Of
Ellen Draxel
The controversial stairways at Aubinger train station are being repaired. From July 29th to August 1st, access in the direction of the town center is therefore blocked – the railway has now announced this. The renovation is urgently needed: the condition of the steps is so crumbling that there have already been a number of falls. Citizens and local politicians had recently demanded massive repairs, as they no longer considered the traffic safety of the staircase to be given. However, this repair does not mean a barrier-free design of the underpass and access to the tracks. According to the Munich station management, the existing width of the stairs is “just sufficient for the current flow of traffic, which is why an additional sliding ramp would lead to an inadmissible narrowing of the stairs and restriction of the safety structure” and to the impairment of escape and rescue routes.
The demand for a barrier-free connection between Aubing and Neuaubing is not new, it has existed for 30 years. But nothing has happened so far: If you have a walker, want to go under the tracks with crutches, a stroller or bike, you still have to struggle up a lot of stairs. People who are dependent on a wheelchair are completely denied this route. This also means that many Aubingers cannot use the new Edeka on Colmdorfstraße on the south side of Aubinger station. In addition, the steps make it difficult for the districts to grow together. Four years ago, the Aubing-Neuaubing citizens’ association therefore presented a barrier-free vision designed by architects with a rotunda as a connecting variant. But the city favored a ramp in the north in 2019, especially since the Free State would have covered these costs. Both are now on hold and the connection will have to wait.
Because the city council decided to hold an urban planning competition for this area – at the request of the majority in the district committee. For a few days now there has been at least a provisional rail for bicycles, which is intended to make passage easier. Aubinger Werner Dilg and Johannes Ney built the auxiliary structure out of wood. If the two have their way, the rail should be reinstalled after the renovation. The railway has already asked the duo for approval. A double ramp for prams had previously been rejected by the railway management.