Five weeks of rail chaos: Mühldorf-München closed from August!

Five weeks of rail chaos: Mühldorf-München closed from August!

Mühldorf am Inn, Deutschland - The Südostbayernbahn (SOB) will provide turbulence in train traffic between Mühldorf and Munich in the coming months. From August 12 to September 15, 2025, the route will remain closed for five weeks. This measure is necessary to install four new electronic signal boxes (ESTW) that are urgently required to improve punctuality and operation on this highly frequented connection. In 2023, punctuality on the route to Munich was 87.28%, while the rest of the network achieved over 90%. This shows that the old technology, which causes around 30% of delays, urgently needs to be replaced. The “4 Estw Munich - Mühldorf” project will be completed by 2027 and, in addition to the signal boxes, also includes the renewal of level crossings and signals.

In order to minimize the effects on travelers, the construction work was scheduled during the summer vacation. During the blocking, buses are used instead of trains. The direct bus from Mühldorf to Messestadt Munich takes 70 minutes, while the buses to Munich East take over two hours for the route. SOB boss Matthias Krause fears that the blocking will lead to massive restrictions in the operating process.

conversion to hourly time

A ray of hope will be available from December 2018: The Bavarian Railway Society (BEG) has introduced a new hourly time on the route between Mühldorf and Salzburg. The regional trains now run every hour from early to late, which makes commuting considerably easier for working people and is intended to strengthen tourism in the Inn-Salzach region. Before the introduction of the hourly time, the route had only been operated every two hours. The last evening train from Salzburg to Mühldorf runs two hours later than before, while on Sundays and public holidays the hourly start about an hour later.

The basis for this new timetable was created by the renovation and relief of heavily used sections of the route such as Mühldorf - Tüßling and Freilassing - Salzburg. Thanks to the permanent expansion of the infrastructure, technical restrictions that previously affected punctuality are now history. The SOB and BEG expect an increase in passenger volume, which should have a positive effect on the entire region.

long -term perspectives and challenges

While the current construction work is being promoted in the Mühldorf-München area, the SOB already looks at future challenges. From February 2026, the route will become the alternative route during the general renovation between Regensburg and Nuremberg. From 2027, the route to Salzburg will also be affected by diversions and additional trains. These measures are part of the "SB²" initiative, which aims to stabilize rail traffic and to increase punctuality by investing in the infrastructure.

Deutsche Bahn pursues an approach with various programs, such as the “Strong Quality Management for DB” project, an approach to improve the quality of the products and services. The aim is to identify weaknesses in the processes and to increase operating stability through coordinated investments. Anyone who thinks that the railway is always ahead of the time must be all the more attentive in the coming months, because the developments will affect both passengers and commuters.