From June 30th: New elevated platforms in Hanover – restrictions are imminent!

From June 30th: New elevated platforms in Hanover – restrictions are imminent!

Significant changes are coming in Hanover: From Monday, June 30, 2025, extensive construction work will begin on the elevated platforms of Stadtbahn line 2, especially at the Vahrenheider Markt and Großer Kolonnenweg stops. The current platforms, which are over 40 years old, no longer meet current standards and are in urgent need of renovation. These measures aim to extend the platforms for ÜSTRA's new three-car trains to a length of 70 meters, like haz.de reported.

The work, which is expected to take around a year in total, will be carried out in two phases: First, the side of the stops towards the city center will be demolished and rebuilt, before the side out of the city follows. Each phase lasts approximately six months. During this time, passengers will increasingly have to use alternative stops or go one station in the other direction, as the light rail will not stop on the sides that are being renovated hannover.citynews-online.de reported.

Temporary restrictions

In addition, several service interruptions on Line 2 are planned for August and September. These take place on the nights of August 16th to 18th and September 27th to 29th, from 3 a.m. to 3 a.m. each time. A replacement bus service will be installed, while pedestrian traffic patterns will also change during construction. The paths are signposted accordingly. Drivers of cars and trucks should also be prepared for a narrowed road on the Großer Kolonnenweg, which allows passages at the level of the stop, but will not offer parking, as already mentioned.

But the new buildings are not just limited to the elevated platforms in Vahrenheider Markt and Großer Kolonnenweg. There is also a lot of investment in the north of Hanover. Among other things, new elevated platforms are planned on Vahrenwalder Straße and the Old Airport, while work is currently underway at the Kabelkamp and Windausstraße locations. These comprehensive measures are part of ÜSTRA's future-oriented light rail transport and are intended to sustainably improve comfort for passengers.

Long-term developments at Hanover main station

But it's not just the light rail that requires attention. Hanover Central Station is also the focus of extensive modernization. The preliminary planning for the XXL project as part of the Deutschlandtakt concept aims to improve access to connecting trains and modernize the existing infrastructure. Over a quarter of a million people use the station every day, which handles over 750 trains per day. Planned measures include the expansion of tracks, additional platforms and a digital signal box. A Smart City partnership between Deutsche Bahn and the city of Hanover is also being pursued in order to optimize the area around the station, as deutschebahn.com describes.

In summary, road users in Hanover are facing exciting but also challenging times. A lot is happening with the modernization of the light rail stops and the planning at the main train station, which brings with it short-term restrictions, but in the long term should significantly improve local public transport and make it future-proof.