Hüskens fights for IC connections: Naumburg and Weißenfels in danger!

Hüskens fights for IC connections: Naumburg and Weißenfels in danger!

In a step that affects travelers in Saxony-Anhalt directly, the infrastructure minister Lydia Hüskens sent a fire letter to Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. It deals with the impending deletion of the Intercity (IC) connections in Naumburg and Weißenfels, which are planned by Deutsche Bahn for next year. Hüskens is concerned about the announced cuts, because the trains on IC line 61 between Leipzig and Karlsruhe are already to be reduced from five to two pairs of train per day. This decision, justified with a lack of occupancy, has profound effects on mobility in the region.

But not only Hüskens is alarmed, but also the district administrator of the Burgenlandkreis, Götz Ulrich, expresses his support. He sharply criticizes Deutsche Bahn and accuses the company not to adhere to previous commitments to ensure the preservation of long -distance traffic connections. Ulrich has already announced that the German Railway Commissioner is fighting against the impending deletions.

The problem in long -distance transport

The upcoming reduction in IC connections is part of a larger plan of Deutsche Bahn, which also affects other routes in East Germany. The connections Gera - Cologne and Norddeich Mole - Frankfurt am Main are reported to be reported by the deletions. However, a spokesman for the train sees no concrete plans to delete these lines, which only increases the confusion about the situation. "The plans for the schedule 2025 were completed in April, without the cuts mentioned," said a spokesman for the railway. This uncertainty is growing, while the economic framework for rail traffic is worrying.

Deutsche Bahn is faced with steadily increasing route prices, which are to increase by an average of 17.7 percent in 2025. This is primarily due to an increase in the route fees, which could endanger the profitability of many connections. If the increased costs are passed on to ticket prices, higher driving prices and a reduction in the offer are not excluded.

infrastructure measures to improve the situation

In order to meet the challenges in rail passenger traffic, Deutsche Bahn has announced comprehensive infrastructure measures. By 2025, 138 of a total of 355 planned projects are to be implemented in order to improve capacity and punctuality in both passenger and freight transport. These measures associated with an investment volume of around one billion euros aim to eliminate bottlenecks on the net.

• construction of overtaking tracks and longer platforms
• Additional turnouts and signals
• Optimization of terminals in combined traffic

These steps are necessary to make the rail network more resilient and to be able to maintain the offers. DB Infrago boss Philipp Nagl emphasizes the importance of these projects for the corporate strategy "Strong rail".

The situation is therefore tense and requires both the use of politics and the company. While the discussion about the preservation of IC connections in Saxony-Anhalt continues, there is a lot of uncertainty among travelers. The fate of regional transport increasingly depends on how the Deutsche Bahn positions itself in the coming months.

It remains to be seen whether the voice of Lydia Hüskens and Götz Ulrich is heard and whether corresponding measures will be taken in the coming time to secure mobility in the region.

Further information on the topic can be found at MDR href = "https://www.zeit.de/mobilitaet/2024-06/db-reicht-bieben-ostdeutschland"> Die Zeit and Deutsche Bahn .