-south stretch per day. Added to that are 16,000 daily regional passengers.

This first section of the renovation is set to cost €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) - significantly more than initially assumed. It involves installing 140 kilometres of overhead lines and 120 kilometres of track, among other improvements. Some 20 stations along the route will be modernized.

Those in the freight train business are sceptical. Their association, Die Güterbahnen, are worried about construction delays and the effect the project will have on shipments.

The group has set up a live on-line ticker that tracks the first phase of the DB project so that its members can be informed of delays and problems due to the renovations.