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Replacement buses between Leipzig and Chemnitz: Travelers breathe a sigh of relief!
Find out how Leipzig reacts to frequent train cancellations between Leipzig and Chemnitz, including hourly replacement buses from now on.
Replacement buses between Leipzig and Chemnitz: Travelers breathe a sigh of relief!
The train connection between Leipzig and Chemnitz has been a topic of conversation lately. The frequent train cancellations and delays in particular have caused commuters' tempers to become heated. How MDR reports, the RE6 route is a particularly crisis-plagued section, which has to contend with, among other things, defective toilets and a wagon that is often ridiculed as a “stinky wagon”.
In order to get the situation under control, the Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn (MRB) has reacted and is now running hourly express buses to relieve train traffic. These buses run without stopping, with one exception: the Chemnitz-Stadthalle stop. From Wednesday, June 18th, journeys will increase to half-hourly intervals between the main stations until June 28th.
The timetables for the bus connections are clearly structured:
- 16. und 17. Juni:
- Abfahrt Leipzig Hbf. nach Chemnitz Hbf. stündlich ab 8:21 Uhr, letzte Abfahrt um 20:31 Uhr.
- Abfahrt Chemnitz Hbf. nach Leipzig Hbf. ab 6:31 Uhr, letzte Abfahrt um 19:01 Uhr.
- 18. bis 28. Juni:
- Abfahrt Leipzig Hbf. nach Chemnitz Hbf. jede halbe Stunde ab 5:00 Uhr, letzte Abfahrt um 20:31 Uhr.
- Abfahrt Chemnitz Hbf. nach Leipzig Hbf. ab 5:15 Uhr, letzte Abfahrt um 19:01 Uhr.
In May 2023, 24 train connections were lost on this route, which accounts for a whopping two percent of total train journeys. Despite these problems, the route's punctuality rate remains surprisingly high at 85 percent, which shows that there are still bright spots. However, the MRB cites the single-track nature of the line as the main cause of the ongoing operational problems.
A look at punctuality
Now you might ask yourself how punctuality compares to other connections. According to information from Deutsche Bahn, operational punctuality in regional transport is around 89.9 percent. In contrast, punctuality in long-distance transport is significantly lower at 62.0 percent. This data shows how variable punctuality is between different modes of transport.
The discussion about the train connection between Leipzig and Chemnitz will probably continue. The new express buses could provide short-term relief, but the route's deep structural problems must be addressed. In a top-level discussion on the situation, the need for further measures was emphasized in order to achieve a long-term improvement for travelers, as VMS makes clear.
Whether or not the buses are a permanent solution remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: public transport needs a breath of fresh air to make life a little easier for commuters and travelers.