Fehmarn Belt fixed link

{{Short description|Under-construction immersed tunnel connecting Denmark and Germany}} {{distinguish|text = the [[Fehmarn Sound Tunnel]], a planned tunnel between the German mainland and the island of Fehmarn}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox tunnel | name = Fehmarn Belt fixed link | image = Fehmarn-bridge.svg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Map showing the planned '''Fehmarn Belt fixed link''' in the Danish–German motorway system | official_name = Femernbælt Link | other_name = | location = | coordinates = {{Coord|format=dms|display=inline}} | os_grid_ref = | status = Under construction | route = | crosses = [[Fehmarn Belt]] | start = | end = | startwork = 1 January 2021<ref>{{cite web |url=https://trm.dk/nyheder/2021/nu-starter-anlaegsarbejdet-paa-femern-baelt-forbindelsen/ |title=Nu starter anlægsarbejdet på Femern Bælt-forbindelsen |website=trm.dk}}</ref> | opened =  | opens = 2031<ref name="ndr">{{Cite web |last=ndr.de |title="Schwieriger als geplant": Fehmarnbelttunnel verzögert sich weiter |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/luebeck_herzogtum-lauenburg_ostholstein/fehmarnbelttunnel-eroeffnung-kommt-wohl-erst-2031,fehmarnbelttunnel-102.html |access-date=2026-01-16 |website=ndr.de |language=de}}</ref> | closed =  | rebuilt = | reopened =  | owner = Femern A/S | operator = | traffic = Rail and road | character = | toll = Yes | vpd = | engineer = | construction = | length = {{convert|17.6|km|abbr=on}} | lanes = 4 | speed = {{cvt|200|km/h|abbr=on|round=5}} | notrack = 2 | gauge = | el = Yes | hielevation = | lowelevation = | height = | width = | depth_below_water = | shipping_clearance_above = | grade = | map = {{maplink |type=point |frame=yes |plain=yes |frame-align=center |zoom=5}} | extra = }}

The '''Fehmarn Belt fixed link''' ({{langx|da|Femern Bælt-forbindelsen}}, {{langx|de|Fehmarnbelt-Querung}}) or '''Fehmarn Belt tunnel''' is an under-construction [[immersed tunnel]], which will connect the Danish island of [[Lolland]] with the German island of [[Fehmarn]], crossing the {{convert|18|km|mi|adj=mid|-wide}} [[Fehmarn Belt]] in the [[Baltic Sea]]. The tunnel is intended to be a major wider connection between [[mainland Europe]] and [[Scandinavia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fehmarn belt railway axis |url=https://ec.europa.eu/ten/transport/priority_projects_minisite/PP20EN.pdf |publisher=[[Trans-European Transport Network]] |quote=Currently, less than 20 % of goods transported between Scandinavia and mainland Europe are carried via the Fehmarn Belt (by ferry) between Denmark and Germany. Once the fixed link is built, the proportion of goods transported via the Fehmarn Belt route is expected to quadruple to approximately 15 to 17 million tonnes of freight per year, of which some 8 to 11 million tonnes would be carried by rail. The project is expected to stimulate economic development in the Baltic Sea regions of Denmark and Germany, especially in the cross-border areas close to the link.}}</ref>

The tunnel is planned to become the world's longest road and rail (combination) tunnel<ref name="railway-technology.com">{{cite web |date=11 June 2018 |title=The Fehmarnbelt tunnel: delivering a new European link |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/features/fehmarnbelt-tunnel-european-link/}}</ref> and will directly replace a heavily travelled ferry service of the [[Vogelfluglinie|"Bird flight line"]] (German: ''Vogelfluglinie''; Danish: ''Fugleflugtslinjen'') operated by [[Scandlines]]. The tunnel will provide a direct link from northern Germany to Lolland, with Fehmarn connected with the German mainland by the [[Fehmarn Sound Bridge]] and Lolland connected by a tunnel and bridges with the Danish island of [[Zealand]], which includes [[Copenhagen]], via the island of [[Falster]]. The Fehmarn Belt project will therefore provide a more direct and efficient connection between Germany and Zealand (which in turn is connected with the Swedish mainland via the [[Øresund Bridge]]), compared to the existing road-rail link that is the detoured [[Great Belt Bridge]] via [[Jutland]] and [[Funen]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scherman |first=Lena |date=2023-10-24 |title=Danish record tunnel had to give way to Swedish cannons |url=https://www.deepseareporter.com/danish-record-tunnel-had-to-give-way-to-swedish-cannons/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=Deep Sea Reporter |language=en}}</ref> Travel time between Lolland and Fehmarn is to be reduced from 45 minutes by ferry (excluding waiting and boarding time) to 10 minutes by car and seven minutes by train.<ref>{{cite web|title=Puttgarden nach Rödby Fahrtickets, Zeiten und Preise|url=https://www.directferries.de/puttgarden_roedby_faehre.htm|website=Direct Ferries|access-date=15 July 2020|language=de}}</ref><ref name="railway-technology.com" /> The electrified [[high-speed rail in Europe|high-speed rail]] line will be capable of reaching {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Burroughs">{{Cite news|url=https://www.railjournal.com/infrastructure/fehmarnbelt-fixed-link-rail-consultancy-contract-awarded/|title=Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link rail consultancy contract awarded|first=David|last=Burroughs|work=[[International Railway Journal]]|date=7 February 2020|access-date=26 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-08 |title=Fehmarnbelt Tunnel: Revolutionizing Rail and Road Travel Between Denmark and Germany - Infra Info Hub |url=https://infrainfohub.com/fehmarnbelt-tunnel/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Designed and financed by Danish state-owned [[Femern A/S]], the tunnel was approved in 2015 with a construction budget of 52.6 billion [[Danish krone|krone]] (equivalent to [[US$]]8.2 billion),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Femern |url=https://sundogbaelt.dk/forbindelser/femern/ |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=sundogbaelt.dk |language=da}}</ref> making it the largest traffic investment in Denmark's history, which will be partly recouped by [[toll (fee)|tolling]] the tunnel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Villesen |first=Skrevet af: Kristian |date=2015-07-11 |title=Tunnelsyn på bæltet |url=https://www.information.dk/kultur/2015/07/tunnelsyn-paa-baeltet |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=Information |language=da}}</ref> Germany plans to pay a further €800 million to connect the crossing to its motorway network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bauarbeiten am Fehmarnbelt-Tunnel laufen |url=https://www.adac.de/news/fehmarnsundtunnel/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.adac.de |language=de-DE}}</ref> The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is expected to be completed in 2031.<ref name="ndr"></ref>

[[File:Femeren-tunnel-may-2025.jpg|thumb|alt=Entrance to tunnel under construction|The under-construction entrance to the tunnel]]

==History== ===Bridge proposal=== Since 1963, the German island of Fehmarn has been connected to the mainland through the [[Fehmarn Sound Bridge]]. Since then, connection to the Danish island of Lolland has been provided by a regular ferry service across the strait. This started the discussion about a fixed link across the strait. By the late 1990s, feasibility studies had been carried out for constructing a bridge. Ideas involved a bridge carrying both a four-lane motorway and two electrified rail tracks. This solution was for years regarded as the most likely scheme and detailed plans were drawn up. The Fehmarn Belt bridge was originally expected to be completed by 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fehmarnsundbrücke: Herzstück der Vogelfluglinie |url=https://www.ndr.de/geschichte/schauplaetze/Fehmarnsundbruecke-Herzstueck-der-Vogelfluglinie,vogelfluglinie107.html |website=www.ndr.de |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fehmarnbelt: Der lange Weg zur festen Querung |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Fehmarnbelt-Der-lange-Weg-zur-festen-Querung,fehmarnbelt100.html |website=www.ndr.de |language=de}}</ref>

