Lufthansa, the airport, the Free State, the federal government and the railways want it – the long-distance train connection at Munich Airport, which has been missing for over 30 years.
Now there is headwind.
The Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) rejects the project.
Spokesman Alfred Schreiber fears that the project to create a branch from the Nuremberg-Ingolstadt-Munich railway line south of Reichertshausen to the airport will result in another billion dollar grave after the second main line.
He speculates: Passengers from northern Bavaria are to be lured to Munich instead of to Frankfurt in order to “be able to push through the third runway through the back door”, as stated in a press release.
The VCD is considering having the guidelines stopped by the courts with other nature conservation associations.
According to the VCD, the long-distance train connection is “not thought through enough and would even be harmful”.
Schreiber explains: "Instead of massively expanding the railways and finally doing more in terms of climate protection, such a project promotes climate-damaging air traffic of all things." It is devastating "that Deutsche Bahn lacks significant financial resources for the really important projects".
The declared goal of reducing short-haul flights could not be achieved in this way either.
With a view to the two largest German air hubs, Munich and Frankfurt, Schreiber says: "It is unacceptable to spend billions on airports competing with each other." Taxpayers' money should not be used to "improve an airport company's business results or not to bring about the necessary expansion".
The airport and Lufthansa are arguing the other way around: the long-distance train connection could make domestic German connections in particular obsolete – but also car journeys if you can get from Munich to Moos in a few minutes on the ICE.
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