From the perspective of the city of Chemnitz and the Central Saxony Transport Association, yesterday's third railway meeting brought the realisation that Deutsche Bahn AG's plans for the line extension are being pushed back further and further. It should also be criticised that no concrete timetables were given for the start of construction and completion of the extension. The Saxon State Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Deutsche Bahn AG, Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen GmbH, the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the City of Chemnitz and representatives of politics and business from the region and the Leipzig area took part in the discussion.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: "All the players at the table are aware of the high priority of this important infrastructure project. However, this requires a binding commitment that we will have a largely double-tracked and electrified line between Chemnitz and Leipzig every 30 minutes in the early 2030s. However, the insights we have gained from the third railway talks are not satisfactory for the city of Chemnitz and the region. There will therefore be further talks in March, which must deliver positive results. Together with the VMS and politicians, we will keep up the pressure and ambitions so that the expansion of the line can be realised in the near future."
At the same time, the Free State of Saxony and the members of the Saxon state parliament secured further funding and the commissioning of the planning for the expansion of the so-called southern section Geithain-Chemnitz during the railway talks.
Mathias Korda, Managing Director of Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen: "During the railway talks, it became clear that the entire region is pushing for the fastest possible expansion of the Chemnitz-Leipzig railway line for a stable 30-minute interval. The VMS is happy to work with the responsible project group to optimise the needs of the region during the expansion."