The railway company AKN Eisenbahn GmbH, developer of the S21/S5 suburban rail project, has announced that the construction period is expected to be extended until the end of 2028. The project involves extending Hamburg's suburban rail line S21, in future S5, from Eidelstedt to Kaltenkirchen in Schleswig-Holstein. Due to extended delivery times, the converter plant required for the operation of the suburban rail line cannot be completed before mid-2028, so that it is not possible to start operating the line before then. Electrification of the line for suburban rail operation also requires a complete replacement of the technology in all five signal boxes. Due to the current market situation in the construction industry, no companies could be found for the construction of the new overhead lines, leading to further delays. The updated overall project planning will be adopted by the steering committee in November 2023.
