If we take the bridge at Dnepropetrovsk as an example this was reconstructed in a little over 2 months and this seems to have been the norm in 1941. We also know from the account of the Rostov bridge given earlier that they surveyed the bridge during the fighting at end of July. So one would have imagined a fully functioning bridge in operation in October whereas what they achieved was a temporary bridge and cableway and none of the other bridges working.
Pottgeisser as quoted before states:
So the preparations were there in the form of depots of materials and men but the reconstruction proceeded slowly as Pottgeisser continues:The preparations for the operation in the summer of 1942 have been taken after gaining experience in the advance independent of Ostbau 1942. Even with this advance was expected again effective evacuation and destruction measures of the opponent. For the restoration and commissioning of the routes railway pioneers, railroad construction battalions and forces of the Organization Todt and Reich Transport Ministry have been provided building materials for bridge and track materials were brought in near the front depots (Grebenka and Znamenka). The track materials had been developed in Germany and France 211
Overall, the commissioning of approx. 5000 km railway lines provided, including 2 000 for the Field Railway Commands (FEDko) and 3 000 km of the eastern branch of the Reich Ministry of Transport (Osteis). Until 15 5 five field railway machines departments and two field railway workshops departments were established and brought the existing Field Railway Commands (FEDko) on full staff strength. The Reichsbahn had mustered staff for another Higher Railway Direction (HBD Rostov). Overall, the German Reichsbahn had in April. 1942 around 50,000 men ready delivered, before the start of the offensive on a larger scale lines of the South region were handed over by the Field Railway Commands (FEDko) to the Higher Railway Direction Ost in Kharkov. From 15.7. to 29.10.1942, the High Command of the Wehrmacht and the High Command of the Army had moved into their quarters prepared for Kalinowka (Werewolf) and Vinnitsa. A total of 3717 trains were run for the deployment in southern Russia from April till September 213
The few tracks were largely emptied and thoroughly destroyed, all Railway bridges over the Donets among others Belaya Kalitwa 214 Kamenskaja and Woroshilowgrad the Tschir bridge at Parsehin and the Don bridge eastwards of Tschir had been blown up. The route Taganrog-Rostov was so badly damaged that its recovery practically amounted to a new construction 215 When, after the offensive began in the rear area extremely difficult operating and supply conditions occurred, so in Dnepropetrovsk was created a General of Transportation South Russia (Bevollmächtigte General des Transportwesen Südrußland) in September 1942 215.