DB to modernise Sondershausen–Erfurt Nord line by 2030 for EUR 417 million

DB and the state of Thuringia signed an implementation and financing agreement on 24 September 2026 for the upgrade of the Erfurt–Nordhausen line; total costs are put at about EUR 417 million, with the state adding EUR 10.3 million. From 2028 to 2030 DB InfraGO will renew about 54 km between Sondershausen and Erfurt Nord: new track with roughly 62,000 sleepers and 34 points, eight electronic interlockings and ten stations with 55 cm platforms. Sondershausen–Greußen is scheduled for July 2028 to October 2029 and full commissioning for 2030; battery trains are due to run between Straußfurt and Erfurt Nord from December 2028. The date is a placeholder: only the year 2030 is given for full commissioning (LOK Report, 24 Sep 2026).