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.
- “Hamburg/Hanover Quality Initiative.” The detour routes remain severely congested. On July 1, 2026, the situation escalated during the afternoon. Due to severely congested infrastructure and various disruptions, there were massive delays and temporary stoppages that affected the entire Northern and Central Regional Areas. Freight rail traffic has come to a near standstill.
- This situation continues, and in fact has worsened. As announced yesterday, it was expected that the situation would improve within 24 hours, provided there were no further obstacles.
- Last night, there were further signal and track disruptions that prevented train service from running smoothly. As a result, sidings and storage tracks throughout the country remain occupied by trains that have not been able to move since yesterday’s disruptions.
- These events caused serious problems at the Knotel Kassel interchange, leading to massive traffic congestion.
- An assessment will now be conducted to determine whether various construction projects scheduled for tonight can be postponed, as they would cause further problems.
- Dispositive inflow control in Hamburg has remained in effect without change since March 10, 2026. Trains are sometimes denied access to the Hamburg rail network.
- Dispositive inflow control in Bremerhaven has remained in effect without change since May 10, 2026. Trains are sometimes denied access to the Bremerhaven rail network.
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.
- Last-minute update regarding another construction project that will significantly impact travel times. We were notified after the agreed-upon deadlines about a construction project in Fulda, one of the main routes we use. The construction project will take place in two phases. The so-called “Nordkopf” will be closed from June 26, 2026, to July 10, 2026. A detour is available for traffic, but significant delays are expected along the route.
- During the second phase, the “Südkopf” section will be closed from July 11, 2026, to July 30, 2026. There is currently no satisfactory alternative; of the approximately 200 trains affected, about 50% are expected to be canceled. Furthermore, the approved trains do not align with each other. An appeal has been filed regarding this matter. The outcome is still uncertain. Nearly all services are affected.
- We also informed you of this separately in our letter dated June 18, 2026. Further information regarding possible additional costs will follow as soon as possible.
- Long-term construction work between Nuremberg – Regensburg – Passau from February 6, 2026 to December 15, 2026. During this period, there will be two different diversions with adjusted train lengths:
- February 6 – June 12 -> 620 m via Landshut / Plattling -> 23 cars
- June 12 – July 11 -> 590 m via Salzburg -> 22 cars
- July 12 – September 16 -> 620 m via Landshut/Plattling -> 23 cars
- September 16 – timetable change -> 590 m via Salzburg -> 22 cars
- Due to the longer distance and increased utilization of the alternative routes, delays are to be expected. 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.
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