Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link: German Rail Connection Delayed
At the end of October 2025, German Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder and his Danish counterpart Thomas Danielsen held a joint video conference to discuss the status of construction work on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and the German rail hinterland connection.
Rail Link on the German Side To Be Completed in 2032 at the Earliest
In July 2025, DB InfraGO AG announced that the implementation of the hinterland connection for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link would be delayed beyond 2029. The main reasons given for the adjustment to the schedule are difficulties in finalizing the plans and obtaining building permits. According to current estimates, the acceleration measures that have been initiated will no longer be able to fully compensate for this.
In an announcement by the Federal Railway Authority on the public presentation of the planning approval documents for the Fehmarn Sound crossing, the timeframe for the construction and commissioning of the Fehmarn Sound Tunnel and the connecting infrastructure is estimated at six years and five months. According to this, the completion of the hinterland connection would be delayed until at least 2032.
Schedule for Sinking Tunnel Elements Postponed by 18 Months
In September 2025, Sund & Bælt Holding A/S also announced that the completion of the special ship for sinking the tunnel elements had been delayed to such an extent that the goal of opening the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel in 2029 was in jeopardy. The lowering process has been postponed by 18 months, and it remains uncertain how much of the lost time can be made up in the coming years. As the issues to be clarified are complex and have various causes, new schedules for commissioning are now to be drawn up and consolidated by the project participants on both sides.
During their exchange, both ministers expressed their strong commitment to the project and the underlying state treaty between Denmark and Germany on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, which was concluded in 2008. In view of the current challenges, they see no reason to amend the state treaty. Minister Schnieder and Minister Danielsen have agreed to assess the situation on site at the beginning of 2026.
