The railway connection across the Fehmarn Belt is now expected to be delayed by several years, potentially pushing the opening to the end of 2032 at the earliest. This projection stems from a document issued by the German railway authority, Eisenbahn-Bundesamt.

The German authority estimates that Deutsche Bahn, the German state-owned railway company, will require six and a half years to construct the 2.2-kilometer tunnel connecting the train tracks between the island of Fehmarn and the German mainland.

Because construction is pending approval, train service through the Fehmarn Belt is unlikely to commence before the end of 2032.

The original target completion date for the entire Fehmarn connection, which is designed to accommodate both rail and car traffic, was set for 2029.

Femern A/S, the Danish company responsible for the project, has declined to comment directly on the German railway authority’s statement.

“We are aware of the current articles in German media about the Fehmarn Sound Tunnel,” stated press officer Jens Villemoes in a written response to Ritzau.

Villemoes added, “If the schedule for the German land facilities changes, we expect the German government to inform the Danish government.”

Concerns about potential delays to the railway component of the Fehmarn connection have circulated in the media previously.

Last October, reports highlighted significant challenges facing Germany in completing its portion of the railway link on schedule.

It was also reported that the Danish Transport Minister, in a confidential briefing, had informed transport spokespersons that the railway connection might be delayed by four to five years beyond the initial 2029 target.

Deutsche Bahn previously stated that they still anticipated completing the German part of the tunnel connection concurrently with the Danish section originating from Lolland.