NWL sounds the alarm: NRW reform endangers local co-determination!

NWL sounds the alarm: NRW reform endangers local co-determination!

Excitement in North Rhine-Westphalia! The Westphalia-Lippe Local Transport Association (NWL) is sounding the alarm about the upcoming Rail.NRW reform. According to recent reports from MS Current The state government's draft law could significantly restrict the participation of local authorities, especially in rural areas. The focus is on the planned unification of the three responsible bodies - the NWL, the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and go.Rheinland - under the new title “Schiene.NRW”, which is to take over responsibility for regional trains, S-Bahn trains and tariffs from 2027.

Proponents of the reform hope that this restructuring will result in greater efficiency and uniform processes in local transport. But the NWL sees serious risks due to the planned structure of the board of directors, which will only have 21 members. The representatives would no longer be bound by the instructions of the municipalities, which could jeopardize democratic control, according to the NWL. The association also notes that many regions, especially in Westphalia-Lippe, are dependent on financially and technically overdue railway lines, where even small cuts can have significant effects.

Growing concerns and demands

The criticism of the reform continues: NWL fears that the distribution of financial resources could primarily benefit metropolitan areas such as the Ruhr area. “We call for the principle of ‘partial responsibility’ to be anchored in law in order to ensure a fair distribution of responsibilities and financial resources,” emphasizes the NWL. A discussion with the Ministry of Transport before the association hearing at the end of October 2025 should aim to find a solution that balances efficiency and regional responsibility.

Minister Krischer from the state government has announced that interests will be communicated more clearly. The new structures are expected to take effect from the beginning of 2026, at which point passengers will also be able to benefit from fewer short-term train cancellations. How WDR reports, the current tripartite division of responsibilities is recognized as inefficient because many lines operate across association boundaries. In the future, the employees of the three associations will work together under the new umbrella “Schiene.NRW”.

Merger and new structures

A look at the structural changes: The reform is intended not only to improve the organization of local rail passenger transport (SPNV), but also to strengthen local authority ownership. “Uniform organization, reduced administrative costs and a better local transport plan, these are the goals of this reform,” said the Green Group in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The creation of a leaner committee and decision-making structure that takes regional interests into account is one of the essential approaches of this reform. Tricky questions, such as legal form, personnel transfer and committee composition, must be clarified before November 1, 2025, as can be seen from the proposals published on Green parliamentary group NRW be explained in detail. It is important not to lose sight of the advantages of the reform: faster coordination, better negotiating positions and more transparency.

How developments will unfold remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the coming months will be crucial for the future of local transport in North Rhine-Westphalia. The voices of the municipalities will play a central role in this because, after all, they are the ones who bear a large part of the costs.