Rail line on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link

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1 Rail line on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link Project overview We ve got the future covered. Co-financed by the European Union Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Connecting Europe Facility

2 Von der Europäischen Union kofinanziert Transeuropäisches Verkehrsnetz (TEN-V) Fazilität Connecting Europe Timmendorfer Strand Project section 1 Planning and approval process When a project is as big as the construction of the rail line for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, procedures are put in place to ensure that everyone s needs and interests are taken into account. Planning approval procedure The planning approval procedure is a formal bureaucratic process that inspects all relevant legal factors and all objections lodged by people affected by planned construction work. During the course of this process, every aspect of the project is once again closely scrutinised to assess its impact on private and public considerations, just as in the earlier RPP. The Federal Railway Authority (FRA) is tasked with determining if Deutsche Bahn pays due attention to all of the relevant legal stipulations, above all those regarding environmental protection and noise emissions, in its project planning. The submission of documents for the individual sections began in spring Public enquiry procedure Once all of the paperwork is completed, the documents will be put on display for the public, thereby giving everyone affected by the plans the opportunity to submit formal objections in writing. The reviewing commission of the local state government is responsible for this procedure in the case of this new build and extension project the Office for Transport Planning Permission (APV), which is assigned to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Employment, Technology and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein. The reviewing commission issues a final opinion and submits this to the FRA for evaluation. Next steps In spring 2018 the planning approval documents will be submitted for the PAS 6 (Fehmarn) to the FRA. This will start the planning approval phase in the first of eight planning approval sections (PAS). The documents for sections 1 to 7 will presumably follow by early Planning permission and construction Planning permission will be granted once the planning approval procedure concludes, with tenders being drafted and awarded for the individual stages of construction work. Based on current planning, a construction period of four to five years is envisaged. PAS 8 of the new Fehmarn Sound crossing is still in the preplanning stage with the different variants. Prior to the submissions we will present the expert reports on the noise control and vibration protection to the communities in the planning area. This will allow them to plan early on for the subsequent review process.! Planfeststellungsverfahren für die Schienenanbindung der Festen Fehmarnbeltquerung Detailed information on the planning approval process is available in our separate brochure. 2

3 Project section 2 Project section 3 Project section 4 Facts and figures about the existing Lübeck-Puttgarden line Today Planned Line length 88 km 88 km Line upgrade single-track, double-track, not electrified electrified Line speed up to 140 km/h 160/200 km/h Level crossings 41 12* Rail bridges Road bridges Operating program for local public transport Today 2025 Bad Schwartau Neustadt 38 Trains 38 Trains Neustadt Fehmarn 18 Trains 18 Trains Passenger transport 12 Trains 22 Trains** Freight transport 39 Trains 78 Trains** (up to 1997) * Subject to final agreement with the link partners ** Figures based on the German transport ministry s traffic forecast for 2025 Dialogue Deutsche Bahn and government bodies (both on a municipal and state level) are dedicated to ensuring transparency in connection with the project plans. This means that key documents will be on display to the public, and ordinary citizens will also have the opportunity to discuss the issues involved. Therefore Deutsche Bahn regularly holds above and beyond the formal participation process meetings with local residents as well as the municipalities in the region. DB also hosts public events where it presents the latest information, and the company uses the internet as a platform for news as well. Early in the planning stages, the state government in Kiel set up a dialogue forum specifically for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. Deutsche Bahn has been a permanent member from the outset. Since 2016 there have also been four regional round tables, which are preparing the ground for a newly set up project advisory council. DB is represented on all committees with its experts and works together with the region to implement optimally a modern rail line. 3

