Tram through the English Garden in Munich: is the state parliament slowing down the project?

Former Minister Spaenle submits an application

Created: 05/27/2022, 19:00

By: Sascha Karowski

This is what the tram route through the English Garden could look like.

The trains would run on grass track and get by without overhead lines.

© City of Munich

The construction of the tram route through the English Garden could at least be delayed.

Member of the state parliament Ludwig Spaenle (CSU) wants to have the park declared a natural monument.

That would probably have consequences for the route between Elisabethplatz and Tivolistrasse.

Munich – does Freistatt prevent the construction of the tram through the English Garden?

At the very least, the project could be delayed.

Because member of parliament Ludwig Spaenle (CSU) has submitted an application to raise the park to a national cultural/natural monument.

This is a special form of protected area.

With the new status, the special nature of the English Garden would be more appreciated, says the ex-minister.

“The park is an area that is particularly worthy of protection.

If you can increase protection, then that's my intention." When asked if he was concerned with preventing the tram route through the park, Spaenle said: "More protection also has an impact on construction projects."

Tram Englischer Garten: The route between Elisabethplatz and Tivolistrasse is controversial

As is well known, Spaenle has been fighting against the tram route for years.

It would be part of the Nordtangente, a 13-kilometer tram route coming from Neuhausen (Romanplatz) via Schwabing to Bogenhausen (St. Emmeram).

Most of this connection is already designed as a tram line.

Only the roughly two-kilometre section between Elisabethplatz and Tivolistrasse is missing, of which around one kilometer runs directly through the English Garden.

Spaenle: "The majority of the city council rejects the idea of ​​healing the English Garden with a tunnel.

On the other hand, they want to share it again with a track body, which will result in a lasting deterioration.” Spaenle alludes to the fact that the Greens and SPD recently abandoned plans for a car tunnel that would have made the Mittlerer Ring disappear underground must.

In this way, the English Garden would have grown together again above ground.

Tram Englischer Garten - according to MVG, a delay would be possible if the application goes through

As the Munich Transport Company (MVG) reports, Spaenle's application is now understood "in the context of the state election campaign as a further step by a member of parliament, who is known to be an opponent of the project, in the fight against the tram through the English Garden".

First of all, it remains to be seen whether the government factions in the Bavarian state parliament would approve the application.

But even if the application is successful, that does not necessarily mean that the tram through the park is no longer possible.

"Without the overhead line, the route would not be visually more striking than the existing road," says a company spokesman.

On the contrary: the park character would be retained or even improved by the grass track variant.

"But if that also contradicts the status of a national natural/cultural monument, the existing road and not least the middle ring would have to disappear from the surface in the English Garden." Corresponding measures would be associated with high costs.

"But what is already clear today is that if the application is accepted, we will have to be prepared for a time delay, because there will be corresponding procedures, the results of which we will have to wait for." The route was scheduled to be commissioned in 2025.