GERMANY: A groundbreaking ceremony for an extension of Frankfurt’s light rail network took place on September 21.
The 2·7 km western extension of Line U5 from the city centre to Europaviertel is estimated to cost €281·4m excluding VAT, with the Land of Hessen providing €31m. It is planned to open at the end of 2022, serving four stops including one underground.
Construction of the underground section is being carried out by a consortium of PORR Deutschland and Stump Spezialtiefbau. A tunnel boring machine is due to begin work next year, with tunnelling expected to take five years. Work on the above-ground section is due to begin in 2020.
