Fulda–Gerstungen upgrade toward Erfurt: preferred route selected

The Fulda–Gerstungen upgrade/new-build project (part of Deutschlandtakt and FRMplus) aims to separate fast long-distance trains from slower regional and freight traffic and add capacity between Fulda and the Erfurt hub station, cutting Fulda–Erfurt travel time by at least 10 minutes. A preferred route corridor was presented to the stakeholder forum in October 2025, and a parliamentary review process was ongoing as of June 2026; the official project site does not state a track length, cost figure, or binding completion date. Per the source list, 2035 is the target year. Update (29 Oct 2025): After the 14th meeting of the participation forum in Bad Hersfeld on 28 Oct 2025, preferred alignment V1 is set: the new line would be about 42 km long, with roughly 26 km in tunnel. Ground investigation is complete, with 129 boreholes and over 9,500 metres drilled; an information vehicle is planned for the Hessentag in Fulda in June 2026 (LOK Report, 29 Oct 2025).