Gerresheim Mega-Train Project Remains On Track, Completing Midway Developments
Half-shift on the Mega-Train Construction Site in Düsseldorf Gerresheim. Project manager Eva Pachali of Deutsche Bahn would rather bash something if she could — "At the moment, we're on schedule." By August 4th, 9 PM, the construction site at Gerresheim station must be completely cleared. Deutsche Bahn is dropping around 25 million euros here to alleviate a bottleneck and manage trains more fluidly on five tracks between S-Bahn and long-distance train tracks.
Project manager Eva Pachali says: "We're smack in the middle of our plan."
Everything got scrapped
To achieve this, the entire station was first wrecked over nearly four kilometers. Tracks, sleepers, ballast — you name it, it got trashed. Eventually, they'll be able to declare: 50,000 tons of material was relocated. About half of that is new ballast.
Soil scares
The construction manager had a close call a few days back when everything was stripped clean. Tests revealed the clay soil wasn't solid enough for the new tracks. "So we had to add an extra 50 to 80 centimeters of soil," says Eva Pachali. This was only planned for specific trouble spots and sent the strict timeline spinning off track.
Piece by piece, the new track is being laid on the fresh ballast.
Work day and night — 24/7
But with everyone pulling together, they've made up for lost time. 120 construction workers are putting in time 24/7. "Not everyone in the neighborhood's thrilled about that," says a guy from the construction team. And in the end, they'll whine that nothing was done to the underground passage at Gerresheim station again. "But the city of Düsseldorf is responsible for that, not us as Deutsche Bahn," says a DB rep.
More than six years of scheming
Around 4,000 meters of track, 3,000 new sleepers, 36 kilometers of cable, ten switches, and 25 overhead line masts will be rejuvenated or at least refurbished. On Thursday, a hefty train crane brought pre-assembled identical parts with sleepers that were put in place. Meanwhile, experts were stripping the new overhead line. To make sure things run smoothly, project manager Eva Pachali's been plotting for six years. "I hopped on board later; others have been juggling preparations for this construction site even longer."
At the same time, the overhead lines must be tweaked to suit the new track arrangements.
Second try
So it was all the more discouraging when the first attempt at the Gerresheim station construction site crumbled last year, as mysterious lines and pipes were discovered directly below the old track bed. At that time, construction time was squandered clearing the old contamination. "We'll get another shot this year, but it's not a guarantee," explains project manager Pachali. Such construction sites are choreographed nationwide at Deutsche Bahn, and that usually requires a two to three-year heads-up.
As for those unanticipated discoveries, it's possible that the soil needed additional reinforcement due to water infiltration, unsound composition, or other geotechnical challenges. But without specific details about the Gerresheim site, these are just plausible explanations. For definite info, it'd be best to check the project's official documents or contact local construction authorities.
Project manager Eva Pachali shares, "We're investing in the future of this site, both financially and through our work."
The industry of transportation and the field of finance collide as Deutsche Bahn spends over 25 million euros on this project, hoping to improve efficiency in the railway system.
