Master Plan Milestone Reached: First Shops Opened on Level B of Frankfurt Main Railway Station

Frankfurt am Main, Germany, July 9, 2026. Up to 500,000 people pass through Frankfurt’s main railway station every dayⁱ. This makes it the second biggest railway station in Germany and one of the most frequented public areas of the country. Whether things run smoothly or get stuck here has a direct impact on the mobility of an entire region. As part of its master plan for Frankfurt’s main railway station, DB InfraGO is making the station ready for the future through extensive remodeling work. The opening of the first stores on the redesigned Level B marked another visible milestone in the major renovation project that has been ongoing since 2021: accessible entrances, a new quality of user experience, and modern shopping facilities are returning to the underground distribution level, one step at a time. In total, around 30 new shops are being created on around 10,000 square meters of commercial space. The expert teams of Drees & Sommer SE are contributing their expertise to DB InfraGO’s project. This involves supervising the building site and reviewing all construction and installation plans. The Stuttgart-based consulting company specializes in advice on construction, real estate and infrastructure.

Conversion from Shopping Mall to a Modern Public Transport Hub

To ensure that climate targets in the transport sector are met, the German government is aiming for a significant increase in passenger numbers on public transportⁱⁱ. To keep pace with growing passenger numbers and also fundamentally improve the travel experience, the German government, DB InfraGO AG and the federal state of Hesse are investing around EUR 375 million in the modernization of Level B – a transit hub that connects long-distance, regional and local urban transport networks. What was once a gloomy shopping arcade is being completely gutted, decontaminated, and redesigned to be more open, brighter, and easier to navigate. The revitalization of Level B is part of a large-scale project: in total, DB InfraGO AG is running more than twenty individual modernization projects at Frankfurt’s main railway station, one of the largest redesigns in the 135-year history of the station.

Dr. Katja Maaser, who heads the masterplan project for Frankfurt’s main railway station said: “We not only create new space, we reshape one of Germany’s most important transport nodes, and make it fit for the future. The B Level will not only serve as a transport hub but invite passengers to stay for longer.” In addition, the conversion work is intended to optimize passenger flows: “The historic entrance hall has always been the heart of Frankfurt’s main station – a place for getting one’s bearings and meeting people. We carry this idea on with the newly created atrium spanning multiple floors. It creates a clear spatial mid-point, improves the flow of people, and helps with intuitive wayfinding. In addition to the direct connection to Level B, this creates a vibrant space that welcomes travelers and enhances their experience and access to facilities,” Dr. Maaser continued.

Entire Remodeling as Railway Operations Continue

The real challenge is not the scope of the project, but the conditions under which it is implemented: suburban rail and subway tracks must remain in service throughout the entire construction period. Since 2021, Drees & Sommer has been serving as site supervisor. This involves monitoring the quality of workmanship on the building site and reviewing all construction and installation plans. The team of experts coordinates the large number of trades, meets deadlines, and maintains quality standards even under the demanding conditions of active railway operations. It also ensures that the design specifications are implemented properly in the finished project. Stephan Ernst, Drees & Sommer’s overall project manager, commented: “Renovating a railway station of this size while hundreds of thousands of people pass through it every day is a truly exceptional situation. “The reopened Kaisertor area and the new shopping area show that the delivery of high-level quality and operations without interruptions do not exclude each other,“ he added.

Construction work follows a clearly defined process. First, the existing utilities are disconnected; then harmful substances are removed, followed by demolition, structural work, and interior finishing; and lastly, the technical fit-out. New ventilation control units, electrical rooms, storage areas, and staff rooms are being built in the basements. In parallel with this, the project team is renovating the space of the anchor tenant, Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF), using the same approach. Stephan Ernst explained: “In the end, we deliver a kind of refined shell. All retail spaces have basic technical equipment and are designed so that future tenants can fit out their space without requiring any project-related changes. In addition, we are rebuilding all public areas, such as walkways, stairwells, moving walkways, and staircases.”

Modernization Work Is Progressing

Kaisertor, one of the key access points to Level B, was reopened end of May. On June 25, the first retail stores on the redesigned level opened their doors. So, the new shopping mall takes shape. While works go on in some areas, modernization is already visible to travelers and visitors. The end of the construction work on Level B is scheduled for end of summer 2027. The masterplan for Frankfurt’s main railway station is planned to be completed by 2035.