The Fehmarn Belt is stretch of the Baltic Sea between Germany and Denmark, approximately 19 kilometres from port to port. The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel, a road and rail tunnel, is currently under construction between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish Island of Lolland to provide quick and environmentally friendly link between Hamburg and Copenhagen.
Deutsche Bahn is building a new and upgraded line of around 88 kilometres between Lübeck and Fehmarn on the German side to connect the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel, which is currently under construction. The project is being realised in accordance with the rail partnership model, client and contractors working together within a partnership to ensure successful, well-integrated project execution.
Ralf Hickethier, Managing Director of SPL Powerlines Germany, states: “I am especially pleased with the order from DB InfraGO AG, as Deutsche Bahn is relying on our electrification expertise for the first time as a partner in an alliance project – after the ‘Neues Werk Cottbus’ project for which Powerlines had been commissioned as a subcontractor.”
The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel, and its connections to national rail networks, is one of the century’s pioneering projects, closing a major gap in the Trans-European rail network. Once the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel has been completed, the journey between Hamburg and Copenhagen will be cut by half – from around 5 hours today to just 2.5 hours – and providing an environmentally friendly alternative to air travel. Rail freight transport will also become much more attractive, as the route between the two cities will be around 160 km shorter than the current train route across the Great Belt.
Berthold Bartsch, CEO Powerlines Group: “Firstly, I would like to thank our client DB InfraGO AG for having placed their trust in our services for the alliance project; then to congratulate our German subsidiary on landing the order and participating in a project pioneering a stronger Trans-European rail network, ultimately ensuring more sustainable mobility for the future. The connection to the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is the largest railway electrification project we’ve implemented in Germany to date, and that in itself is an important milestone for Powerlines.”