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Metronome wins contract: New routes from 2026 for northern Lower Saxony!
Metronom receives contract for transport services in the Hanseatic network from June 2026; DB Regio takes over the southern route to Göttingen.
Metronome wins contract: New routes from 2026 for northern Lower Saxony!
A new section in Lower Saxony's local transport network: The Lower Saxony State Local Transport Company (LNVG) has decided to probably award the transport company Metronom the contract for the northern lot of the Hanseatic Network tender. This decision is scheduled to come into force from June 2026 and remain in effect until December 2033, following a ten-day appeal period that is currently underway. The affected routes include the heavily frequented connections from Hanover via Uelzen to Lüneburg and Hamburg as well as from Hamburg via Buchholz to Bremen. Kreizeitung Wochenblatt reported this information, and it is based on an agreement reached at the beginning of 2024 between Metronom, the state of Lower Saxony and the LNVG.
The new plans also bring changes. The southern route from Uelzen via Hanover to Göttingen will in future be operated by DB Regio, which Metronom regrets. However, the company sees an opportunity to focus more on its own routes and improve the quality and reliability of its services. “This represents a new beginning for us,” Metronom said in a statement. As part of this tender, Metronom was asked to hand over at least one of the two lots in order to remain competitive, which requires a good hand in expanding its own routes.
Background to the new tender
The impetus for the new tender came from Metronom itself, which asked in 2024 for an early termination of the transport contract that had been running since 2018. The main reasons for this are the unexpected increases in personnel and energy costs, which were significantly influenced by events such as the corona pandemic and the Ukraine conflict. DT5Online highlights that from June 2026 the transport services will be tendered under a new operator order in order to meet the changing requirements of travelers.
What will change? According to the plans, the existing services for the main routes, such as the RE 3 and RE 4, to Hamburg and Uelzen to Bremen, will remain in the hands of Metronom. DB Regio, on the other hand, will take over the operation of the RE 2 line from Uelzen via Hanover to Göttingen.
A look into the future
Transport Minister Olaf Lies (SPD) has already emphasized that it is important to ensure a smooth transition and to provide rail passengers with the best possible service. This is intended to make everyday life safer and more convenient for many commuters in the region. [NDR]. The focus is now on improving service quality and passenger satisfaction.
The next steps are now crucial and the region will closely monitor how the transition will impact the new operators. With the Metronome award and the simultaneous responsibility to ensure reliable connections, it will be exciting to see how rail customers will react to the upcoming changes.