The Bavarian state government has rejected the tram line through the English Garden. In a letter to Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), head of the state chancellery Florian Herrmann (CSU) said that, according to the planning documents available so far, the tram line could not be realized without “massive, incompatible interventions”. He also sees an increased risk potential for cyclists and pedestrians. Munich Mercury and tz first reported on the letter.
The approximately 800 meter long section through the park should be part of a 2.2 kilometer long new route from Elisabethplatz via the intersection of Franz-Joseph-/Leopoldstraße, via Martius- and Thiemestrasse to Tivolistraße. With a connection to the existing network, this in turn would be part of the approximately 13 kilometer long planned northern tangent between Neuhausen and Bogenhausen. There will be a branch between Giselastraße and Ungererstraße with a connection to today’s tram line 23.
Herrmann refers to the decision of the Council of Ministers of September 5, 2017, according to which “a new decision will be made after the state capital Munich has formed a final opinion and planning and the decision will depend on the details of the route planning.” The then Prime Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) had previously given his consent, after which planning for the route began.
But from the state government’s point of view, this is too massive. Today’s bus route through the park is seven, and in some places eight, meters wide. The tram route, on the other hand, requires a width of 9.50 meters including the cycle lane.
A spokesman for the State Chancellery said this would lead to significant soil sealing. “The city’s plans also result in a significantly increased risk potential for citizens who cross the railway line on foot or by bicycle.” As the owner, the Free State has been supporting the city of Munich for years “constructively, both in the planning and in the search for possible alternatives”. This cooperation was unilaterally terminated with the city council resolutions on the route in December 2023, said the spokesman.
The talks were canceled
However, the Munich Transport Company (MVG) and the mobility department understand something different by “constructive”. The planning documents were made available to the Free State in May 2023 and repeated offers for talks were made, said MVG boss Ingo Wortmann, who was surprised by the announcement from the State Chancellery. But the talks were canceled. Mobility officer Georg Dunkel also explained that the Free State had hardly been involved in the coordination of the plans.
Wortmann and Dunkel called on the state government to enter into dialogue in order to optimize the criticized points. From the MVG boss’s point of view, that wouldn’t be a major problem. According to Wortmann, he hopes that the government will get involved.
However, the CSU in the city council is now calling for all planning for all sections of the northern tangent to be stopped and only resumed once aspects such as transport benefits or eligibility for funding have been reassessed. The previous benefit-cost analysis referred to the entire tangent.
Mayor Reiter said he could still remember the on-site appointment with Seehofer in the English Garden and his promise to support a tram on the stretch of road that had already been sealed. Years of planning and agreements, including with the state monument protection authority, followed, meaning the Free State was involved in all planning processes. “In this respect, I find it extremely annoying that one obviously cannot rely on the promises made by the state government,” said Reiter. “At least the Free State should have shown its colors much earlier. That would have been sincere and would have freed up urgently needed human resources for other projects and saved immense planning costs.”
Söder is “all about harassment”
There was a rather passionate debate in the city council’s mobility committee about the cancellation. Second Mayor Dominik Krause (Greens) explained that it wasn’t “just anyone” who made a commitment at the time, “but a Prime Minister”. Seehofer’s successor Markus Söder was “only about harassment” and no longer about constructive cooperation, he later announced.
SPD traffic expert Nikolaus Gradl spoke of a “slap in the face” of all commuters. “It is absolutely disappointing that the CSU is now reneging on the promise made by Prime Minister Seehofer in this way and is pursuing party politics at the expense of the people of Munich.” ÖDP parliamentary group leader Tobias Ruff called the State Chancellery’s decision a scandal. The FDP Bavarian Party faction, in turn, welcomed the decision: “This crazy project is finally off the table,” said Richard Progl (Bavarian Party). On Wednesday, the parliamentary group applied for a tunnel through the English Garden.
The CSU is resisting being seen as a blocker. The transport policy spokeswoman for the CSU parliamentary group, Veronika Mirlach, emphasized that alternative suggestions had been made, such as a branch of line 23 via Parzivalstrasse to the west. But according to Mirlach, there is no longer a tangent.