The Riedbahn, one of Germany’s most strongly frequented railway lines, connects Mannheim and Frankfurt am Main and is licensed for speeds up to 200 km/h. With over 300 trains running on the track per day and a degree of capacity utilisation of up to 150 %, the corridor is continuously strained and has become prone to disturbances over time. For this reason, Deutsche Bahn has chosen the Riedbahn as a first corridor project, in order to put into practice their new concept of basic renovation together with several participating construction companies.
The corridor project Riedbahn wasn’t only the beginning of an unseen modernisation project, but it’s also the feasibility test for a new approach to large projects. The performances, which would have required a construction period of several years, if carried out according to the traditional shutdown method, were carried out in only five months.
Project information
- Customer:
- DB InfraGo
- Construction period:
- 5 months (main construction period)
- Year of construction:
- 2023 – 2024
- Involved divisions:
-
Railway technology
Construction engineering
Track construction
Track construction machines
Project management infrastructure projects
Scope of the project and technical execution
LEONHARD WEISS already started in 2021 with the IECC project for the realisation of new control centre technology between Mannheim and Frankfurt am Main. Simultaneously the complete renovation started in 2024, including the renovation of the tracks, catenaries, points, noise protection walls and stations. The installation of new electronic control centres and of the modern train control system ETCS were also part of the project.
Challenges and performances
The complete renovation was carried out during only five months of complete shutdown. During the main shutdown period and preliminary construction works, 117 kilometres of tracks, 140 km of catenaries, 152 points and almost 16 km of noise protection walls were built. The extremely high time pressure and the strong media savvy of the project were new challenges for the team. Especially the construction of the noise protection walls was very challenging due to the very narrow space and the congested use of the tracks due to the simultaneous works in the area of the tracks. This required a sophisticated overall concept, to which all project partners and persons responsible for interfaces contributed with their diversified expertise. The core of this concept was the use of various technologies, which offered two solutions for the erection of the noise protection walls and which were respectively put to use according to the local conditions.
In autumn 2023, the project teams equipped large areas for construction site equipment and carried out measures for the preparation of the main shutdown interval. During a first short shutdown interval in January 2024, technical processes were tested and optimised, in order to guarantee a smooth realisation. This included the renovation of the tracks, catenary works and driven casing pipe foundations for noise protection walls.
Cooperation and logistics
LEONHARD WEISS carried out this project in a joint venture. The works were executed in close coordination and partially simultaneously, in order to ensure an efficient roll-out. The range of performances included track construction, railway technology, road construction and underground engineering, building renovation and others. Over 950 LEONHARD WEISS employees participated in the project.
After the extensive renovations had been terminated, operating disturbances on the line were reduced and many passengers benefit from the handicapped-accessible stations and a modern infrastructure. During the complete renovation of the Riedbahn, LEONHARD WEISS could demonstrate the diversity of our services and force of innovation in the field of infrastructure projects and successfully achieve a new level of complexity for projects.
The two Riedbahn projects, namely the basic renovation and IECC involved extreme challenges in the field of logistics during an extremely limited period of time. The teams of LEONHARD WEISS and the other project participants have proven their strong expertise and power under very close attention of the media on the national scale. An extraordinary number of divisions have worked hand in hand once again and thus mastered the challenges.
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