EGIM I Newsletter I Current Situation in Railtraffic I No. 07_2026

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

as a matter of routine, we would like to provide you with an overview of current and upcoming events within our rail operations. This includes information from the area of the network operator as well as information from the environment of the connected seaport terminals.

• Failure of a safety system on the high-speed line between Laatzen Ritterkamp and Hannover-Wülfel. The section of track was completely closed for several hours. Some trains were diverted, but overall there were long delays.
• Damage to the overhead line on the same high-speed line between Netze and Almstedt last night. Here, part of the overhead line was damaged by the pantograph of an ICE train. As a result, the line was closed for several hours and later partially reopened with alternating single-track traffic. This meant that, for example, trains were allowed to run from north to south for two hours and then from south to north for two hours. Here, too, all passenger trains had priority over freight trains. The disruption lasted from 11:12 p.m. on January 21, 2026, to 8:01 a.m. on January 22, 2026.
• In our newsletter No. 03_2026, we reported on a train derailment between Elze and Nordstemmen. This section of the line remains closed, which is why most train traffic is being diverted via the high-speed line mentioned in the first two points. This circumstance further exacerbates the above-mentioned disruptions.
• There are also loading delays at the Hamburg terminals.
  
  • EKOM approx. 4 hours
  • HHLA CTA approx. 7 hours
  • HHLA BUKAI approx. 8 hours
• The HPA´s dispatch control system remains in place. As a result, trains are being denied access to the Hamburg port infrastructure.
• The slow handling at the seaport terminals is also having a major impact on port transshipments. We have been familiar with the situation that trucks can only manage a limited number of trips during the day for quite some time. However, what is new is that nighttime handling is now also becoming increasingly slow. As a result, it is no longer possible to complete all planned transfers during the night. This means that capacity bottlenecks are also occurring in this area.

Due to the circumstances, delays continue to occur at the seaport and inland terminals. These delays have a significant impact on the stability and punctuality of our network. We are making daily efforts to minimize the impact on your bookings as much as possible. Our scheduling department will continue to inform you of any affected bookings on a case-by-case basis. In order to avoid incorrect tours, please check the availability of the loading units before acceptance inland or at the seaport and take our advice notes and order-related information into account.

• Ongoing construction work between Bremerhaven and Bremen. During the construction work, the line will be completely closed every weekend from Friday to Monday between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. For example ->
  • 30.01.2026 11:00 p.m. – 31.01.2026 05:00 a.m.
  • 31.01.2026 11:00 p.m. – 01.02.2026 05:00 a.m.
  • 01.02.2026 11:00 p.m. – 02.02.2026 05:00 a.m.
• So far, this measure applies from January 30, 2026, through March 2, 2026. However, it is expected that the restrictions will continue in March 2026.
• Long-term construction work between Nuremberg, Regensburg, and Passau from February 6, 2026, to December 15, 2026. During this period, there will be various diversions with different effects. Trains can only run with 20 carriages on the diversion via Salzburg and with 18 carriages on the diversion via Plattling/Landshut. Delays are to be expected due to the longer distance and increased utilization of the alternative routes. Further restrictions cannot yet be fully predicted. We will inform you separately about these. This mainly affects our services to Hungary.

For the area of seaport terminals, we would like to point out that your cooperation as a potential terminal customer is also urgently desired.

With regard to deadlines, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions. Delivery deadlines or fixed dates cannot be guaranteed. These presuppose unhindered transport conditions on rail and road.