Difficult times for commuters: construction work and lack of seats in the north

Difficult times for commuters: construction work and lack of seats in the north

The Mecklenburg commuters and travelers are facing a challenging time, since from Friday, September 29th, construction work is due. These will not only affect the ICE access connections, but also significantly restrict long-distance and regional traffic between Berlin and Hamburg, which results in numerous diversions and replacement buses.

Increasing Demand by Germany ticket

However, there are also positive developments for travelers in the region. From August 14th until the timetable change on December 14th, the number of seats in the Re4 train will be doubled from 110 to 220 per trip. This is a direct attempt by the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to meet the increased requirements that have arisen by the Germany ticket. "The country is expanding the RE4 seating offer, which has already been increased last summer," explains Reinhard Meyer, Minister of Economics, Infrastructure, Tourism and Work.

Challenges and solutions for the commuter

The decision to expand became necessary, since the number of passengers between Güstrow and Lübeck has increased sharply since the introduction of the Germany ticket. Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of the VMV Transport Society, emphasizes that the additional railcars are available in good time in order to alleviate the effects of the total closure between Hamburg and Berlin. "We are glad that we can relieve the offer of the Re4 with Schleswig-Holstein at short notice," he emphasizes.

Financial aspects of the capacity increase

However, the increase in the capacity of the RE4 also brings financial challenges: the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania expects costs of around 1.1 million euros. Despite the additional places, Bishop makes it clear that it could get tight in the coming weeks if travelers switch to this route due to the construction work. "We ask the passengers for understanding, patience and, above all, consideration," continued Bishop.

FAZIT: One step in the right direction

In summary, the doubling of the number of seats in the RE4 shows how important it is to react to changed mobility needs. This step could not only relieve those affected temporarily, but could also announce a trend towards more investments and improvements in regional public transport. The coming months will show how successfully these adjustments can be implemented for the good of the passengers.