The new bridge replaces the structure from 1932 over Felix-Wankel-Straße, as part of Deutsche Bahn's renewal of the crossing to ensure safe and reliable rail traffic.
Ground conditions and the design of the structure called for more axle lines than its weight alone required, together with a complex steel construction.
For the project, Sarens deployed 120 axle lines, four CS 1000 climbing systems to install the railway bridge.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, has shifted and installed a new railway bridge weighing 1,555 tons over Felix-Wankel-Straße in Neckarsulm, Germany, on behalf of its client Leonhard Weiss. The works were executed on September 29th and 30th 2026 within a Sperrpause, the blocking of the rails during which the track is closed to rail traffic.
The operation is part of Deutsche Bahn's replacement of the railway bridge over Felix-Wankel-Straße, dating from 1932, which is being renewed due to its age to ensure safe and reliable rail traffic. To minimize the impact on rail and road traffic, construction of the new bridge, about 25 metres long and about 12 metres wide, began in March 2026 on a staging area at Christian-Schmidt-Platz, next to the tracks. The bridge was then moved into its final position during the Sperrpause that DB scheduled from September 25th to October 10th 2026, which also covered the demolition of the old bridge.
Planning had to take into account differing ground conditions, which increased the number of axle lines required. The equipment solution therefore combined 120 axle lines, more than the weight of the bridge alone would have demanded, with four CS 1000 climbing systems and a complex steel construction, the latter made necessary by the design of the structure itself. As part of the preparations, the road and the underground utilities along the transport route were protected with a one-metre-high layer of earth.
The CS 1000 is an in-house design with a lifting capacity of 1,000 tons per tower. These self-climbing lifting towers are built while jacking, in elements of 500 millimetres, and lift by means of four jacks per tower, each composed of hydraulic cylinders combined with a hydraulic locking system, with a jacking stroke of 600 millimetres. Fully containerised and with a limited footprint, the system is controlled from a central computer, which enables 100% ground controlled safe jacking.
The job site also shaped the logistics of the operation. Located in the city centre of Neckarsulm and close to the large convention hall Audi Forum Neckarsulm, the site was very narrow and, together with the high amount of equipment involved, this meant that the equipment had to be assembled on a local parking space about 500 metres away from the job site.
In recent years, Sarens has built a solid track record in the installation of railway infrastructure across Europe. Among its recent milestones are the transport and installation of a 4,950-ton concrete culvert for a new railway bridge at Ravenscraig, on the West Coast Mainline in the United Kingdom, using 168 axle lines of K24 SPMT and eight PPUs; the placement of a 1,270-ton bridge over a railroad in Tubize, Belgium, within a very narrow working area; and the installation of a 700-ton bridge over the railway in Schieren, Luxembourg, during a closure and without entering the railway area, with 32 axle lines of SPMT and the Sarens CS250 climbing system. These projects reinforce its position as a reference partner for complex bridge and civil infrastructure installations.
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 70 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 6,500 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/