Plans for Saxony-Franconia main line still on ice

Stagnation despite record passenger numbers

Nothing is happening despite this: the government merely pointed out that the railroad would update its plans as soon as it received an order for them. The federal government lacks the money for new and expansion projects for the railroads in the coming years.

Piechotta, a member of the budget committee, criticized the federal government and Deutsche Bahn for torpedoing the legally planned and politically desired expansion. She accused both of not planning the project any further and at the same time carrying out modernizations that would stand in the way of later electrification.

Her office cited the conversion of Rückersdorf station near Nuremberg as an example: barrier-free conversions are currently being carried out there, although an existing bridge could later be in the way of the overhead line. The government refers to the limited funding period until 2027 - planning is therefore taking place independently of the line extension.

According to Deutsche Bahn, the Saxony-Franconia Main Line stretches over around 288 kilometers and connects the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt with the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg via the Dresden-Hof and Leipzig-Werdau sections. The route is anchored in the Federal Rail Route Expansion Act. The expansion is considered an important project for better regional and international rail connections.