The Danish and German transport ministers, Thomas Danielsen and Patrick Schnieder, held a virtual meeting today about the Fehmarn Belt connection. The ministers confirm that both the work on the fixed link and the German railway land facilities are under pressure. They also emphasise that the state treaty from 2008 remains in place and that there is no basis for changing it. New, consolidated schedules will only be prepared once the builders on both sides have clarified the technical and administrative issues, and the ministers plan a joint assessment at the beginning of 2026.
- We had a good meeting and have confirmed to each other that the Fehmarn Belt connection is an important project for both our countries and for Europe as a whole. Therefore, we also agree that we will do our utmost to establish the fixed link and the land facilities as quickly as possible, says Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (V).
Important connection
Patrick Schnieder emphasises on the German side that the Fehmarn connection remains a high-priority project in Germany.
- The fixed Fehmarn Belt connection is of great importance for cross-border transport and for the whole of Europe. Both countries are working purposefully to ensure that the connection and the German hinterland facilities can be ready as soon as possible, says Patrick Schnieder.
In Germany, the Ministry of Transport already announced in July that the railway infrastructure cannot be put into operation in 2029 as planned. The reason is mainly the lengthy planning and approval procedures, which cannot be compensated for by the measures implemented to accelerate the process. The latest assessment from the German project organisations shows that the infrastructure is not expected to be ready until around 2031, while train traffic over the Fehmarn Belt cannot start before 2032.
On the Danish side, the submersion of the tunnel elements has not yet begun. The specially built vessel Ivy still needs to be approved before it can be used to lower the elements into place. At the same time, the tunnel trench under the Fehmarn Belt is not approved by the contractor. Internally, it is indicated that a first submersion can take place at the earliest in 2026, which already puts pressure on the overall timeline, as the submersion work itself is planned to take about three years and is followed by a longer period of two years with installations and testing.
