Replacement transport service for general overhaul to commence on Friday
DB InfraGo AG will completely close and renovate the railway line between Berlin and Hamburg between 1 August 2025 and 30 April 2026. This general renovation requires long-distance and freight traffic to be diverted on a large scale, with priority given to these services over local traffic. Consequently, local transport services in the Altmark region and neighbouring Prignitz will be reduced, despite no construction work taking place there. This severe disruption is a direct consequence of the long-awaited expansion of the Stendal–Uelzen line to continuous double tracking. The state of Saxony-Anhalt and NASA GmbH have entered into a framework agreement with DB InfraGo AG to mitigate the consequences for local transport passengers by offering extensive replacement services.
These replacement services will be in operation all day from 1 August, running alongside the remaining train services to minimise disruption following the restrictions. Train services on the Osterburg–Wittenberge (S1) line will be suspended from around 7 p.m. on Friday. From the start of operations on Saturday (2 August), the RE 20 between Stendal and Uelzen will only run on a limited basis.
Schönebeck Bad Salzelmen – Magdeburg – Stendal – Salzwedel (– Uelzen) line (RE 20)
The hourly RE 20 service remains unchanged only between Schönebeck and Bad Salzelmen, and between Stendal and Salzwedel. From Stendal, trains will run every two hours, stopping at all stations on the way to Salzwedel, or will run every two hours from Salzwedel to Stendal and on to Schönebeck. In addition to this, it will be possible to travel between Salzwedel and Stendal with a connection to Magdeburg on diverted ICE trains. Due to the high occupancy rates expected by DB Fernverkehr AG, local transport tickets will not be accepted on these trains.
Local trains will also offer an additional hourly service, providing a continuous RE service from Magdeburg via the S-Bahn to Stendal. From there, there will be a rail replacement service to Hohenwulsch (line RE20A), followed by a train to Salzwedel (same in the opposite direction).
Salzwedel–Uelzen section
Only one local train operates on this section of the route per day: from Magdeburg to Uelzen at 8.42pm (arriving at 10.47pm), and from Uelzen to Magdeburg at 11.02pm (arriving at 12.47am). Following the trains departing from/arriving in Salzwedel, buses run hourly with all stops between Uelzen and Salzwedel (line RE20B). Additionally, following the direct trains that run every two hours between Magdeburg and Salzwedel, express buses run without stopping to Uelzen (line RE20X). These connect to ICE trains to/from Hamburg at Uelzen, with a transfer time of approximately 15 minutes. For passengers using local transport, the journey time from Stendal/Salzwedel to Lüneburg/Hamburg will be extended by approximately one hour.
Route: Magdeburg – Stendal – Wittenberge (S1).
Due to construction work at Wittenberge station, trains on line S1 can only run as far as Osterburg. Between Osterburg and Wittenberge, as well as on to Perleberg and the Quitzow bus hub, replacement bus line T is in operation. The S1 line and the T replacement bus service run hourly every day.
Passengers travelling to Prignitz can connect to buses and trains in Wittenberge and Perleberg. Connections to Ludwigslust, Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are available at the Quitzow bus hub.
For travellers from the northern Altmark region to Berlin, travelling via Stendal is generally more convenient than travelling via Wittenberge during the construction period. Two express buses tailored to the needs of commuters run between Wittenberge and Stendal without any stops from Monday to Friday, departing at 05:28 and 17:28 from Wittenberge and at 06:40 and 18:25 from Stendal.
The Stendal–Rathenow–Berlin route (RE4, replacement service RB34)
Due to additional diverted train services, trains on the RE4 line will depart from Stendal approximately 10–15 minutes earlier than the regular timetable, or arrive in Stendal approximately 10–15 minutes later. During the Schönhausen construction period, replacement buses for the RB 34 line will also serve the Wendestelle stop, providing a connection between Havelberg and Rathenow, and vice versa.
Havelberg and Elbe-Havel-Winkel
During the construction period, trains will not stop at Glöwen station due to the closure of the Hamburg–Berlin line. A replacement bus service will run hourly between the Perleberg-Quitzow bus hub and Kyritz, via Wittenberge and Havelberg. Havelberg has a direct connection to this replacement line at the Wasserturm bus station. For journeys within Prignitz and towards Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, passengers can use this line, which also provides a connection between Havelberg and Glöwen. Consequently, line 900 between Havelberg and Glöwen, which usually operates as a feeder service to Glöwen station, will not be in service during the construction period. In Kyritz, Wittenberge and Perleberg-Quitzow, there are connections to other replacement bus services.
During the construction period, journeys to Berlin are more convenient via Rathenow. During this time, line 900 will also stop at Schönhausen Wendestelle, in addition to Schönhausen Bahnhof, where you can connect to the rail replacement service to Rathenow and vice versa.
Bicycle transport:
Within Saxony-Anhalt, bicycles can be transported on replacement services to a limited extent, depending on available space. Due to limited capacity on buses, alternative methods of transporting bicycles should be considered.