Hohenzollern Railway

Stuttgart, July 2026: Before the second phase of the ongoing Hohenzollern Railway reconstruction project begins in September, the environmental planning department of Inros Lackner’s Stuttgart branch is conducting important species protection work as part of its ecological supervision activities. The work involves the collection and relocation of smooth snakes and other reptiles and amphibians from the construction sites.

On behalf of SWEG Schienenwege GmbH, Inros Lackner is providing comprehensive environmental planning services for the reconstruction of eight sections, of total length 7.7 kilometres, of the Hohenzollern Railway between Gammertingen and Sigmaringen. The railway line passes through the Swabian Alb, a natural region of exceptional biodiversity. As a result, stringent requirements apply in relation to the permitting process and ecological monitoring. The construction work across the eight sections was planned in two phases – Phase 1 in 2025 and Phase 2 in 2026. Key tasks include the renewal of the subgrade protection layer and the replacement of track rails, sleepers and ballast.

Extensive surveys of reptile and amphibian life were conducted in 2024 and 2025 prior to commencement of the reconstruction work. Based on these surveys, a species protection study and preliminary FFH (flora-fauna-habitat directive) assessments were prepared for each year of work on site. This included, among other things, the creation of replacement habitats (16 stone walls, 8 deadwood piles) and the relocation of more than 200 sand lizards from the railway track area to the directly adjacent replacement habitats. Other species, such as smooth snakes, grass snakes, common lizards and common toads, were also collected and relocated.

During the 2025 construction phase, the Inros Lackner team, acting as ecological supervisors, ensured the implementation of all applicable nature- and species-conservation measures. The work included regular site inspections, ensuring compliance with the protective measures, and coordination with the relevant nature conservation authorities. The second construction phase is scheduled to take place from September to November 2026.