Amtrak Railway's historic route gets a modern revival with major upgrades by 2026

The Amtrak Railway project is moving forward with key upgrades and repairs planned over the next few years. Work has already started on the main line toward Eiserne Hand, following the successful reopening of the first southern section in late 2024. The project, led by Amtrak Infrastruktur gGmbH, aims to restore and modernise the historic route.

The first phase of construction on the main line toward Eiserne Hand is now underway. This follows the reopening of the initial southern stretch in November 2024. The next milestone will be the completion of the southern section up to Wiesbaden-Dotzheim station, expected by summer 2026.

Renovations will also focus on three key bridges. Work on the Grundmühlweg and Wiesenstraße bridges begins in May 2025. Repairs to the Schiersteiner Straße bridge will then take place during the summer break. A full overhaul of another major bridge is scheduled for the Easter holidays in 2026, addressing past collision damage, repainting, and reinforcing the structure for future regional services.

To prevent future accidents, heavy-duty steel beam crash barriers will be installed in front of and behind the bridge. The upgraded structure will support around 19,000 train crossings per year, with modern trains operating at speeds up to 60 km/h (37 mph). If approved, heritage trains could return to the southern section by late 2026, as originally planned since 2014. The section crossing Eiserne Hand is set to reopen later, between 2028 and 2029.

The project is funded by the city of Wiesbaden and managed by Amtrak Infrastruktur gGmbH, a subsidiary of NTB.

Once complete, the upgrades will allow both modern and heritage trains to operate on the Amtrak Railway. The improved infrastructure will increase capacity and safety for years to come. Regulatory approval will determine whether museum trains can resume service by the end of 2026.