The rail infrastructure of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link

The rail infrastructure
of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link
Cofunded by the European Union
Trans-Europe Network for Transport (TEN-T)
The shortest route to Scandinavia
Crossing the Fehmarn Belt without a boat is an idea that has fired people’s
imaginations since the middle of the 19th century. With only 19 kilometres
separating Scandinavia and Germany, it is the shortest Baltic Sea crossing.
This traditional maritime trade route, known as the “Baltic bird flight path”,
will now be transformed into a fixed link in the form of a tunnel. In just a
few years, the new link should be up and running, bringing with it a huge
number of benefits.
2
Faster intercity connections – the journey from Hamburg to
Copenhagen will be over an hour shorter.
Environmentally friendly transport – rail freight volumes
will increase, and the train connection for freight traffic will
be shortened by some 160 kilometres.
Tremendous potential for the region – new opportunities
will open up for tourism and business throughout the coastal
region of eastern Holstein.
The Danes are in charge of constructing the sea crossing, with an
immersed tunnel being the most likely design. The Germans will
build a rail connection from Lübeck to the Baltic coast in line
with 21st-century expectations – electrified and low-emission,
with the local population’s involvement, the latest in noise
reduction technology and minimal environmental impact.
3
Copenhagen
Roskilde
Malmo
Ringsted
Næstved
Vordingborg
Nykøbing
Rødby
Burg auf Fehmarn
Oldenburg i. H.
Neustadt i. H.
Lübeck
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The RPP application
conference is held
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Tender for the
research required
by the RPP
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Handover of the
specifications
protocol
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The state of Schleswig-­
Holstein stipulates
the need for a regional
planning procedure
(RPP)
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DB AG presents
the first results
of its preliminary
planning in Eutin
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Preliminary
planning starts on
the hinterland’s
rail connection
em
The Ministers of Transport signed the Treaty
on the Fehmarnbelt
Fixed Link between the
Federal Republic of
Germany and the
Kingdom of Denmark
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Hamburg Preparation
of documents
for the RPP
The State Treaty and
the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link
A new link in a key
European transport corridor
In September 2008, the then Ministers of Transport from
Germany and Denmark signed an agreement with the objective of constructing a fixed crossing of the Fehmarn Belt.
Engineer Gustav Kröhnke dreamed of such a connection
150 years ago: now, it will become reality.
Building a fixed link across the Baltic Sea is a project with
implications extending beyond Germany and Denmark alone.
To the EU, the link is an essential part of plans for creating
the north-south corridor of the Trans-European Transport
Networks, TEN-T, stretching from Finland to Sicily. The
Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will connect Scandinavia with
central Europe.
Berlin and Copenhagen have divided the work between them.
The Danes are in charge of the northern rail line to the Baltic
and the coast-to-coast section, while the Germans are working on the cross-border connection’s southern rail and road
infrastructure.
The link’s rail line between Lübeck and the Fehmarn Belt
Between now and 2021, Deutsche Bahn will completely upgrade and electrify the existing single-track line connecting
Lübeck and the northern coast of Fehmarn. Seven years
afterwards, train services will commence on a double-track
line to Scandinavia.
Today, some 1,000 passengers cross the Fehmarn Belt daily.
By the time the link opens, passenger numbers are forecast
to increase to 3,800 a day.
The tunnel will open in 2021. As early as that
year, more local rail services will start operating, along with more frequent and faster trains
between major cities in Scandinavia and central
Europe. The route will also reopen for freight
services, meaning that goods and products can
then be transported on the shortest and most
ecologically friendly connection to Scandinavia.
Government bodies in Denmark and Germany
forecast that a total of 78 freight and 40 passenger trains will use the fixed link daily in 2025.