However, in late 2010, after further feasibility studies, the Danish project planners declared that an [[Immersed tube|immersed tunnel]] would instead present fewer construction risks and would cost about the same.<ref name="RailwayGazette"/> The project's cost had grown to €7.4 billion<ref>{{Cite web |title=Die Fehmarnbelt-Querung: Ökologisch gefährlich & teuer |url=https://www.bund-sh.de/meere/fehmarnbelt-querung/ |access-date=17 January 2022 |website=BUND - BUND für Naturschutz und Umwelt in Deutschland |language=de-DE}}</ref> after initially being estimated at €5.5 billion in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NDR |title=Fehmarnbelt: Der lange Weg zur festen Querung |url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Fehmarnbelt-Der-lange-Weg-zur-festen-Querung,fehmarnbelt100.html |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.ndr.de |language=de}}</ref>

The bridge would have been about {{convert|20|km}} long, comprising three{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} [[cable-stayed bridge|cable-stayed spans]]. The four pillars in the [[substructure (engineering)|substructure]] of the bridge would probably have been about {{convert|280|m|ft}} tall, with vertical clearance about {{convert|65|m|ft}} above sea level, allowing ocean-going ships to pass beneath it. The design of the bridge links was being carried out by the [[Dissing+Weitling]] company for its aesthetical features and by the [[COWI]] and Obermeyer companies for their civil engineering aspects. The proposed design would have carried four motorway lanes and two railway tracks.

===Tunnel solution=== Although originally conceived as a bridge, [[Femern A/S]] (the Danish state-owned company tasked with designing and planning the link) announced in December 2010 that a tunnel was preferable,<ref name="RailwayGazette">{{cite web|url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/fehmarn-belt-tunnel-preferred/35568.article|access-date=10 October 2023|work=Railway Gazette |title=Fehmarn Belt tunnel preferred}}</ref> and the tunnel idea received support from a large majority of the Danish Parliament in January 2011.<ref name="dr.dk">{{cite news|title=Klart flertal for en Femern-tunnel|url=http://www.dr.dk/Regioner/Sjaelland/Nyheder/Femern/2011/01/21/062634.htm|access-date=1 February 2011|newspaper=DR Forside|date=21 January 2011|language=da|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124195919/http://www.dr.dk/Regioner/Sjaelland/Nyheder/Femern/2011/01/21/062634.htm|archive-date=24 January 2011}}</ref><ref name=SUPERTUNNEL/> The completion date was revised in 2012 to 2021, in 2014 to 2024,<ref name="Femern schedule 2012">{{cite web |title=Time schedule for the Fehmarnbelt coast-to-coast project, April 2012 |url=http://www.femern.com/Material+folder/Documents/2012+publications/Time+schedule+for+the+Fehmarnbelt+coast-to-coast+project+April+2012.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200421154734/http://www.femern.com/Material+folder/Documents/2012+publications/Time+schedule+for+the+Fehmarnbelt+coast-to-coast+project+April+2012.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2020 |access-date=1 June 2012}}</ref> in 2015 to 2028,<ref>{{cite news |last=Preuß |first=Olaf |date=20 August 2015 |title=Fehmarnbelt: Dänen verringern wegen Deutschen Bautempo |url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article145456602/Deutsche-Langsamkeit-verzoegert-Fehmarnbelt-Tunnel.html |newspaper=Die Welt |lang=de}}</ref> in 2020 to 2029,<ref name="spon-may-2020">{{cite web |date=26 May 2020 |title=Milliarden unters Meer |url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/fehmarn-belt-tunnel-streit-ueber-ostsee-querung-nach-daenemark-kommt-vor-gericht-a-bda38feb-12bb-4cd5-a426-fa6c241bd350 |publisher=Der Spiegel}}</ref> and in 2026 to 2032.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hobel |first=Line Gjerlev |last2=Henriques |first2=Casper Martin |date=2026-05-17 |title=Femern Bælt-forbindelsen bliver først brugbar for bilister i 2032 |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/femern-baelt-forbindelsen-bliver-foerst-brugbar-bilister-i-2032 |access-date=2026-05-17 |website=DR |language=da-DK}}</ref>

In February 2015, the draft bill for the construction was introduced to the Danish parliament, and the Danish Government submitted an application for DKK 13 billion (€1.7 billion) in EU grants, supported by Germany and Sweden.<ref name=trm2014>"[http://www.trm.dk/da/nyheder/2015/analyse-femern-baeltforbindelsen-goer-danmark-og-europa-rigere Analyse: Femern Bælt-forbindelsen gør Danmark og Europa rigere] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130747/http://www.trm.dk/da/nyheder/2015/analyse-femern-baeltforbindelsen-goer-danmark-og-europa-rigere |date=2 April 2015 }}" [http://www.trm.dk/~/media/files/publication/2015/femern/rapport_samfundsoekonomi-femern_incentive_2015.pdf Report, 1MB] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102333/http://www.trm.dk/~/media/files/publication/2015/femern/rapport_samfundsoekonomi-femern_incentive_2015.pdf |date=2 April 2015 }}. ''[[Danish Ministry of Transport]]'', 8 January 2015. Accessed: 8 January 2015.</ref><ref name="Fermern A/S website">{{cite web|url=http://www.femern.com/home/preparation-phase/important-milestones/important-project-milestones|access-date=6 March 2015|title=Femern A/S: ''Important project milestones – February 2015''|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425020535/http://www.femern.com/home/preparation-phase/important-milestones/important-project-milestones|archive-date=25 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=Status>[http://www.femern.com/service-menu/press--documents/news/what-is-the-status-of-femern-as-work-on-the-tunnel-under-the-fehmarnbelt Fermern A/S: ''What is the status of Femern A/S’ work on the tunnel under the Fehmarnbelt?''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316232349/http://www.femern.com/service-menu/press--documents/news/what-is-the-status-of-femern-as-work-on-the-tunnel-under-the-fehmarnbelt |date=16 March 2015 }} Linked 6 March 2015</ref> In June 2015, €589 million of EU funding was awarded to Denmark by the [[European Commission]] under its [[Connecting Europe Facility]] (CEF) scheme, allowing the tunnel project to go ahead.<ref name=bbc-250715>{{cite news|title=Denmark-Germany undersea Fehmarn tunnel gets go-ahead|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33633879|access-date=25 July 2015|work=BBC News|date=23 July 2015}}</ref> In March 2017, the operating company announced the sign-up of subcontractors for the project.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2017/March/Femern-AS-underskriver-kontrakter-med-tekniske-raadgivere|title=Femern A/S signs contracts with engineering consultants - Femern A/S - The tunnel across Fehmarnbelt|website=Femern.com|access-date=12 June 2019|archive-date=10 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910161119/http://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2017/March/Femern-AS-underskriver-kontrakter-med-tekniske-raadgivere|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 13 December 2018, the [[Court of Justice of the European Union]] ruled in favour of [[Scandlines]] in Case T‑630/15 regarding [[State aid (European Union)|state aid]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?docid=209013&doclang=en|title=Case T‑630/15 - Judgement for the financing of the Fehmarn Belt fixed link project|date=13 December 2018|website=curia.europa.eu}}</ref>

