Fehmarnbelt rail link delayed, possibly until end of 2032

The roughly 88 km rail link between Lübeck and Puttgarden comprises 55 km of new line and 33 km of upgraded existing line, including electrification and noise protection, and is meant to cut the Hamburg–Copenhagen journey to about 2.5 hours. Construction officially began on Fehmarn on 7 December 2023; planning approval for section 6 followed on 18 March 2024. The line was originally due to be completed in 2029 together with the tunnel; on 23 July 2025 DB informed the Federal Transport Ministry that this date cannot be met, and the Federal Railway Authority considers a delay until the end of 2032 possible (Wikipedia; project site anbindung-fbq.de). Update (24 Feb 2026): According to DB InfraGO, implementation of the rail link for the Fehmarnbelt fixed link will slip beyond 2029, citing problems completing planning and obtaining building rights; the Danish side had said in September 2025 that opening the tunnel in 2029 was at risk. The Federal Transport Ministry is clarifying with its Danish counterpart where both sides stand and what a new, reliable target date could be; according to DB AG, Lübeck will only regain long-distance rail services once the rail link opens (reply of the federal government, 21/4158), and until 30 April 2026 three diverted Intercity pairs a day between Hamburg and Rostock still serve the city (LOK Report, 24 Feb 2026).