Grabowhöfe withdraws lawsuit against Deutsche Bahn – financial worries!

Grabowhöfe withdraws lawsuit against Deutsche Bahn – financial worries!

In a surprising turn of events, the municipality of Grabowhöfe has withdrawn its lawsuit against Deutsche Bahn. Mayor Enrico Malow (CDU) confirmed this today at a meeting of the municipal council. The withdrawal of the lawsuit is primarily due to the low chances of success, as Malow explains. A single judge will decide the lawsuit, which greatly increases the likelihood of a negative ruling for the community.

The main background to the dispute is the high financial burden associated with the renovation of a bridge in the Louisenfeld district. Deutsche Bahn is demanding that the municipality contribute 3.6 million euros towards the renovation costs totaling 5.1 million euros. According to Malow, this demand is a heavy burden for the community with its around 1,300 residents.

Community financial concerns

The community is forced to bear the costs even though the bridge was only renovated about 13 years ago. At that time, this happened in agreement with Deutsche Bahn. When the bridge was repaired, some of the costs had not yet been written off. However, the railway now states that the existing impact protection is inadequate for the highly frequented express trains, which is why a new building is necessary.

The community fears that they would have to bear high legal fees of up to 40,000 euros if they took legal action. Mayor Malow made it clear that the municipality's financial options are limited. “We cannot afford such a sum,” the Nordkurier quoted him as saying. Reference is also made to a funding application worth around 3 million euros, which is currently being examined in Schwerin.

Support from the district

The Mecklenburg Lake District supports the Grabowhöfe community and offers legal assistance. District Administrator Heiko Kärger expressed surprise at the costs imposed by the arbitration board in the Federal Ministry of Transport. He criticizes the decision as unrealistic and calls for the polluter pays principle to be applied: “Whoever orders must also pay.” Kärger and the community hope for the support of the state government and an amicable solution. In their position, they feel that the railway has not sufficiently consulted them and see the demands as unfair for small, rural communities.

The situation remains tense and the municipality is considering finding alternative solutions to ease the financial pressure. The dialogue between Grabowhöfe and Deutsche Bahn seems inevitable, and both citizens and administration are hoping for an amicable agreement.