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Rail chaos between Hamburg and Schwerin: 56% fewer passengers!
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania recorded 56% fewer rail passengers after the start of renovation of the Hamburg-Schwerin line. Change in traffic behavior through diversions and replacement buses.
Rail chaos between Hamburg and Schwerin: 56% fewer passengers!
The general renovation of the railway line between Hamburg and Berlin has not only disrupted timetables since it began in August 2025, but has also drastically changed the travel behavior of commuters in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. How NDR reports, the number of train riders between Hamburg and Schwerin has fallen by a whopping 56 percent. These changes clearly show how closely mobility and infrastructure are connected.
Rail travelers currently have to prepare for significant restrictions. Since the trains now take a detour via Bad Kleinen and Lübeck, the journey time has increased to over two hours. In addition, the ICE and IC trains only run every hour instead of the usual half-hourly service. This has led to many commuters switching to cars or alternative buses. Between Hamburg and Schwerin, 46 percent more people are now traveling by car or bus, which means an overall increase in road traffic use of almost 50 percent, according to the analyses from O2 Telefónica show.
The impact on regional transport
The general renovation not only has an impact on long-distance trains, but also affects regional and freight transport. Numerous connections are canceled and travelers have to resort to replacement buses. For many commuters and students in MV, this sometimes means hours of travel. The roads around Ludwigslust and Schwerin are therefore more heavily loaded and the traffic flow has changed noticeably.
In addition, the costs for the general renovation now amount to around 7.5 million euros, which represents an increase from the originally planned 4.5 million euros. These rising costs are a clear sign that the scope and complexity of the construction work is greater than initially assumed.
A look into the future
Work on the railway line is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2026. Until then, it remains to be seen how the population's travel behavior will develop. One aspect that is particularly noticeable is that, despite the high number of passengers changing trains, many travelers are looking for alternatives. For example, some travelers decide to change trains in Bad Kleinen in order to continue using the train.
At the same time, there are current reports about the H5N1 virus variant, which has been detected in farmed and wild birds. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute warns of an increased risk. In connection with the mobility analysis, it could be important to also keep these health aspects in mind, as an increase in road traffic could also have an impact on the spread of diseases.
It is clear that the current status quo in MV is anything but optimal for commuters. The coming months will show how well the authorities and transport companies can respond to these challenges.