The European Commission claimed on 28 September 2018 that there has been no unlawful aid.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/276184/276184_2020946_85_2.pdf|title=State Aid SA.51981 (2018/FC) – Denmark – Complaint about alleged unlawful aid to Femern A/S and Femern Landanlæg A/S|date=29 September 2018|website=European Commission}}</ref> Action regarding that has been brought before court in January 2019 in Case T-7/19.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?docid=211092&doclang=EN|title=CURIA - Documents|website=curia.europa.eu}}</ref>

== Project == The project is comparable in size to other Danish bridges at [[Øresund Bridge]] and the [[Great Belt Bridge]]. According to a report released on 30 November 2010 by Femern A/S (a subsidiary of the Danish state-owned Sund & Bælt Holding A/S), the company tasked with designing and planning the link between Denmark and Germany, the corridor for the alignment of the link has now been determined and will be sited in a corridor running east of the ferry ports of [[Puttgarden]] and [[Rødbyhavn]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.femern.com/Home/News/Newsletters/No.+9+-+December+2010/Corridor+for+the+alignment+of+the+Fehmarnbelt+link+determined|title=Femern A/S - Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link|access-date=21 March 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425154042/http://www.femern.com/Home/News/Newsletters/No.+9+-+December+2010/Corridor+for+the+alignment+of+the+Fehmarnbelt+link+determined|archive-date=25 April 2012}} Newsletter from Femern A/S</ref>

The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and its [[double track|double tracks]] will shorten the rail journey from [[Hamburg]] to Copenhagen from four hours and 40 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 July 2023 |title=Departure Hamburg Hbf |url=https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:adc53b1b-18fd-4228-9371-258105f0346b/Hamburg_Hbf_23_Ab_Heft_131428.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905204238/https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:adc53b1b-18fd-4228-9371-258105f0346b/Hamburg_Hbf_23_Ab_Heft_131428.pdf |archive-date=5 September 2023 |access-date=5 September 2023 |website=DB}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> According to current plans there will be one passenger train and two freight trains in each direction per hour.<ref name="danskelandanlæg"/> The highway between Copenhagen and Hamburg is already a motorway except for {{convert|25|km}} in Germany that is a two-lane expressway. The narrow [[Fehmarn Sound Bridge]] will be replaced by a new [[Fehmarn Sound Tunnel]] with a four-lane motorway and double-track railway.<ref>[https://www.deutschebahn.com/pr-hamburg-de/aktuell/presseinformationen/Entscheidung-zur-neuen-Fehmarnsundquerung-4984662 Deutsche Bahn. ''Entscheidung zur neuen Fehmarnsundquerung.''] (in German) Retrieved 11 June 2021</ref>

== Design == The tunnel consists of 79 standard elements with a length of {{convert|217| metres}} in a design similar to the Drogden trench, with two road tubes, one emergency tube and two rail tubes. Additionally, there are ten service elements with a length of {{convert|85.7| metres}} but both wider and higher with a subfloor (basement) to house technical equipment.

=== Financing === When the Danish ''[[Folketing]]'' (parliament) ratified the project in March 2009, its cost was estimated at 42 billion DKK (€5 billion).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.information.dk/186286|title=Broen over Femern Bælt vedtaget|date=26 March 2009|publisher=information.dk|access-date=30 December 2010}}</ref> This cost included €1.5 billion for other improvements such as [[Railway electrification system|electrifying]] and improving {{convert|160|km}} of railway from single-track to double-track on the Danish side. In 2011 this was increased to a total of €5.5 billion (at 2008 prices). On top of this there will be cost of at least €1 billion for the German rail connection, which will be paid by the German government.

The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will be financed by state-guaranteed loans, which will be paid by the road and train tolls. Denmark will be solely responsible for guaranteeing the funding of the project at an estimated cost of 35 billion kroner or (€4.7 billion)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/danmark-haenger-paa-femern-regning|title=Danmark hænger på Femern-regning|date=29 June 2007|website=DR|language=da-DK|access-date=23 June 2019}}</ref> and German participation will be limited to the development of the land-based facilities on the German side.<ref>[http://www.bmvbs.de/-,302.1000913/Tiefensee-Durchbruch-fuer-fest.htm Tiefensee: Durchbruch für feste Fehmarnbeltquerung, German ministry of transport 29 June 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722152551/http://www.bmvbs.de/-,302.1000913/Tiefensee-Durchbruch-fuer-fest.htm |date=22 July 2009 }}</ref> The government of Denmark will own the fixed link outright, will be allowed to keep tolls after the loans have been repaid, and will enjoy any employment opportunities at the toll station. The fees are also planned to pay for the [[DSB (railway company)|Danish railway]] upgrading.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

On the German side, the road will be widened to four lanes and the railway to double track and, according to the treaty, paid by the German government without a toll for users.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

The European Union has designated this project as one of the 30 prioritised transport infrastructure projects ([[Trans-European Transport Networks|TEN-T]]). It has committed to a €600 million to €1.2 billion [[subsidy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.femern.com/material-folder/documents/2011-publications/consolidated-construction-estimate-for-the-fehmarnbelt-fixed-link-august-2011|title=Consolidated construction estimate for the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link|publisher=Fermern A/S|date=24 August 2011|access-date=4 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512170847/http://www.femern.com/material-folder/documents/2011-publications/consolidated-construction-estimate-for-the-fehmarnbelt-fixed-link-august-2011|archive-date=12 May 2013}}</ref><ref name=trm2014/> The project is expected to have a five percent [[rate of return]] for Europe. Construction estimates covered the period from 1 April 1998 until 2021.

