Performance audit for U7 extension begins
The plans to extend the U7 subway line from the city limits to the capital's BER airport have begun the economic feasibility study. This was announced by the Berlin transport administration on Friday. The study is intended to clarify whether the costs and benefits of the project are in a reasonable relationship. This is the prerequisite for further planning steps and also for obtaining money for the construction of the line from the federal government. The U7 currently ends in Rudow in the Neukölln district. An extension has been under discussion for some time.
At the beginning of the year, Franziska Giffey (SPD), then head of the Berlin government and now Senator for Economic Affairs, put the cost of the U7 extension - depending on the route - at between 811 and 890 million euros. Around 600 million will be spent on the section in the state of Brandenburg. Both states are lobbying the federal government to cover 90 percent of the costs, rather than the usual 75 percent for many transport projects.
For the northern extension of the U7 in the direction of Heerstraße, according to the transport administration, the so-called basic investigation is starting, which includes, among other things, a comparison of means of transport. The basic investigation comes before a possible economic feasibility study.
Despite the ongoing economic feasibility study for the U7 subway line extension, traffic congestion around the potential construction sites could become a significant issue. To mitigate this, considering an upgrade to the nearby subway stations, such as improving the frequency of subway trains or even expanding the subway network, could prove beneficial. Despite the initial plans only considering the extension to BER airport, perhaps explore the possibility of extending the U7 further to alleviate traffic in the surrounding areas, utilizing the subway as an alternative to traffic-prone roads.
Source: www.dpa.com
