Approach to imminence: Green signal imminent

The Deutsche Bahn (DB) has announced plans to construct a new ICE route section between Augsburg and Ulm, with parliamentary approval for the project's planning set for autumn 2025. The Bundestag is expected to take up the matter then.

The expansion of the long-distance route between major southern German cities has been planned for decades. The Augsburg-Ulm section, however, is not yet included in the planned renovations, which extend up to 2027.

Planning and approval processes account for two-thirds of the total project duration in large railway projects. The subsequent detailed planning will determine how the construction work will be organized and carried out.

The cost estimate for the new construction project is around 5.5 billion euros, but this is not the final investment volume. The modernization of the existing line is also part of the project, which will retain its importance for regional traffic.

The ICE travel time between Augsburg and Ulm is expected to be reduced from over 40 to 26 minutes with the expansion. The route is one of the most heavily used in southern Germany, according to DB. The existing railway line, approximately 85 kilometers long, is over 170 years old.

The new high-speed line is planned to largely follow the route of the A8 motorway. This project is part of the general renovation of important railway lines in Germany, to be completed by the year 2036.

The route is part of the connection between Munich and Stuttgart and the European backbone from Paris via Vienna to Budapest. DB initiated the detailed planning for the new construction project in 2019.

After approval by the Bundestag, the work's start time, duration, and cost remain uncertain. A more accurate construction time prognosis is possible only shortly before the start of construction. The exact scheduling for more than two dozen corridors throughout Germany is still pending.

The parliamentary handling of the railway expansion project is scheduled for fall 2025, according to Deutsche Bahn AG (DB). The next steps involve design planning and planning approval procedures.