Our project diary 

Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition: "With 95,000 inhabitants, Rahlstedt is not only by far the most populous district in Hamburg's largest district of Wandsbek, but also an important transport hub in the east of Hamburg due to its location. A modern mobility hub is now being built in Rahlstedt to connect Rahlstedt and the surrounding area even more closely to Hamburg city center and to meet the growing mobility needs of the metropolitan region. We are considering all forms of mobility in one: in addition to a modern, larger bus station, a new S-Bahn station for the S4 is being built. Both facilities will be directly connected to each other in terms of construction and accessibility. New Bike+Ride facilities and bicycle racks are also being built. This will allow people in and around Rahlstedt to conveniently switch from bike or bus to train and reach Hamburg city center in around 20 minutes with the S4 every 10 minutes. The new high-performance transport hub with its wide range of services will give a major boost to the mobility transition in the east of Hamburg and in the metropolitan region."

The extensive construction work on the new Rahlstedt bus facility is now getting underway. Opened in the mid-1980s, the facility now connects 15 bus routes to Deutsche Bahn's Rahlstedt regional train station. Before the new S-Bahn line 4 stops here at the end of 2027, the Rahlstedt bus facility is to be completely renovated and expanded. Once completed, Deutsche Bahn expects the S4 to handle 14,000 passengers per day instead of 8,000.

Deutsche Bahn will then start construction work on the new S-Bahn line 4 in Rahlstedt. By the end of 2027, this will offer a much more frequent and reliable connection to and from Rahlstedt than the existing regional train with its 10-minute frequency. Over 120,000 people from the Rahlstedt catchment area and neighboring Meiendorf are expected to benefit from the new S-Bahn connection.

Ute Plambeck, Management Representative for the Federal States of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein: "When the S4 starts operating in Rahlstedt at the end of 2027, local people will benefit in a very tangible way. This means, for example, that you can get from Rahlstedt to Jungfernstieg in 22 minutes and to Landungsbrücken in 26 minutes without changing trains. In addition, the 10-minute interval during rush hour will also improve connections to buses. The district will become much more attractive in terms of local transport. We are all pulling together to achieve this."

You can find the complete press info here.

It was important for us to give the girls a comprehensive insight into our work. This included an introduction to the project with the help of a live webcam from our construction site, getting to know the team and the office, presenting an exemplary project area (in this case, railway technology/equipment technology), and taking a tour through the office, the construction site, and the S4-Info Train.

We hope that we were able to inspire the girls for work on the S-Bahn line S4 and for engineering and construction work in general, and that we could contribute to showing them their boundless and, above all, stereotype-free possibilities.

We are already looking forward to welcoming the students who would like to visit us next year!

“The Girls'Day is a valuable opportunity to encourage young women to pursue disciplines traditionally dominated by men. We are delighted to support this message and to show girls that there are no limits when it comes to their future. May they pursue their professional goals and change the world with the same enthusiasm and determination they have shown today." Amina Karam - General Director S-Line S4 & General Overhaul Hamburg-Lübeck

We are very grateful to the participants for their active engagement! Only through active cooperation can we find the most advantageous solution for everyone.

"Through collective efforts, we have successfully concluded the hearing for the second construction section, marking a significant milestone for the S4. A heartfelt thank you to all who supported us. Now, armed with new insights, we are poised to take the next steps forward and advance our project together with all affected and involved parties." Amina Karam - General Director S-Line S4 & General Overhaul Hamburg-Lübeck

We, as the EU-funded major project S-Bahnlinie S4, will also be represented again this year with an exhibition stand. As a project located on one of Europe's most important transport axes - the Scandinavian Mediterranean Corridor - it is important to us to present ourselves locally and for Europe together with the Hamburg Transport and Mobility Authority (BVM).

BVM's Head of Transport, Dr Tina Wagner, and our General Project Director Amina Karam will also be there. We look forward to seeing new and familiar faces and talking to you on site. You can find more information on key topics and the programme here.

For all those of you who are interested: Participation in the Connecting Europe Days is free of charge and possible with a simple registration under this link.

S4 General Project Director Amina Karam: "We are building the S4 for everyone so that as many people as possible can switch to climate-friendly rail travel. Of course, the same applies to our info train: I am therefore delighted that we have been able to equip the S4 info train at our construction site on Hammer Straße with a ramp, so that from now on anyone who is interested can take advantage of the offer and reach the info train without barriers. We are delighted to be able to present the future S4 to as many visitors as possible with our information service."

Anyone who would like to find out more about the S4 project is welcome to explore the info train. We have also been back from our winter break since January 18, 2024. From now on, we are back for you as usual every Thursday from 3.30 to 5.30 pm or on Tuesdays for group visits by prior appointment at S4 (at) deutschebahn.com. We look forward to welcoming you to the S4 info train!

