Nuremberg-Bayreuth railway line: Pegnitztal route open again from the start of school

Train travelers and commuters between Nuremberg and Bayreuth will soon be able to take the train again - and no longer have to switch to the bus: The route through the Pegnitztal will be completely passable again at the start of the new school year, as Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced. The trains will run again from September 14th.

Review: About a year ago, passengers were surprised to hear that 18 bridges in the Pegnitztal between Hersbruck and Pegnitz were badly damaged and the route had to be closed. For many commuters, day trippers and school students it was now a case of a replacement bus instead of a train.

What about electrification?

According to the railway, the bridges were repaired during the months of closure. “Among other things, the joints in the buildings were renewed and grouted, loose masonry stones on the bridges were reinforced with needles and anchors, and cracks in the masonry were sealed and grouted in order to stabilize the respective building structure,” said the DB. The measures cost around nine million euros. A section was initially reopened in May, and now the entire route through the Pegnitztal follows.

“The railway is ready for the start of school, but there is still homework left,” said Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU). The historic steel bridges would now have to be closely monitored. “It must not happen again that the railway is surprised overnight by a poor bridge condition and there are short-term closures.”

The 18 bridges are to be completely renovated in the coming years. At the same time, there has been a discussion about the electrification of the route for decades: electric locomotives can already run from Saxony to Hof in the north, while trains in the south to Nuremberg still have to run on diesel. However, there are currently no concrete planning steps for modernizing the route.