==Land connections== === New Storstrømmen and Fehmarn Sound links === Two new links are planned. One about {{convert|1|km|sigfig=1}} long at the [[Fehmarn Sound]] and one slightly more than {{convert|3|km|sigfig=1}} long at [[Storstrømmen]]. According to the 2008 Danish–German treaty, the bridges did not have to be replaced,<ref name="danskelandanlæg">[http://www.sundogbaelt.dk/femern/Menu/dk/Femern+B%C3%A6lt+forbindelsen+og+milj%C3%B8et+2006,+Milj%C3%B8konsultations-rapport/Beskrivelse+af+projektet/Tekniske+l%C3%B8sningsmodeller+for+de+danske+landanl%C3%A6g Tekniske løsningsmodeller for de danske landanlæg] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415014350/http://www.sundogbaelt.dk/femern/Menu/dk/Femern+B%C3%A6lt+forbindelsen+og+milj%C3%B8et+2006,+Milj%C3%B8konsultations-rapport/Beskrivelse+af+projektet/Tekniske+l%C3%B8sningsmodeller+for+de+danske+landanl%C3%A6g |date=15 April 2012 }}</ref> and the [[Double track|double-track railway]] construction in Germany may be delayed by up to seven years.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} Because of its bad condition, a replacement of the [[Storstrøm Bridge]] has been contracted and is slated for completion in 2026.<ref>[[Vejdirektoratet|Danish Road Directorate]]: https://www.vejdirektoratet.dk/side/storstromsbroen {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702013701/https://www.vejdirektoratet.dk/side/storstromsbroen |date=2 July 2019 }}</ref> The [[Schleswig-Holstein]] State Government announced in 2013 it envisioned the construction of a new Fehmarn Sound link or an upgrade of the current [[Fehmarn Sound Bridge]], since it considered the current bridge – with two lanes for road traffic and one track for rail traffic – to be a bottleneck for the German hinterland connection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.schleswig-holstein.de/FehmarnBelt/DE/Service/FAQ/FAQ_Hinterlandanbindungen/FAQ_HinterlandStrasse/FAQ_texte/055_Sundbruecke_Nadeloehr.html|title=Feste Fehmarnbeltquerung – Wird die Fehmarnsundbrücke zum Nadelöhr?|publisher=Ministry of Economy, Labour, Transport and Technology of Schleswig-Holstein|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722074525/http://www.schleswig-holstein.de/FehmarnBelt/DE/Service/FAQ/FAQ_Hinterlandanbindungen/FAQ_HinterlandStrasse/FAQ_texte/055_Sundbruecke_Nadeloehr.html|archive-date=22 July 2014|access-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> On 3 March 2020, the [[Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport|German Federal Ministry of Transport]], the State of Schleswig-Holstein and [[Deutsche Bahn]] announced that a new 1.7 km long immersed [[Fehmarn Sound Tunnel]] (German: ''Fehmarnsundtunnel'') with four road lanes and two rail tracks, costing approximately 714 million euros, is planned to be built by 2028, while the current bridge will be preserved for pedestrians, cyclists and slow road traffic.<ref name="Fehmarnsundquerung">{{Cite web|url=https://www.anbindung-fbq.de/de/presse/meldungen/details/entscheidung-zur-neuen-fehmarnsundquerung.html|title=Entscheidung zur neuen Fehmarnsundquerung|work=Anbindung-fbq.de|publisher=DB Netze|date=3 March 2020|access-date=29 June 2020|language=de|archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303183006/https://www.anbindung-fbq.de/de/presse/meldungen/details/entscheidung-zur-neuen-fehmarnsundquerung.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Railway axis Fehmarn Belt === [[File:Danish rail network approved lines.svg|thumb|'Railway axis Fehmarn Belt' as part of [[High-speed rail in Denmark|Denmark's high-speed rail network]]]]

The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel's railway is the central section of the 'Railway axis Fehmarn Belt', which is Priority Project 20 of the [[Trans-European Transport Network]] (TEN-T) that seeks to establish a [[High-speed rail in Europe|high-speed rail line]] Copenhagen–Hamburg.<ref name="Priority Project 20">{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/inea/en/ten-t/ten-t-projects/projects-by-priority-project/priority-project-20|title=Priority Project 20: Railway axis Fehmarn Belt|work=30 Priority Projects TEN-T|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=29 June 2020}}</ref> In the north, it connects to the [[Øresund Bridge|Øresund Bridge/Drogden Tunnel]] (Priority Project 11) and the Nordic Triangle railway/road axis (Priority Project 12), and in the south to [[Bremen]] and [[Hanover]].<ref name="Priority Project 20" /> The full line currently under construction consists of several new railways to be built and old railways to be upgraded, to achieve at least a maximum speed of {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}} on all sections:<ref name="Burroughs" /> * [[Copenhagen–Ringsted Line]], opened on 31 May 2019, since 2023 operating at {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}}. * [[Sydbanen]] (Ringsted–Rødbyhavn), new tracks to be laid by 2021, to be electrified to reach {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}} by 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bane.dk/Borger/Baneprojekter/Ringsted_Femern-Banen/Tidsplan|title=Faser i arbejdet|publisher=[[Banedanmark]]|date=22 May 2017|access-date=26 June 2020|language=da}}</ref> * Fehmarn Belt Tunnel (Rødbyhavn–Puttgarden), {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}}, to be completed in 2028.<ref name="Burroughs" /> (since revised) * [[Lübeck–Puttgarden railway|Puttgarden–Lübeck railway]], to be electrified<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.railjournal.com/rolling-stock/danish-parliament-approves-dkr-11bn-rolling-stock-purchase/|title=Danish parliament approves DKr 11bn rolling stock purchase|first=Denis|last=Bowers|work=International Railway Journal|date=15 June 2018|access-date=26 June 2020}}</ref> and upgraded to reach {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}} up from the current {{convert|100|–|160|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://taz.de/Transeuropaeisches-Verkehrsprojekt/!5690024/|title=Klatsche für Fehmarnbelt-Querung|first=Gernot|last=Knödler|work=[[Die Tageszeitung]]|date=18 June 2020|access-date=26 June 2020|language=de}}</ref> The new [[Fehmarn Sound Tunnel]] (to be completed in 2028) is part of this section.<ref name="Fehmarnsundquerung" /> * [[Lübeck–Hamburg railway]], to be upgraded to reach {{convert|200|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}}.

==Tunnel characteristics== Underwater tunnels are either [[tunnel boring machine|bored]] or [[immersed tube|immersed]]: tunnel boring is common for deepwater tunnels longer than 4 or {{convert|5|km|mi}},{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} and immersion is commonly used for tunnels that cross relatively shallow waters. Immersion involves dredging a trench across the seafloor, laying a foundation bed of sand or gravel, and then lowering [[precast concrete]] tunnel sections into the excavation and covering it with a protective layer of backfill several metres thick.

An immersed tunnel is planned for the [[Fehmarn Belt]]. At 17.6 km (10.9 mi), it will be the longest ever constructed, surpassing the current largest immersed tube tunnel, which spans 6.75 km (4.19 mi) across the [[Pearl River Delta|Pearl River Estuary]] in [[China]] as part of the [[Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge]]. On 30 November 2010, Denmark's ''Femern A/S'' project manager announced it had selected [[Immersed tube|immersed tunnel]] design submitted by the ''[[Ramboll]], [[Arup Group|Arup]], and TEC'' consortium.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Ramboll Group|url=http://www.ramboll.com/projects/viewproject?projectid=CFD26E14-BD7A-4ECB-BC39-0DC3E05CF94E|title=The world's longest road/rail tunnel: Fehmarnbelt between Denmark and Germany|access-date=14 February 2011}}</ref> According to the senior project managers, as well as being the world's longest immersed tunnel, it will be the "world's longest combined road and rail tunnel; the world's longest under water tunnel for road; the deepest immersed tunnel with road and rail traffic; and the second deepest concrete immersed tunnel."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=TunnelTalk.com|date=May 2010|url=http://tunneltalk.com/Femern-Crossing-May10-Tunnel-innovations.php|title=Innovations for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel Option|author=((S. Lykke (Project Director, Tunnel, Femern Belt A/S)))|author2=((W.P.S. Janssen (Senior Project Manager, Tunnel Engineering Consultants, Nijmegen, The Netherlands)))|author3=((Ramboll-Arup-TEC JV))|access-date=3 February 2011|archive-date=14 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614021854/https://tunneltalk.com/Femern-Crossing-May10-Tunnel-innovations.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> The size of the project is about five times the tunnel part of the [[Øresund Bridge|Øresund Link]] between Denmark and [[Sweden]], currently the "longest immersed concrete tunnel."