In addition to electrification, three kilometers of new tracks were laid for the S-Bahn and mainline railroad, ten new points were installed and 400 meters of new noise barriers were erected. In the coming year, the focus will be on construction work on Bovestrasse, where two new bridges are to be installed, among other things. The existing tracks there will have to be renewed to allow four tracks to cross the road in future instead of the previous three. In addition, new noise barriers will be built along more than two kilometers of the route, including in the Hammer Straße area, where residents will benefit from the measure.

Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition: "The S4 is a central rail axis in the north and one of the most important local transport projects for Hamburg. 13 kilometers of newly extended S-Bahn tracks on Hamburg territory, four new, easily accessible stations in the east of Hamburg, a tighter timetable and better connections between the east and the surrounding area and Hamburg city center make the S4 an attractive, climate-friendly service for almost 100,000 passengers. For the first time, Rahlstedt, one of the most populous parts of the city, will be connected to the S-Bahn network. To achieve this, we are now literally electrifying the S4: 30 new electricity pylons and around 5 kilometers of cable have to be laid. The start has been made so that the S4 can run on 100 percent green electricity in future - quietly and in a climate-friendly way. This is not only an asset for the mobility transition, but also for the climate targets of the city and the surrounding municipalities."

General Project Director Amina Karam: "Thanks to the electrification, the S4 will not only be quieter once it is completed, but also particularly environmentally friendly. We are on schedule and on budget with the construction measures. We are making very good progress, bundling measures and optimizing planning wherever possible in order to be able to build quickly. The number of passengers on regional services has been rising for years. That's why we are working hard to ensure that even more people switch to rail in the future and that the mobility transition is brought to life."

From 2029, the S4 will connect Altona and Bad Oldesloe for the first time with an S-Bahn line that will benefit 250,000 commuters. In addition to the new S-Bahn line, DB is also building five new stations along the route. The investment costs amount to around 1.8 billion euros - for the new connection and extensive noise protection measures.

Many journalists covered the press event on the progress of the construction site, including the NDR, Sat1 Regional, the Zeit, the Abendblatt and the Hamburger Morgenpost.

What are compensatory measures? Interventions in the landscape often result in changes to nature and living creatures. We compensate for these changes and thus ensure that the negative impact on nature and living creatures is as low as possible. This is called compensatory measures.

With the measures that have now been brought forward, we are pursuing the goal of creating new habitats for the amphibian species great crested newt and moor frog as well as for the breeding bird species willow warbler and common linnet (see below for details). We are also developing new flowering meadows. All measures are always coordinated with the Hamburg Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture (BUKEA) and are carried out in cooperation with BUKEA's special fund for nature conservation and landscape management.

The compensatory measures have been brought forward, i.e. they are taking place before the start of the planned construction work on the S4 urban railroad line in section 2, so that the habitats can develop well over the next few years for the animal species mentioned and we can avoid delays in the construction process from an environmental perspective. In this way, we also meet the legal requirements.

General Project Director Amina Karam: "In order to minimize the impact on nature caused by the construction of the S4, we attach great importance to balanced, early and good planning. Wherever we particularly affect the habitat of animals and plants, we create compensation areas, new habitats and the best possible new home for flora and fauna. By expanding a strong rail connection, the environment also benefits in the end: because more people and goods switch to environmentally friendly rail and car traffic can be reduced. So that Germany can achieve its climate targets."

We are implementing the following measures:

New habitat for the moor frog and the great crested newt in the Stellmoor tunnel valley, Wandsbek district
We are creating a new, sunny and vegetation-rich body of water for the moor frog and the crested newt. We desilt the existing body of water and thus enhance its value. By adding deadwood, we increase the structural diversity of the new habitat. This provides hiding places for animals, promotes biodiversity and contributes to the health of the ecosystem.

New habitat for breeding birds in Stellmoorer Tunneltal, Wandsbek district
We are building a new wall of shrubs and trees for breeding birds. This will be planted with regional and site-appropriate shrubs and a species-rich ruderal fringe will be created on both sides. A ruderal edge? This is a planted embankment that will provide space for animals to breed and a habitat for other animal and plant species.

Another new habitat for the great crested newt in Wohldorfer Wald, Wandsbek district
The great crested newt will also have a new and sunny body of water here. We are converting an adjacent grassland into a damp grass and shrub landscape, which will serve as a habitat for the great crested newt on land in future. Here too, piles of dead wood and gray willow bushes will be created.

Development of a flowering meadow in the district of Bergedorf 
In the district of Bergedorf, we are developing the habitat type "lean lowland hay meadow" with species-rich and flowering meadows. The existing meadow is being enhanced with native seeds to promote the development of native plants and species.

