Stadtbahn reactivation in the Bottwartal: municipalities under pressure!

Stadtbahn reactivation in the Bottwartal: municipalities under pressure!

Ludwigsburg, Deutschland - The reactivation of the Bottwartalbahn between Marbach and Heilbronn takes shapes and promises an exciting development in local public transport. The goal is to convert the disused route into a modern light rail that not only improves the connection between the two cities, but also upgrades the entire region. According to the Stuttgarter Nachrichten However, interest in the project must have financial means in order to realize the upcoming examination. A new standardized assessment, which costs 480,000 euros, is required to further advance the project.

previous considerations and current steps

The Bottwartalbahn has a long history and was opened in the 1890s. The route was heavily frequented until the 1960s, after which passenger traffic was discontinued. Initial ideas for reactivation were born in the 1990s, but only now the counties and resident municipalities take up the topic again via a feasibility study, as the Homepage of the district of Ludwigsburg . The assessment has shown that the planned light railway line with a benefit-cost factor of 1.59 to 1.91 could be extremely profitable, which gives everyone involved in a successful implementation.

To take the next step, the municipalities involved must have given their consent to the financing by March 31, 2025. The Heilbronn district council only decided in March 2024 a route variant that follows the original route and thus forms the basis for the upcoming planning and the creation of the standardized assessment. Positive feedback from the affected communities signals that the project is on the right track, and the evaluation should be completed by April 2026