Two Trains per Platform Track at Frankfurt Central Station
Frankfurt Central Station, Germany’s second-busiest transport hub, is set to undergo major upgrades to tackle persistent delays. With nearly half a million passengers passing through daily, congestion at the station often disrupts rail travel nationwide. New measures and long-term projects aim to ease the pressure on this critical junction.
A key short-term solution involves splitting platforms into two sections using additional signals. This allows longer trains to be divided into shorter services with different destinations. The change will apply to platforms 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, and 17, giving operators more flexibility in scheduling.
Another new initiative permits two trains to occupy a single platform track at the same time. The move is designed to reduce bottlenecks and improve efficiency during peak hours.
For longer-term relief, construction of Track 25 is planned, with approval expected in autumn 2025. Preliminary work is set to begin in January 2026, though the track itself will not open before 2027. Beyond this, a new long-distance rail tunnel and an underground station are also in the pipeline, with construction due to start in the early 2030s.
The wider project, known as the Frankfurt(Main) Hauptbahnhof Nordkopf–Westring connector, aims to modernise the station’s infrastructure and reduce delays that ripple across the country.
The upgrades will gradually increase capacity and reduce delays at Frankfurt Central Station. Track 25 and the future tunnel project form part of a broader strategy to handle rising passenger numbers. Until then, the new platform adjustments will help manage congestion in the short term.
