Bus trips in the Elbe-Elster district: Eastern expansions and cuts announced!

Bus trips in the Elbe-Elster district: Eastern expansions and cuts announced!

Significant changes to local public transport are imminent in Elbe-Elster. The reason for this is the tense financial situation and the associated challenges. [niederlausitz-aktuell] reports that a timetable change will take place on December 14, 2025, during which various adjustments will be made. These changes are not only the result of increased personnel and fuel costs, but also stagnating revenues.

The financial situation is not getting any easier as the state allocations have fallen despite an increase in passenger numbers. In particular, the Deutschlandticket, which has been very popular in recent years, has not led to higher passenger revenue. The unclear regulation on revenue sharing between the federal and state governments contributes to the uncertainty.

Reductions on offer

In order to avoid financial difficulties, transport services will be reduced selectively. In the future, the RufBus service will only be offered on weekdays, i.e. from Monday to Friday. Usage has proven to be too low on weekends, which is why the lines R522 (Schlieben–Schönewalde), R536 (Mühlberg) and R584 (Röderland) will no longer be in operation on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Another adjustment concerns the PlusBus 544 between Herzberg (Elster), Schlieben and Doberlug-Kirchhain. The hourly service between Herzberg (Elster) and Schlieben remains the same, but there is no stop at the Elsterland primary school. The frequency between Schlieben and Doberlug-Kirchhain will be reduced to two hours and a new connection via Naundorf, Hohenbucko and Proßmarke will be created, which can offer additional trips for school transport.

Connection options and other changes

Another point to note is that the weekend offer between Schlieben and Doberlug-Kirchhain is completely eliminated. Although there is an additional pair of trips between Herzberg (Elster) and Schlieben on Saturdays, one pair of trips will be canceled on Sundays. In addition, as of the timetable change, the connection to the IC17 towards Berlin will no longer be available.

There are new connection options for passengers at Herzberg (Elster) station in the direction of RE4 to Berlin and Falkenberg/Elster as well as in Doberlug-Kirchhain in the direction of Cottbus and now Elsterwerda. Further changes to the regional bus network, such as the PlusBus 520 (Herzberg (Elster) - Falkenberg/Elster), provide for an additional pair of trips on Saturdays, while a pair of trips will be eliminated on Sundays and public holidays. The low-use RufBus trips in the late afternoon and evening will also be discontinued on various lines.

The look ahead

Detailed information about the new timetables and changes will be available on vmee.de from the beginning of November 2025. In addition, information is also available in the timetable information of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB), and the Elbe-Elster / Oberspreewald-Lausitz mobility center can be reached by telephone to clarify any questions passengers may have.

The high number of users of the Deutschlandticket, which has now grown to up to 13 million, still shows the potential that lies in local public transport. [tagesschau] reports a potential target of 15 million tickets sold by the end of 2024. This growth could theoretically also have positive effects on the financial situation of the transport companies, which, however, continue to struggle with structural underfinancing problems. The upcoming price increases for the Deutschlandticket, which are already being discussed, could also affect the attractiveness of the offer.

The discussion about the future of public transport in Germany remains lively, even in times of difficult financial conditions. The latest developments in Elbe-Elster are part of a larger picture that is characterized by the need to make local public transport attractive and sustainable.