DB addresses questions over Mühldorf rail diversion

Deutsche Bahn says it will prepare the Mühldorf railway line for a five-month diversion during the full closure of the Rosenheim-Salzburg line from February 2027. The plan has raised concerns among passengers about whether the route can handle the extra trains, BR24 reported.

Up to 15,000 passengers, including commuters and school students, will be affected by the closure. Visitors travelling to the Chiemgau and Berchtesgaden regions will also need to take a detour via Mühldorf or a bus from Rosenheim. Between Freilassing and Salzburg, passengers will be able to use additional shuttle trains, according to Deutsche Bahn.

The railway line through Mühldorf is mostly single-track and not electrified. Deutsche Bahn says it is the only route available for diverting regional services during the corridor works. Construction is under way through the end of the year to remove sections where trains must travel at reduced speed. Several railway bridges have already been repaired, and signal boxes are also due to be upgraded.

The company says the total number of passenger trains on the Mühldorf line will remain almost unchanged, although services and stops will be adjusted. A regional express between Munich and Freilassing via Mühldorf will run every two hours, stopping only at Munich East and Mühldorf. The journey will take just under two hours, roughly the same as on the original route.

Some peak-hour regional trains between Munich and Mühldorf, along with several stops, will be dropped and replaced by buses. Three Eurocity trains in each direction will also use the line daily. In addition, up to 10 extra freight trains could run there, depending on freight operators’ needs.