SUSTAINABILITY - HAMBURG METRO LINE U5 | PROJECT


Left, figure 2:


Schematic representation of the CO2


reduction


strategy for the U5 from 2022


station to the Arenen Volkspark station in the west (see Figure 1). Over a route length of around 25km, 22 new stations are being built using the cut-and-cover method. The average depth of the platforms is approx. 15m. The majority of the line is being excavated by TBM. Since the groundbreaking ceremony on 30 September


2022, the first section has been under construction - the approximately 5.8km long section between the Bramfeld and City Nord stations. The remaining section of the U5 to the east and west of the Alster, up to the arenas, is currently still in the design planning stage. In future, the U5 will run as a fully automatic,


driverless underground line with train services every 90 seconds, enabling the entire route to be travelled in around 40 minutes. The route was chosen so that as many parts of the city as possible will have a rapid transit connection that cannot yet be reached via a light rail (S-Bahn) or underground station. In addition to connecting these important potential


areas, which are currently still gaps in the network, the new U5 is also intended to relieve the heavily frequented MetroBus Lines 5 and 6. This will connect densely populated districts without rapid transit to the east and west of the Alster, as well as major educational and work locations such as Hamburg University and the Eppendorf University Hospital. At seven stations, transfers to other rapid transit lines or long-distance services will be possible in the future. The U5 will thus become a line that benefits far more people than just those living along its route. The U5 project connects around 180,000 Hamburg


residents to the rapid transit network for the first time or better.


1 CARBON REDUCTION STRATEGY FOR PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION Mega infrastructure projects such as U5 cause considerable CO2


phase, which is why environmental and sustainability concerns play a much greater role than they did a few years ago. Since 2022, the developer of Line U5, Hochbahn U5 Projekt GmbH, has been focusing on a consistent CO2


reduction strategy for the planning


and construction of its new underground line. It is placing climate responsibility at the heart of its planning. The aim is to reduce CO2


emissions during the


construction of the U5 by 70%, making the new line as environmentally friendly as possible. This means that instead of the 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 (CO2e) that would be produced by conventional construction methods, only 841,000 tonnes of CO2


e


will be produced. In order to achieve the 70% reduction target, significant optimisations have been made in the use of materials and construction methods, and sustainability has been included as an evaluation criterion in the ongoing planning of the U5. The earlier sustainability aspects are considered in the


planning process, the better they can be influenced. The reduction strategy for the construction of the U5 is the first overall strategy for reducing CO2


emissions during


the construction of a transport infrastructure project in Germany. A key aspect for the current and future planning steps


is to intensively examine the possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions during construction and to integrate them in accordance with the technical framework conditions. In this way, the CO2


impact of


the overall project can be demonstrably reduced, and potential reductions can be identified, particularly at material and component level and in construction logistics (see Figure 2). Other sustainability issues, such as resource


emissions during the construction


conservation, production conditions, durability, ease of maintenance, usability, and an active soil management concept, are also considered.


September 2025 | 11 equivalent


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