1. Project
The City Tunnel of Leipzig is the last and central component of the railway system restructuring process in Greater Leipzig. Not only the suburban train system can be restructured after the tunnel has been put into operation but also the traffic connections between the region and the City will be improved and give major impetus to the development of the City’s traffic system.
Track line
1.1 Additional measures to improve the system
- Leipzig-Stötteritz – Gaschwitz: Converting the current goods train lines to
suburban train lines
- Leipzig-Stötteritz – Engelsdorf: New junction curve to Paunsdorf.
- Stops: Relocation of the stop Leipzig-Leutzsch and construction of a new stop
at Theresienstrasse.
- Borna - Geithain: Electrification of the single-track line.
1.2 Project owners
- Free State of Saxony, with the City of Leipzig
- Deutsche Bahn AG
Financing plans (status 2003)
Total costs: EUR 571,62 m
Sources of financing:
- Free State of Saxony/City of Leipzig EUR 194,8 m
- European Union (EFRE) EUR 168,73 m
- German government pursuant EUR 114,53 m
- to Sect 8, para. 1 and 2 of Bundesschienenwegausbaugesetz
(Federal railway development act) - German government pursuant to EUR 77,20 m
Gemeindeverkehrsfinanzierungsgesetz
(Community transport financing law) - Deutsche Bahn AG EUR 16,36 m
3 Construction period
- 09 July 2003: Official commencement of construction
- February 2004: Start of railway station Markt
- August 2004: Start of station Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz
- March 2004: Start of station Bayerischer Bahnhof
- March 2005: Start of station Hauptbahnhof
- 2006 till 2008: Tunnel boring
- 2008 – 2010: Installation of railway equipment/trial
run and acceptance tests
2010: Putting into service upon change of timetable.
4 Benefits
- More than 320,000 car km per day will be avoided. This will considerably increase the City’s share in short-distance public transport.
- Shorter travelling time between medium level centres and the city centre of Leipzig.
- Better connection and development of the airport, New Fair Ground, the media centre and the city centre.
- Better connections of the south west region of Saxony to Greater Leipzig and the city centre.
- Additional axis for high-speed long distance traffic from Berlin via Leipzig, Nuremberg to Munich.
- Positive influence on employment situation (directly and indirectly) by creating up to 1,500 jobs during the construction phase.
5 Technical project data
- Construction of a double-track, electrified line
- Total length of project approx. 5.3 km
- Tunnel length including stations and ramps approx. 4.0 km.
- Construction of three ramp structures, open cut method (two ramps at Hauptbahnhof, one at Bayerischer Bahnhof).
5.1 Tunnel tubes
Longitudinal section
- The City Tunnel consists of two single-track tunnel tubes constructed by way
of shield driving.
- Length of each tunnel tube 1,438 m.
Excavated cross section 9.0 m. - Internal tunnel tube diameter 7.9 m.
- The top edge of tunnel runs between 8 and 16 m below ground.
- The excavated cross section will be supported during shield driving by tubbing segments having a wall thickness of 40 cm.
- A tubbing segment consists of 7 stones and a capstone and weighs about 47 mt.
- Over 13,000 tubbing segments will be inserted.
- The railway bed in the tunnel will be built as a fixed track. For sound absorption in the inner city area a spring-mass system will be installed.
- The overhead wire will be designed as conductor rail.
- A conventional signalling system will provide for operational safety.
5.2 Stations
- Construction of four underground stations, open cut:
Leipzig Hbf (Leipzig main rail Station), Markt (Market), Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz (Wilhelm-Leuschner Place), Bayerischer Bahnhof (Bavarian Station) - Stop at Semmelweisstrasse
- Each of these four stations will have an island-type platform, the stop at Semmelweisstrasse two side platforms.
- The platforms will each be 140 m long (except at the main rail station: 215 m, optionally 400 m).
- Length of stations approx. 140 m
- Width of stations inside approx. 20 m
- The platforms will be between 17m und 22 m deep
Main Station
6 Facts
6.1 Tunneling
Geological cross section
- The tunnel boring machine (TBM) has been designed and tailored to the specific needs of the City Tunnel and the local soil conditions.
- The shield diameter is 9.0 m.
- The total weight of the TBM is 1,100 mt.
- Including the trailing section the TBM has a length of 65 m.
- The TBM has a total connected load of 2.5 MW.
- The TBM is driven by 14 pairs of presses. Their maximum pressing power is 65 MN.
- The integrated stone crusher is capable of crushing stones up to 80 cm edge length.
- To pre-explore the ground, the TBM has been provided with a special seismic system being capable of recognizing 40 m in advance any boundaries of a bed and anomalies.
6.2 Cutter
- The cutter has been designed as partially open hydroshield of 9.0 m diameter.
- The cutter weighs approx. 100 mt.
- It is driven by eight motors of 880 kW total capacity.
- The wheel torque is 4,837,000 Nm.
- To remove the soil, the cutter has been provided with 176 peelers, 42 disc cutters and 16 reamers.
- To stabilize the ground, the shield is surrounded by an overpressure of up to 4 bar.
6.2.1 Tube driving
Mole
- Tunnel driving for both tubes begins at a start shaft at Bayrischer Bahnhof
(Bavarian Station) towards Hauptbahnhof (main rail Station). At the end of the
first shield drive the cutter head will be dismantled at the main rail station and
brought back to the Bavarian Station. The trailing section will be drawn back
through the finished tube. The second drive will start after the cutter head has
been re-assembled.
- Tunnel driving takes place in two major phases. First, the TBM excavates material
along a distance of 1.8 m, which is then directly followed by lining the tube
under the protection of the shield using tubbing segments consisting of eight
individual ring segments. The ring segment does not only serve as rock
protection but also as final inner shell and protects against penetration of ground
water.
