As part of the construction of the new ICE maintenance depot in Cottbus, BRUGG Pipes was commissioned to supply and lay around 1,300 metres of district heating pipe. The aim was to supply the new four-track maintenance depot for Deutsche Bahn's ICE 4 fleet with climate-friendly heat.
The project was realised in two technically demanding construction phases. In the first section, a microtunnelling process was used: a glass fibre reinforced GRP protective pipe with a diameter of 1.2 metres was installed under existing railway tracks, into which four district heating pipes were pulled - completely trenchless and without disrupting rail traffic.
The second construction phase, which was realised in April 2025, was carried out using flush drilling technology. After inserting a drill head with flushing fluid, the route was widened and the flexible FLEXWELL FHK district heating cable (dimension 200/310) was pulled in directly. The self-compensation and high bending radii of the pipe system enabled the cable to be laid in a way that was customised to the local conditions.
Six drums were delivered, including two with a pipe length of 260 metres and four with 195 metres each - weighing up to 14 tonnes. The special transports organised at night and the precise construction site logistics underlined the high standards of project execution and quality assurance.
The measure makes an important contribution to the decarbonisation of railway locations and demonstrates the potential of modern trenchless installation technology for urban infrastructure expansion.