Regionaltangente West: Rail project worth billions to be completed in 2028

Kaum jemand gibt sich hinsichtlich der Regionaltangente West derzeit so zuversichtlich wie Horst Amann: „Ende 2028 fahren die ersten Züge.“ Denn „die Kern­strecke ist im Bau“, ergänzt der Geschäftsführer der Planungsgesellschaft. Tatsächlich gibt es für das Vorhaben, den Vor­dertaunus über den Frankfurter Westen ebenso umsteigefrei mit dem Frankfurter Flughafen zu verbinden wie Dreieich und Neu-Isenburg, seit einem Monat Baurecht. Ebenso wie für den für Frankfurt zentralen Abschnitt Mitte, der mit der Untertunnelung des Bahnhofs Höchst besonders herausfordernd ist.

Amann, der vor Jahren den Bau der neuen Landebahn am Frankfurter Flughafen verantwortet hat, sieht sich gut im Zeitplan. Die Besitzverhältnisse für alle drei Bauabschnitte seien geklärt. „Wir ha­ben alle für den Bau notwendigen Flächen bekommen.“ Selbst mit den drei Eschborner Landwirten, die gegen das Vorhaben geklagt hatten, sei man auf ei­nem guten Weg. Tausende Verträge seien mit Eigentümern und Pächtern geschlossen worden.

The Regionaltangente West is intended to make rail travel more comfortable for thousands of people who travel to the airport or the Höchst industrial park every day. However, Amann has dismissed the city of Frankfurt’s hopes that the Regionaltangente could solve some of the problems associated with the transport connection to the planned multi-purpose hall at the Frankfurt stadium: “The trains will only stop at the new Mörfelder Landstraße station every 30 minutes and would then be unable to transport more than 800 to 1,000 people.” The Regionaltangente cannot offer event transport with shorter frequencies. It is designed primarily for commuters as a “workplace line”.

It is not yet clear whether the city of Langen’s wish to extend the route further south can be fulfilled – it is currently being examined. “We are working on it,” says Amann, and a basis for the decision will be available in September.

When asked how many kilometers of the regional tangent have already been completed, Amann admits: “There is not a single meter of track yet.” Preparations for the construction of the route are currently being made in fields near Eschborn, and are clearly visible from afar. The subsoil there has proven to be insufficiently stable, and so-called vibro-fill columns are now being used to strengthen it. In a year, there will be tracks there, says the chief planner.

The biggest challenges of the Regionaltangente West lie elsewhere. The advertising slogan for the project – “simply go around the outside” – suggests this: currently all rail connections run in a star shape towards Frankfurt and the main station; the Regionaltangente West repeatedly crosses these connections, and sometimes even uses them. This has the advantage that only 22 kilometers of the total 52 kilometers of the Regionaltangente have to be newly built. The disadvantage is that 34 bridges and tunnels are required. Some structures are already underway, some are almost finished, such as the tied arch bridge at Gleisdreieck Frankfurt, which was inserted at the end of May.

Amann has to “break down some tough nuts” when it comes to actually starting construction on the sections of the route, including the 14 new stops. He needs companies with enough employees for the detailed planning and construction work. “It’s not going to be a walk in the park.”

Nevertheless, Amann is convinced that the Regionaltangente West will not cost more than around 1.2 billion euros as estimated. Financing has been secured since 2020. There are funding commitments from the federal and state governments for around 95 percent of the construction costs. At the same time, however, the planning company is demanding that the twelve shareholders – seven municipalities, three districts, the state of Hesse and the Rhine-Main Transport Association – double their share at the next shareholders’ meeting in November in order to be able to cover the increased costs for planners, consultants and experts. In total, according to Amann, the shareholders would have to raise a three-digit million amount.