Saturday, January 28, 2006
London in race to complete infrastructure prior to World Cup.
BERLIN (Ticker) - Construction workers are in a race against time to get Germany's railway network ready, as a major revamp of the country's transport infrastructure continues ahead of the World Cup.
The Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), Germany's state-owned railway company, is working on three key projects - the building of a new main Berlin station, an improved line from Berlin to Leipzig, and better connections between Nuremberg and Munich - and all three need to completed before the tournament gets underway in June.
The projects, which have been several years in the planning, are scheduled to be completed by May 28, just 12 days before the tournament's opening ceremony.
"Those are major changes to our regular timetables and services," Stefan Garber, member of the board of directors of DB said. "It is a very special challenge to launch everything on May 28. The three projects were planned long before the World Cup and now we are under a lot of pressure."
Berlin's new main station, which will be located close to the Reichtstag and Brandenburger Gate, boasts spectacular architecture across three levels. The overall project costs an estimated $480 million.
"We really face a very tight deadline on this project," DB chairman Hartmut Mehdorn said. "It will be a race against time but I'm confident we will get it done."
Although it is something of a headache right now, Garber believes the World Cup will leave a legacy of much improved infrastructure on a regional level.
"We have renovated or extended all of the main stations in the 12 host cities," Garber said. "Plus, there have been many maintenance or service works on the regional rail systems so that the local transportation will benefit a lot."
Many cities will provide special local rail transportation, with Berlin's S-Bahn running 24 hours a day during the course of the tournament.
The overall investment in infrastructure is believed to be over $3.4 billion.
After the improvements are made, Garber believes the railway system will be capable of transporting thousands of fans without a problem.
"We practice every Saturday in the Bundesliga so we can build on a great deal of experience," he said.
Garber also offered a little advice for London as the British capital plans ahead for the 2012 Olympics, with transportation a key issue.
"London faces completely different challenges to us," Garber said. "They have a much bigger agglomeration than we have in Germany. Their local traffic is very good but the layout of the city leaves them with many different tasks. I can only give a very simple suggestion - start planning early and try to include all factors."
The Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), Germany's state-owned railway company, is working on three key projects - the building of a new main Berlin station, an improved line from Berlin to Leipzig, and better connections between Nuremberg and Munich - and all three need to completed before the tournament gets underway in June.
The projects, which have been several years in the planning, are scheduled to be completed by May 28, just 12 days before the tournament's opening ceremony.
"Those are major changes to our regular timetables and services," Stefan Garber, member of the board of directors of DB said. "It is a very special challenge to launch everything on May 28. The three projects were planned long before the World Cup and now we are under a lot of pressure."
Berlin's new main station, which will be located close to the Reichtstag and Brandenburger Gate, boasts spectacular architecture across three levels. The overall project costs an estimated $480 million.
"We really face a very tight deadline on this project," DB chairman Hartmut Mehdorn said. "It will be a race against time but I'm confident we will get it done."
Although it is something of a headache right now, Garber believes the World Cup will leave a legacy of much improved infrastructure on a regional level.
"We have renovated or extended all of the main stations in the 12 host cities," Garber said. "Plus, there have been many maintenance or service works on the regional rail systems so that the local transportation will benefit a lot."
Many cities will provide special local rail transportation, with Berlin's S-Bahn running 24 hours a day during the course of the tournament.
The overall investment in infrastructure is believed to be over $3.4 billion.
After the improvements are made, Garber believes the railway system will be capable of transporting thousands of fans without a problem.
"We practice every Saturday in the Bundesliga so we can build on a great deal of experience," he said.
Garber also offered a little advice for London as the British capital plans ahead for the 2012 Olympics, with transportation a key issue.
"London faces completely different challenges to us," Garber said. "They have a much bigger agglomeration than we have in Germany. Their local traffic is very good but the layout of the city leaves them with many different tasks. I can only give a very simple suggestion - start planning early and try to include all factors."
