The realization of the tram route in Johanneskirchen has been delayed by more than a year. The Stadtwerke München (SWM) and the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) can no longer adhere to the original plan to put the new route between Cosimastraße and the Johanneskirchen S-Bahn station into operation at the end of 2025. The tram is now not scheduled to start rolling until February 2027. The reason: SWM no longer expects a building permit before autumn this year. They had originally expected this in the spring.
However, the planning for the route, which is part of the future tram north tangent, has not yet been completely completed. In addition, there are still questions about interference with nature and noise pollution, the government of Upper Bavaria complained. The supervisory authority therefore refused the municipal utilities a so-called provisional order, with which the SWM could at least have started with preparatory work.
Some lines, such as district heating pipes, need to be re-laid underground. The SWM also wanted to fell trees in advance in February, before the seven-month bird breeding season begins on March 1st. During this protection phase, tree felling is only permitted in exceptional cases. The new route, which is just 700 meters long, is expensive, not least because of the underground cables. It is expected to cost 60 million euros – from the point of view of many residents and the CSU, this is disproportionate.
It is still unclear whether SWM will actually be able to start construction at the beginning of 2025. Lawsuits from residents, which are to be expected in this case, can significantly prolong the planning approval process.
In an urgent motion for the next city council general meeting next Wednesday, the FDP and Bavarian Party faction in the city council is now calling for clarification about the background to the construction stop – and what consequences the city leadership, city administration and MVG are drawing from this “poor project management”.