The Verkehrsinformationszentrale Berlin has warned that Deutsche Bahn will completely shut the 130-kilometre section of the Anhalter Bahn between Berlin-Südkreuz and Bitterfeld from 24 September to 13 December 2026. The blockade allows the infrastructure subsidiary DB InfraGO to lay 33 new switches, refurbish 59 others and renew almost 140 kilometres of track, ensuring the line is “maintenance-free” for three years once work is finished. During the closure, flagship ICE services on the Berlin–Munich axis will be diverted via Magdeburg and Braunschweig, lengthening journeys between Berlin and Munich by up to one hour. Direct ICEs between Frankfurt, Erfurt and Berlin are suspended, while regional lines RE3, RE4, RE8 and several S-Bahn routes will be partly replaced by buses. Lutherstadt Wittenberg loses its long-distance stop altogether. For corporate travellers and expatriate commuters the impact is significant: the Berlin–Leipzig/Halle corridor handles a substantial share of intra-German business traffic, including connections to the Leipzig logistics hub and the Halle chemical triangle. Companies should advise staff to book earlier trains and allow extra buffer time for domestic transfers connecting to international flights at BER or Munich. Rail bonus programmes will honour tickets on the detour, and DB says all long-distance fares remain valid. The works also dovetail with the long-awaited link-up of the new Dresdner Bahn into Berlin Südkreuz, enhancing future connectivity to the capital’s airport. Yet the autumn disruption coincides with major events such as the Berlin Marathon (27 September) and the peak Christmas-market season, so hotels along the alternative route could see higher demand. Mobility managers may wish to shift time-critical trips to air services or adjust remote-working policies during the blackout window.
