Pro Bahn Calls for Secure Funding for Buses and Trains

The passenger advocacy group Pro Bahn is calling for secure funding for public transportation in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Rising costs, staff shortages, and strained public budgets are putting increasing pressure on bus and rail services, according to the regional association representing both states. This is particularly evident in Saxony, where cuts have been made to public transportation in Dresden, Chemnitz, and Bautzen. In Saxony-Anhalt, the association criticizes the efficiency program at Hallesche Verkehrs-AG.

State Chairman Markus Haubold sees the cuts as more than just individual schedule adjustments. “Rather, there is a threat of a structural rollback of public transportation,” he said, according to the statement. “That is precisely why we need reliable funding now.”

The association advocates for this in a new resolution that was unanimously adopted at a state assembly in Halle. The resolution calls for safeguarding existing services, improving service quality, and integrating the reactivation of discontinued routes into an overall plan. Even in times of crisis, public transportation must be treated with the same priority as private motorized transportation. The existing service network should form the basis for targeted expansions and reactivations.

“Mobility must not depend on how tight a city’s or county’s budget happens to be at any given time,” Haubold emphasized. Anyone who reduces service frequency or cuts routes risks losing passengers.