Facts and figures about the current
Lübeck-Puttgarden line
Length
88 km
Type
single-track, non-electrified
Top speed
140 km/h
Average speed
< 100 km/h
Level crossings
41
Rail bridges 27
Road bridges
27
Traffic
until 1997 2025*
(by day and route)
Passenger transport
Bad Schwartau – Neustadt
19 trains 26 trains
Neustadt – Fehmarn
8 trains 8 trains
Long distance passenger transport 7 trains 11 trains
Freight transport
20 trains 39 trains
Documentation
compiled and
forwarded to
interior ministry
Schleswig-Holstein’s
state planning
authority initiates
RPP
Conclusion of
financing agreement
between DB and
Berlin government
Design and approval
planning, official
planning approval
procedure
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* Traffic forecast by German government for 2025
Construction of
first phase in line
with government
agreement (singletrack, electrified)
Construction of second
phase in line with the
State Treaty (doubletrack upgrade)
5
Environment
Emission control
Tackling noise and particulate matter with the latest technology
Rail noise emissions – in recent years,
this has become an ever-more pressing issue along rail routes. Deutsche
Bahn has set itself the target of cutting rail noise emissions by half by
2020, and the rail line to the Fehmarn
Belt Fixed Link represents a real
opportunity to make significant
advances in this field.
In the future, noise and vibrations will be tackled at
precisely the location where they are generated – where
the wheels touch the rails. A host of innovative noise
mitigation solutions are already undergoing on-track
testing (see box). Wherever these aren’t enough by
themselves, people and the environment will be protected by additional features such as noise barriers and
special soundproofed windows. Research is already underway on creating accurate “noise maps” that can be
used to identify the necessary measures. All of this work
is in line with the latest regulations and scientific studies.
Another important contribution will be made by the
electric drives of the trains operating on the line. They
are automatically good news for the environment, creating less particulate matter and absolutely no fuel exhaust
fumes. When travelling through eastern Holstein, holidaymakers and business people can also rest assured
that their trips generate no CO2.
Reopening the line to freight transport will bring with it
the chance to increase rail freight figures. This will take
pressure off motorways, reduce reliance on road haulage
and so cut fuel emissions.
Innovations for tracks – methods of reducing noise levels and sound pressure
As part of an economic stimulus package, the German government has invested EUR 100 million in innovative rail noise mitigation solutions.
Some examples:
Low noise barriers
There are many different types of low-height noise barriers, and gabion-­
based walls are one design. Gabions are wire frames filled with stones,
and they have been tested for heights between 35-75 cm above the
tops of the rails. They consist of a special core that can be made, for
example, of recycled car tyres. This absorbs sound waves and prevents them from passing through the basket of stones. Expected
noise reduction: approx. 3dB(A).
Rail support points
Ribbed baseplates or elastomers are applied to tracks on and immediately next to bridges. This reduces the transmission of vibrations
to the bridge substructure.
Rail web dampers
Rail web dampers absorb rail vibrations and help reduce the rolling
noise generated by trains.
These dampers are frequency-adjusted mass suspension systems
and can, for example, consist of two metal bodies embedded in a
surround made of elastic material. Expected rolling noise reduction:
approx. 3 dB(A).
Padded sleepers
This solution consists of applying an elastic padding to the underside of sleepers, thereby impeding the capacity of dynamically
generated vibrations to travel through the track bed. As a result,
buildings along the tracks suffer less shaking.
A total of thirteen innovations are currently being tested to assess their suitability for everyday use. The best of them will be approved for
general use and be added to the battery of technological advances DB uses for noise prevention and mitigation.
6
Flora, fauna and natural habitats
Keeping nature safe
The rail line from Lübeck to Puttgarden runs
past lakes and fenland, and it crosses nature
reserves and protected areas. The project was
planned in such a way that these natural features will stay as beautiful and appealing as
ever. Similarly, they will retain their crucial
function for the region’s plant and animal life.
Assessments and reports will cover topics
ranging from biodiversity, wildlife biology,
hydrogeology and archaeological sites. All
findings will be discussed as part of consultative processes, forums and meetings.
