Main line for Europe

Planned high-speed railway axis Paris-Bratislava

New LGV Est européenne line near Meuse station

The Magistrale for Europe ( TEN project 17) is an EU project for the creation of a railway - high speed axis between Paris and Budapest / Bratislava .

The initiative was founded in 1990 by cities, regions, chambers of industry and commerce along the Paris – Budapest rail axis - with the aim of rapidly modernizing this connection.

The European Commission included the Magistrale in 1995 as project 17 in the planning for the TEN and appointed the Hungarian Péter Balázs on July 20, 2005 as EU coordinator. The expansion into a high-performance connection is also an essential prerequisite for the rapid economic, political and cultural integration of Eastern and Western Europe. The project aims to connect around 34 million EU citizens in five EU countries along an approximately 1500 km long axis by 2019/20.

Current traffic situation

Since the end of the 1990s the Budapest – Vienna section of the Orient Express was discontinued, no more trains have run on the entire route. However, there are connections with which you can cover the entire route with a single change. From Paris you can only get to Stuttgart and in the evening to Munich with the TGV (since December 2007). There are five direct connections from Munich to Budapest, which are served by ÖBB railjets (RJ) and the EN 463 Kálmán Imre .

France France		Germany Germany		Austria Austria		Slovakia Slovakia
France France		Germany Germany		Austria Austria		Hungary Hungary
Paris - Strasbourg	-	Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Ulm - Augsburg - Munich	-	Salzburg - Linz - St. Pölten - Vienna	-	Bratislava
Paris - Strasbourg	-	Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Ulm - Augsburg - Munich	-	Salzburg - Linz - St. Pölten - Vienna	-	Győr - Budapest

Expansion / route sections

France

TGV at Paris Est station

Realized second section of the LGV Est européenne

Converted Strasbourg train station

In France, the LGV Est européenne was built between Paris and Strasbourg. The first section to Baudrecourt (east of Metz) was inaugurated in March 2007 and opened for train traffic on June 10, 2007. The route is planned to be driven at up to 320 km / h. This reduced the travel time by 1:50 hours to 2:20 hours from Paris Est to Strasbourg .

The second expansion stage to Vendenheim near Strasbourg brought another half an hour of travel time savings. This 106-kilometer section of the route cost around two billion euros and was opened on July 3, 2016. Furthermore, the Strasbourg station was rebuilt for the new high-speed line .

Germany

On the German side, various new and expansion projects are included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan , but existing routes are also used.

Strasbourg – Stuttgart

First of all, as part of POS Süd, Strasbourg will be connected to the Rhine Valley Railway via the Europabahn ( Kehl - Appenweier ) , with the connection being expanded for speeds of up to 200 km / h. This project includes, in particular, the renovation of the Kehl Rhine Bridge, which was carried out in 2010, as well as a level-free threading onto the Rhine Valley Railway. Between Appenweier and Rastatt , the Rhine Valley Railway has already been upgraded to four tracks for up to 250 km / h as part of the new and expansion project Karlsruhe – Basel . The new line through the Rastatt tunnel is to be continued until 2025 .

North of Bruchsal, the Mannheim – Stuttgart high-speed line, which went into operation in 1991 (280 km / h), is switched to.

As part of the Stuttgart 21 project , today's Stuttgart terminus is being converted into a through station . Among other things, the inflow from Karlsruhe will be shortened by 1.5 kilometers or two minutes of travel time. The first stage of the expansion project is scheduled to go into operation in 2025. This project is controversial , but a majority of citizens have voted for it.

Stuttgart – Munich

The new Stuttgart – Wendlingen line (as part of Stuttgart 21 ) and the new Wendlingen – Ulm line are under construction from Stuttgart in the direction of Ulm . The routes, designed for a speed of 250 km / h, should bring about a 25-minute gain in travel time compared to the current route on the Filstalbahn .

You can drive up to 200 km / h between Ulm and Augsburg . The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 contains an upgraded and new line in the Neu-Ulm - Günzburg - Jettingen - Dinkelscherben corridor for a maximum speed of 250 km / h as well as the construction of a third track between Dinkelscherben and Augsburg for a maximum speed of 200 km / h. H. The four-track expansion of the Augsburg – Munich section for 230 km / h was officially opened on December 10, 2011.

In Munich , a double-track expansion of the Landsberger Straße junction is planned, which could bypass the main train station for some trains and go directly from Munich-Pasing to the Ostbahnhof . This route was already used by the EN Orient Express from Strasbourg to Vienna until the 2010 timetable change . Today the EuroCity runs to Klagenfurt on this route without stopping at Munich Central Station.

Similar to Stuttgart 21 , the plan was to make Munich Central Station a through station. However, these plans under the project name Munich 21 were dropped in 2002. Only a tunnel for regional trains under Munich's old town between Munich Hauptbahnhof and Munich Ostbahnhof is still part of the city of Munich's medium to long-term expansion program .

