Tender Announcement for Railway Line Renovation Project by DB Netz AG

Project Location: Germany, Bavaria, Oberstraubing to Passau corridor (Route 5830). This line is a crucial rail link connecting southern Germany with Austria, approximately 60 km in length, passing through multiple towns and industrial areas.

Project Duration: June 14, 2026 to December 12, 2026, totaling 182 calendar days. The line will be fully closed for construction during this period, employing a round-the-clock, uninterrupted work mode to maximize the use of the closure window.

Overall Project Description: Comprehensive renovation of the approximately 60 km Oberstraubing-Passau rail corridor, a key component of Deutsche Bahn Infrastructure Company (DB InfraGO AG)'s "Comprehensive Renovation" program. The project aims to fundamentally enhance the line's capacity, reliability, operational flexibility, and passenger satisfaction through a complete renewal of outdated facilities, introduction of new technologies, and optimization of the line layout, laying the foundation for future digital and automated operations.

Main Project Scope:

Track Works: Segment-wise replacement of over 30 km of existing track, involving rails of various specifications including UIC60, utilizing new high-resilience fastening systems and prestressed concrete sleepers to improve track geometry stability, durability, and reduce maintenance frequency. Approximately 15 sets of new turnouts are planned for installation.

Turnout Works: Construction of 6 new turnout connections and 3 transfer points at key junctions, providing trains with more routing options within the section, significantly enhancing operational flexibility, and ensuring preparedness for emergencies and diverse transportation needs. The new turnouts will feature movable-point frog designs, allowing for higher-speed lateral passage.

Overhead Catenary System: Segment-wise renewal of approximately 40 km of the catenary system, adopting Re330 type or equivalent high-performance catenary systems to improve current collection quality and reliability, meeting operational requirements for speeds up to 200 km/h. Associated return conductors and feeder lines will be updated simultaneously.

Station Modernization: In-depth modernization of 5 major passenger stations along the line (including Oberstraubing, Plattling, Vilshofen, etc.). Works include: standardizing platform height to 76 cm, installing accessibility ramps or elevators, renovating waiting rooms and ticketing areas, installing digital passenger information display and announcement systems, adding bicycle parking facilities and lighting systems, comprehensively improving passenger experience and station accessibility.

Engineering Structure Renovation: Comprehensive inspection, assessment, and necessary renovation/strengthening of 12 bridges, 5 culverts, and 3 retaining walls along the line. Work scope includes concrete structure repair, waterproofing membrane replacement, expansion joint maintenance, bearing replacement, and necessary structural reinforcement to ensure a service life of at least 30 years.

New Overpass Bridge: Construction of a new approximately 120-meter-long, double-track prestressed concrete continuous beam overpass at existing line kilometer K45+200 (near Passau), replacing an old level crossing to eliminate traffic safety hazards and improve regional traffic flow. A new two-lane road will be built underneath the bridge.

Special Ground Treatment Works: In the deep soft soil area ("marshland") between Plattling and Vilshofen (section K37+500 to K39+700), approximately 2.2 km long, ground improvement and reinforcement of the subgrade and foundation using the Cut-Soil-Mixing (CSM or similar) deep soil mixing method. This process uses specialized machinery to forcibly mix cement slurry or other cementitious materials with the weak soil layer in-situ, forming soil-cement pile walls or grid-like reinforcements with certain strength and low permeability to control post-construction settlement, increase foundation bearing capacity, and ensure long-term line stability and operational safety. Treatment depth is expected to reach 8 to 15 meters below ground surface, with a total mixing volume of approximately 50,000 cubic meters.

Signaling and Control System Works:

New Electronic Signal Boxes: Construction and commissioning of a total of 5 new electronic signal boxes at key stations along the line, including Oberstraubing, Plattling, Vilshofen, and Passau. These signal boxes will feature redundant computer systems, fiber optic networks, and modern operator terminals, enabling centralized and safe control of train routing and signals within their respective areas.

Signaling Technology Modification: Large-scale modification and upgrade of existing electronic signal boxes and associated interlocking software, track circuits, and signals to accommodate the new turnout connections and future deployment of ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 2. Work includes: modifying interlocking logic for the new line layout, upgrading trackside signaling equipment, integrating new turnouts and signals, and providing interfaces for the ETCS Radio Block Center.

Underground Cable Works: Accompanying the signaling system upgrade and overall line renovation, extensive excavation of cable trenches, laying of conduits, and installation of various signaling, communication, power, and control cables will be carried out. It is estimated that over 80 km of cable trenches will be excavated, and over 300 km of cables of various specifications will be installed. The works also include identification, relocation, and recovery of existing old cables.

Lot Details: Lot 2.1: Technical Construction Supervision for the Plattling-Oberstraubing Construction Section

Scope of Technical Construction Supervision Services (Lot 2.1): Provision of comprehensive technical supervision, quality control, progress management, cost control, contract administration, site coordination, safety and environmental supervision, material inspection, acceptance of concealed works, management of engineering changes, review of as-built documentation, and technical communication and coordination services with the client, designer, contractors, local authorities, and other stakeholders for all construction activities within the Plattling to Oberstraubing construction section (approximately 30 km). This includes, but is not limited to, track, turnouts, catenary, ground treatment, station renovation, structure refurbishment, new overpass bridge, signal box construction, cable laying, and all related works. The services ensure compliance with German Industrial Standards (DIN), Eurocodes, Deutsche Bahn (DB) technical standards, and contract requirements at all stages of design, construction, testing, and commissioning.