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Mayors sound the alarm: the future of the Bäderbahn is in danger!
Ostholstein's mayors in Kiel are calling for the preservation of the Bäderbahn. Discussion about local transport and new routes. Current developments.
Mayors sound the alarm: the future of the Bäderbahn is in danger!
The Bäderbahn in Ostholstein is the focus of current discussions after the economic committee of the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament discussed its future today. How LN Online reported, four mayors from the region expressed concerns about a planned bypass of the Bäderbahn, which is essential for many commuters. Susanne Henckel, the non-party State Secretary for Transport, informed that the railway wants to connect the Bäderbahn near Ratekau and north of Haffkrug to a new route.
Henckel made it clear that this decision was made without consultation with the state government. The aim is to offer transfer-free and electrically operated connections that, for example, should reduce the travel time from Hamburg to Scharbeutz to 60 minutes. Future plans also include the Bäderbahn remaining in the ownership of Deutsche Bahn, which will ultimately affect the use of the line until the rail connection for the Fehmarnbelt is put into operation, as stated in a statement by the German railways is to be read.
Together for the Bäderbahn
Bettina Schäfer, Mayor of Scharbeutz, has put forward the proposal to pivot the Bäderbahn behind Scharbeutz train station to the new rail route. Above all, she preaches the protection of nature and the people who could be affected by the construction of the hinterland connection to the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel. Sven Partheil-Böhnke, mayor of Timmendorfer Strand, mentioned that over 1,400 passengers board the train every day at Timmendorfer Strand station, which may be eliminated.
Thomas Keller, Mayor of Ratekau, emphasized the uncertainty that exists in the communities and the lack of progress in planning. Udo Gosch von Sierksdorf advocates a common solution to preserve the Bäderbahn. The SPD local council members Niclas Dürbrook and Sandra Redmann requested that the situation surrounding the Bäderbahn be put on the agenda, while Sybilla Nitsch from the SSW described the current situation as untenable and suggested changes to the “Letter of Intent” (LOI) from 2014. This LOI stipulates that local passenger traffic will be relocated to the new route in the future, while freight traffic should continue to use the old Bäderbahn route.
Controversies and challenges
However, Ute Plambeck, Deutsche Bahn's group representative for Schleswig-Holstein, made it clear that a technical implementation of freight traffic over the old route was not possible. Nelly Waldeck from the Greens called for the Bäderbahn to be clearly preserved, while Henckel warned that revoking the LOI would be risky. Keller, in turn, calls for transparent planning to ensure citizens' trust in the necessary steps to ensure progress in the region and good connections to the train stations.
There have been numerous train cancellations and delays in Schleswig-Holstein in recent months, primarily due to track construction work. Commuters had to prepare for restrictions while Deutsche Bahn worked on various sections of the route to optimize regional transport, such as NDR describes.
Until the new route is put into operation, the Bäderbahn remains a central issue that affects both the region and commuters. The coming decisions could be decisive for whether the Bäderbahn exists as a reliable connection in the future or not.