Second S-Bahn Core Route Munich: Sustainability aspects and main underground challenges during the upgrade works of the commuter rail connection through the heart of the Bavarian capital.-Video

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Munich’s second core rail route is being built to relieve the city’s overcrowded commuter network, which carries far more passengers than originally planned and is expected to face further growth. The new west–east line will act as a bypass to the existing route, linking five stations, including three underground stations: the main station, Marienhof and the east station. Tunnels and stations will be constructed 35–40 metres below ground in places.<br /><br />Work in the western section includes a launch portal, tunnels and major station structures. Construction is complicated by Munich’s layered geology and multiple aquifers, limited work sites in the city centre, and the need to pass beneath active railways, metro lines and sensitive buildings without disrupting service or causing settlement.<br /><br />Sustainability measures include transporting most excavated material by rail, delivering tunnel segments by rail, and using on-site concrete batching plants to reduce city traffic. Once operational, the route is expected to save about 300 million car-kilometres and 64,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.<br /><br />Current works include excavation and concrete construction at the western portal and Marienhof, alongside ground improvement and groundwater testing. The project team is also preparing an emergency shaft and installing monitoring systems.

Keywords

Munich second core rail route

commuter network expansion

west-east bypass line

underground station construction

tunnel excavation

groundwater and geology challenges

sustainable rail construction