The timetable changes on December 15, 2024. What is now clear is that the stabilization roadmap introduced at the end of January remains in place. The Frankfurt local transport company traffiQ announced this in a preview of the timetable change. She justifies this with the ongoing shortage of skilled workers with which the Frankfurt transport companies, as in the entire republic, are struggling. As is well known, the hope that was held a year ago of returning to a regular timetable in the summer of 2024 has not been fulfilled.
Due to the continued strained personnel situation, the local transport company is forced to continue the stabilization timetable until the timetable change next year. In addition, delivery delays and quality defects in newly purchased vehicles are currently getting worse. The VGF was forced to take all trams of the new “T” type out of service at the beginning of November.
Head of the mobility department Wolfgang Siefert explains that the top priority remains to advance the mobility transition in Frankfurt. The current challenges must be overcome. Supporting transport companies is his top priority. However, there is no way around the significant expansion of local public transport.
According to traffiQ, the current offering of trams and buses will remain or will be improved in individual areas. The local transport company is now making changes to the subways that could not be implemented at such short notice when the stabilization timetable was introduced. The aim should be a fairer distribution of restrictions for passengers.
Therefore, some of the restrictions on the U5, U6 and U9 subway lines will be lifted, while the frequency on the U2, U4 and U8 subway lines will be reduced. At the same time, many trains are to be reinforced with additional cars so that the overall space available remains almost the same. In addition, attention is paid to good timing with the adjacent bus lines, especially in the evenings.
Specifically this means:
- During peak hours, the frequency on the U2 and U8 lines will be extended. In the future, the U2 will only run every 10 minutes instead of 5/10 minutes, and the U8 will only run every 15 minutes instead of 10 minutes. To achieve this, all trains on both lines should run in full length, i.e. with four cars, during peak hours.
- On the U4 line, the frequency will be extended from 5 to 7/8 minute intervals during rush hour and from 7/8 to 10 minute intervals during normal traffic times. To achieve this, the U5 line will be improved from every 10 to 7/8 minutes during the afternoon rush hour. This means that both lines can once again run at the same frequency on the shared section between Konstablerwache and the main station and offer passengers a regular service.
- The service on the U9 line will be significantly improved on Saturdays. It runs again every 15 minutes during the day. Currently she only runs every half hour.
- The reduction in service on the U6 line will also be reversed on Sundays. From now on it will run every ten minutes instead of the current 20 minutes.
With the extension of the stabilization timetable, transport companies will be given more time to react to the difficult situation regarding both drivers and vehicles. According to traffiQ, it became clear to the drivers in the first half of the year that they cannot do a sprint, but rather are on a marathon run in order to counteract the consequences of continued high levels of sickness, shortened working hours and age-related staff departures. This is not made any easier by the fact that the transport industry is facing the same challenges nationwide. The industry’s efforts to find suitable young talent and skilled workers in Germany, Europe and worldwide are immense.
KNUT runs through the night, line 64 without any transfers from Westhafen to Ginnheim
The most striking innovation regarding the timetable change is that the on-demand offer KNUT in the north of Frankfurt will be continued with a new concept beyond the pilot period. In the dead of night, when there are only a few passengers on the road, KNUT will step in as a comfortable and emission-free alternative for some bus lines.
In addition, by linking bus lines 33 and 64, new connections will be created between Westhafen, main train station, Alte Oper, University Campus Westend and Ginnheim. The service on bus line 52 between the Friedrich-Ebert-Siedlung in Gallus and Griesheim has been significantly improved.
traffiQ wants to provide detailed information about all changes to the timetable change on December 15, 2024 in the week before.
