Commuters between Brandenburg and Potsdam: rail replacement transport causes frustration!

Commuters between Brandenburg and Potsdam: rail replacement transport causes frustration!

In Brandenburg an der Havel there is currently a lot of activity at Potsdam main station. Today, June 18, 2025, around 50 commuters are waiting at 8:10 a.m. for the rail replacement service (SEV) buses that were set up due to construction work on the busy RE1 route. This construction work will last until June 23rd and has brought the connection between Brandenburg and Potsdam to a complete standstill maz online reported.

According to the timetable, the next buses were scheduled for 8:15 a.m., but ten minutes passed until three buses finally arrived, but they didn't stop at the stop. Annoyance among passengers is growing as the bus journey, which normally only takes 23 minutes, is stretching to up to 90 minutes. The passengers only reach Brandenburg at 9:30 a.m. The return journey with the SEV is also tedious, as it also takes over an hour and 20 minutes and goes to several additional stations.

Criticism and patience from commuters

Commuting people like Temo Kantaria, who travels daily from Werder to Brandenburg, and pensioner Elke Bienert from Berlin, who is visiting her mother, express dissatisfaction with the inadequate information policy. Complaints about a lack of signposts and clear instructions are common. Many people see the situation as a test of patience - the buses are overcrowded and the air is stuffy. rbb24 points out that the number of commuters in the region has increased again in recent years after the corona pandemic, but the infrastructure appears to be completely overloaded.

The construction work, which includes track renewals and the modernization of the control and safety technology, also leads to several time constraints. After June 23rd, the route between Groß Kreutz and Brandenburg main station must also be prepared for a closure until July 4th. Commuters can therefore expect a continuous series of challenges in the coming period.

Public transport is changing

The developments in German passenger transport are fundamentally characterized by visible change. Loud German railway An increase is expected for public road passenger transport, partly supported by the Deutschland Ticket, which has been very popular in local transport since May 1, 2023. However, this increase in demand may be in stark contrast to the recent inconveniences experienced by commuters between Brandenburg and Potsdam.

As long as IT systems and construction projects are not in harmony, commuting between cities will remain a major challenge. The anticipation of better connections is there, but until the next planned improvements, passengers could remain stuck in the waiting game of alternative means of transport. The lack of information and the unreliability of buses place additional focus on the increasing pressure to adapt, since not only the number of passengers but also their satisfaction plays a decisive role in the public treatment of the transport infrastructure.