Long-distance transport for the Chemnitz industrial region: Initiative appeals to the Minister President
The Initiative Fernverkehrsanbindung (initiative for long-distance transport connections) is appealing to Saxony's Minister President Stanislaw Tillich to ensure that the commitments made at the rail summit are processed at the required speed by the responsible ministry. "We are contacting you with the express request that you ensure that the long-distance transport connection of the Chemnitz industrial region is vigorously pursued by the responsible ministry in accordance with your promises"writes the committee, which is chaired by Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig and includes the chamber presidents, the district councillors of the regional convention, members of the Bundestag and state parliament, representatives of the city council as well as representatives from business, science, culture and society.
At the railway summit with Minister President Tillich in early summer, the Free State promised to sign the planning agreement by the end of the year so that the preliminary planning for the expansion and electrification of the Chemnitz - Leipzig line could be completed by the end of 2013. This planning agreement has not yet been signed. Without this agreement, the completion of planning by the end of 2013 is expressly jeopardised. It is also unclear whether the Chemnitz - Leipzig line will be registered for the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan on time and in the required quality.
Securing DB AG's own commercial transport on the Saxony-Franconia main line is still in question for the years from 2014 onwards. At the railway summit, DB AG had promised operations until 2014.
The initiative emphasises in its letter to the Minister President: "Like us, I am sure you also assume that everything necessary will be done to fulfil the promised tasks. Unfortunately, we now have to assume that the project may not be treated with the same priority at the State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Labour (SMWA) as we had assumed from you. Despite several enquiries on our part, the responsible ministry has not reported any progress. This is all the more disconcerting as there is only a narrow time window left for all these points to be dealt with."