Green MP: Hanover main station expansion unfunded, bottleneck endangers 260,000 daily passengers
Green Bundestag member Swantje Michaelsen says two extra tracks and a platform are not financed, despite the station being a critical chokepoint for northern Germany.
A bottleneck for all of northern Germany
Hanover main station is one of Germany's most important rail nodes. It handles more than 260,000 passengers and around 750 long-distance and regional trains every day. Deutsche Bahn presented plans in March to add tracks 15 and 16 and an additional platform. Without the expansion, the station remains a chronic overloading point, especially for the Hamburg–Hanover corridor.
That this project is not funded is a scandal.
Political backlash
Green transport politician Swantje Michaelsen accused the federal government of stalling the further planning. She based her criticism on the government's answer to a minor inquiry from the Green parliamentary group. The two new tracks are needed for punctual and reliable S-Bahn services in the Hanover region, she said.
Industry joins the criticism
Allianz pro Schiene, a rail advocacy group, also condemned the funding gap. Managing director Dirk Flege said it defies logic that the federal government is braking on rail network expansion. He argued that travellers feel the consequences of an overloaded network every day, and that general refurbishments alone will not deliver more reliable rail traffic.
It is not with logic to explain that the federal government is putting the brakes on the expansion and new construction of the rail network to such an extent.
Ministry points to budget talks
The Federal Transport Ministry said it is pushing for more money for new and expansion projects in the ongoing budget negotiations. A spokesman for minister Patrick Schnieder stated that the ministry has a strong interest in advancing both the modernisation of the existing network and the expansion of rail infrastructure.
No project reaches next planning phase
According to Michaelsen's office, federal rail projects are funded in several steps. To date, no project has been moved to the next planning phase, leaving the Hanover expansion and other schemes in limbo.
