Frankfurt–Mannheim Rail Line Funding in Jeopardy

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Mannheim’s Mayor Christian Specht on the budget discussions on the Frankfurt–Mannheim rail line

The City of Mannheim is calling on the federal government and Deutsche Bahn to secure funding and construction of the new Frankfurt–Mannheim rail line in the ongoing federal budget negotiations. Mayor Christian Specht, who is also Chairman of the Rhine-Neckar Transport Association VRN, stated: „The railway infrastructure between Frankfurt and Mannheim have been massively overloaded for decades. Far too few tracks connect the major economic regions of Rhine-Main and Rhine-Neckar, with their approximately six million inhabitants. Today’s connection is a bottleneck in the European north-south corridor from the North Sea to the Mediterranean, affecting both freight and passenger traffic on this important European route. It is therefore all the more incomprehensible that the financing of this key project, which we have been discussing for almost 40 years, is once again at risk. Deutsche Bahn has also announced to reduce local train services from 2026 due to a lack of rail track capacity. This means that many commuters working at major companies in the north of the city will lose important connections. Improving this in the future also depends on the additional capacity provided by the new line. The Mannheim railway hub is a central junction in the European rail network and an important intersection in the EU’s TEN-T network. It is chronically overloaded, which severely impacts regional, national, and international traffic. Expanding the Mannheim hub to meet capacity needs is crucial for economic growth, climate protection, and the mobility of millions of people across Europe – it must not be delayed any further!“ Mayor Christian Specht, together with Stefan Dallinger, Chairman of the Rhine-Neckar Region Association, has written to Federal Minister for Transport Patrick Schnieder to request a meeting on the future development of the Mannheim railway hub.

Press release from the Rhine-Neckar Regional Association on the Frankfurt–Mannheim new railway line 

 The Rhine-Neckar Region has been involved in the federal government and Deutsche Bahn’s plans for the Frankfurt–Mannheim new line from the outset in order to facilitate a transport solution that makes sense for the region as a whole. From a regional perspective, the Frankfurt–Mannheim new line project is one of the most important components of the overall corridor, which requires swift financing and implementation in order to eliminate a bottleneck affecting Europe and Germany as a whole. This makes yesterday’s press releases, which call into question the financing and construction of the new Frankfurt-Mannheim line in the federal government’s current budget negotiations, all the more incomprehensible.

District Administrator Stefan Dallinger, Chairman of the Rhine-Neckar Regional Association, warns „that, in view of the regional solidarity, the unique opportunity to realise a genuine consensus route must not be squandered. For years, the association has been organising cooperation between local authorities and members of parliament in the Rhine-Neckar Rail Corridor Regional Forum, coordinating different positions. The region has brought all those affected behind a consensus route, which has made the planning process much easier for Deutsche Bahn. We therefore call for the planning of the new Frankfurt-Mannheim line to be pursued consistently and for the individual planning approval stages to be initiated swiftly. In order to support the region’s economy in the long term and achieve the transport transition, it is necessary for the federal government to draw up long-term and reliable financing plans for the transport sector.“

Sources(in German): 

Mannheim.de

Metropolregion Rhein Neckar 

Have your say: European Commission rail passenger rights revision

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The European Commission is seeking input on a targeted revision of the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, which protects passengers from travel disruptions and grants them rights like reimbursement, re-routing, assistance, and compensation.

The regulation, introduced in 2007, has improved consumer protection for rail transport. President von der Leyen proposed an initiative to allow Europeans to buy a single ticket via a single platform, covering their entire trip.

The call for evidence is available on the Commission’s Have your Say portal in all EU languages and is linked below.

Sources:

European Commission 

Have your say – Call for evidence 

Modal share of Railfreight increased only in select countries in the EU

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Between 2005 and 2023, the modal share of rail freight in Europe increased significantly, with the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, and Portugal being the only countries where this growth occurred.

The modal share of rail freight decreased from 18.5% to 16.9% overall in the European Union. The Baltic states, particularly Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, experienced the most significant decrease, with modal shares falling by about one-third in Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia. Inland waterways also saw fewer cargo volumes, with Bulgaria and Luxembourg experiencing the most significant drops.

This trend goes against the sustainability policies proposed by the European Union, which calls for more sustainable transport modalities like rail and inland waterways to gain volumes. However, more trucks are running on EU roads, posing pollution and risks.

Source: 

Railfreight.com