Munich – The Bavarian State Chancellery is in need of explanations for the second S-Bahn trunk line.
A few months before the federal elections in 2021, a high-ranking official explained in an internal paper whether the public should be informed about the cost explosion and time shift that is already known internally - or rather not.
In any case, it was “not a winning topic”.
It was the day before Christmas Eve 2020 when the head of the AI 3 department in the Bavarian State Chancellery had to deal with an unpleasant topic.
"2.
Trunk route: current situation” was the headline of the eight pages, in which there were arguments about a cost increase and time difference in the mega-project, which was already known internally at the time – but above all about whether it would be advisable to “actively” the topic before the federal elections in September 2021 " to treat.
In the paper from the State Chancellery, which is available to the "Münchner Merkur" and which will presumably play a role in the soon to be launched investigative committee on the 2nd main route, the official who, as a so-called mirror consultant, headed the traffic department in the State Chancellery, weighed the "Pro “ and “Contra” in detail – and warned:
The tube was "not a winning topic in the election campaign".
It is completely "unpredictable" whether and how the topic "will be played by the press during the election campaign".
"Dilatory Treatment"
The current political line in the State Chancellery provides for "dilatory treatment" until after the election.
Dilatory in the sense of delaying, delaying.
It would have to be “politically” decided whether to stick to it.
As a reminder: At the end of 2020, the duel of potential chancellor candidates between Markus Söder (CSU) and Armin Laschet (CDU) was still open - with Söder leading in polls.
In any case, the official noted that there was a “danger of a permanent issue in the election campaign” on the 2nd regular route.
Apparently, such suggestions were heeded, because the explosion in costs and the delay only became known in 2022.
FDP is outraged
The FDP member of parliament Sebastian Körber, who heads the transport committee in the state parliament and has repeatedly drilled into the 2nd tube, is appalled by the procedure that has come to light at official level.
"Party work and government action seem to go hand in hand in the State Chancellery," he says.
That was "a new low point in the Prime Minister's term in office".
The Greens (“real political scandal”) and the SPD also reacted with outrage to dpa.
The State Chancellery dismissed the dpa.
"Potential personal ratings at employee level are generally not commented on."
Minister of Transport Schreyer pushed for more speed - but said nothing to the public
Now, however, it was the case that the State Chancellery was not alone in deciding on the 2nd trunk line.
The then Bavarian Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) had already informed Söder via email on September 3, 2020 about cost increases and a postponement until 2034.
At that time, the internal costs were no longer the 3.8 billion that are always publicly mentioned, but 5.2 billion euros.
Today, as is well known, there are already more than 7 billion.
The year 2028 was always rumored as the date of commissioning by railway and ministry representatives, some with a mocking smile on their lips, even though they had known better for a long time.
Schreyer was also publicly silent about the development she had long known about when she was interviewed by the "Münchner Merkur" in October 2020 and then a title lead ("2nd main route:
However, when dealing with the state chancellery, Schreyer did not stop with the e-mail.
At the request of Söder, on October 16, she presented a concept with 48 improvement measures for the railway in the Munich region.
This also included daring ideas such as the construction of a magnetic levitation train based on the model of the test railway on the premises of the Max Bögl construction company in the Upper Palatinate.
But there are also many that obviously make sense, such as the procurement of additional S-Bahn trains, a 20-minute cycle to the line end points or the long-standing construction of a Poccistraße stop.
after all: Schreyer apparently wanted more speed and money - she also urged "active and timely" action on the 2nd trunk route.
Incidentally, the Federal Minister of Transport at the time, Andreas Scheuer (CSU), saw things differently.
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The FDP MP Sebastian Körber is outraged.
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But their suggestions were also trimmed down by the head of department on October 23, 2020 to eight pages that are available to our newspaper.
Of the 48 proposals, only ten remained, instead of costs of around 2.3 billion and 188 million euros recurring annually, 181 million one-off and 38 million euros annually remained.
Some of the proposals were only recently presented again by Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU), some have already been implemented, such as the 20-minute cycle to the terminal stations and the procurement of additional trains (they come used from Hanover).
Strangely enough, the concept does not appear in a chronology for the main route disaster that the Ministry of Transport published in 2022.
The FDP deputy Körber still on 23.
December 2022 in a state parliament request specifically asked for it - without getting it.
He's angry about that too.
Bernreiter concealed the truth.
From Tuesday, the main route should now be involved in another election campaign: the one for the state elections in October.
A sub-committee is meeting in the state parliament to accompany the current construction of the second tube.
Topic, among other things: "The current challenges of the 2nd S-Bahn trunk line".
