Commuters in panic: massive rail chaos due to months-long closures!

Commuters in panic: massive rail chaos due to months-long closures!

In the coming days, the railway line between Munich and Freising will be closed from December 1st to 12th, 2025. This measure primarily affects commuters who travel between Freising and Feldmoching, as well as travelers who want to go to Munich Airport. What worries many, however, is the fact that no adequate rail replacement service has yet been set up. As the Mercury reported, local politicians such as FDP district councilor Tobias Weiskopf and city councilors Jens Barschdorf and Philipp Fincke sharply criticized the situation in a fire letter to Deutsche Bahn (DB). The increased travel time for commuters, which has doubled or even tripled, is unacceptable.

The DB explains the closure due to necessary work, in this case by replacing the threshold. During this time, both the S1 S-Bahn line and regional transport will be canceled. Travel times are skyrocketing: it suddenly takes over 60 minutes to get from Freising to Munich, instead of the usual 26 minutes. The connection from Moosburg to Munich now takes around 83 minutes instead of the previous 36 minutes. These drastic changes raise many questions and politicians see a need for action.

Criticism and solutions

The FDP immediately developed proposals to support those suffering from the situation. Weiskopf calls for the establishment of a separate rail replacement service for the S1 to the airport. The X660 and 635 bus routes are very crowded, especially during commuter times, as they are currently the only alternative. The district has reacted and increased the frequency, but this is not a permanent solution. Weiskopf emphasizes that the restrictions for passengers must be kept as low as possible.

However, the problem is not an isolated case. The WDR points out that similar construction sites and route closures are increasing massively in Germany. For example, major construction sites have been announced across Germany by 2030, which will take several months and significantly restrict traffic. These developments are closely related to the necessary modernization of the rail network, which is being driven forward by the DB.

Compensation and passenger rights

Another important point is the compensation regulations for affected passengers. Users of the Deutschlandticket have the right to compensation of 1.50 euros in the event of a delay or train cancellation of at least 60 minutes. However, this regulation only applies if the delay exceeds 4 euros. Compensation is also possible for other travelers, but the conditions are often not as simple as they seem. Switching to ICEs is generally prohibited, even if travel times are significantly extended.

The effects of this route closure and further planned construction phases are enormous and require close cooperation between Deutsche Bahn, the responsible authorities and the commuters themselves. ADAC gets to the point: the renovation of the railway infrastructure will take years and will affect numerous important routes by 2036. It is to be hoped that the interests of commuters will not be lost sight of during this challenging time.