As of: April 4, 2024, 11:11 a.m
By: Sascha Karowski
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Dense crowds are currently almost the norm in the Munich subway © Marco Krefting
The Munich subway system is on the verge of collapse: MVG hopes to be able to resume regular operations by the European Football Championship.
Munich - Almost a third of the trains on the Munich subway are currently not operational - with unpleasant consequences for passengers. Short trains and few amplifiers often lead to dense crowds, and one line was even shortened. “That is not what we expect from our performance,” says the managing director of the Munich Transport Company (MVG), Oliver Glaser, who is responsible for rail operations. There are currently several problems that his team is fighting against. “Our big goal is to be back on the regular schedule by the time of the European Football Championship.”
Subway in Munich: Trains have to be converted, which also ties up staff
“In the end, we have different construction sites,” says Glaser to the German Press Agency. Two of the four subway generations in use are currently being converted because from 2026 all trains will have to have fire-fighting systems on board. As a result, the individual trains were canceled for quite a while, and the complex work also turned out to be more difficult than expected.
As a result, personnel who are missing from day-to-day operations are tied up, says Glaser, who is already struggling with the shortage of skilled workers. There are also significant downtimes with the latest generation of trains. “This means that my vehicle reserve is virtually zero,” says Glaser.
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Subway system in Munich: Under certain weather conditions, wheels can “flat brake”
And adds: “Unfortunately, bad luck also comes.” Because under certain weather conditions, the wheels of trains on outdoor routes can “brake flat” - similar to a car tire where the rubber rubs off when you brake hard. The wheels then have to be laboriously turned off again. “We had eleven vehicles with flat spots in just a few weeks. “It’s a major catastrophe,” groans Glaser. Especially since only one of the required underfloor lathes is currently in operation due to a renovation.
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“We now really have the catastrophe that everything is coming together,” summarizes Glaser. After all, the first retrofitted trains are scheduled to run again at the end of April. It will take a while before everything runs smoothly. “The goal is for us to be out of the valley of tears at the European Championships,” assures Glaser. Commuters and fans alike should no longer notice any problems at the opening game of the European Football Championship in mid-June. Especially since several major concerts are planned after the European Championships in Munich and the Oktoberfest is just around the corner.
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