The deepest section of the Fehmarn Belt Trench is {{convert|35|m}} and the tunnel sections will be about {{convert|10|m}} high, thus, the dredging barges will need to be capable of reaching depths of over {{convert|45|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation|date=18 December 2010|work=Habitat Mare – active for marine biodiversity|url=http://www.bfn.de/habitatmare/en/schutzgebiet-fehmarnbelt.php|title=Fehmarn Belt Sac|access-date=3 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718202420/http://www.bfn.de/habitatmare/en/schutzgebiet-fehmarnbelt.php|archive-date=18 July 2011}}</ref> [[Dredging]] will produce a trench some {{convert|40|–|50|m}} wide and {{convert|12|–|15|m}} deep. These parameters give a total of some {{convert|20000000|m3}} of soil to be dredged. Conventional dredging equipment can reach only a depth of about {{convert|25|m}}. To excavate the middle portion of the Fehmarn trench, deeper than {{convert|25|m}} below the water's surface, will likely require [[Dredging#Grab dredgers|grab dredgers]] and [[trailing suction hopper dredger]]s.

The proposed tunnel would be {{convert|17.6|km}} long, {{convert|40|m}} deep below the surface of the sea and would carry a double-track railway.<ref name="RailwayGazette"/> Arguments brought forward in favour of a tunnel include its starkly reduced environmental impact, its independence from weather conditions, as crosswinds can have considerable impact on trucks and trailers, especially on a north–south bridge. A bored tunnel was deemed too expensive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dmm.travel/news/artikel/lesen/2011/01/tunnel-statt-bruecke-bei-der-fehmarn-querung-33408/|title=Tunnel statt Brücke bei der Fehmarn-Querung?|access-date=9 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425225849/http://dmm.travel/news/artikel/lesen/2011/01/tunnel-statt-bruecke-bei-der-fehmarn-querung-33408/|archive-date=25 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>"[http://www.femern.com/home/preparation-phase/the-selection-of-the-immersed-tunnel/immersed-tunnel-vs-cable-stayed-bridge Immersed tunnel vs cable-stayed bridge] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520220122/http://www.femern.com/home/preparation-phase/the-selection-of-the-immersed-tunnel/immersed-tunnel-vs-cable-stayed-bridge |date=20 May 2014 }}" ''Femern Link''. Accessed: 6 October 2013.</ref><ref>"[http://www.femern.com/home/preparation-phase/the-selection-of-the-immersed-tunnel/immersed-tunnel-vs-bored-tunnel Immersed tunnel vs. bored tunnel] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520220456/http://www.femern.com/home/preparation-phase/the-selection-of-the-immersed-tunnel/immersed-tunnel-vs-bored-tunnel |date=20 May 2014 }}" ''Femern Link''. Accessed: 6 October 2013.</ref>

The [[precast concrete]] tunnel sections will have a rectangular cross-section that is about {{convert|40|m}} wide and {{convert|10|m}} high, containing four separate passageways (two for cars and two for trains), plus a small service passageway: There will be separate northbound and southbound tubes for vehicles, each {{convert|11|m}} wide, each with two travel lanes and a breakdown lane; while the northbound and southbound passageways for trains will be {{convert|6|m}} wide each and about {{convert|10|m}} high; the service passageway will be {{convert|3|m}} wide; the standoff space between each "tube" will vary, but the overall width will be {{convert|41.2|m}}. The single-level, sectional arrangement of the two road and rail tubes side-by-side – with the road west and the railway east – coincide with the arrangement of the existing road and rail infrastructure, and requires no weaving to connect.

==Timeline== === 2007 === An interim agreement was reached in [[Berlin]] between the Danish and German authorities on 29 June (represented by their transport ministers) to proceed with the construction of the fixed link.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trm.dk/sw43883.asp?path={06CA10FF-97FD-422E-BFB9-5B8CD5FC222A}. |title=Fandt du ikke, hvad du søgte? |website=www.trm.dk}}</ref> Details provided by [[Danmarks Radio]] stated that the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link would run {{convert|19|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from a point about {{convert|2|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} east of [[Rødby]] in Denmark to [[Puttgarden]] on the Island of Fehmarn, which was already connected by bridge to the German mainland. Construction would start in 2015 and was expected to be completed by the end of 2021.<ref name="Femern schedule 2012" />

=== 2008 === On 3 September, the ministers of transportation from Denmark and Germany, [[Carina Christensen]] and [[Wolfgang Tiefensee]], signed the treaty for the construction of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link at a ceremony held in [[Copenhagen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sundogbaelt.dk/uk/Menu/Femern+B%C3%A6lt|title=Sund og Bælt – makes it easier when travelling in Denmark|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070922023354/http://www.sundogbaelt.dk/uk/Menu/Femern+B%C3%A6lt|archive-date=22 September 2007}}</ref>

=== 2009 === On 26 March, the construction was ratified by the [[Folketing|Danish Parliament]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/article677907.ece|title=Fehmarn Bridge in nine years|language=da|publisher=Politiken.dk|date=23 December 2010|access-date=30 December 2010}}</ref> and approved by the [[Bundestag|German Parliament]] on 18 June.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jun/17/baltic-sea-fehmarnbelt-bridge|work=The Guardian|location=London|title=Baltic Sea bridge project set for go-ahead|first=Kate|last=Connolly|date=17 June 2009|access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>

=== 2010 === It was announced in December that a tunnel would be used rather than a bridge to present fewer construction risks than a cable-stayed bridge, which would be pushing the limits of the technology. The cost and the construction time would be roughly the same.<ref name="RailwayGazette" />

=== 2011 === In January, a large majority of the parties in the Danish Parliament voted to support a tunnel solution.<ref name="dr.dk" /><ref name="SUPERTUNNEL">{{cite news|title=Dänemark baut Supertunnel nach Deutschland|url=http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/0,1518,742887,00.html|access-date=1 February 2011|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]], online edition|date=1 February 2011|language=de}}</ref> However, national approval procedures in both countries needed to be completed. In Germany, that involved the application for a plan approval process. In Denmark, the project would require the passage in Parliament of a Construction Act.

