Politicians are calling for urgent electrification of the Mühldorf-Simbach railway!

Politicians are calling for urgent electrification of the Mühldorf-Simbach railway!

Things are boiling in the city of Simbach and the surrounding district: the electrification of the important Mühldorf-Simbach railway line is on the brink, and the politicians from Alliance 90/The Greens are anything but enthusiastic about the current developments. Their anger was recently released in a public statement in which MdL Mia Goller, MdB Marlene Schönberger and Larissa Hausberger expressed their displeasure with the Federal Ministry of Transport's decision, which no longer gives the route "any prospect of implementation". While District Administrator Michael Fahmüller spoke optimistically about progress in August, the reality now looks different.

Hausberger makes it clear that a modern, climate-friendly connection to Munich is essential for the people in the region. The Greens' proposal is clear: they are demanding a binding commitment from the Federal Ministry of Transport to electrification in the next investment plan. “We cannot afford to stand still when it comes to expanding our railway infrastructure,” said Schönberger, who also denounced the closure of the gap in the A 94 between Marktl and Simbach-West.

The dialogue about electrification

The discussion about electrification has been going on for several years. Concerned mayors, district administrators and representatives met in Simbach in July to jointly point out the urgency of the issue. At this event, there was astonishing feedback from experts such as Anke Hering, project manager for the route, and Matthias Krause, managing director of the Südostbayernbahn, who confirmed that electrification would have far-reaching positive effects for the region. The planned regional train connection from Mühldorf via Simbach to Wels and Linz also creates new hopes.

The railway line is crucial and is seen as the backbone for climate-friendly mobility in rural areas. But the current “standstill” could have fatal consequences. “We risk being disconnected from the electrical rail network,” warns in Simbach. This would not only worsen the connection to Munich, but also endanger cross-border freight traffic.

The political commitment

The Greens see a great danger in the CSU's lack of progressiveness and the federal government's lack of initiatives. “It is high time that we build pressure across all parties,” demands Schönberger. Support can also be expected from local representatives who want to send letters to the Federal Transport Minister in the coming weeks. The Simbach city association has already launched an online petition to support electrification, which makes the citizens' commitment visible.

Clemens Huber, Mayor of Braunau, also intervened and pointed out how important the connection between Germany and Austria is for the region, especially with regard to the planned electrification of the Mattigtalbahn and the Innkreisbahn. “There is something going on,” he emphasizes, and sees electrification as an essential element in proving a good hand for the transport infrastructure.

The next meeting in the ABS 38 information center in Mühldorf is scheduled to take place in September, and it will be interesting to see how political representatives and citizens continue to mobilize for the electrification of the Mühldorf-Simbach railway line. The hope for a climate-friendly, fast connection is growing - let's wait and see what the next steps will bring.