Cancellations, delays and more and more passengers: That is the master plan for the breakdown S-Bahn

Created: 06/22/2022, 05:30

By: Charlotte Borst

Unpunctuality, cancellations, overcrowded wagons: the customers of the S-Bahn - here in Taufkirchen - are sorry.

© Robert Brouczek

S-Bahn commuters are annoyed every day by disruptions and deficits.

The punctuality of the S-Bahn has fallen below the worst value in ten years.

The forecasts assume a massive increase in passenger numbers over the next 20 years.

How will that work in the future?

District

- Cancellations, delays, overcrowded wagons and no passenger information: S-Bahn commuters are annoyed every day by disruptions and deficits.

The punctuality of the S-Bahn has fallen below the worst value in ten years.

The dissatisfaction is great.

Nevertheless, the Munich S-Bahn is calculating with another 60 percent more passengers in 20 years.

Manager admits mistakes

How does that work?

At the invitation of district administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU), the managing director of the Munich S-Bahn was now available to answer questions.

"I put on every shoe when it comes to punctuality, reliability and passenger information," said a contrite Heiko Büttner.

With regard to the infrastructure, he said: "Everything is nothing without capacity and quality." Too much had been missed in the past, "after 50 years of S-Bahn Munich, the system is essentially unchanged." District Administrator Göbel called for "considerable investments in the infrastructure."

In his presentation, Büttner announced concrete strengthening measures: "We will completely renew the S-Bahn over the next ten years." , one in Steinhausen, the other in Pasing.

"So far there is only one plant that was built for the maintenance and repair of 100 vehicles and in which a good 300 vehicles now have to be maintained."

Further measures: 30 percent more employees, a new training center and the new control center, which will go into operation in the next few days.

"It is state-of-the-art, we will then be able to improve passenger information because we can accommodate more jobs and better staff shifts," said Büttner.

Günther Heyland from the Free Voters was surprised that the measures did not include expanding the outer branches.

In 2018, former Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer laid down an expansion plan.

Heyland also believes that the goal of 60 percent more passengers by 2040 is “unimaginable”.

SPD parliamentary group leader speaks of "swamp of inertia"

SPD parliamentary group leader Florian Schardt sees the S-Bahn sinking into a "swamp of inertia": "Where should 60 percent more passengers go?" He vehemently insisted on the double-track expansion, where sections are still single-track, such as on the S7 - Route to Ottobrunn and Höhenkirchen: "We urgently need the second tracks.

A track is a risk in terms of delays and safety.”

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Heiko Büttner replied: "Of course we want a double track." But the planning processes for the expansion were much too hesitant, and the expected public protests also made expansion more difficult.

DB Netz is also responsible for the expansion.

Büttner places more hope in digitization.

The model is the digital S-Bahn Hamburg, where the first highly automated S-Bahn trains are running.

If vehicle and route communicate digitally and autonomous driving is implemented, this will strengthen the S-Bahn.

Criticism of the federal and state governments

CSU faction leader Stefan Schelle does not share the "defeatism" of other factions.

He welcomed it when digitization and autonomous driving “made the routes stable”.

Markus Büchler (Greens) criticized the fact that the Ministry of Transport of all people had not accepted the invitation to the district office.

He denounced: “The federal and state governments have invested too little money in maintenance and expansion for decades.

Now the train has to improvise.

I'm rather amazed at how many people are still driving.” After all, traffic performance has increased drastically.

Everything should be done to tap the sixfold increase in federal funding.

"We need supply-oriented planning," demanded District Administrator Göbel, naming punctual trains and more frequent services.

To strengthen the railways, unbureaucratic and faster procedures are needed, and representatives at federal and state level are in demand here.