But that was by no means all! Construction work is also in full swing further down the line, including preparations for the new Bovestrasse railroad bridge and construction work on the Claudiusstrasse passenger tunnel. The construction work will continue to make great progress in 2024, Karam reported. The partial commissioning of the S4 to Hamburg-Rahlstedt at the timetable change in December 2027 is firmly in sight for all the work! And the best thing is that much of the construction work for the new S-Bahn line will be carried out during ongoing rail operations - without the need for longer closures.

Dr. Tina Wagner was visibly impressed by the wide range of construction activities and thanked the entire S4 team for their great commitment to the mobility turnaround. A visit full of new insights that will really get the future of mobility in Hamburg rolling!

There were also controversial opinions, also among the people of Ahrensburg. The focus was particularly on the issue of noise protection, because this is about protecting the people who live along the route - but also about the townscape and visual axes. Karam would therefore like to build transparent walls in Ahrensburg as noise protection as a compromise. These walls are currently undergoing final certification. Karam says: "We hope to have this soon so we can address the issue concretely." To illustrate this, the DB experts presented a noise protection simulator and a model of the transparent noise protection wall.

For the Stellmoor tunnel valley, DB has redesigned the planned bridge structure at "Brauner Hirsch". This is now significantly slimmed down, lower and also much less conspicuous without a round arch. Karam explains: "For the construction, we only need the road that already exists there today. This is outside the protected area." The Stellmoor Tunnel Valley is to become more attractive and for people to experience. Therefore, there will also be a small platform on the bridge, from which the tunnel valley can be wonderfully overlooked.

The third main topic was the logistics and use of municipal land during the construction phase. Karam commented: "We can minimize land use by 60 percent, because our goal is to make sure you can get from A to B in the city even during the construction phase." Karam appealed to guests to continue to participate and voice their opinions on the S4. "We can only build with you, never against you."

The planning documents for the third construction phase will now be made available to the public for four weeks from the end of September 2023. Subsequently, citizens will have the opportunity to submit their objections in writing within two weeks. Public interest groups (PPOs) have three months to submit their comments.

Note: The latest planning adjustments, including those relating to the "Brauner Hirsch" bridge structure, will of course be taken into account in the planning approval procedure. However, in order not to delay the overall procedure, these revisions are not yet listed in the plan documents on display, but will only be submitted to the hearing authority in a next step. However, this procedure, which is common for major projects, does not affect the time horizon of the S4.

The discussion in the "S4 Arena" was accompanied by many media, including reports by the NDR and the Hamburger Abendblatt.

Come by and talk to us! At a neighbourhood get-together, you can get information about the S4 while enjoying snacks and a coffee. There will also be something for the kids: games, a quiz and lots of surprises for everyone! 

From 15 to 17 September, we will take you on the S4 expedition and let you explore the future S-Bahn line. Here you can learn new things about the S4 and test your knowledge. Scan the QR codes at the stations in Hasselbrook, Rahlstedt, Ahrensburg or at the Info Train and take part! 

On 15 September, you can of course collect a small prize for each quiz you solve. And here you will find the Info Train. 

Our project team awaits you at exciting market stands as well as for a panel discussion with lots of information about the project, the third section and the topics of land management, noise protection and the environment.

We look forward to welcoming you on site in Ahrensburg on 7 September and to engaging in dialogue with you.

Amina Karam, DB's S4 General Project Director: "In a construction project of this magnitude, agile project planning is extremely important. All the building blocks influence each other - it's like a cogwheel, each element has an impact on the other and the overall system. With our idea, we work our way forward quickly and effectively, regardless of external circumstances such as the market and necessary blocking periods. It's a win-win situation - we build and the train traffic rolls. In this way, we are making further important construction progress on the new artery for local transport between Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein."

Anjes Tjarks, Senator for Traffic and Mobility: "The construction of the S4 is an important pillar for the success of the mobility change in Hamburg: a quarter of a million people in Hamburg and the surrounding area will be better connected to Hamburg's rapid transit network in the future and the main station will be significantly relieved. In addition, the S4 will increase the reliability of public transport in the north-east of Hamburg and in the metropolitan region as far as Bad Oldesloe. At the same time, it is of course important that we keep the city, as well as long-distance traffic, flowing during the construction period. The freshly installed bridges in combination with agile construction planning are a very good prerequisite for this. It is also a good and right signal that Deutsche Bahn is using bridges from its inventory for this purpose." 

