Germany shuts one of its busiest rail routes for 5 months, launching drive to improve reliability

BERLIN (AP) — One of the busiest railway lines in Germany, the 70-kilometer stretch between Frankfurt and Mannheim, is closing for five months starting as the country launches an effort to get its notoriously disruption-prone network into shape. State-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn is closing the route from July 15 to Dec. 14 and plans a full overhaul of the tracks, stations and other infrastructure. The 1.3-billion-euro overhaul is supposed to kick off a broader program to modernize 40 stretches of railway by 2030 and improve the reliability of a network that often fails to impress. Over the past month, it frustrated soccer fans at the German-hosted European Championship, which ended Sunday.