In cooperation with network operator DB InfraGo and representatives from politics and associations, German state railway DB has entered into a dialogue on the projects planned for 2027 to renew and modernise the railway network. Despite a tight budget situation, the federal government has provided the necessary funds to carry out the planned general refurbishments. The renovation of the 81 km Kinzigtalbahn railway line Fulda – Hanau was also included in the projects for 2027. The line is to be comprehensively modernised between 2024 and 2027. The general refurbishment of the Cologne – Dortmund – Hamm corridor, on the other hand, will not take place in 2027, as it is not possible to refurbish it at the same time as the Kinzigtalbahn line. However, the expansion measures for the Rhine-Ruhr-Express (RRX) will continue as planned. At the suggestion of Austrian state railway ÖBB and Italian network operator RFI, the construction work on the corridor section between Rosenheim and Salzburg has been brought forward to the first half of 2027, and the renovation of the north-south line from Munich to Rosenheim has been postponed to 2028. This is due to extensive construction work on the Brenner motorway in 2027. Overall, DB plans to completely renew and modernise the infrastructure and stations on 41 corridors in the coming years.
