Jusos are demanding solutions for ailing local transport between Hamburg and Hanover

On January 5, 2025, the Jusos Celle and the Jusos Uelzen/Lüchow-Dannenberg expressed clear criticism of the ailing local transport between Hanover and Hamburg. The young people are demanding a quick and coordinated solution to the existing problems from the responsible traffic authorities. The most common complaints include recurring delays, inadequate infrastructure and inadequate communication between the actors involved.

Johannes Flügge from the Jusos Uelzen/Lüchow-Dannenberg reported significant delays caused by long-distance trains, as well as problems with train toilets. Yannis Naumann from the Jusos Celle said that the situation should have been better by mid-December 2024, but the difficulties remained. While progress has been acknowledged at the Metronome Railway Company, fundamental issues remain unresolved. Flügge also emphasized that training train drivers on the complex route is a challenge.

Infrastructure and coordination problems

Naumann cited specific infrastructure problems, such as defective signals and switches, as well as delays in passenger changes as the causes of the delays. The Jusos also criticize the lack of coordination between the companies involved, including Metronom, the Lower Saxony State Local Transport Company (LNVG) and DB InfraGO. They require a clear and coordinated strategy to solve local transport problems and rapid implementation, especially with regard to planned route renovations in 2026 and 2029.

In parallel to the demands of the Jusos, the state of Lower Saxony is planning negotiations to prematurely terminate the transport contract for the Hanseatic network with the private rail operator Metronom. According to a report by Tag24, the LNVG supervisory board commissioned the management at a special meeting to draw up a corresponding draft contract by the end of February 2025. The aim is to cancel the existing contract, which runs until June 2026, and to re-tender the affected routes, such as Hamburg-Bremen and Hanover-Northeim-Göttingen.

Due to a lack of staff, the Metronom Railway Company is forced to maintain limited traffic, which has led to a replacement timetable with reduced journeys since the end of August 2023, which has been extended until July 29, 2025. Transport Minister Olaf Lies emphasized the need to maintain traffic until June 2026 and to improve the quality and reliability of the service. The trains used by Metronom belong to LNVG, which enables a change of operator without major investments. Metronom has signaled that the company is willing to reapply for a new tender.

Current financial conditions and the shortage of skilled workers have worsened significantly for private rail companies since the contract began in 2018. Carmen Schwabl, managing director of the LNVG, is therefore calling for more financial support from the federal and state governments for local and regional transport. Around 80,000 people use Metronom trains every day, which has been operating the Hanseatic network routes since the end of 2011 and whose current contract runs until December 2033.