Zugchaos in the northeast: toilets impossible, travelers frustrated!

Zugchaos in the northeast: toilets impossible, travelers frustrated!

The problems in public transport are on everyone's lips, and not without reason. On July 4, 2023, Tom Uhlenbrock from Ückeritz experienced a dramatic train journey from Berlin to Stralsund. The regional train, which at 12.39 p.m. at the Berlin train station, was so overcrowded that the passengers had to push back when they got out to make room for others. Uhlenbrock reported that access to the toilet was impossible while driving and the train attendant was not there to create order. His experiences are not the only ones; The federal police had to intervene recently at Pasewalk train station to clear a crowded train, while hundreds of travelers were waiting for a subsequent train for more than an hour, so [Ostsee-zeitung.de] (https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/lokales/vorpommern-greifswald/usedom/usedomer-aergert-si CH-Teber-Teberfußte-Zuge-Die toilette-War-Wgnepnf3ZZG57EGKGV3NM4OQDML).

The situation is intensified, especially on summer weekends. German railway spokesman recommend rethinking the travel times, since on Fridays and Sundays in particular that offer leisure opportunities for many are in high demand. Recurring overloads not only seem to be a short -term phenomenon, but are also a well -known problem; Uhlenbrock criticized the inadequate financing by the federal states and the years of overloading the routes from Berlin to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

rising passenger numbers in local transport

However, the overall occupancy in German local transport shows a positive trend overall. In 2024, 11.4 billion passengers in line traffic were counted by buses and trains, which corresponds to an increase of around five percent compared to 2023. This increase is particularly thanks to the Germany ticket introduced in May 2023, which enables unlimited travel in local public transport for 58 euros per month. This has increased the average travel route in local transport from 22 to 23 kilometers, as reported [https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/verzuser/fahrgastzahlen-bus-bahn-100.html).

A review shows that the passenger numbers in the trams and buses have also increased: 3.9 billion in trams (plus five percent) and 5.2 billion in buses (plus four percent). It is interesting that despite these positive developments in local transport, the figures have dropped by four percent to only 142 million. This is sometimes attributed to the strike -related failures in the first quarter of 2024.

The challenges remain

Despite these enjoyable statistics, there are still major challenges in local public transport. A survey shows that every third German is dissatisfied with the connection of local transport at their place of residence, especially in rural areas. While the business figures look good, many local governments and transport companies have to ask themselves how they can continue to keep up with increasing demand in the future. Uhlenbrock's criticism of the planning and financing by the federal states reflects a widespread frustration that runs through the rapid development in local transport and the poor offers at the same time, so [zdfheute.de] (https://www.zdfheute.de/panorama/bus-bahn-oepnv-fern- DeFicket-100.hml).

The demand for adapting the transport offers to the actual demand is getting louder. During the time of the Germany ticket it could be high time for the train and the countries to respond to the needs of travelers - before the next hot summer days and overcrowded trains become daily annoyance.