Politicians insist on long-distance transport in the East

Railroad - Politicians insist on long-distance transport in the East

Representatives of various parties have emphasized the significance of long-distance rail connections of German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) in Eastern Germany. "The railway network in the East should not be further expanded. It is the responsibility of the Federal Transport Minister to intervene," demanded the chairman of the Thuringian CDU, Mario Voigt, on a Wednesday. A reduction in offers harms the economic standing of Thuringia as well. "The Federal Government as owner of the railway should not allow the East to be neglected."

The mobility political spokesperson of the Left faction in the Saxon Landtag, Marco Böhme, as well as the chairman of the Left group in the Bundestag, Sören Pellmann, also demanded that the supposedly already thin long-distance rail offer in the East should not be further reduced. A permanent good rail transport offer is important as an alternative to the car.

"These plans would be another blow against the East. No rail connection should disappear. This incompetent railway management needs to step down," said BSW chief Sahra Wagenknecht of the German Press Agency. She urged the Eastern Minister-Presidents to immediately call the Chancellor and protest.

Rising costs for the railway

Background are rising track fees for the German Railway (DB), which threaten with more expensive tickets and fewer connections. These track fees refer to charges that the DB Infrastructure Company InfraGo collects. All companies that use the railway infrastructure must pay these fees, including the transport companies of the German Railway itself.

According to a report by "Spiegel," the railway has already drawn up a list of long-distance rail connections that are to be reduced or discontinued. According to the "Spiegel" report, the Intercity lines 61 (Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Aalen - Crailsheim - Nuremberg - Leipzig), 51 (Gera – Weimar – Erfurt – Gotha – Kassel – Dortmund – Cologne), and 34 (Norddeich Mole – Münster – Dortmund – Siegen – Frankfurt) could be completely discontinued. In addition, the offer of ICE journeys to Stralsund on the Baltic Sea in the off-season is supposed to be significantly reduced, according to "Spiegel." The magazine refers to a letter from the German Railway to the Federal Network Agency from the beginning of February.

Railway denies report on dismantling plans

The DB rejected the report: "There are currently no concrete plans to discontinue the named long-distance rail connections," said Michael Peterson, responsible for passenger long-distance transport in the DB management. In April, the planning for the 2025 timetable will be completed. The current timetable does not foresee any of the named reduction in offers. The railway is, however, forced to review the scope of the timetable offer nationwide due to impending cost increases through higher track fees.

Politicians: "Do not abandon the East"

"With the denial of the German Railway, it is clear that there are no plans to further detach Eastern Germany from long-distance rail transport. Such a development would also be fatal for further development," said Saxony-Anhalt's Transport Minister Lydia Hüskens (FDP). The railway has been neglected in the past decades. This is now reflected in steadily increasing investment requirements and cost increases. "The Federal Government and the DB must jointly discuss options for easing the rising track fees," said Hüskens.

The chairwoman of the Eastern State Group in the Green-Federal Parliamentary Group, Paula Piechotta, proposed: "Short-term, an increase in subsidies for motorway pricing could help. To solve the problem in the long term, a revision of the motorway pricing system with an adjustment of the Railway Regulation Law is the cleanest solution."

X-Post from Madeleine Linke's Tweet [Görging-Eckardt]

The significance of long-distance rail connections, especially in Eastern Germany, has been emphasized by various political parties.
The chairman of the Thuringian CDU, Mario Voigt, demanded that the rail network in the East should not be further expanded and that the Federal Transport Minister should intervene.
A reduction in long-distance rail offers could harm the economic standing of Thuringia, as pointed out by Mario Voigt.
The Left faction in the Saxon Landtag and the Bundestag, as well as the chairman of the Left group in the Bundestag, Sören Pellmann, demanded that the supposedly thin long-distance rail offer in the East should not be further reduced.
Sahra Wagenknecht, BSW chief, stated that these plans would be another blow against the East and that no rail connection should disappear.
The rising costs for the German Railway (DB) threaten with more expensive tickets and fewer long-distance rail connections.
According to a report by "Spiegel," the DB has drawn up a list of long-distance rail connections that are to be reduced or discontinued, including the Intercity lines 61, 51, and 34.
The German Railway (DB) denied the report and stated that there are currently no concrete plans to discontinue the named long-distance rail connections.
Politicians, such as Saxony-Anhalt's Transport Minister Lydia Hüskens (FDP), have warned against further detachment of Eastern Germany from long-distance rail transport and the need for joint discussions by the Federal Government and the DB to ease the rising track fees.
As a solution, the chairwoman of the Eastern State Group in the Green-Federal Parliamentary Group, Paula Piechotta, proposed an increase in subsidies for motorway pricing or a revision of the motorway pricing system with an adjustment of the Railway Regulation Law.