Deutsche Bahn separates freight traffic at Meckelfeld near Hamburg

The Meckelfeld grade-separation structure is part of DB's larger "Knoten Hamburg" hub-capacity programme and aims to separate freight traffic between Maschen and Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg via a four-track expansion (about 4.1 km of new track, 19 switches, two ramps, over 1,000 m of new noise barriers per DB). Per DB's official FAQ (as of 09/2023), the main construction works originally planned from 2023 were postponed because an additional electronic interlocking in Harburg had to be built first (expected from 2025); preparatory works are underway, but DB stated no firm schedule for the main works had yet been fixed. The tracker list carries 30 June 2027 as the target date.