On 16 December, the German government announced that it was postponing development of the railway link to the Fehmarn Tunnel until after 2015. According to a report in ''Der Nordschleswiger'', German Traffic Minister [[Peter Ramsauer]] decided to reduce planned government investment in new infrastructure in Germany by 25 per cent because of the [[European sovereign debt crisis|economic crisis]]. It was not immediately clear what effect the postponement would have on the overall Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link project.<ref name="Politiken English edition">{{cite news|title=German Fehmarn Uncertainty|url=http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1481495/german-fehmarn-uncertainty/|access-date=6 December 2011|newspaper=[[Politiken]] English online edition}}</ref>

=== 2013 === In October 2013, the tunnel company applied to German authorities for approval according to environmental law and other laws of Germany and EU. This was rejected in 2015 because new legislation that appeared in the meantime was not accounted for.<ref name="Approval-process-in-Germany">{{cite web|url=https://femern.com/en/Tunnel/Milestones-for-the-project/Approval-process-in-Germany|title=Approval process in Germany - Femern A/S - The tunnel across Fehmarnbelt|website=Femern.com|access-date=1 January 2018|archive-date=2 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102073049/https://femern.com/en/Tunnel/Milestones-for-the-project/Approval-process-in-Germany|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 2015 === On 25 February, the bill for the Construction Act for the Fehmarn belt link was introduced in the Danish Parliament.<ref name="Status" /> On 26 February, the Danish [[Ministry of Transport (Denmark)|Ministry of Transport]] submitted an application for an EU grant of DKK 13 billion (€1.7 billion) for the project's construction phase. The application was accompanied by letters of support from the Swedish [[Minister for Infrastructure (Sweden)|Minister for Infrastructure]], [[Anna Johansson (politician)|Anna Johansson]], and the German [[Transport Minister of Germany|Transport Minister]], [[Alexander Dobrindt]]. In addition, the German State Government of Schleswig-Holstein, as well as a wide range of business organisations from the Danish, Swedish, and German sides, sent statements supporting the application.<ref name="Status" /> EU finally approved DKK 6.92 billion in total for the tunnel and the connecting Danish railway, around 15% of the cost.<ref name="støtte">{{cite web|url=https://www.trm.dk/da/nyheder/2017/eu-femern-3011|title=Femern Bælt-projektet tildeles EU-støtte på næsten 1 mia. kr.|language=da|publisher=Transport-, Bygnings- og Boligministeriet|date=30 November 2017|access-date=1 January 2018|archive-date=5 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805104212/https://www.trm.dk/da/nyheder/2017/eu-femern-3011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 2016 === On 13 June, the tunnel company applied again to German authorities for approval, based on an updated application of 11,000 pages adopted to new legal principles that appeared since last application.<ref name="Approval-process-in-Germany" /> It was expected that this process would be complete in 2018. It expected that two further years would be spent in court processes, since political objectors had stated they would appeal the authority approval.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://femern.com/en/Tunnel/Milestones-for-the-project/Good-progress-in-the-Fehmarn-project|title=Good progress in the Fehmarn project - Femern A/S - The tunnel across Fehmarnbelt|website=Femern.com|access-date=1 January 2018|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402232203/https://femern.com/en/Tunnel/Milestones-for-the-project/Good-progress-in-the-Fehmarn-project|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 2018 === On 28 December, the German authority decided to approve the project.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2018/December/German-approval-of-the-Fehmarnbelt-tunnel-ready-to-be-signed|title=German approval of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel ready to be signed - Femern A/S - The tunnel across Fehmarnbelt|website=Femern.com|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=3 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103055917/https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2018/December/German-approval-of-the-Fehmarnbelt-tunnel-ready-to-be-signed|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== 2019 === On 6 February, Femern A/S received German plan approval for the tunnel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2019/February/Tysk-godkendelse-underskrevet|title=Femern A/S receives German plan approval for Fehmarnbelt tunnel in Kiel - Femern A/S - The tunnel across Fehmarnbelt|website=Femern.com|access-date=2 April 2019|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402231935/https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2019/February/Tysk-godkendelse-underskrevet|url-status=dead}}</ref> This had been appealed to the [[Federal Administrative Court (Germany)|Federal Administrative Court]] by political objectors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Acht-Klagen-gegen-Fehmarnbelttunnel,fehrmarnbelt102.html|title=Acht Klagen gegen Fehmarnbelttunnel|publisher=ndr.de|date=13 May 2019|access-date=24 July 2019|language=de}}</ref> [[DB Netz AG]] submitted a document to the [[BMVI]] detailing variants of the rail connection to the tunnel later that same month. The railway plans would need approval by the German Parliament.<ref>Page 6: [https://www.anbindung-fbq.de/files/downloads/Infobroschueren/Bahn_21x21_FBQ_Bro_PFV_2019.pdf Fehmern Belt Fixed Link rail connection information brochure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707225158/https://www.anbindung-fbq.de/files/downloads/Infobroschueren/Bahn_21x21_FBQ_Bro_PFV_2019.pdf |date=7 July 2019 }}</ref> In March, Femern A/S decided on a Government request to start large preparatory work on land, such as building a factory for concrete tunnel elements,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2019/March/New-activities |title=Femern A/S launches major construction works on the Fehmarn tunnel |access-date=3 December 2019 |archive-date=22 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822054203/https://femern.com/en/News-and-press/2019/March/New-activities |url-status=dead }}</ref> in anticipation of a positive German court decision later.

=== 2020 === On 3 March, the German Federal Ministry of Transport, the State of Schleswig-Holstein and Deutsche Bahn announced that a new 1.7 km long immersed [[Fehmarn Sound Tunnel]] (German: ''Fehmarnsundtunnel'') with four road lanes and two rail tracks, costing approximately €714 million, is scheduled to be built by 2028, and the current [[Fehmarn Sound Bridge]], which was at risk of becoming a bottleneck, would be preserved for pedestrians, cyclists and slow road traffic.<ref name="Fehmarnsundquerung" />

On 30 April, it was announced by Femern A/S that work was scheduled to begin on 1 January 2021 although it was possible that this would be delayed because of the effects of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]{{According to whom|date=June 2023}}. Femern had already begun a number of pre-construction activities at Puttgarden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/work-74bn-fehmarnbelt-tunnel-begin-1-january-2021/|title=Work on €7.4bn Fehmarnbelt tunnel to begin on 1 January 2021|website=globalconstructionreview.com|date=30 April 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506164017/http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/work-74bn-fehmarnbelt-tunnel-begin-1-january-2021/|archive-date=6 May 2020}}</ref>

On 3 November, the [[Federal Administrative Court (Germany)|Federal Administrative Court]] ruled that the project could be built, but some reefs would have to be considered. The [[Naturschutzbund Deutschland]] described it as a "dark day for the marine environment". [[Sabine Leidig]] (Die Linke) commented: "The ecological effects and the burden upon the neighbours of this giant project are much too large, compared to its small utility."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=3 November 2020|url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/fehmarn-belt-tunnel-bundesverwaltungsgericht-weist-klagen-gegen-fehmarnbelttunnel-ab-a-6a71e962-da7b-43e6-986e-684c7f778896|title=Bundesrichter weisen Klagen gegen Fehmarnbelttunnel ab}}</ref>

=== 2021 === On 1 January, work began on the actual tunnel construction, with an official online ceremony.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://trm.dk/nyheder/2021/nu-starter-anlaegsarbejdet-paa-femern-baelt-forbindelsen/|title=Nu starter anlægsarbejdet på Femern Bælt-forbindelsen|author=|date=1 January 2021|publisher=Ministry of Transport and Housing|access-date=1 January 2021|language=da|trans-title=Now construction works on the Femern Bælt link begins}}</ref>

=== 2022 === On 18 January, the German [[Federal Administrative Court (Germany)|Federal Administrative Court]] in [[Leipzig]] imposed a construction freeze on the areas near protected [[reef]]s, while it considered legal challenges from a group opposed to the project.<ref>{{Cite web|last=NDR|title=Fehmarnbelttunnel: Leipziger Richter verhängen Teil-Baustopp|url=https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Fehmarnbelttunnel-Leipziger-Richter-verhaengt-Teil-Baustopp,fehmarnbelttunnel126.html|access-date=17 January 2022|website=www.ndr.de|language=de}}</ref>

