Fehmarn Belt Tunnel Delayed to 2035
Germany's approach route across the Fehmarnsund is the main bottleneck, with costs rising and rail freight continuing on longer routes in the meantime.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Europe
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The opening of the Fehmarn Belt rail tunnel between Denmark and Germany is now expected in 2035, after earlier forecasts pointed to 2032. Denmark's state railway operator Dsb attributes the delays to the German side of the project.
Why it matters
The delay extends the period in which rail freight between Germany and Scandinavia must use the longer route via the Great Belt or Jutland. Sweden has doubled its funding for connecting infrastructure in response.
The undersea tunnel is 18 kilometres long, while the planned Fehmarnsund tunnel is less than two kilometres, and the original single-track Fehmarnsund bridge dates from 1963. The updated opening target of 2035 has not been reconciled with the German approach schedule.
The players
Dsb
Denmark's state railway operator, which attributes the project delays to the German side.
Swedish Infrastructure Ministry
The Swedish government ministry that doubled funding for upgrading the southern main line toward the Fehmarn Belt connection.
The details
The bottleneck is the German approach route across the Fehmarnsund, where trains currently reach Fehmarn island over a single-track bridge that lacks capacity for expected traffic. Germany announced plans for a Fehmarnsund tunnel in March 2020 with a 2028 target, which is now considered unlikely.
Timeline
March 2020: Germany announced plans for a tunnel under the Fehmarnsund.
2028: Original target for completing the Fehmarnsund tunnel.
2032: Initial forecast for opening the Fehmarn Belt rail link.
2035: Revised opening year for the rail link, with road lanes expected earlier.
Roadmap
Cross-border rail links in Europe frequently face delays from approach infrastructure rather than the main tunnel works, as the Turin-Lyon line's Mont Cenis base tunnel now faces a further two-year slip beyond December 2033. The Fehmarn Belt project follows this pattern, with its bottleneck on the German approach route rather than the undersea section.
Travelers crossing between Germany and Scandinavia should expect rail connections to continue using the longer Great Belt or Jutland route until the tunnel opens. Road lanes of the Fehmarn Belt tunnel are expected around 2032, with rail following at least three years later.
The takeaway
Major cross-border infrastructure timelines often shift because of connecting works on one side of a border, so travelers and freight planners should treat original opening dates as provisional. The current outlook places full rail service between Germany and Scandinavia around 2035.
Further reading
For more on rail and travel routes across the continent, explore Europe travel coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TrasportoEuropa.
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