Next year, DB will be building two 1.2-kilometre-long bypass tracks in Hasselbrook. Experts will equip the tracks with overhead lines and contact wire and connect them to the Lübeck-Hamburg mainline line. Thus, from spring 2023, the railway will roll past the construction site for the new railway crossing of the S1 and S4 as well as the work for the double-track expansion of the Horner Kurve. This will also start next year. In the area between the Hammer Straße and Wandsbek Rathaus railway bridges, DB is building foundations for the noise barriers. The work package also includes preparatory work for the new Claudiusstraße, Schlossgarten and Bovestraße railway bridges.

Many media picked up on the construction progress of the S4, including NDR, Sat1, as well as N-TV and the Hamburger Morgenpost. 

DB shows innovation in noise protection

Deutsche Bahn is breaking new ground in noise protection. A partnership between the DB Bahnbau Group and the Italian start-up Phononic Vibes resulted in a transparent noise barrier that offers a very high level of protection against noise. Those who wanted to get a personal impression of this new type of wall were able to view it in front of the event hall. DB had specially installed a sample wall there.

Amina Karam showed visualisations specially made for Ahrensburg in the hall - and aroused great interest.

This new type of noise barrier is currently in the approval process and may not yet be installed in Germany. Karam says: "We are working on being able to use these or similar walls in Germany in the future. Because we believe that with these innovations we can get people even more excited about our construction projects".

Panel discusses three core topics
In the first part of the panel discussion, experts discussed fundamental issues such as the benefits and challenges of the S4 expansion. Among others, Martin von Ivernois, Head of Department for Local Public Transport and Railways in the Ministry of Economics, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism of Schleswig-Holstein, and Amina Karam, General Project Director of the S4 project, discussed with each other. Karam confirmed that Deutsche Bahn invested a lot of effort and time in planning and examining variants in order to make the best decision technically, economically, but also for people and the environment.

Round 2 focused on the topics of archaeology and the environment. Also present for Deutsche Bahn was the experienced environmental expert Martin Roger. He emphasised that a transport turnaround will only succeed if local transport projects like this are implemented, but with respect for pre history and nature: "We are aware of the importance of the tunnel valley and have included this in our planning from the very beginning. On the basis of many studies, including FFH compatibility, archaeology and species protection, we have analysed what needs to be avoided and what needs to be done. We take this as seriously as it actually is. We don't do this on the side".

In addition to environmental protection, archaeology is also a much-discussed topic in the S4 expansion. Dr Ulf Ickerodt, state archaeologist and head of the Schleswig-Holstein State Archaeological Office, emphasises the correct and appropriate consideration of the archaeological heritage contrary to the criticism occasionally voiced against DB's plans: "From our point of view, the bridge at Brauner Hirsch improves the situation in the tunnel valley. With the planned bridge and the dismantling of the road, not only will the currently existing barrier be removed, but the construction of the structure will also create new lines of sight. You will have a fantastic view of the tunnel valley, which is not available today".

The third core topic, noise protection, was also discussed in detail by the panel members. Janine Korczak, noise protection expert at DB, said: "Reconciling urban development, quality of life and people is a great challenge. We are obliged to protect people and the environment. We are sitting here together with them at the same table to work on ideas and find solutions."

Dialogue between DB and the city continues 
"Together with all of you, we would like to continue to exchange ideas and take you with us on our journey," said Amina Karam as she said goodbye.

"Connecting Europe", connecting people and metropolitan regions - this is not only the motto of the S4. At the exhibition, visitors had the opportunity to get to know various EU-funded projects. The focus lay on forward-looking innovations in transport, infrastructure and traffic as well as environmentally friendly mobility.

S4 Overall Project Manager Amina Karam, who herself speaks fluent French, English, Arabic and German, was on site. During presentations, panel talks and in the exhibition hall, she met with representatives from politics, industry and the European Commission and presented the project together with the City of Hamburg on the European stage. Hamburg's Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks also visited the S4 on site. The high interest showed how important the new suburban railway line on the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor actually is.

Until the end of June, France hosted the EU Presidency, which is why the exhibition – formerly known as TEN-T-DAYS – was held at the Centre Congrès de Lyon this year. The next Connecting Europe Days are planned for 2024.

Two mega-cranes lift the heavyweight onto new home track.

Experts used a welding machine to free the middle wagon from the rest of the train in the morning. Two cranes lifted the 35-tonne heavyweight onto the truck at Hamburg harbour. Before the truck manoeuvred the 22-metre-long and four-metre-high giant through Hamburg's streets at night with millimetre precision. Two 200-tonne cranes were used at Hammer Straße to lower the truck onto its specially installed 30-metre track.  

Amina Karam, General Project Director: "The wagon is a 'real Hamburger' and has been rolling through the metropolis for many years. We are continuing to use it and are creating a real highlight that should make people look forward to the S4. In the interior, people will find exciting details about the project, construction procedures and learn more about our commitment to nature and mobility change. This is how we want to shorten the waiting time until the first S4 rolls."