Bavaria’s new Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) brought together representatives of Deutsche Bahn (DB), the Federal Ministry of Transport and from the Grafing-Ebersberg area for a dialogue about the northern access to the Brenner Pass at a virtual table. The Ministry now informs about this in a press release. After participants from the Ebersberg district briefly withdrew from the Deutsche Bahn dialogue forum at the beginning of the year, Bernreiter says it is important that there is an open exchange again on a permanent basis: “Only together can we achieve the best results for the affected regions That includes staying in touch and exploring all options.” Bernreiter’s predecessor Kerstin Schreyer had issued the invitation to the virtual meeting.
In the dialogue forums, representatives from the municipalities and interest groups affected by the project regularly exchange information with Deutsche Bahn. Since the start of the dialogue two years ago, six meetings have been held for the planning section between Grafing and Ostermünchen. In December 2021, DB Netz AG presented four possible rough routes for a new line in the section. These are rejected by the municipalities in the district of Ebersberg because of the considerable interference with the landscape and the fact that many people are affected. Instead, the local representatives favor an expansion close to the existing route and improved noise protection.
“The Brenner Base Tunnel is a central transport project for mobility in Europe because it allows us to shift even more goods onto the rails,” Bernreiter makes clear. “The northern access to the Brenner Pass is a crucial building block in the project, which, however, must be implemented with maximum protection for residents and the landscape. In addition, the federal government still has to provide evidence of the need for a new line.”
The minister emphasized that the federal government sets the framework and that it is Deutsche Bahn that plans and builds. Bayern cannot accelerate or improve here themselves. But the state government is committed to ensuring that the region is heard. Bernreiter welcomed the initiative from the region with two route proposals, which shows that “a good solution is being sought constructively” on site. Due to the positive feedback, Bernreiter announced that he wanted to repeat the discussion format for the northern approach to the Brenner.