On 12 May, work began on the tunnel's northern entrance (Danish side).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kennedy|first=Catherine|date=12 May 2022|title=Construction of Fehmarnbelt tunnel entrance gets underway|url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/construction-of-fehmarnbelt-tunnel-entrance-gets-underway-12-05-2022/|access-date=12 May 2022|website=New Civil Engineer|language=en}}</ref>

On 24 May, the dredging work of the tunnel was 50% completed, i.e., 11 km had been dredged.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kajastie|first=Nia|date=24 May 2022|title=Fehmarnbelt immersed tunnel trench 50% complete|url=https://www.geplus.co.uk/news/fehmarnbelt-immersed-tunnel-trench-50-complete-24-05-2022/|access-date=2 June 2022|website=Ground Engineering (GE)|language=en}}</ref>

Due to inflation and interest rates, it was reported that in the first nine months of 2022 construction costs had risen to about 15.5 million krone per day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-30 |title=Femernbyggeri koster 15,5 millioner om dagen - TV 2 |url=https://nyheder.tv2.dk/lokalt/2022-11-30-femernbyggeri-koster-155-millioner-om-dagen |access-date=2025-08-20 |website=nyheder.tv2.dk |language=da-DK}}</ref>

On 14 December, all complaints from political organisations were dismissed by the [[Federal Administrative Court (Germany)|Federal Administrative Court]] in [[Leipzig]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://femern.com/de/presse/aktuelles/bundesverwaltungsgericht-weist-alle-klagen-ab/ |title=Alle Klagen zu Riffen abgewiesen |website=femern.com}}</ref>

=== 2023 === On 6 January, the dredging work for the tunnel was 70% completed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-06 |title=The progress of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel after two years |url=https://www.railtech.com/infrastructure/2023/01/06/the-progress-of-the-fehmarnbelt-tunnel-after-two-years/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=RailTech.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In July, the German work harbor became operational and in August the tunnel element factory was completed.<ref>{{cite web |title= Femern Sund Bælt Project Status |access-date= 2023-12-10 |url=https://femern.com/the-tunnel/project-status/ }}</ref>

In December, the first tunnel element was finished and it was expected to be immersed in the Fehmarnbelt in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.railtech.com/all/2024/01/09/the-fehmarnbelt-tunnel-project-three-years-into-construction/?gdpr=deny |title=The Fehmarnbelt tunnel project: three years into construction |date=2024-01-09 |website=RailTech.com}}</ref>

=== 2024 === On 15 April, construction work on the railway link from Puttgarden to Lübeck started on Fehmarn.<ref name=hauptarbeiten-auf-fehmarn>{{cite web |url=https://www.anbindung-fbq.de/aktuelles/aktuelle-meldungen/detail/start-der-hauptarbeiten-auf-fehmarn.html |title=Start der Hauptarbeiten auf Fehmarn |date=2024-04-09 |website= |publisher=DB InfraGO AG |access-date=2024-04-11 |quote= |language=German |trans-title=Start of main work on Fehmarn}}</ref> Some of the sections of the German railway project, mainly south of [[Altenkrempe]], were then still being planned again as they had been dismissed by authorities.

=== 2025 === A viewing platform with a height of 24 m opened in Rødbyhavn at the beginning of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roedbyhavn |url=https://femern.com/visit-us/roedbyhavn/ |access-date=2025-09-30 |website=femern.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-01 |title=Ausblick Fehmarnbelttunnel 2025: Erstes Element wird abgesenkt |url=https://www.kreiszeitung.de/lokales/schleswig-holstein/fehmarn/fehmarn-ausblick-fehmarnbelttunnel-2025-erstes-element-wird-abgesenkt-93492679.html |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.kreiszeitung.de |language=de}}</ref> The tunnel portals at [[Rødbyhavn]] and [[Puttgarden]] were completed in late 2025, establishing the transition points between the land-based motorway/railway and the underwater tunnel and leaving the infrastructure ready for the immersion of the first tunnel elements underwater. The 160-metre-long Danish portal structure was backfilled to intregrate with the surrounding landscape, while work continued on the 800-metre-long rail ramps.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Danish tunnel portal near completion |url=https://femern.com/press/news/danish-tunnel-portal-near-completion/ |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=femern.com |language=en}}</ref>

However, challenges appeared in 2024 and 2025. The specially designed vessel, which shall install the tunnel elements into the water, and its work methods have not been approved by German environmental authorities. These strengthened requirements compared to when the vessel was designed, including underwater noise and mud spill, and more. It is, as of the end of 2025, a 1½-year delay in approval, and the vessel's approval is uncertain, and environmental authorities can invent new requirements when existing ones have been fulfilled.{{Citation needed|reason=environmental requirements come from legislation, which usually falls under the legislative, not the executive branch of government.|date=February 2026}} It is clear at this time that the tunnel will not be finished in 2029.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://femern.com/press/news/challenges-in-the-fehmarnbelt-project/ |title=Challenges in the Fehmarnbelt project |date=2025-09-17 |publisher=Femern |access-date=2026-02-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kadovic |first=Mileta |title=Engineers Are Building an 11-Mile Tunnel Under the Sea Using Giant 73,000-Ton Lego-Like Blocks |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/engineers-building-11-mile-tunnel-194914423.html |website=[[Yahoo News]] |publisher=[[Yahoo]] |date=March 2026 |access-date=March 9, 2026 }}</ref>

=== 2026 === Following final testing of its 66-winch precision system in early 2026, the specialized vessel ''IVY'' received official approval from the [[Danish Maritime Authority]] to begin offshore operations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contractor tests special vessel for immersion of tunnel elements |url=https://femern.com/press/news/contractor-tests-special-vessel-for-immersion-of-tunnel-elements/ |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=femern.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Immersion pontoon IVY passes final test and receives approval |url=https://femern.com/press/news/immersion-pontoon-ivy-passes-final-test-and-receives-approval/ |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=femern.com |language=en}}</ref> Between 4 and 6 May, the project reached a major milestone when the first 217-metre-long [[concrete]] element was transported from [[Rødbyhavn]] and successfully lowered into the dredged trench. This 73,500-tonne structure was precisely connected to the Danish tunnel portal, marking the commencement of the primary underwater assembly phase for the remaining 88 elements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The first element of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel successfully immersed |url=https://femern.com/press/news/the-first-element-of-the-fehmarnbelt-tunnel-successfully-immersed/ |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=femern.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Criticism== The crossing has been discussed since before the [[German reunification|reunification of Germany]], when the only possible link was towards [[Hamburg]], as going towards communist [[East Germany]] was not a viable option. Although times have changed and Europe has been politically and economically reshaped in the meantime, the plans for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link have stayed the course.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.michael-cramer.eu/english/1502568.html|title=Fehler 404|first=Michael|last=Cramer|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807193219/http://www.michael-cramer.eu/english/1502568.html|archive-date=7 August 2011}}</ref> The [[Cold War]] era conceptualization of the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link has been highly criticized, as some see connecting the two capitals of [[Copenhagen]] and [[Berlin]] and on a larger scale, a link from [[Scandinavia]] to the former [[Warsaw Pact]] countries as a priority of the utmost importance. A [[Gedser–Rostock Bridge]], about {{convert|50|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} further east, has been proposed as an alternative or to complement the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, as this alternative proposal would better connect eastern Germany including Berlin and places further east and south with Scandinavia.

