The Port of Bremen will have its shunting yard upgraded with an investment of 56,1 million euros. The facility will get seven extra tracks of 740-metre length, which is supposed to help avoid bottlenecks.
The number of tracks will be increased from 16 to 23. “With a minimum usable length of 740 meters, the new track group will meet the increasing demands of rail freight transport – for example, increasingly longer trains. The infrastructure is supplemented by modern equipment such as brake test systems, switch heating and improved track field lighting”, bremenports says.
“Bremerhaven is one of the most important port hubs in Europe. Today, more than half of the containers handled in Bremerhaven are transported by rail”, the region’s port senator Kristina Vogt explains. “The expansion and modernisation measures not only ensure the competitiveness of our ports, but also make a decisive contribution to achieving our climate goals.”
A good sign for the port
“The fact that the Senate has made this decision this year is a good signal for the port railway. This means we can complete the new track group in time for the planned general renovation of the Deutsche Bahn high-performance corridor Bremen – Bremerhaven in order to avoid possible bottlenecks during the construction phase”, a representative of bremenports commented.
Besides the shunting yard expansion, the infrastructure will be integrated into a “central electronic interlocking” as part of a digitalisation effort by DB InfraGO. It seeks to modernise the entire high-performance corridor between Bremen-Burg and Bremerhaven, improving efficiency and reliability. “This is a logical step, especially after the complete conversion of the port railway to the digital port railway operating system Prinos this year,” the port’s representative concluded.