HSB celebrates records! Increasing passenger numbers despite financial worries

HSB celebrates records! Increasing passenger numbers despite financial worries

Harz, Deutschland - The Harz narrow -gauge railways (HSB) enjoy a pleasant development last year. In 2024 they welcomed over 1.14 million travelers, which corresponds to an increase of six percent compared to the previous year. This brings the company to a turnover of around 15.5 million euros - a new maximum value! But while the passenger numbers are increasing, HSB faces challenges that cannot be ignored. According to the Borkener Zeitung, the high cost increase for energy, personnel and vehicles.

The managing director Karin Müller has clearly recognized that long -term cost limitation and a strategic realignment are necessary. In order to meet these challenges, the HSB is working on a concept for future development. This includes planned adjustments to the timetables, the organizational structure and the vehicle concept, which also takes alternative drives into account.

investments for the future

In order to intercept the increased expenses, the HSB received increased payments from the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia as well as from municipal partners. Despite this support, the financial pressure remains noticeable. The most used to the famous Brocken in particular with around 507,000 passengers in 2024. The district of Harz has also taken over large parts of the Brockenkuppe and is planning a tourist development that, according to District Administrator Thomas Balcerowski (CDU), also includes the future of narrow -gauge railways.

The HSB runs on a total route network of 140.4 kilometers, which extends to Thuringia. Much of the trains are currently still fueled with coal, but the company is looking for paths to improve the environmental balance.

Alternative drives on the narrow -gauge railway

mdr this could be an interesting option for the HSB to work more environmentally friendly.

The oil steam locomotive consumes z. B. about 1,000 liters of oil for the same route, while the old carbon elocomotive needs around two tons of hard coal in one day. The savings on operating costs could be significant, which could give this technology a broader application perspective. Training driver Maximilian Schöne reports that the driving experience remains the same, while Heizer Tom Kühfuß describes the fueling as physically easier. This shows once again that tradition and renewal can go hand in hand!