The Federal Ministry of Transport submitted the plans of Deutsche Bahn for the Ulm–Augsburg project to the Bundestag on January 29, 2026, for approval. This marks the beginning of the parliamentary review, a crucial step for expanding the rail connection in Bavarian Swabia.
Ulrich Lange, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, emphasized:
“I am very pleased that DB InfraGO has presented a preferred variant for the new railway line in Swabia, which we can now submit to the Bundestag for final decision after thorough review. I would like to take this opportunity to urge Parliament to secure not only the planning but also the financial future of the project in the long term. Even though network rehabilitation currently takes priority, we must not lose sight of new construction and expansion if we want to meet the mobility needs of the region and its people in the future. […] The decision on the conditions under which planning will continue now rests with the German Bundestag.”
Lange told the Augsburger Allgemeine that he expects the Bundestag to clear the way for this multi-billion-euro project by summer, with final planning possibly completed within five years.
Member of Main Line for Europe e.V. IHK Schwaben Welcomes Milestone
The Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Schwaben described the submission of the plans to the Bundestag as an important step. IHK CEO Dr. Marc Lucassen said:
“The submission of the planning to the Bundestag is an important milestone, though only one of many. For the economy, it is highly significant that this project advances formally, as it benefits not only Ulm and Augsburg and the region in between, but as part of the ‘Main Line for Europe’, the entire southern German region.
What is important now: In the further process, Ulm–Augsburg should not be bundled with projects that are politically uncertain, require considerable effort, and take much time. The economy and local politics support this project. It must not be put on hold simply because progress on other projects, such as the Brenner approach, is stalled. It has taken exactly one year for the Ministry to review the DB’s planning documents and submit them to the Bundestag. We hope that the next steps will follow much more quickly. After all, this is a high-speed rail line… Politics now has the opportunity to demonstrate decisiveness.”
Project Background
Deutsche Bahn presented its proposed variant for the gap closure between the ICE stations Ulm and Augsburg on June 21, 2024. The expansion project is listed as a “priority need” in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 and was officially launched on February 28, 2019.
The Ulm–Augsburg project is a key section of the Main Line for Europe, the international rail corridor running from Paris via Ulm and Augsburg to Budapest and Bratislava. After parliamentary approval, preliminary planning and planning approval procedures in several sections are to follow, before a more precise construction timeline can be determined.