Munich – Salzburg

Between Munich Ostbahnhof and Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, the line is to be routed via Mühldorf am Inn , with an upgraded line that enables a maximum speed of up to 200 km / h (project upgrade 38). The expansion plans include the continuous dual track and electrification of the line to Freilassing. Due to the shorter route length, around 10 minutes can be saved compared to the current route of long-distance trains via Rosenheim.

In Freilassing , the future high-performance line meets the Rosenheim – Salzburg line . This double-track line will be extended to three tracks between Freilassing and Salzburg. In the section from Saalachbrücke ( state border DE / AT ) to Salzburg Hbf, the third track is already in operation, which accommodates the additional trains of the Salzburg S-Bahn and thus frees up capacity on the long-distance tracks.

Austria

Tunnel boring machine at the west portal of the Wienerwald tunnel

The so-called 1-2-3 scheme is to be implemented on the Western Railway in Austria between Vienna, Linz and Salzburg. This means that these cities should only be an hour apart from each other.

The route section Salzburg - Attnang-Puchheim is one of the sections that can still be driven at very low speeds of sometimes only 100 km / h. So far, there are only rough expansion plans for a new line to Straßwalchen, which runs largely in the tunnel. A rough plan by the ÖBB provides for a possible start of construction by 2026, so that the opening of this railway line is not expected before 2030.

As part of the expansion of the Westbahn, the double-track Alte Westbahn between Attnang-Puchheim and Wels was brought to a high performance level and has been able to travel at speeds of up to 230 km / h since October 2012. The existing line between Wels and St. Pölten has already been renewed and raised to a high-performance level. In the section from Linz to St. Pölten, a second double-track line was built close to the existing structure, the so-called New West Railway , which enables it to be driven at a maximum speed of 250 km / h. The new western line from St. Pölten to Vienna was designed for a top speed of 250 km / h and is an important part of the expansion to the four-track western line between Wels and Vienna. The new line runs through the Perschling tunnel chain into the Tullnerfeld and on through the Wienerwaldtunnel to Vienna, where it meets the Alte Westbahn again. A four-track rail service between Linz and Vienna has been in operation since December 2012.

In Vienna, the new Vienna Central Station was built on the site of the Vienna Südbahnhof terminus, which was demolished in 2010 . This is connected to the Westbahn by the Lainzer Tunnel , which means that trains from west to east can travel through Vienna without falling . This connection has been available since the main station went into operation in December 2012.

The Austrian Eastern Railway runs from Vienna to Budapest or Bratislava . There were expansion plans for the connection between Vienna and Bratislava via the Götzendorfer Spange , which was to be rebuilt and would have enabled a connection to Vienna Airport . In April 2015 it was announced that the Götzendorfer Spange will no longer be tracked and instead a route along the east A4 motorway via Bruck an der Leitha is being planned.

An alternative connection from Vienna to Bratislava is via the Marchegger Ostbahn . The current single-track line is not electrified. In September 2016, work began on the electrification and the two-track expansion in sections. The measure is expected to cost 505 million euros and be completed in 2023. A journey from Vienna to Bratislava will then take 40 instead of the current 65 minutes.

Hungary / Slovakia

East of Vienna, the main line branches into a northern branch to Bratislava , which reaches the Slovak capital at Petržalka station , and a southern branch, which leads via Győr to Budapest . An additional expansion of the route in Hungary, which has already been largely upgraded for 160 km / h, is not planned

Route

section	Route length	Installation	Travel time ¹ Average speed
section	Route length	Installation	before 2007	current	planned
Paris – Strasbourg	476 km	Paris – Baudrecourt in operation since 2007	237 min 120 km / h	110 min. 260 km / h	110 min. 260 km / h
Paris – Strasbourg	476 km	Baudrecourt – Vendenheim since 2016	237 min 120 km / h	110 min. 260 km / h	110 min. 260 km / h
Strasbourg – Karlsruhe	081 km	2010	54 min 90 km / h	38 min 128 km / h	36 min 135 km / h
Karlsruhe – Stuttgart	090 km	in operation	61 min 89 km / h	35 min 154 km / h	35 min 154 km / h
Stuttgart – Ulm	094 km currently	End of 2022	54 min 104 km / h	54 min 104 km / h	28 min 174 km / h
Stuttgart – Ulm	081 km new	End of 2022	54 min 104 km / h	54 min 104 km / h	28 min 174 km / h
Ulm – Augsburg	086 km	~ 2030	41 min 126 km / h	41 min 126 km / h	30 min 172 km / h
Augsburg – Munich	061 km	unknown	37 min 99 km / h	29 min 126 km / h	26 min. 141 km / h
Munich – Salzburg	153 km	Munich – Freilassing from 2015	87 min 106 km / h	87 min 106 km / h	74 min 121 km / h
Munich – Salzburg	153 km	Freilassing – Salzburg since 2009	87 min 106 km / h	87 min 106 km / h	74 min 121 km / h
Salzburg – Linz	127 km	Salzburg – Attnang-Puchheim from 2013		67 min 114 km / h	60 min. 127 km / h
		Attnang-Puchheim-Wels from 2012
		Wels – Linz from 2015
Linz – St. Pölten	130 km	2015	50 min 156 km / h	50 min 156 km / h	45 min 173 km / h
St. Pölten – Vienna	060 km	2012	40 min 90 km / h	25 min 144 km / h	25 min 144 km / h
Vienna – Budapest	263 km		175 min 90 km / h	175 min 90 km / h	175 min 90 km / h
Vienna – Bratislava	065 km north line	2011		57 min 68 km / h	35 min 111 km / h
Vienna – Bratislava	080 km south line	2013			55 min 87 km / h
Total ¹
Paris – Budapest	1592 km			812 min (13:29 h) ²	634 min (10:34 h) ²
Paris – Bratislava (north line)	1394 km			685 min (11:25 h) ^{2 3}	488 min (8:08 h) ²
Paris – Bratislava (south line)	1409 km				508 min (8:28 h) ²
Paris – Munich	0875 km		484 min (8:04 h) ²	358 min (5:58 h)	278 min (4:38 h)
Paris – Vienna	1345 km		728 min (12:08 h)	536 min (8:56 h) ²	470 min (7:50 h)

