Construction work paralyzes rail traffic: Commuters have to expect long detours!

Construction work paralyzes rail traffic: Commuters have to expect long detours!

A dramatic change for rail travelers! The rapid transit line between Ludwigslust and Wittenberge is closed until mid-December due to construction work. But that's just the beginning! From August 2025, the Hamburg-Berlin route will be closed for a full eight months - a catastrophe for commuters and travelers from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania!

The transport company MV (VMV) has presented an extensive replacement transport program that is testing travelers' patience. Buses will take travelers from Hagenow, Ludwigslust and Parchim to a temporary transfer bus station in Quitzow, where they will have to change to other buses. “Buses cannot keep up with train travel times,” warns VMV chief traffic planner Carsten Werfel. Replacement buses are also available for Hamburg travelers from MV, which stop in Hamburg to change to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn - but here too, passengers must expect longer travel times.

Luxury buses in use

The railway promises to use high-quality, barrier-free buses with WiFi and storage space for luggage. These new vehicles in eye-catching traffic purple are intended to offer travelers orientation. The million-dollar order for these buses went to the Augsburg company ecoVista.

But that's not all! The rail route is also being diverted: traffic to Hamburg is routed via Bad Kleinen and Lübeck, where diesel locomotives pull four double-decker cars with up to 500 seats every hour. The platforms in Grevesmühlen and Herrenburg must be extended for this. The direct connection from Schwerin to Ludwigslust is interrupted in Schwerin-Süd, which increases the travel time by up to an hour and a half.

Operation on the rail network

The upcoming construction work is an “open heart operation” for the German rail network, according to VMV expert Werfel. The 280 kilometer long route will be completely renovated, including tracks, switches and bridges. This unprecedented construction project affects up to 30,000 passengers every day - one of the most frequently used connections in German long-distance transport!

But the costs are enormous! The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has to bear half of the costs for the replacement traffic, which amounts to twelve million euros for the traffic from Bad Kleinen to Lübeck alone. This additional expenditure will not come at the expense of other regional routes, but the money for expanding services will be gone!