One thing is clear: constructing a new track will
inevitably have consequences for the environment. However, the discussions and issues surrounding the rail infrastructure of the Fehmarn
Belt Fixed Link are already being conducted
where they should be – out in the open.
0
20
Wind
40
Conversation
quite
60
Urban traffic
80
100
Freight train
Chainsaw
loud
120
140
Rock concert
Jet aircraft
painful
Potential reduction figures of the noise mitigation measures currently in testing
Noise levels of different sources of sound in dB(A)
Measure
Effect [decibels]
Measure
Effect [decibels]
Rail web damper Ò 2
Low noise barriers Ò Screening off rails Ò 3
High speed grinding Ò 3
Rail lubrication Ò 3
Under-ballast mats Ò 0
Bridge insulation Ò 6
Padded sleepers Ò 7
Gabion walls Ò 0
Friction modifier for rail brakes Ò 6–8
6 /5
7
The Fehmarn Belt region and eastern Holstein
Boosting tourism
New routes to tempt travellers
Tourism is an important part of eastern Holstein’s economy
thanks to the region’s seaside resorts, impressive coastline and
unique landscape. The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will open up a
host of new opportunities. In their book Die Feste Fehmarnbelt­
querung: Regional Entwicklungsperspektiven (“The Fehmarn Belt
Fixed Link: Regional Development Opportunities”), researchers
predict that contact and exchange between the neighbouring
nations will increase as a result of the new connection.
Growth for eastern Holstein’s tourism
The prospects are good. A survey has revealed that people in
both northern Germany and Denmark have a positive opinion
of the adjoining region as a holiday destination, so it makes
sense to create cross-border offerings and initiate joint projects
as a single region for holidaymakers. People living around the
Fehmarn Belt are optimistic for the future: over 75 per cent of
north Germans and Danes believe that the fixed link will be
good for the hospitality industry (see chart).
Number of holidaymakers in eastern Holstein
in January-November 2011
Environmentally friendly, the rail network connects the region’s
range of wonderful sights both north and south of the Fehmarn
Belt. It is also opening up the cultural riches of the major cities
of Hamburg and Copenhagen – two important urban centres
which will be closer than ever before thanks to the tunnel and
tracks linking them.
Source: Statistics office for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein,
January 2012
+ 4.2 %
Increase from 2010 to 2011
1,068,559
4.9
Average number of days spent in region
Impact of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link on tourism
Survey commissioned by Femern A/S from TNS Infratest
“Will a fixed link across the Fehmarn Belt stimulate tourism between
Germany and Denmark?”
Denmark
Germany
80
70
80
78
75
79
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
23
2010
2011
Agree
Disagree
Source: Femern Sund Bælt
8
25
20
2010
19
2011
Lübeck
People
Regional rail – faster trains, more comfort
Rail travel will change dramatically in eastern
Holstein. When finished, the electrified double-track line from Lübeck to Puttgarden will
be the last word in modern rail technology,
getting people to local and long-distance
destinations faster and with greater comfort.
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HU
Stralsund
Baltic Sea
Oldenburg i. H.
StadeE
Bremerhaven
Wilhelmshaven
CO A S T
The Netherlands
Burg
Kiel
OS
Nordenham
Oldenburg
Falster
Rødby
Fehmarn
Brunsbüttel
LE DA
Nykøbing
Baltic Sea
Cuxhaven
S
Baltic Sea
Sakskøbing
Lolland
Flensburg
Heide
EM
Sweden
Schonen
Næstved
North Sea
North Sea
Malmø
Ringsted
Odense
The full potential of the new link becomes apparent if you take a look at the entire region
around the Fehmarn Belt. Extending from
Skåne in Sweden, Zealand and Copenhagen
Westerland
to western Mecklenburg-West Pommerania
and Hamburg, it is home to no less than nine
million people. The shortest connection between Scandinavia and central Europe will
serve to bring all of them closer together.
