The Deutsche Bahn has begun a five-month closure of the heavily-used Frankfurt-Mannheim railway line for a comprehensive overhaul.

This marks the start of a nationwide 'general renovation' project aimed at modernizing Germany's rail network.

From July 15 to mid-December, crews will replace tracks, overhead lines, signals, and switches, while also upgrading bridges and stations.

The closure affects both regional and long-distance travel, with replacement buses operating for local routes and detours in place for intercity trains.

Passengers can expect journey times to increase by about 30 minutes.

This renovation is part of a larger plan to upgrade 40 high-traffic corridors across Germany by 2030, with the goal of improving punctuality and reliability in the country's rail system.