Katzenberg tunnel: Germany's longest railway tunnel opened!

Katzenberg tunnel: Germany's longest railway tunnel opened!

In the heart of Baden-Württemberg, the imposing Katzenberg tunnel extends, which with a length of 9,385 meters is not only Germany's longest two-tube tunnel, but also a central component of the expansion and new line from Karlsruhe to Basel. This significant building, which enables the outer transport of goods and people with a top speed of up to 250 km/h, was put into operation on December 9, 2012 after the construction work had already started in 2003. The total cost of around 610 million euros underlines the monumental dimension of this tunnel, the construction of which is a technical masterpiece. The tunnel leads between the municipalities of Bad Bellingen and Efringen-Kirchen and contributes to making rail transport more efficient and faster, such as Merkur reported.

impressive technology and planning

The Katzenberg tunnel was built as part of a larger project that aims to relieve the existing traffic and at the same time increase the capacity and speed of the Rhine Valley. Due to the tunnel, the journey time for long -distance rail transport between Freiburg and Basel is initially shortened by two minutes, with further improvements to up to 15 minutes after the entire section has been completed. This development is not only of regional, but also of international importance, since the tunnel optimizes the traffic between Germany and Switzerland thanks to its strategic situation. According to wikipedia the entire tunnel road is almost straight and runs almost 90 meters below the surface of the earth and is therefore considered technically highly developed.

In addition to its impressive length and technical sophistication, the Katzenberg tunnel has a variety of security measures. These include a modern ventilation system and regular rescue exercises to ensure that you can react immediately in emergencies. The infrastructure in the tunnel is designed for use by road vehicles, which further increases security and makes it a multifunctional traffic artery. The decision for the construction of the tunnel was made as part of an extensive planning process that took into account various route variants before the most environmentally friendly and economical solution was selected.