State of Saxony-Anhalt saves Harz narrow-gauge railways with 15 million euros!

State of Saxony-Anhalt saves Harz narrow-gauge railways with 15 million euros!

Red alert for the Harz narrow-gauge railways! In view of exploding costs, the state of Saxony-Anhalt is now shining a light of hope and donating fresh money. A total of 15 million euros will be made available in 2024 so that the traditional company does not stumble!

But stop! This financial injection does not come without conditions! As the Infrastructure Ministry reports, an additional 4.4 million euros are planned for next year and around 3.7 million euros for 2025. “We want to give the company the necessary leeway in challenging times,” explained State Secretary Sven Haller urgently after a meeting in Wernigerode. Strategic thinking is required - the company must prepare itself for the future in order to get the high costs of energy and personnel under control!

A pioneering concept under pressure!

HSB Managing Director Katrin Müller will be active next year - she plans to develop a comprehensive future concept with the countries and shareholders by 2030! The focus is on central topics such as timetable design and a modern vehicle concept. The pressure is enormous: storms not only threaten safety on the popular Brocken route, but also the company's financial situation!

The Harz narrow-gauge railways, founded in November 1991 by 20 municipal shareholders in Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Lower Saxony, have an eventful history. Since 1993 they have taken over the classics of the Brockenbahn and have never faced any major challenges. We can only hope that the cuts are not fatal!