Berlin's tram expansion: Stop projects, blurry plans!

Berlin's tram expansion: Stop projects, blurry plans!

Berlin, Deutschland - The expansion of the Berlin tram network is extremely challenging. In a current rating of the Berlin Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) it was found that the extensions only make progressively progress. There are serious delays, especially for two important projects-the M10 expansion to Turmstraße to Moabit and the extended route from Friedrichshain to Neukölln. The SPD MP Tino Schopf commented on the sudden standards and lack of schedules for some projects. According to the Berliner Zeitung, the tram lines are cheaper and faster under construction as a subway tunnel, however, the necessary expansion is repeatedly Brained.

The loading of the trams is currently higher than that of the previously traveling buses, which underlines the urgent need for a rapid expansion. However, the Senate did not take sufficient measures to meet the need. Two projects have already been stopped, and the commissioning of other projects continues to be delayed. The Senate Department, on the other hand, has declared the positive Integration of the tram lines into the urban space. Here, special emphasis is placed on solutions for the environmental association, i.e. public transport, foot and bike traffic.

challenges and planning

In April 2021, a route-heavy variant for the M10 extension was confirmed in a planning step. On this basis, planners develop concepts in order to integrate the trams sensibly into the city architecture. The preliminary planning provides for an examination of the track bodies for the new routes. The track body needs an area of ​​six to seven meters and is viewed from the edge of the house to house edge in the street space. There are special challenges on bridges such as the Oberbaumbrücke and the U-Bahn Viaduct, for which individual solutions have to be developed, such as the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Klimaschutz.

The goal is a conceptual road division that not only takes into account the volume of traffic, but also includes aspects of the city size. The completion of this preliminary planning is targeted for 2024, but the experiences of the past few months make optimism disappear.

future of public transport in Berlin

The Berlin public transport is considered the most used in Germany, with more than every fourth way that is covered by bus and trains. The Mobility Act, which wants to create the legal framework for the expansion of public transport, stipulates that all diesel buses are replaced by e-buses by 2030 at the latest and electrify the entire public transport. This is underpinned by the Senate Department with investments of over 28 billion euros to 2035, one of the largest investment measures in the history of Berlin public transport.

A new contract between the state of Berlin and the BVG ensures the financial resources for the next 15 years. These means contain basic remuneration, ticket reductions and infrastructural investments. The annual investments are expected to increase from 300 million euros to around 800 million euros to ensure long-term improvement in local transport in the metropolitan region, as the [Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Treatment] (https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/mobilitaet-undeuverkehr/verkehrspanung/Oeffenter--

Time is pushing, and Berlin has to act to fix the existing deficit in local public transport and to meet the high demands of the citizens. It remains to be seen whether the current plans and investments will be sufficient to sustainably improve mobility in the capital.