The VGF's track construction work between Niederursel and Bommersheim has been completed successfully and on time. The work began on February 5. Since Friday, March 16, the streetcars have been running on the usual route again.
As planned, the line closure was used for many different and parallel track construction works. Although the focus was on the section between Niederursel and Bommersheim, work was carried out from Niederursel to Oberursel. This involved replacing the entire sleepers on two switch systems, replacing over 1000 meters of track and completely renewing three level crossings in Oberursel. Crosswalks were given new markings and the section of track between Niederursel and Bommersheim was realigned and stabilized using a track tamping machine. Even where the rails were not replaced, they are now "fresh" again, as the rails on the section of track were subsequently reprofiled with a rail grinding machine and damage to the rail running head was removed.
Replaced rails are now recycled: they are melted down in a steelworks and fed back into the material cycle. The old wooden sleepers are sent to special waste incineration plants for thermal recycling.
No unexpected or delaying obstacles arose during the construction period. The work, which included replacing around 2100 meters of track and 3000 cubic meters of ballast and mineral mix, was completed on time and the costs remained within the planned budget. The VGF planning team's good construction preparation paid off.
The reason for the replacement was heavy wear and tear. The track systems around Weißkirchen Ost were now 42 years old and had reached their maximum useful life.
