Deutsche Bahn plans new-line section Zeppelinheim–Darmstadt

The roughly 18 km long planning section 1 of the double-track new Frankfurt–Mannheim railway line runs from Zeppelinheim along the A5 motorway via Langen and Weiterstadt to the grade-separated Darmstadt North Connection, where two tracks branch off toward Darmstadt main station. Planning documents were submitted to the Federal Railway Authority in late October 2024; the formal hearing in the approval procedure is scheduled for 1–3 September 2026 in Neu-Isenburg, with construction start depending on a federal construction financing agreement still being pursued. Completion/opening is targeted for end of 2029 per the source list; the official project page states no differing date.