Brandenburg's Premier Woidke Pushes for Expansion of Eastern Railway Line to Poland
Brandenburg slams Berlin for stalling key Poland rail link upgrades
Potsdam (dpa/bb) – Brandenburg's Minister-President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has sharpened his criticism of the federal government over delays in expanding the Eastern Railway line to Poland. "Let me be blunt: the federal government continues to block this expansion," Woidke said during a visit by Sebastian Ciemnoczołowski, the newly elected marshal of Brandenburg's partner region, Lubusz Voivodeship (Lebus), in Poland. "At this point, we're only talking about building a second track between Berlin and Küstrin-Kietz."
The Berlin–Küstrin route, which extends into Poland, remains unelectrified and is partly single-track on the German side. Nearly two years ago, a bridge over the Oder River connecting the Polish town of Kostrzyn with Küstrin-Kietz in Brandenburg was inaugurated. According to a previous study by the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB), upgrading the Eastern Railway from Berlin to Küstrin-Kietz in two phases—by 2036 and beyond—could cost up to €1.3 billion.
Woidke Vows to Ramp Up Pressure
The state premier is demanding faster action from Berlin. "We've reached the point where the bridge is complete, and now it's just about adding 70 kilometers of second track," Woidke said. "We will keep pressing the federal government because this is clearly an unfair disadvantage for the region, and we won't accept it any longer."
The marshal of the partner region also called for progress on the German side: "The bridge was restored in 2024, but rail service has yet to resume," he noted. "For residents in the northern part of Lubusz Voivodeship, reliable access to Berlin is absolutely essential."
Woidke described the Eastern Railway as one of the most critical German-Polish rail links. At the upcoming summit of the Oder Partnership—a network of Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, and western Polish voivodeships—scheduled for May 26–27 in Poznań, he plans to push for a unified demand on the issue.
Strengthening Cross-Border Healthcare Cooperation
Brandenburg and its Polish partner region aim to deepen collaboration in medical services. "We want to further improve healthcare in the border region, attract skilled professionals, and strengthen cooperation between our institutions," Woidke said. The Carl Thiem Medical University of Lusatia and the University of Zielona Góra are already working together on medical and nursing education.
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