Deutsche Bahn has begun constructing a new freight rail line in south-west Germany designed to increase capacity on one of Europe’s busiest north–south transport routes and relieve pressure on the existing Rhine Valley Railway.
The project runs along the A5 motorway corridor between Offenburg and Müllheim in the Markgräflerland region, passing Freiburg. It forms part of the wider Karlsruhe–Basel route and the Rotterdam–Genoa European freight corridor, which links major ports in the Netherlands with northern Italy.
Together with the existing Rhine Valley Railway, the expansion will provide four tracks in total along sections of the corridor, compared with the current two. Freight services will be progressively shifted onto the new alignment, allowing more capacity for regional and long-distance passenger services on the existing line.
A key operational change is the planned diversion of freight traffic away from Freiburg and nearby communities. Deutsche Bahn estimates that this could reduce the number of freight trains passing through the city and surrounding area by around 50,000 per year, with corresponding reductions in rail noise.
The project is being delivered by Deutsche Bahn in cooperation with the German federal government and the state of Baden-Württemberg. A symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the first construction phase took place near Reute on 29 May 2026.
Dr Philipp Nagl, chief executive of DB InfraGO, said:The construction of the new freight line marks the beginning of a new chapter in the expansion of the Rhine Valley Railway, one of Europe’s most important transport arteries. We are creating more space for the growing freight traffic, strengthening passenger services, and noticeably reducing railway noise for local residents. This is a win for the environment, our passengers, and the region.
The new freight line will extend for more than 90 kilometres in total. Initial works focus on an 11-kilometre section between Riegel and March. Riegel am Kaiserstuhl and March are located in this first construction segment.
Deutsche Bahn expects construction of this section to take around six years. A completion date for the full line has not yet been set, as planning approval is still required for remaining sections.
The upgrade is intended to support freight growth on the Karlsruhe–Basel axis while improving operational separation between freight and passenger traffic along the Rhine corridor.
Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport said:With today’s groundbreaking ceremony, we are visibly advancing one of Europe’s most important rail projects. The new freight line in the Rhine Valley strengthens the European freight corridor Rotterdam – Genoa, creates more capacity for rail freight transport, and frees up space on the Rhine Valley Railway for additional local transport connections. At the same time, we are noticeably reducing noise pollution in Freiburg and the surrounding communities. This is modern transport infrastructure: efficient for the economy and climate protection, reliable for passengers, and with tangible benefits for the people living there.
