Already in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan ("Bundesverkehrswegeplan") of 1973, the Ried Railway was planned as one of eight rail routes to be rebuilt as "upgraded" lines ("Ausbaustrecken"). In its successor, the Co-ordinated Investment Program for Federal Transport Infrastructure ("Koordinierten Investitionsprogramm für die Bundesverkehrswege") of 1977, the track was included as one of six development projects. The development project was also included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan ("Koordinierten Investitionsprogramm für die Bundesverkehrswege") of 1980. The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan of 1985 included the first stage of the route, which was essentially the new approach to Mannheim Hauptbahnhof, as part of the most urgently needed works. The second stage was included in the list of “further needs” in the same document. In the 1970s, a new line from Cologne to Gross-Gerau that would have connected with the Ried Railway in Gross-Gerau was planned; this project was later abandoned.