Notes:
¹ The fastest way to travel between cities is indicated.
² Due to waiting times and one or more transfers, the actual travel time is significantly longer.
³ The transfer time between the terminus at Wien Westbahnhof and Wien Südbahnhof was not included in the calculation. With the construction of the Lainzer Tunnel and Vienna Central Station , there is no longer any need to change trains.

reception

The concept of the Magistrale for Europe was also the subject of the arbitration at Stuttgart 21 . In October 2006, the Stuttgarter Zeitung published a report on a train journey from Paris to Bratislava under the title "The many hours to Petrzalka".

support

Various interest groups and initiatives support the "Magistrale für Europa":

In Germany , the "Magistrale für Europa" initiative was founded under the direction of the former Lord Mayor of Karlsruhe , Heinz Fenrich .
In France there is the “Association TGV Est-Européen”, which is headed by the former mayor of Strasbourg , Fabienne Keller .

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Financing agreement for the 2nd phase of LGV Est signed ( memento of October 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ). Report on Eurailpress dated September 3, 2009, last accessed on February 7, 2010
↑ Rastatter Tunnel: Project will be more expensive and will be finished later. In: swr.de. August 7, 2019, accessed August 7, 2019 .
↑ Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgart Germany: Problems with the new infrastructure: Stuttgart 21 is gradually going into operation. Retrieved April 1, 2020 .
↑ Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030
↑ A fireworks display for the “racetrack” ( Memento from January 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Article on the opening ceremony of the expanded Augsburg – Munich section, accessed on December 10, 2012
↑ Upgraded route 38 Munich - Mühldorf - Freilassing - upgraded route 38.Retrieved on April 1, 2020 .
↑ Goal: Better connections - upgraded route 38. Accessed April 1, 2020 .
↑ Expansion of Köstendorf – Salzburg - all about planning. Retrieved April 1, 2020 .
^ ÖBB-Spange: Fix: Götzendorfer Trasse from the table. NÖN.at , accessed on April 8, 2015 .
↑ Excitement about a new railway line. NÖN.at, accessed on April 8, 2015 .
^ "Vienna-Bratislava in 40 minutes" , communication from the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology
^ Annual report 2006/07 by Péter Balázs
↑ 2010-11-04_Wortprotokoll.pdf Arbitration procedure for Stuttgart 21, Stuttgart, November 4, 2010, stenographic protocol
↑ Stuttgarter Zeitung, October 13, 2006, page 36

[1] Financing agreement for the 2nd phase of LGV Est signed ( memento of October 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive ). Report on Eurailpress dated September 3, 2009, last accessed on February 7, 2010

[swr-2019-08-07-2] Rastatter Tunnel: Project will be more expensive and will be finished later. In: swr.de. August 7, 2019, accessed August 7, 2019 .

[3] Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgart Germany: Problems with the new infrastructure: Stuttgart 21 is gradually going into operation. Retrieved April 1, 2020 .

[4] Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030

[5] A fireworks display for the “racetrack” ( Memento from January 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Article on the opening ceremony of the expanded Augsburg – Munich section, accessed on December 10, 2012

[6] Upgraded route 38 Munich - Mühldorf - Freilassing - upgraded route 38.Retrieved on April 1, 2020 .

[7] Goal: Better connections - upgraded route 38. Accessed April 1, 2020 .

[8] Expansion of Köstendorf – Salzburg - all about planning. Retrieved April 1, 2020 .

[9] ÖBB-Spange: Fix: Götzendorfer Trasse from the table. NÖN.at , accessed on April 8, 2015 .

[10] Excitement about a new railway line. NÖN.at, accessed on April 8, 2015 .

[11] "Vienna-Bratislava in 40 minutes" , communication from the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology

[12] Annual report 2006/07 by Péter Balázs

[13] 2010-11-04_Wortprotokoll.pdf Arbitration procedure for Stuttgart 21, Stuttgart, November 4, 2010, stenographic protocol

[14] Stuttgarter Zeitung, October 13, 2006, page 36