Statement by Lord Mayor Sven Schulze
The Lord Mayor of Chemnitz, Sven Schulze, comments on reports about a long-distance railway connection to Chemnitz:
"The long-distance railway connection has been a vexed issue for Chemnitz for years. We have the promise of a line to Leipzig. However, the construction work will take more than five years. For me, it is an untenable situation to wait so long for the long-distance railway connection. That's why I consulted with the Saxon Transport Minister Martin Dulig before my election as Lord Mayor and looked for other options.
We now seem to have found a way to realise a long-distance rail connection via Dresden and Berlin and I am grateful that the Zweckverband and the Ministry of Transport are on our side. I am therefore optimistic that we will soon receive the long-distance railway connection for Chemnitz. However, not everything has been finalised yet. As the line will not pay for itself, funds will have to be made available. It is a strong sign for Chemnitz that the Free State of Saxony is prepared to do this.
For me, this connection is just a first step. In addition to the line to Dresden and later to Leipzig, I would also like to improve Chemnitz's connections to Thuringia and Bavaria. To achieve this, however, the lines must first be upgraded. Unfortunately, this will not be realisable in the near future. Nevertheless, I will continue to campaign for this."