After the Bavarian state government rejected the northern tram route through the English Garden, the Munich Transport Company (MVG) is still trying to save the project. So far it has spent 5.4 million euros on planning, plus several million euros on the development of trams that run on battery power.
“We see opportunities to optimize the planning in the interests of the Free State – especially with regard to the width of the route,” says the MVG. “We are ready for discussions with the Free State about this.”
According to MVG, the State Chancellery miscalculated. The statement that 3,500 square meters of area would have to be resealed for the route is incorrect. Rather, it is 1270 square meters. According to the MVG, we are currently examining how the veto on the garden tram will affect other public transport projects.
Criticism of the decision from the State Chancellery came, among others, from the Pro Bahn passenger association, which described it as “irresponsible”, and from the Attractive Local Transport Working Group (AAN) in the Munich Forum. The tram makes it possible to greatly reduce the hassle of changing trains. The AAN reports that the tram can exploit these advantages not only on the northern tangent, but also, for example, on the route from Elisabethplatz via Giselastraße and Münchner Freiheit to Kieferngarten. Not building these routes would be “passenger harassment”.