Press release from HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH dated 11 May 2023
HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH reports initial progress on construction
Construction work on a historically significant station
In September 2022, construction work on the first section of the U5 line between Bramfeld and City Nord officially began with a ground-breaking ceremony. Since then, initial progress has been visible, particularly in the area around the Sengelmannstraße U1 station. And work is progressing rapidly: the existing U1 station will be extended to include an additional platform, creating the first interchange between the new, fully automated U5 underground line and the existing network, with passengers able to change trains at the same platform level.
Construction work at a historically significant bus stop
What makes the Sengelmannstraße stop special is that the second platform for the new tracks already exists. It was built as part of the stop’s construction in the 1970s to allow for a possible network expansion, but has never been used to date. In future, the platform will be transformed into a modern platform with a new station canopy and two new tracks. Work on this will begin in spring 2023. With completion scheduled for the end of 2024, the U1 will then be rerouted via these tracks so that work can subsequently begin on the refurbishment of the platform currently in use.
The Sengelmannstraße station is therefore of historical significance in two respects. Firstly, infrastructure that was forward-thinkingly planned as early as the 1970s can now be utilised for the construction of the U5. Secondly, with the planned trial operation on the first section between Sengelmannstraße and City Nord from 2027, a fully automated underground service will run in Hamburg for the first time. This section offers ideal conditions for testing the new system thoroughly and from the ground up. The tests on the route – which includes tunnel sections, above-ground sections, ramps, stabling yards and the Sengelmannstraße interchange station itself, with its combination of conventional and new operational technology – will be used to ensure smooth operation with the highest levels of punctuality and availability.
First signs of progress on the building work are visible
Work is also progressing in the area around the Sengelmannstraße station. The initial groundwork for the construction of the new underground line has already been laid.
Klaus Uphoff, Technical Director of HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH: “The U5 is now becoming a reality, and with our office in City Nord, we are right at the heart of the construction site and can monitor progress on a daily basis. At the same time, with a team that now numbers around 100 colleagues, we are well-positioned to successfully drive forward the U5, Germany’s largest underground project.”
One of these 100 or so employees at HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH is Dirk Pastoors, project manager for the first section from City Nord to Sengelmannstraße: “My team and I are delighted to already be seeing the first signs of construction progress. We have successfully installed two temporary bridges for the freight bypass line so that the U5 can later pass underneath these tracks via a tunnel. In the next stage, we will be building new underground bridges on the eastern side of the U1’s Sengelmannstraße station for the additional U5 tracks. So work is progressing at full speed.”
HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH commissions a consortium to carry out the work
HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH has commissioned a joint venture (ARGE) comprising the two companies Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG from Frankfurt and Ed. Züblin AG from Stuttgart to carry out the first construction phase from City Nord to Sengelmannstraße.
Dr Petra Welge, Commercial Managing Director of HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH:
“In the ARGE U5 Ost consortium, we have found experienced and internationally active specialists in the field of specialised civil engineering and structural engineering. Thanks to their expertise, they were successful in an EU-wide tender process. We look forward to working together.”
Dr Anja Sternberg, Head of the Northern Division at Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG:
“On behalf of the entire ARGE U5 Ost consortium, we would like to express our sincere thanks to HOCHBAHN U5 Projekt GmbH for awarding us the contract. We look forward to working on this fantastic project and contributing together to the mobility transition in the city of Hamburg.”
Further stages of the construction process
In addition to the Sengelmannstraße section, work on the construction of the U5 has already begun at other locations. In the City Nord area, the laying of utility lines is currently being finalised so that the first stages of construction of the new station can begin there from summer 2023. Utility line laying is also already taking place at several points along the route to Bramfeld. The tendering process for this section is currently underway, with a view to starting construction work here in 2024 as well.
In future, the U5 will run along a route totalling around 24 kilometres.
It will start in the east of Hamburg, serving districts such as Bramfeld and Steilshoop. Via City Nord, through Winterhude and Uhlenhorst, the new, fully automated underground line will in future continue into the city centre. From there, it will head north, passing the University and the UKE, to Lokstedt, from where the U5 will continue on to the arenas. Twenty-three stations will be built along the new line, seven of which will offer connections to the existing underground and S-Bahn networks. Germany’s largest underground project will thus connect 180,000 Hamburg residents to the rapid transit network for the first time – or, rather, improve their connections. Once the entire line is complete, around 270,000 passengers are expected to use it every day.
The projected costs for the first construction phase of the U5 from Bramfeld to City Nord have risen, due to inflation, from the previously estimated 1.75 billion euros to 2.86 billion euros. The cost increase is attributable, on the one hand, to the COVID-19 pandemic and, on the other, to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – external factors that were neither foreseeable nor quantifiable in terms of their impact on construction costs.