Deutsche Bahn and the German federal government have signed an agreement for the double-track expansion and electrification of the Cottbus–Görlitz route.
This project aims to deliver shorter travel times, more capacity, and better connections to the capital region.

The agreement was signed alongside agreements to advance nine other projects in Germany’s coal region.
Federal Minister Volker Wissing said:Structural change in the name of climate protection requires concrete offers and perspectives for the regions most affected by the change. The Federal Government is therefore supporting structural change in the former coal mining regions with up to 40 billion euros. The transport projects that are financed from this are important in order to bring new companies, new jobs and thus new perspectives and opportunities to the region. The expansion and electrification between Cottbus and Görlitz is a great example of this and an important project for Lusatia.
In addition to the expansion of the Cottbus–Görlitz route, an agreement has also been signed to transform the 44-kilometre-long northern section of railway between Bad Lausick and Geithain on the Leipzig-Chemnitz line.
This line will also be electrified and expanded to two tracks.
DB CEO Richard Lutz said:The coal is going, the railway is coming! We are now continuing what we have already achieved with the new ICE plant in Cottbus together with the federal and state governments. The electrification and double-track expansion of the Cottbus-Görlitz route will create a piece of strong rail that will connect the region with the metropolis of Berlin and its Polish neighbours. With this and the other expansion projects, the planning of which we are now immediately starting, we are making an important contribution to a successful structural change in the country. People, the climate and the economy will all benefit from this.