Traffic - Stadtwerke: Government stubborn on streetcar through English Garden
After the surprising rejection in March, the Bavarian state government now firmly refuses to build a tram line through the English Garden in Munich: A high-level talk between the city utilities, the state capital, and two ministers (both CSU) did not yield new results, as the city utilities announced on Tuesday.
The state chancellor, Florian Herrmann, and Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich were consulted about the criticisms raised by the state in the latest round. "We have once again confirmed our offer for talks to the state. We are ready to discuss solutions for the critical points and possibilities to make the route narrower," said Ingo Wortmann, the managing director of the Munich Transport Company (MVG), which is part of the city utilities. However, the ministers refused further talks. "It's very unfortunate that such an economically viable transportation project, which would alleviate traffic, becomes impossible."
The tram line through the English Garden in Munich has been a contentious issue for years. The then Minister-President Horst Seehofer (CSU) eventually showed support for the project, which is why the cabinet decided in 2017 to approve the initiation of planning and constructively support the examination of a nature- and monument-preserving solution, "which should also include the examination of alternatives." The state owns the English Garden and therefore has the final say in the matter.
In March, State Chancellor Herrmann then pulled the plug on the plans. The submitted planning documents showed that "the implementation of the tram line cannot be achieved without significant, non-monument-preserving interventions," as stated in a letter from Herrmann to Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD). Therefore, the cabinet withdrew its approval. Reiter reacted angrily and accused the state government of not keeping its promises. The MVG criticized that the planning documents were made available to the state as early as May 2023. Since then, numerous talk offers have been made but then canceled.
- Despite the controversial history, the proposed tram line in Munich's English Garden, overseen by the MVG, continues to face resistance from the Bavarian state government.
- Minister of Justice Georg Eisenreich and State Chancellor Florian Herrmann, both representing the CSU, have played a significant role in refusing further discussions about the tram line's route.
- The public utilities, including the Munich Transport Company (MVG), have persistively offered talks and suggested potential solutions to mitigate the project's environmental impact in Munich's streets and railroads.
- Georg Eisenreich, the former Minister-President Horst Seehofer (CSU)'s successor, controversially rejected the project in March, citing concerns regarding non-monument-preserving interventions.
- In 2017, the state cabinet approved the initiation of planning for the tram line, highlighting the need for an environmentally-friendly and monument-preserving solution and assessing alternative routes.
