AfD supports new railway line: Improvement in sight for Celle!

AfD supports new railway line: Improvement in sight for Celle!

The discussion about the new route between Hanover and Hamburg is polarizing feelings in the region. Today, June 30, 2025, the AfD city council group from Celle took a clear position on the current plans and is optimistic about the new building project that was brought into play by Deutsche Bahn. Group leader Anatoli Trenkenschu emphasizes that the new route would not only create a direct connection from Celle via Bergen and Soltau to Bremen, but could also significantly reduce the existing traffic and noise pollution for the citizens of Celle. This is reported by the Celle press.

Trenkenschu emphasizes the advantages of the new route compared to the Alpha E variant, which is now classified as less economical and problematic. This variant has a benefit-cost factor of less than 0.5, which is far below the legally required value of 1. This results in the assessment that a move away from the Alpha E variant is necessary in order not to lead the region into a waste of taxpayers' money. In connection with the current condition of the station buildings in Celle, the AfD points out that a renovation of the station and improved noise protection must be called for in order to meet the needs of passengers.

The challenge of expanding capacity

Omid Najafi, transport policy spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group in the Lower Saxony state parliament, is critical of the new route and describes it as an “irresponsible ideological project”. In order to master the challenges of the transport transition, a simple renovation project would not be sufficient. Najafi is calling for a review of the need for a new construction, as the existing route in conjunction with a third track between Lüneburg and Uelzen could represent a more cost-effective solution. This measure could significantly increase the capacity of the rail network, which would support the federal government's ambitious goals of getting 100 percent more people on the rails and increasing the freight share from the current 19 to 25 percent. However, he sees the need for a reliable report, which is currently missing, and points to the stagnating container volumes in Hamburg due to the current economic uncertainties. You can read more about this in the Press release from the AfD Lower Saxony.

Insight into Deutsche Bahn's restructuring offensive

In parallel to these discussions, Deutsche Bahn has presented an overall program to renovate its infrastructure, which is to be implemented by 2027. The general renovation of around 1,500 kilometers of routes and the modernization of 100 stations per year are planned. The aim is to restore rail performance and significantly improve the customer experience. CEO Richard Lutz emphasizes that the poor state of the infrastructure and external crises have made the need for action clear. DB expects that these measures will increase punctuality in long-distance transport to between 75 and 80 percent by 2027. Further details are available here Press release from Deutsche Bahn.

What remains to be stated? The plans for the new railway line provided plenty of material for discussion and could definitely change the transport face of the region in the long term. While the AfD is optimistic about the future, the question remains as to how the different ideas about capacity expansion and renovation will ultimately play out. The fact is that in the coming years it will not only be about speed, but also about efficiency and service in rail operations.