Despite an offer to help offset the costs of the tunnel by the [[Danish Cyclists' Federation]], it is not planned to include a [[Cycling infrastructure#Bikeways|cycle path]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/a-tunnel-divides-them-germans-and-danes-split-over-undersea-link-a-805499.html|title=A Tunnel Divides Them: Germans and Danes Split over Undersea Link|author=((SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany))|date=29 December 2011|work=SPIEGEL ONLINE}}</ref>

There have been objections from local people on the German side, both from those fearing the [[unemployment|loss of jobs]] in connection with the present busy ferry traffic, and from [[environmental protection]]ists who believed that [[wildlife]] would suffer from the construction of the originally conceived bridge.<ref>{{cite news|title=Germany, Denmark to Build Controversial New Bridge|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2651109,00.html|work=[[Deutsche Welle]]|date=29 June 2007}}</ref> At the same time, employment connected to construction works would be only short-term, while residents would suffer from the increase in traffic, especially with the planned [[freight trains]], which would move from the present [[Jutland]]-[[Great Belt Fixed Link]] route. In particular, there are concerns with the potential increase of train noise for some residents with moving the freight train traffic from the current route to this new route. These critics have been the loudest and they have been able to get a realignment of the planned railway route. The present [[Hamburg freight rail bypass]] used today for the freight traffic, is disturbing more people than the villages north of Lübeck.

Furthermore, it is claimed that the project might be economically unjustified, as predictions of [[passenger]] traffic and [[goods]] transport may be overestimated and there is a considerable risk that the investment will not be recouped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://schleswig-holstein.nabu.de/imperia/md/content/schleswigholstein/gutachtenstellungnahmen/fehmarnbelt-engl.pdf|title=Expert Report on the Traffic Forecasts and Cost Calculations of the Proposed Fixed Fehmarnbelt Link, Munich 2008|date=2008}}</ref> The [[European Court of Auditors]] has criticised the planning of the German land connection for letting costs rise uncontrolled. This cost is more than double what would be if following the legal requirements for a {{convert|160|km/h|round=5|abbr=on}} railway (the originally decided speed). Local lobbyists have been allowed to get things such as realignment and extra noise protection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/SR20_10/SR_Transport_Flagship_Infrastructures_EN.pdf|title=EU transport infrastructures: more speed needed in megaproject implementation to deliver network effects on time|author=|date=2020|publisher=[[European Court of Auditors]]|access-date=5 August 2020|quote=The cost of the regional requirements on noise protection which go beyond standard requirements are €1185 million. (page 47)}}</ref>

In 2019, the [[Bundesrechnungshof]] commented that "in view of the current traffic forecasts, it is questionable whether the benefits of the project will increase to such an extent that the expected costs are justified under economic aspects".<ref>"Angesichts der aktuellen Verkehrsprognosen ist es fraglich, ob der Nutzen des Projektes so steigt, dass die zu erwartenden Kosten unter wirtschaftlichen Aspekten gerechtfertigt sind." {{cite web|url=https://www.bundesrechnungshof.de/de/veroeffentlichungen/produkte/beratungsberichte/2019/2019-bericht-vorplanung-zur-schienenhinterlandanbindung-der-festen-fehmarnbeltquerung|title=Vorplanung zur Schienenhinterlandanbindung der Festen Fehmarnbeltquerung|date=10 October 2019|publisher=Bundesrechnungshof}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Support == There have been complaints from some Swedish politicians over long train travel times between Sweden and Germany, and the lack of [[Sleeping car|night trains]].<ref>[https://www.svt.se/opinion/trains "Tåg ska vara det självklara valet på utlandssemestern"]</ref> The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link would improve the travel time and make it possible to travel between Copenhagen and Hamburg in two and a half hours.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://db-engineering-consulting.com/en/news/fehmarn-belt-fixed-link-faster-from-hamburg-to-copenhagen/|title=Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link - faster from Hamburg to Copenhagen|date=June 14, 2022|accessdate=July 4, 2023}}</ref>

In 2020, the Swedish Government decided to financially support international night trains from Stockholm to mainland Europe, one from Stockholm via Copenhagen to Hamburg, which began operations by [[SJ AB|SJ]] in September 2022,<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 April 2022|title=SJ announces start date for Stockholm - Hamburg night train|url=https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/sj-announces-start-date-for-stockholm-hamburg-night-train/|access-date=12 May 2022|website=International Railway Journal|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelly|first=Kieran|date=9 May 2022|title=The cool new train journey that will take you from London to Stockholm|url=https://www.mylondon.news/lifestyle/travel/cool-new-train-journey-take-23903207|access-date=12 May 2022|website=MyLondon|language=en}}</ref> and another one from Malmö to Brussels, which was not bid for and did not commence.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Times|first=The Brussels|title=No night train between Brussels and Malmö after all|url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/183192/no-night-train-between-brussels-and-malmo-after-all|access-date=12 May 2022|website=www.brusselstimes.com|language=en}}</ref> On top of these, there is a commercially operated night train from Stockholm to Berlin via Copenhagen and Hamburg, which is operated by [[Snälltåget]] and started June 2021. Before 2021, a night train operated under various operators Malmö-Berlin (originally longer route) from 1909 to 2020 through the Trelleborg–Sassnitz ferry.

== See also ==

* [[Gateway Program (Northeast Corridor)]] – new rail tunnels under the [[Hudson River]]

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.femern.com}} * {{in lang|da}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20180910015747/https://www.trm.dk/da/temaer/femern-baelt-forbindelsen Femern Bælt, Danish traffic ministry] * {{in lang|da}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20120414211418/http://www.trm.dk/sw13866.asp Pictures, Danish traffic ministry] * {{YouTube|id=gHHSQLBoHMg|title=Video of the bridge proposal by Dissing+Weitling}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090213235053/http://ten.greens-efa.org/index.php?id=109&L=0 Information on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link on the website of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110710234146/http://www.femern.com/Service+menu/Dynamic+map+-+GEO+gis Dynamic map comparing proposed bridge and tunnel routes] * [http://blog.ramboll.com/fehmarnbelt/ Ramboll's Project Manager blogs about the tunnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501115951/http://blog.ramboll.com/fehmarnbelt |date=1 May 2011 }} * [http://www.ramboll.com/projects/rdk/femernbaelt Ramboll's project description of the tunnel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124055728/https://ramboll.com/projects/rdk/femernbaelt |date=24 January 2021 }} * [http://de.wikipedia.org/giraffe_(film) Giraffe_(film)]{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiYvXKQksgI|title=The Insane Scale of Europe's New Mega-Tunnel|date=23 November 2022|access-date=29 November 2022|publisher=B1M - Construction's Leading Video Channel}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lolland Municipality]] [[Category:Railway tunnels in Denmark]] [[Category:Fehmarn|Belt Fixed Link]] [[Category:Connections across the Baltic Sea]] [[Category:Toll tunnels in Europe]] [[Category:Immersed tube tunnels in Denmark]] [[Category:Immersed tube tunnels in Germany]] [[Category:2031 in rail transport]] [[Category:Transport infrastructure under construction]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Ostholstein]] [[Category:Transport in Schleswig-Holstein]] [[Category:Transport in Region Zealand]]