Nuremberg Hbf–Erfurt Hbf high-speed railway, High-speed railway line connecting Nuremberg and Erfurt, Germany
The line between Nuremberg and Erfurt spans 191 kilometers through Bavaria and Thuringia, incorporating nine tunnels and several viaducts for direct connections. The route crosses forested uplands, agricultural plains, and multiple river valleys, with engineering structures bridging the natural elevation changes across the landscape.
Construction began in 1996 but encountered delays until 2002 due to budget constraints, before the project resumed in stages. The opening took place in December 2017, completing one of the longest newly built railway lines in Germany since reunification.
The line links several historic towns in Franconia and Thuringia, each preserving its own architectural and cultural traditions. Travelers passing through valleys and hills notice the shift between half-timbered Franconian houses and Thuringian forest settlements, reflecting the regional variety of these two areas.
Trains run at speeds reaching 230 kilometers per hour, cutting the travel time between the two cities to around one hour and twenty minutes. During the journey, tunnels and open sections alternate quickly, so views of forests and fields are repeatedly interrupted by brief passages under hills.
The Ilm Viaduct measures 1681 meters and crosses the Thuringian Basin as one of the longest railway bridges in the country. The structure rests on slender pillars rising from the fields at regular intervals, creating the impression of floating above a wide plain as trains pass over.
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