"Shameful spectacle of the railway"

Created: 01/27/2022, 08:00

By: Gabi Zierz

The level crossing on Haager Strasse in Erding will be closed from Tuesday, February 1st.

The old security system is irreparably damaged and must be replaced.

© Tom Mertens

Erding - Deutsche Bahn's decision to close the Haager Strasse level crossing in Erding for four months from February 1 has met with harsh criticism from the city council.

The news hit like a bomb last week and leaves many citizens stunned: Deutsche Bahn will close the Haager Strasse level crossing from Tuesday, February 1, for an expected period of four months (we reported).

This programmed traffic chaos in Erding.

On Tuesday evening, the city council discussed the dilemma - and left no good hair on the railway.

The level crossing barrier on Haager Strasse has been defective since autumn.

The repair or replacement of the controller is not progressing.

As is well known, the replacement barriers have been operated by hand ever since.

A railway employee sits in a car next to the level crossing with the engine running and presses the button every 20 minutes.

OB Max Gotz (CSU) said in the city council: "It is shameful what the train is doing here for a spectacle." Apparently there are neither kits in stock nor enough staff available to continue to take over this service at the barrier.

That's why it's blocked.

Incidentally, the employees would be sitting in their private cars on site.

Eva Döllel (ÖDP) raised the issue because she feared that the months-long closure of the level crossing would mean that many drivers would use the Park & ​​Ride facility at the station as a bypass.

The OB announced that the parking lot passage would be tightened controlled.

However, rescue vehicles are of course allowed to use them.

Gotz is particularly worried about the city bus, which, like the cars, has to accept detours.

As is well known, all local public transport and school transport is affected, such as bus routes 501, 502, 507, 511, 512, 520, 530, 550, 560, 561, 562, 564, 565, 567, 568 and 569. They will all be diverted via the B 388, Anton-Bruckner-Strasse and Dorfener Strasse.

The bus stops Adolf-Kolping-, Edelweiß- and Görresstraße are no longer used.

The access to Wilhelm-von-Diez-Strasse will remain.

Hans Balbach (Erding Now) fears that more and more pedestrians will cross the tracks next to the level crossing during the closure: "A lot of people are already just walking over it. That's dangerous." He suggested building a temporary pedestrian bridge, like the one built in 2016 for the refugees in the asylum waiting room over the B 388. "Back then, we managed to do it within two weeks," said Balbach about the scaffolding construction. Gotz wants to take up the suggestion: "We'll see what we can achieve there."

He did not want to discuss Dr.

Rainer Vogl (FPD), whether the city could put someone at the barrier itself or whether the barrier could at least be operated temporarily for a few hours a day.

"I'm not going to spend another cent on the train.

In addition, this is not possible for liability reasons,” Gotz replied.

He reminded that the city is already paying for the cleaning of the underpass and the toilet facility.

Vogl didn't want to realize that the city had no recourse against the closure.

He urged Gotz to “put more pressure on it.

That cannot be tolerated."

The Mayor explained that he had also addressed the topic in the Bavarian City Council.

Elsewhere there are similar experiences with the train.

"It's such a disservice.

I don't know of any entrepreneur who could afford something like that," he said.

And what does the railway say about that?

She didn't even make the bad news public at the beginning of last week, but informed the city.

Gotz regretted the "lady who had to call" on Tuesday.

The railway justifies the short-term closure of the level crossing with the construction and operational safety.

When asked by our newspaper, a spokesman for the company said: "The old security system is out of order and must be replaced, it has irreparable defects.

An auxiliary barrier is currently working to secure road traffic.

However, this is a temporary and not a permanent solution.” The level crossing will be closed in order to install a completely new system.