So now the decision has been made: From 2040 onwards, freight trains on one of the most important trade routes in Europe will roll through the Ebersberg district via the “Limone” track. What sounds refreshingly summery was a bite of the sour apple for many of those involved on Wednesday – or better: the sour lime. The “turquoise” variant, i.e. a route in the immediate vicinity of the existing rails, was very popular with local politicians and residents. However, those responsible for the railways have opted for a route much further west in previously untouched nature – and this has not necessarily made life easier for themselves.
Of course, the arguments that could be heard at the press conference in the old cinema sounded quite plausible at first glance: With this route, you could bypass the larger towns and the smaller villages were not directly affected either. Above all, no houses would have to be demolished with the variant now being considered – a note that should not be despised. Due to the “lowering” of the tracks, i.e. the route below the turf, the visual disfigurement of the region should actually be limited.
The project is once again on the verge of complete escalation
Nevertheless, one naturally has to ask oneself why Deutsche Bahn wants to push through its route with all its might, despite the enormous resistance. The “turquoise” variant would also have been approvable and realizable, as the preliminary tests had already shown. If the rail company had opted for this option, the outcry would have been much quieter on Wednesday. But as it is, the project Brenner-Nordzulauf is once again at a point that it had reached more often recently: on the verge of complete escalation.
However, how the return to constructive cooperation between project planners and those responsible in the region can succeed this time is uncertain. So far, the rail company has always been able to refer to the supposedly very fruitful dialogue forums. Grafing’s mayor, Christian Bauer, described this as a “joke” and Thomas Huber, a member of the state parliament, as a “theft of time” – one simply does not feel taken seriously.
Those responsible for the railway must have been aware of the consequences of their decision. That is why they are now all the more obliged to explain the choice of route to those affected on site and to regain the trust that has been lost in the detailed planning. Only in this way can “Limone” ripen into a tasty fruit for everyone.