Hamburg – Deutsche Bahn’s infrastructure arm InfraGo confirmed on 18 February 2026 that extensive bridge works on Hamburg’s Verbindungsbahn will severely curtail long-distance and regional rail traffic for more than a month. Three rail overpasses – Sternbrücke, Schanzenstraße and Holstenstraße – will be rebuilt between 27 February (22:00) and 30 March, coinciding with continued construction of the new Altona station at Diebsteich.
During the blockade, Intercity-Express and EuroCity services from southern Germany and Berlin will terminate at Hamburg-Harburg. Trains arriving from northern routes will turn around in Pinneberg until mid-March, then in Altona. Popular leisure and business routes to Kiel, Westerland (Sylt) and Cologne will see reduced frequencies, and journey times could lengthen by up to 45 minutes due to diversions.
![Major Rail Diversions Announced for Hamburg Corridor from 27 February to 30 March]()
For international travellers whose rerouted journeys may now pass through alternate Schengen hubs such as Bremen or Hannover, VisaHQ can simplify any resulting visa or transit-documentation needs. Their easy-to-use platform (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) provides quick application processing, real-time status updates and expert support—helping ensure that sudden itinerary shifts caused by the Verbindungsbahn works don’t derail compliance.
DB will overlay the affected corridor with replacement S-Bahn services and overnight bus links, but the operator is urging passengers to rebook or travel outside peak periods. Rail-freight paths have also been adjusted, raising the prospect of modal shifts to road transport and possible congestion around the port.
The works illustrate the scale of Germany’s ‘infrastructure turnaround’, for which the federal government has earmarked €45 billion through 2027. Employers with heavy travel to northern Germany should update booking tools so travellers see amended timetables and consider flying into Bremen or Hannover as alternatives during the peak construction window.
During the blockade, Intercity-Express and EuroCity services from southern Germany and Berlin will terminate at Hamburg-Harburg. Trains arriving from northern routes will turn around in Pinneberg until mid-March, then in Altona. Popular leisure and business routes to Kiel, Westerland (Sylt) and Cologne will see reduced frequencies, and journey times could lengthen by up to 45 minutes due to diversions.
For international travellers whose rerouted journeys may now pass through alternate Schengen hubs such as Bremen or Hannover, VisaHQ can simplify any resulting visa or transit-documentation needs. Their easy-to-use platform (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) provides quick application processing, real-time status updates and expert support—helping ensure that sudden itinerary shifts caused by the Verbindungsbahn works don’t derail compliance.
DB will overlay the affected corridor with replacement S-Bahn services and overnight bus links, but the operator is urging passengers to rebook or travel outside peak periods. Rail-freight paths have also been adjusted, raising the prospect of modal shifts to road transport and possible congestion around the port.
The works illustrate the scale of Germany’s ‘infrastructure turnaround’, for which the federal government has earmarked €45 billion through 2027. Employers with heavy travel to northern Germany should update booking tools so travellers see amended timetables and consider flying into Bremen or Hannover as alternatives during the peak construction window.
