New signal box controls Wörth–Germersheim–Speyer line

On the 41 km Wörth–Germersheim–Speyer line, seven old signal boxes (including Germany's largest still-operating mechanical signal box, in Wörth) were replaced by a new central electronic signal box (ESTW) in Germersheim; 346 km of cable were laid and 283 signals, 182 supplementary indicators, 111 point machines and 40 level crossings were renewed. Operational commissioning took place on 10 December 2022 (official ceremony on 12 December 2022 with the federal transport minister and DB's CEO). The project is one of seven schemes under the nationwide "Schnellläuferprogramm" for signalling digitalisation (€500m in federal funding for all seven projects combined); following commissioning, rail replacement buses continued into spring 2023 on the connecting Wörth–Lauterbourg branch while level-crossing work was completed.