The backbone of sustainable mobility: Extension to the Cologne rail node
More than 440,000 trains and 100 million passengers use the main railway station in Cologne every year. And the trend is rising. There is therefore a need to extend comprehensively the rail infrastructure of the Cologne rail node for local, long-distance and goods transport. This project is named in the 2030 German Federal Transport Route Plan [Bundesverkehrswegeplan 2030] as a high-priority item.
A few of the 20 individual projects are already under construction while others are still at the planning definition stage, or in the early stages of planning. The backbone for this extension to the rapid transit system [S-Bahn] at the Cologne node is the Cologne West Junction project.
The project is important for the European rail network and is central to the expansion of sustainable mobility in Germany. IG Cologne PA1 was appointed in early February 2021 by Deutsche Bahn AG to be in charge of planning.
The order for implementing the Cologne West Junction PA1 project incorporates exceptionally demanding engineering services which are to be implemented using the BIM Method: From Cologne main railway station to the Cologne-West station to the Cologne South station, IG Cologne PA1 is planning work phases 1 and 2, with the additional option of phases 3 and 4. “Specifically, this means that we, as the Chief Planner, are responsible for all the main work on rail and road transport systems as well as three S-Bahn stations, including technical track equipment and design-related aspects of construction engineering together with project planning and structural planning. In addition, services include BIM alignment, environmental planning, noise and serious vibration planning as well as the planning of construction phases and building operations, all of which form part of the scope of this order”, explains Matthias Klein, Rail Division Manager at OBERMEYER Infrastruktur GmbH & Co. KG and Key Account Manager for Deutsche Bahn.
CO2-friendly mobility through the segregation of local and long-distance traffic
Expansion of the West junction is essential for linking the growing S-Bahn network to the Cologne node in a future-proof manner. This will for example enable the rapid transit vehicles of the S-Bahn lines to merge with the Cologne node, for example using the Eifel route which has not yet been incorporated into this system. “Only if we manage to achieve a seamless transition between regional and long-distance transport and to extend capacities we will be able to increase the appeal of CO2-friendly mobility. Local public transport can be viewed as the backbone of sustainable mobility”, states Klein.
This expansion has a central role to play in the German rail network: “This can realistically be envisaged, simply by looking at the huge population of this region and the intensive networking between cities in North Rhine Westphalia and further afield”, postulates IG Chief Project Manager Christoph Metzger from OBERMEYER Infrastruktur GmbH & Co. KG’s Cologne subsidiary.
BIM planning establishes clarity during the planning stage
As a BIM company, the OBERMEYER Group is committed to the sustainable development of the BIM Method in overall planning projects for the infrastructure, with the assistance of modern technologies. Customers benefit from our extensive experience of digital planning workflows.
In Cologne too, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is being employed in a contractually binding manner. “We are delighted that, since 2019/20 in DB-BIM pilot projects, our established collaboration with Rambøll, the leading BIM provider on the innovative Scandinavian market, can now be extended in a high-profile major planning project for DB. Together with the customer, we are able to continue on a joint basis with implementation of the BIM Method in our infrastructure planning projects”, explains Maximilian Bade, OBERMEYER Infrastruktur’s Karlsruhe subsidiary and the man responsible for overall BIM coordination of the project.
About OBERMEYER:
The OBERMEYER Group is one of the largest independent planning companies in Germany and has an expert track record spanning more than 60 years for overall planning and qualified sectoral planning.
With more than 1400 employees worldwide, OBERMEYER delivers planning services into the sectors of building, infrastructure and technical equipment. In partnership with scientific research institutes, virtually every field of expertise in engineering and construction planning is covered.
Inspired by the innovative spirit of its founder, Leonhard Obermeyer, the company creates intelligent, future-facing solutions using the very latest digital tools and responsibly flexible methods.
Images
We are only providing these photos for publication in relation to this press release. Please name the relevant source of any photos that you may choose to publish.
Sample copies
Please submit sample copies in duplicate. For online publications, please send the relevant link to presse@obermeyer-group.com. Many thanks!
