Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr warns railway operators. This in turn glosses over nothing and apologizes.
The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) has issued a written warning to the railway operator Abellio. On the S-Bahn lines operated by the company, the quality and quantity of the transport and operating services do not correspond to the contractual performance obligations. There are significant train cancellations and massive restrictions on services. Abellio calls this warning “understandable” and apologizes.
VRR does not want to accept restrictions
Specifically, the transport association criticizes the services on the S3, S9 and RE49 lines. According to VRR, Abellio announced at the beginning of May that in the long term it would not be able to meet its contractual obligations on the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn lines. The VRR could not support the restrictions for passengers announced by Abellio.
“We expect that the persistently poor rail offers will be improved quickly and sustainably,” says VRR board spokesman Ronald RF Lünser. “We call on Abellio to make reliable statements and plans about binding qualifications and disposition for the deployment of personnel in a package of measures at short notice and to present portable replacement concepts”, Lünser continues.
The reason is a lack of staff
According to Abellio, the acute shortage of staff and the effects of the corona pandemic have exacerbated the tense situation in the network: “We are currently not in a position to offer our passengers a full range of transport and we cannot fully fulfill our contractual obligations in the network fulfill. We are also currently unable to maintain the contractually agreed operating reserve. The warning from the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) is therefore understandable for us, ”the company said.
Abellio is working flat out on operational concepts and recruiting. “In May ten drivers on loan will also come to us and bridge the time in which the colleagues who are currently still in training are taking their exams. In order to accelerate the training, we were able to temporarily bring additional trainers from sister companies to our location. ”The passengers can only be apologized for the“ poor performance ”. (wa)
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