Train traffic: Protest from MV against Deutsche Bahn's ICE timetable

Deutsche Bahn's announcement that it will no longer allow several ICE trains from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to stop at Hamburg Central Station until the timetable change on December 13th is causing a lot of criticism. The Schwerin Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) is now also reacting.

“The railway cannot first invest billions in the route and then let Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania pass Hamburg Central Station. The renewed restriction of ICE connections is a fatal signal for our region,” said the President of the Schwerin Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Matthias Belke. After months full of construction sites, diversions and delays, the direct stop at Hamburg Central Station is now being cancelled.

“Faced with a fait accompli again”

Once again, those affected were presented with a fait accompli at short notice, complains IHK President Belke. Such communication is not acceptable. “This is not an improvement in rail traffic, but rather a further imposition on the people and companies in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.”

After the past few months, the region is entitled to a reliable and efficient long-distance transport connection, says Belke. The Schwerin Chamber of Industry and Commerce represents the interests of around 25,000 companies in West Mecklenburg towards politics and administration.

The day before it became known that Deutsche Bahn would no longer allow several ICE trains to stop at Hamburg Central Station on the Binz/Greifswald line towards North Rhine-Westphalia/Hannover and vice versa until mid-December - three trains in each direction. Instead, the trains will only stop in Hamburg-Bergedorf in the future.

Deutsche Bahn wants to “stabilize punctuality”

According to Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), Schwerin's Economics and Transport Minister Wolfgang Blank (independent) reacted disappointedly to the measure and wrote a letter to the DB. Hamburg Central Station is an important hub. For many passengers, the travel time will now be longer and the connection will become less attractive, he explained.

Deutsche Bahn justified the change by saying that it wanted to stabilize punctuality nationwide. That is why the infrastructure company DB InfraGO is adapting the timetable concept for a few lines that are particularly prone to disruption. “Especially on long-distance train journeys, even minor irregularities along a route can lead to delays in the rest of the network,” a railway spokesman explained.