Passenger train services on the Wunderline route between Groningen in the Netherlands and Leer in Germany resumed on October 5, 2026, ending nearly a decade of disruption caused by the irreversible damage to the Friesen Bridge over the River Ems in December 2015. Deutsche Bahn invested about €200 million to replace the bridge, which is a critical link on this cross-border corridor.
Friesen Bridge Replacement and Design
The original Friesen Bridge was dismantled in 2021 to make way for a new structure. The replacement bridge, completed in stages with the first 335-meter section placed in August 2024, is Europe’s largest combined swing and lift rail
bridge. Designed by Schlaich Bergermann Partner, it includes a 145-meter swinging segment weighing 1,800 tonnes. The single-track bridge also provides a footpath and cycle lane while doubling the passage width available for maritime traffic, simplifying navigation compared to the previous setup.
Track and Infrastructure Upgrades
The Wunderline corridor, spanning 173 kilometers, underwent significant upgrades simultaneously with the bridge replacement. Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail and German counterpart DB InfraGO enhanced tracks, signalling systems, and level crossings. They reinforced the trackbed to support higher operating speeds. This extensive rail infrastructure project is a joint investment by the Province of Groningen, Niedersachsen, and Bremen. Works on the
Dutch segment concluded in August 2025.
Current Train Operations
Arriva currently operates an hourly passenger train service on weekdays along the Wunderline route. Passengers must change trains at Winschoten for most journeys, though some direct Groningen-Leer services run during early mornings, late evenings, and weekends. Direct train movements across the new bridge face speed restrictions near Hurdegaryp and interruptions due to the bridge’s swinging mechanism for ship passage. These factors increase the risk of delays for through services.
Plans for Direct Groningen-Bremen Service
Authorities from Groningen, Niedersachsen, and Bremen are collaborating with ProRail and Deutsche Bahn to introduce a future direct train service between Groningen and Bremen that
would eliminate the transfer in Leer. This service is projected to cut journey times by approximately 15 minutes, targeting a total travel time of around 2 hours 11 minutes. However, funding for the necessary double-tracking sections on the German side, critical to enable this direct operation, has not yet been secured.
