Regional trains - Metronome restricts journeys further - new replacement schedule
At Metronom rail company, passengers must continue to expect train disruptions. The new replacement schedule will apply until December 14, the company based in Uelzen announced. The following trains will no longer operate: RE3, RB31 (Hamburg–Uelzen), and RE4, RB41 (Hamburg-Bremen). The new plan includes "slightly fewer trains" than the previous one, which remains in effect until July 29, according to the statement.
Additionally, boosters trains to Hamburg, which were previously offered in reduced frequency, will completely cease as of July 30. On the RE2 line, one train every three hours between Hannover and Göttingen will no longer run on weekends. New trains will operate between Winsen and Harburg during peak hours in the morning and evening, running non-stop, according to a spokesperson.
Replacement trains have been in place at Metronom since the end of August 2023. The cause is a staffing shortage. The company currently lacks 25 locomotive drivers. The company is working intensely to hire and train locomotive drivers, the spokesperson said. The goal is to resume regular operations without restrictions by December 15. "The goal is that we will then operate the full schedule at the timetable change," the spokesperson added.
Tracks are being re-tendered
The Lower Saxony Transport Authority (LNVG) and Metronom reached an agreement in early March to prematurely terminate the contract, which was set to run until 2033. The company had requested the early termination "to limit future losses under the traffic contract ending in late 2033," a spokeswoman said at the time. With the early termination of the transportation contract, there is now an opportunity for a "orderly restart." The state intends to divide the tracks into two network areas and re-tender them. Metronom had already announced its intention to reapply.
- Due to the ongoing train failures, passengers traveling on the RE3 and RB31 (Hamburg–Uelzen) lines, as well as the RE4 and RB41 (Hamburg-Bremen) services, should prepare for disruptions until December 14, as announced by Metronom, based in Lower Saxony's Uelzen.
- In the meantime, passengers can rely on the substitute schedule, which will see "slightly fewer trains" than the current one until July 29, as mentioned in the company's statement.
- Regrettably, the boosters trains to Hamburg, previously offered at reduced frequency, will fully cease operation as of July 30.
- On the RE2 line, one train every three hours between Hannover and Göttingen will not operate on weekends due to the staffing shortage, affecting travelers from Bremen and other nearby regions.
- The locomotive driver shortage has resulted in replacement trains being utilized at Metronom since August 2023, with the company currently lacking 25 drivers.
- Despite the challenges, Metronom's goal is to resume regular operations without restrictions by December 15, with the spokesperson confidently stating, "the goal is that we will then operate the full schedule at the timetable change."