4 Existing line Draft planning line Connection area Fehmarnbelt tunnel Existing station Relocation/new station Depot National motorway Main road Level crossing, rail or road bridge Project section 5 Project section 6 Connection Femern A/S Environmental protection The rail line from Lübeck to the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will run past lakes and moors, crossing nature reserves and protected areas. Whenever infrastructure projects are in planning, particular attention must be paid to environmental and wildlife protection laws. Be it on a regional, national or European level, this legislation helps safeguard flora and fauna. The planning and approval process is in tune with this objective, so it also includes a wide-ranging environmental impact study into the effects of the rail line built for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. The study looks at the impact the infrastructure project could have on people and their health, as well as the impact on animals, plants, biodiversity, soil, water, air, local climate, landscape, cultural heritage, and other property and physical objects. Potential knock-on effects between these various factors is also another topic covered by the study. One thing is clear: if the line from Bad Schwartau to the Fehmarn Belt tunnel will predominantly be a new build, there is no way of avoiding a certain level of interference with the natural environment. However, every party involved in the plans is striving to minimise the impact of the construction work and develop suitable measures to counteract its effects. Noise protection Tackling rail traffic noise along train tracks is an issue that has become increasingly important in recent years. Deutsche Bahn has together with government set itself an ambitious target: it aims to ensure that noise emission levels in 2020 are only half the corresponding figure in In this project too, the planning experts are focusing in particular on the challenges posed by noise control. Studies into noise arising from the extension and construction of the line are part of project planning. Once available, the results will be compiled and evaluated to gauge their compatibility with national laws and regulations. In addition, DB assists the region by providing cost estimates and technical assessments to support the extra-statutory call for parliamentary consultation. Good news for eastern Holstein: the trains operating on the new route will be powered entirely by electricity. This has a number of immediate implications for the environment less particulate matter, zero fuel emissions. Travelling by train from and to eastern Holstein is entirely CO2-neutral. Rail companies freight services will also provide exporters with an opportunity to transport more of their goods by train, thereby taking traffic off the road. Fewer lorries means even lower fuel emissions and fewer health risks. Further information The latest news, in-depth analyses and studies Deutsche Bahn uses the project website to make information available to anyone interested in the planning process of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link s rail line. If you have any questions or comments about the project, simply contact the team at anbindung-fbq@deutschebahn.com or +49 (0) Project website: Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure: Femern A/S: State of Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Employment, Technology and Tourism: Office for Transport Planning Permission (APV): node.html Dialogue forum for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link: Round tables: 4

5 The project and its background Turning a vision into reality A Fehmarn Belt crossing 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 in German as the Birds Flight Line, will now be transformed into a fixed link in the form of a tunnel connecting Germany and Denmark, but the impact of this gigantic project will be felt far beyond their borders. To the EU, the link is an essential part of plans for creating the northsouth corridor of the Trans-European Transport Networks stretching from Finland to Sicily. In September 2008, the Danish and German governments signed the agreement that marked the start of construction work on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. Copenhagen is in charge of building an immersed tunnel across the Baltic and connecting it to the transport network in Denmark, while Berlin is handling the construction of high-capacity rail and road links within Germany. Faster intercity connections it will be easier to travel between the major cities of Hamburg and Copenhagen, with rail journey times falling to under three hours. Environmentally friendly transport more goods will be transported by rail, the train connection for freight traffic will be shortened by some 160 kilometres, and emissions will be cut. Tremendous potential for the economy tourism and the local economy in eastern Holstein will gain new opportunities and markets within a strong Belt region. Cross-border integration the ties between the German and Danish regions on either side of the sea will be strengthened, thereby reinforcing the long-standing sense of identity shared by the inhabitants of eastern Holstein and Lolland- Falster. From Lübeck to the Fehmarnbelt tunnel Germany s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure commissioned Deutsche Bahn with planning a high-performance rail connection between Lübeck and the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. The result is to be an electrified doubletrack line built in accordance with the latest cutting-edge rail infrastructure requirements. Schleswig-Holstein s state government in Kiel knows how important it is to respect the needs, wishes and proposals of people affected by construction, so it has established a regional planning procedure (RPP) for the project. The result: instead of upgrading the existing line in two stages, the Lübeck-Puttgarden link will now mostly be built anew and bypass the region s many seaside resorts as well as other towns and villages. New build and conversion projects 26 km of noise barriers 64 bridges 7 stations 6,5 million m³ of earth moving 5 motorway links 160 km of track 55 km of new build 30 km extension of existing track 172 km of overhead line 5

6 Fehmarn Sound crossing The Fehmarn Sound separates as a narrow waterway the island of Fehmarn from the mainland. Road and rail traffic from and to Fehmarn currently runs over the approximately 960 metre long Fehmarn Sound bridge. The bridge was opened in 1963 and has two lanes for passenger cars and trucks as well as a single-track rail line. The existing bridge will no longer meet the future requirements of modern rail transport. Following extensive preliminary studies and in conjunction with the federal and regional authorities, four concepts were tendered for preliminary planning throughout Europe. All variants include a doubletrack rail line as well as a four-lane road connection and are being planned separately without any fixed expectations regarding the results: New construction of a combined bridge for road and rail New construction of two separate bridges New construction of a combined immersed tunnel New construction of a bored tunnel with at least four tubes Each concept is also examining the possibility of retaining the existing bridge for road traffic. The principal issue with the preliminary planning and one of the key criteria for the subsequent decision is the environmental compatibility study. Here extensive studies including porpoise monitoring, current measurements and amphibian counts will have to be completed on the coast and in the Sound. Publishing details Published by DB Netz AG Regionalbereich Nord Hammerbrookstrasse Hamburg Germany anbindung-fbq@deutschebahn.com Photos: DB Netz AG (title), DB AG/Volker Emersleben (p. 3), Fotolia.com/Benno Hoff (p. 5) Subject to change without notice No liability for errors or omissions Correct at April 2018