Passenger trains on the cross-border Wunderline between Groningen in the Netherlands and Leer in Germany resumed on October 5, almost ten years after a ship irreparably damaged the Friesen Bridge over the River Ems in December 2015.

Deutsche Bahn invested around €200m in the replacement structure. The 173 km corridor has also received track, signalling and level crossing renewals delivered jointly by ProRail in the Netherlands and DB InfraGO in Germany. Trackbed reinforcement now permits higher operating speeds than the suspended timetable offered.

Provincial authorities marked the restart with a celebratory first ride at Groningen on October 1, four days before commercial services began.

Why were services halted for a decade?

A ship struck the Friesen Bridge in December 2015 and damaged it beyond repair. Buses replaced trains on the Weener–Leer section throughout the rebuild, while express buses linked Groningen and Leer.

DB Netz dismantled the old bridge in 2021 and lifted the first section of the new structure into place in August 2024. Works on the Dutch side of the corridor finished in August 2025.

German progress then lagged: the Province of Groningen accused the Land of Niedersachsen of a "lack of urgency" in autumn 2025, as reported by SpoorPro, the Dutch-language sister publication of Railway Gazette International. A year on, passenger services have now started.

What does the new bridge deliver?

The 335 m new Friesen Bridge is Europe's largest swing and lift rail bridge. Structural engineers Schlaich Bergermann Partner designed the crossing.

The structure carries a single railway track, with a footpath and cycle lane attached. A 145 m swinging section accounts for 1 800 tonnes of the total weight.

The new alignment doubles the passage width for shipping on the Ems. Previously vessels had to steer against the current through a tighter opening, a more demanding manoeuvre for skippers.

The bridge forms part of a joint investment by the Province of Groningen, Niedersachsen and Bremen, alongside the ProRail and DB InfraGO renewals along the wider 173 km corridor.

What are the current operational constraints?

Train operator Arriva currently runs an hourly weekday service that involves a change at Winschoten in the Netherlands. Through trains between Groningen and Leer operate only in the early morning, late evening and at weekends.

Two factors make end-to-end runs vulnerable to delays:

• A permanent speed restriction at Hurdegaryp on the Dutch side
• Limited opening windows for the swinging section, set to clear maritime traffic on the Ems

These constraints explain why most passengers still change at Winschoten rather than travel direct on weekdays.

What comes next?

Groningen, Niedersachsen and Bremen are working with ProRail, Deutsche Bahn and other partners on a direct Groningen–Bremen service. The plan would remove the change at Leer and extend cross-border trains past the current Dutch terminus.

Officials estimate the extension would save around 15 minutes and deliver a 2 h 11 min end-to-end journey. The project requires double-tracking sections of line in Germany, with no funding source yet committed.

Local stakeholders have argued that a stronger international rail link would reinforce cross-border economic co-operation, make sustainable transport more attractive and bring communities on both sides of the border closer together. The three regional authorities and Arriva still have to weigh those benefits against the cost of the German capacity works before any timetable can be confirmed.