SPD and Volt are calling for local public transport in and around Munich to be expanded much faster and more strongly than previously planned. “Traffic causes most of the greenhouse gas emissions in Bavaria,” said Florian von Brunn, chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, when presenting a ten-point plan. “A much faster expansion of the Munich S-Bahn is therefore absolutely necessary for successful climate protection.”
After all, it carries a good 60 percent of the passengers in Bavarian local transport. If Bavaria wants to become climate-neutral by 2040 at the latest, this can only be achieved with attractive local public transport – through better connections, more frequent frequencies and efficient routes.
Specifically, the two parties are calling for the entire S-Bahn network in Munich to run every ten minutes on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Outside of this period, the trams should run every 20 minutes, at least. This requirement also applies when the second trunk line is finished. So far, Deutsche Bahn only wants to offer a 15-minute cycle.
The current network is also geared too much towards the city center. “That has to change: If we want to have noticeably fewer cars in the city, we need an inner-city ring line in addition to the second main line,” demanded Nikolaus Gradl, transport policy spokesman for the SPD / Volt parliamentary group in the town hall. To this end, the south and north rings are to be linked and expanded. This would mean a continuous route from Karlsfeld in the west via the BMW research and innovation center and the Euro industrial park in the north to Johanneskirchen. The Ostbahnhof and further south Columbusplatz and Poccistraße would also be included. Many stations on the Ringbahn could be linked to the underground network.
The demands of the two parties also include the construction of new stops, for example on Berduxstrasse and Großhesseloher Brücke. In addition, all S-Bahn stations should be made barrier-free; Currently seven train stations are not accessible for people with reduced mobility and another seven are very difficult. How much such an acceleration of local public transport would cost the Free State remained open.
Bavaria’s Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) points out that the Free State has a clear and functioning concept for the expansion of rail transport, especially for the S-Bahn, with the “Bahnausbau Region München” program. “Since I took office in February 2020 alone, there has been a long list of measures that have brought about significant improvements in the Munich S-Bahn and for all public transport,” said the minister.