For a faster connection between the Ruhr area and Berlin, Deutsche Bahn is planning a new high-speed line between Hanover and Bielefeld. Preference will be a route along the A2 motorway, said the railway Commissioner of the Federal Government, Enak Ferlemann. The ICE trains should be able to drive there at 300 kilometers per hour in the future.

"Our main goal is Berlin-Cologne in four hours," said the CDU politician of the news agency dpa. The railways wanted to win more passengers for the fast and ecological rail and deliver less to the domestic German air traffic. "Out comes a half-hour later, that's a dream for the entire region." So far, the ICE commutes hourly between Cologne and Berlin and often takes more than four and a half hours.

In the expansion planning of the federal government, the route with estimated costs of just under 1.9 billion euros in urgent need. So far, however, only an increase to 230 km was planned, with the question was kept open, whether an extension of the existing route or a new route from Porta Westfalica / Bad Oeynhausen is necessary to the gates of Hanover.

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The plans for the new route between Hanover and Bielefeld should be pushed so far this year that next year, a dialogue forum with citizens and municipalities could provide advice on a preferred option, said Ferlemann. The trains between Berlin and Amsterdam should be faster.

Meanwhile, it is known that the railway for repair and expansion work on the rail network in Germany apparently to receive significantly more money. As part of the negotiations on the federal budget, the grand coalition has agreed that the federal government will provide an additional € 1 billion per year from 2020 for the preservation and expansion of railways, the newspaper Die Welt reported, citing government circles ,

Overall, the state-owned company for rails, trains and personnel but missing several million euros. Therefore, and because of problems in the day-to-day business such as punctuality, the group has been in the criticism for weeks. Federal Transport Minister Scheuer (CSU) and the top of the railways have already met for several crisis meetings.

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The increase in the funds for the routes should be laid down by a so-called performance and financing agreement (LuFV) between the federal government and Deutsche Bahn, it said. Confirmation for the reported increase does not exist so far.

Overall, according to Welt, the Ministry of Transport has to make do with less money compared to 2019 in the coming fiscal year. This means that although there are more funds for the rail, there is no more money for road construction.