People in the German-Dutch border region had to wait more than a decade for this moment: At around 11.40 a.m. the first regional train rolled into the train station in Weener, East Frisia. With the special trip over the Frisian Bridge, which was destroyed and rebuilt after a shipping accident in 2015, cross-border train traffic on the railway line between Leer in East Frisia and Groningen in the Netherlands has been resumed after almost eleven years. The railway line has previously been extensively renovated.
The resumption of the connection is also a first construction phase in the realization of the so-called âWunderlineâ, which is intended to make rail travel between Groningen and Bremen faster and more comfortable in the future. Trains are scheduled to run again on the Leer-Groningen route from October 5th.
Lower Saxony's Transport Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne, one of the passengers on the special trip, spoke of a "great day" at the opening ceremony. The SPD politician recalled that initial considerations had already been given in 2013 as to how the border region could grow closer together. With the launch of the âWunderlineâ we have now taken a âbig step forwardâ.
New FriesenbrĂŒcke is the largest lifting-swing bridge
Part of the railway line is the new Frisian Bridge over the Ems, which was opened last summer. According to the railway, the 335 meter long structure is the largest lifting-swing bridge for rail traffic in Europe. Since a freighter rammed and destroyed the then closed bascule bridge near Weener in 2015, the Ems crossing was interrupted for rail traffic and with it cross-border train traffic.
There had been political debates over the construction of the bridge and the modernization of the railway line for a long time. âThe fact that this exists today was very far-sighted, and it was a huge effort to get it off the ground like this,â said Philipp Nagl, CEO of the railway subsidiary Infrago. By modernizing the route, trains could now run faster than before. In addition, new barrier-free train stops were built in the towns of Bunde and Ihrhove. âSo you turned something that was a misfortune into something really great.â
Delay and increase in costs
The rail connection was originally planned to restart when the timetable changed in December 2024. However, the construction work was delayed due to frequent heavy rain and poor soil conditions. And the costs also rose significantly. At the start of construction, investments of 180 million euros were estimated - the railway now estimates the expenditure at around 250 million euros. The group cites significantly increased construction prices, delivery bottlenecks and an increased construction volume due to the difficult ground conditions.
The launch of the âWunderlineâ celebrates a connection that is coming back to life âafter a long and stressful interruption,â said RenĂ© Paas, the Dutch kingâs commissioner in the province of Groningen. âEverything is in order again, the sleepers are in perfect condition, the rails are shiny, the timetable is set.â The cross-border connection benefits employees, students, tourists and families. âJust buy a ticket, get on and visit the neighbors. âSo international exchange and cooperation are no longer something distant, but rather something that you can easily live every day,â said Paas.
DB Infrago and the Dutch infrastructure operator Prorail worked on the modernization of the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, around 18 kilometers of tracks, 5 switches and 19 culverts, bridges and underpasses have been renewed on the German side since 2023.
What will change for train travelers
The âWunderlineâ is expected to shorten the travel time for travelers between Bremen and Groningen to under 2:30 hours in the first expansion stage. After the second expansion stage, the travel time should be less than 2:15 hours. Before the route was interrupted, the travel time was 2:43 hours.
For now, travelers still have to be patient. According to the timetable between Groningen and Leer, most journeys on weekdays require a change in Winschoten. According to the province of Groningen, this is due to a speed limit at Hardegarijp in the Netherlands.
When will the second expansion stage come?
The Pro Bahn passenger association welcomes the fact that trains are now running again between Groningen and Leer. However, the association is also disappointed that the second expansion step of the âWunderlineâ has not yet progressed. In the second construction phase, among other things, it is planned to expand the existing railway line to two lanes in the sections between the German-Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde (Leer district) and Augustfehn (Ammerland district).
âWhen the so-called second construction phase will come, which would bring urgently needed infrastructural improvements, is still unclear,â said state chairman Malte Diehl in a statement. âMoney is so tight that even small improvements such as a meeting place in Weener had to be canceled. This creates an approximately 18 kilometer long single-track section between Neuschanz and Ihrhove, which is likely to cause delays in daily operations.
