Sharp criticism of problems on the Chemnitz-Leipzig railroad line

In view of the ongoing problems with rail traffic between Leipzig and Chemnitz, the Chemnitz rail initiative is calling for additional trains on alternative routes. "Our worst fears are becoming reality," explained spokesman Sebastian Drechsler. Regional express line 6, which connects the two cities and is an important link for Chemnitz to the Leipzig rail hub, is becoming a "total failure". Train cancellations, delays and capacity bottlenecks are causing frustration among passengers. "And that in the year of the European Capital of Culture, of all times."

The initiative is calling for additional locomotives and carriages to be hired to mitigate cancellations. Additional trains should also run via Riesa as a temporary solution to create more capacity. The initiative is also calling for the IC connection between Chemnitz and Berlin to be extended to a two-hour cycle. This would relieve the connection via Leipzig, they say.

New battery-powered trains are a long time coming

Modern battery-powered trains should have been running on the route long ago. However, the manufacturer was unable to deliver on time and has therefore hired double-decker trains as a replacement. However, these regularly cause problems. For example, the first carriage behind the locomotive cannot currently be used due to unpleasant odors. According to Mitteldeutscher Regiobahn, which operates this route, direct buses are therefore used between the two cities during peak times.