The train tours to citizens' discussions for the Brenner north inlet project. While some see positive things, many remain skeptical. A mood picture from Grafing.
Grafing/Aßling
- fundamental opponents, skeptics, those affected and those who are resigned: Those who can see something positive from this mammoth project across the Ebersberg district were in the absolute minority at this meeting, but they were there too. The team from the Brenner-Nordzulauf railway project invited citizens from Grafing to a consultation hour with an accompanying plan exhibition in the Catholic parish hall on Tuesday. On Wednesday there was the same event in Aßling, in a total of eleven communities along the future construction route.
In individual discussions, the engineers explain the route in the respective municipal area and structures such as tunnels and bridges using elevation and site plans. The residents were happy to take advantage of the opportunity. At the first five dates before the Grafingen event there were already 770 visitors, according to a railway spokeswoman. So there is enough need for discussion. The railway representatives, led by planning manager Dieter Müller, who is responsible for the Grafingen section, remained stoic. Their core message: “We plan what we are commissioned by the federal government to do.”
Soundproofing for Grafing train station
But at least noise barriers have been added. “Everything that is exposed to sound on the new line is entitled to noise protection,” informed the railway. “The entire Grafing train station will be shielded.” At about the height of the Schammacher roundabout, the planned additional tracks turn to the right in the direction of Rosenheim, then lead into the 3.7 kilometer long Salachtunnel and come back to the surface at Lorenzenberg. The expanded water protection zone of the Elkofener Brunnen is crossed by mining, i.e. with a tunnel boring machine. “Technically, the planning is ready,” informed Müller.
The previous plans at a scale of 1:100 hung on the walls in the rectory. Before that, the citizens were looking for their houses and imagining what would happen to them. The concern was palpable. “The quality of living is getting worse,” feared one affected person, and his neighbor agreed with him: “I don’t want to see the living conditions worsen either!”
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Ebersberg newsletter.)
“Madness, madness, a picture of devastation,” said a conservationist from Grafingen, expressing his concern. Too many trees are cut down for the project. “The railway is as mobile as a railway track,” said an Elkofener and discussed the common compensation practice with DB representatives. He criticized the fact that during the construction phase, agricultural land was being used extensively as storage areas for excavation and materials, which was endangering the existence of businesses in his neighborhood.
There was a flyer on this explosive topic in which those affected were told what could happen to them: “Deutsche Bahn is striving for amicable contractual arrangements with all affected property owners and tenants. If this does not succeed in individual cases, the General Railway Act provides for expropriation against compensation.” And further: If no agreement is reached on the amount of compensation, this can be determined by the expropriation authority. “This is tax money,” said a railway representative.
Expropriation as a last resort
Therefore, special appraisals would be prepared. “In a densely populated area, this always causes concern,” admits the railway. The local Nature Conservation Association is of the opinion that if the existing tracks were technically better and more densely managed, building a new one would be unnecessary. But a commuter from Grafingen reported that “that would only cause more trains to pile up”. “It will get even worse,” she fears.
In an interview with the Ebersberger Zeitung,
an older man mourned the
loss of his garden in Pierstling. Another had hope of a completely different kind: it could still be ten years before the project is finally realized. “Maybe I won’t be alive anymore,” he said laconically.
Representatives of the Brennernordzulauf citizens' initiative, including railway critic Andreas Brandmaier, were stationed on Öxinger Platz, opposite the parish hall. They distributed flyers, demanded a clear no to the Limone route and asked for donations.