Agreement has been reach to finance electrification of Deutsche Bahn’s Ahrtal and Eifel lines as part of repairs being undertaken following the severe flooding in July 2021 which causes the suspension of services.

The €388m agreement signed on June 14 by the Rheinland-Pfalz Ministry of Climate Protection, DB Netz and transport authority SPNV Nord includes €308m of federal funding and €80m from the Land.

The Ahrtal route from Remagen to Ahrbrück via Bad Neuenahr and Ahrweiler comprises 12 km of single track, 14 km of double track and 2 km of station tracks. The section of the Eifel route from Trier-Ehrang to the border with Nordrhein-Westfalen includes 50 km of single track, 22 km of double track and 31 km of station tracks.

‘In Rheinland-Pfalz, we have set out to become climate-neutral by 2035 and thus protect our environment’, said Minister-President Marie-Luise Dreyer. ‘In order to achieve this goal, we are tackling climate neutrality in all sectors, especially in transport.’ She anticipated that the commitment to electrification would also support long-term plans for upgrading the Eifel route from Trier to Köln.

Jens Bergmann, board member for Infrastructure Planning & Projects at DB Netz, said ‘we are not only rebuilding the old rail infrastructure, but also making the route fit for more sustainable operation’.