Emden
Copenhagen
Roskilde
Kolding
E
Economy, industry, employment
A new infrastructure –
a gift to the economy
Location, location, location: the property sector’s golden rule will soon
also apply to eastern Holstein, as the connection to one of Europe’s
new main transport corridors promises to boost the local economy.
By improving the region’s link to its northern neighbours, the new
infrastructure project represents a tremendous opportunity: eastern
Holstein can become a hub for trade and business with Scandinavia.
For small and medium-sized companies, the distance to existing and
fresh markets will become shorter, firms that are already “global
players” will strengthen their standing, while new companies can
settle in the region.
According to figures from Germany’s national statistics office, Destatis,
the country is already the most important trading partner for both
Sweden and Denmark. These two nations play a similar role in Schleswig-­
Holstein’s trade balance. A new study released by Roskilde University
shows that companies in the Fehmarn Belt region expect closer coordination and cooperation between Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
Hamburg-based companies in particular assign great strategic importance to the prospect of cross-border cooperation.
A new, improved infrastructure will be a gift to the region’s economy.
It will help safeguard existing jobs and create new ones, and so be of
huge benefit to the area.
Economic forecasts for the Fehmarn Belt region – cross-border cooperation
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
Hamburg
Current situation
SchleswigHolstein
Copenhagen
region
Strategic importance
Zealand
Skåne
Period after opening
Key: 0 = not at all; 6 = very much so
The average figure for “cross-border cooperation” is currently 3, and this rating is predicted
to increase to 5 according to forecasts.
Source: joint project between Roskilde University, Green STRING Corridor and Femern A/S, 2012
10
Lübeck’s old town with schooners
Prospects and potential
Getting involved creates new opportunities
Experience shows that regional integration and cross-border cooperation
flourish only after a new connection
opens: for example, this process took a
good ten years once the Øresund Bridge
between Copenhagen and Malmö was
inaugurated. Today, however, some
20,000 people commute across the
Øresund strait for work or study, proof
of its resounding success.
Currently, we can only guess at the opportunities
the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will generate for
the region between Copenhagen and Hamburg.
It will result in a modern rail connection providing local people with an excellent transport
service that minimises noise generation and
environmental impact. At the same time, it will
boost tourism and connect the region’s economy
to a major European transport corridor. It is
crucial that everyone contributes to the process
of integration from the beginning and makes
the most of the opportunities it will bring.
Import1 and Export2 of Germany’s northern states and the Baltic region 3 in 2009 (in EUR millions)
Baltic region’s share in
state’s exports
Schleswig-Holstein
Import5,492
Export2,924
Hamburg
Import4,206
Export2,430
Denmark
Poland
Sweden
Denmark
Finland
Sweden
Poland
Russia
Denmark
Poland
Russia
Sweden
Mecklenburg-West Pommerania
Import1,364
Export1,342
Sweden
Denmark
Poland
Denmark
Poland
Finland
26.5 %
Baltic region’s share in
state’s imports
39.7 %
7.8 %
7.8 %
19.5 %
32.2 %
1 Imports from Baltic region
2 Exports from Baltic region
3 Definition of Baltic region: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia
Source: Destatis, Hamburg Institute of International Economics, 2011
Imprint
Published by
DB ProjektBau GmbH
Regionalbereich Nord
Hammerbrookstraße 44
20097 Hamburg
Germany
anbindung-fbq@deutschebahn.com
www.deutschebahn.com/fbq
Subject to change
Errors and omissions excepted
Last revised: Juli 2013
www.dbprojektbau.de
Photos
Title: Lars Brüggemann
Page 2: Femern A/S
Page 4: DB AG
Page 6: Volker Emersleben
Page 7: S. Rekate
Page 8: Ralf Gosch
Page 9: Bernd Ritschel, Bartlomiej Banaszak
Page 11: Uwe Lütjohann