PROJECT | SUSTAINABILITY - HAMBURG METRO LINE U5
HAMBURG U5 LINE - INNOVATIVE
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
The innovative, holistic CO2 -reduction strategy on Hamburg’s new U5 metro line includes
measures across project management, planning and construction. Groundbreaking took place in 2022 and the underground line is being developed in stages by owner-operator Hamburger Hochbahn, through its project company Hochbahn U5 Projekt GmbH
Frank Plöger, Head of Policy, Quality and Sustainability, Hochbahn U5 Projekt GmbH; Klaus Uphoff, Technical Managing Director, Hochbahn U5 Projekt GmbH; Roland Herr, Freelance Journalist
ABSTRACT A targeted sustainability strategy of taking construction- related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into account at an early stage in planning and realisation has brought expert approval to Hamburg’s Underground Line U5 project for its pioneering approach. The holistic CO2
-
reduction strategy includes specific measures in project management, planning and realisation. In this major northern German city, the project is a
core element of the mobility transition plan to shift traffic and also an important step in achieving the city’s climate targets.
At the same time, it presents major challenges for
the structural realisation in the heart of the metropolis. With 22 new stations, the U5 line, which starts in the north-east of the city and extends over about 25km, will connect neighbourhoods to the public transport system for the first time. The project will be put into operation in stages by 2040 and is to transport around 315,000 passengers per day.
INTRODUCTION: PROJECT DESCRIPTION The new underground Line 5 (U5) connects the east of Hamburg from the Bramfeld station via the main railway
Above, figure 1: Overview of the route of the U5 underground line in Hamburg IMAGES COURTESY OF HAMBURGER HOCHBAHN 10 | September 2025
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