Passengers travelling by rail between Bebra and Eschwege in central Germany face delays and cancellations until late September as construction crews blast a new tunnel near Cornberg.
The Cornberg Tunnel, which has carried trains for nearly 150 years on the route between Cornberg and Bebra in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district, has become too badly damaged to remain in service. Builders are now boring a new tunnel parallel to the old one.
According to the Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund (NVV), controlled explosions take place four times a day at fixed windows: between 03:00 and 04:00, between 08:45 and 09:30, between 15:45 and 16:30, and between 21:45 and 22:30. No trains may pass through the area during those periods, causing disruption on the RB87 line, which links Bebra with Göttingen via Eschwege and Eichenberg.
The NVV said the last train of the day from Bebra to Eschwege will not run until 4 September. Passengers are advised to check their connections before travelling. Blasting work is scheduled to continue until 25 September.
The new tunnel is expected to open in December 2028.
