Expansion of Light Rail Network in Freiburg: New Route Open on Waldkircher Strasse

Photo Seeger/City of Freiburg.

In Freiburg, the expansion of the light rail network is progressing rapidly. After two and a half years of construction, scheduled services on Waldkircher Strasse began on June 14th. The new route of the Stadtbahn line 2 replaces the dilapidated tracks in the Komturstraße with its own, green tracks and two barrier-free stops. The site of the former goods station with around 4,000 inhabitants and just as many jobs is now much better developed by the light rail.

At the official opening, Martin Horn, Mayor of Freiburg, emphasized that the expansion of the light rail network is part of the concept for achieving the ambitious CO2 reduction goals. Stephan Bartosch, VAG board member, says that the construction site was able to be implemented according to plan and within budget despite obstacles caused by the crisis. VAG board member Oliver Benz sees the Stadtbahn as the backbone of the mobility concept for the district and emphasizes additional offers such as the “pick-up service by telephone” (AST) and mobility advice for companies. State Secretary Elke Zimmer praised the new section and described the state subsidy as a “sensible investment in the quality of life of Freiburg’s citizens”. The total construction costs of around 19.4 million euros are financed by grants from the state of Baden-Württemberg amounting to around 10.6 million euros and around 8.8 million euros from the city and the VAG. Everything was realized within the planned time and budget.

The route was laid out by the experts from the garden and civil engineering office “in the main axis of the development”, so that the residents of Komturstrasse only have to walk slightly longer to the next stop. The underground lines and all traffic areas in Waldkircher Strasse were reorganized “in one go”, so to speak, and a section of the FR 3 priority cycle route was realised.

Mayor Martin Horn emphasizes the importance of the project, “We need attractive local public transport in order to achieve our ambitious climate goals. With the opening in Waldkircher Straße, another chapter in the expansion of the light rail network can now be closed. More has happened here than just a track renewal – we have invested in the significant improvement of the climate-friendly transport infrastructure of our city. The people in the freight station area are optimally connected and the stops are modern and barrier-free. This has not been the case in Komturstrasse before. At the same time, the conditions for cycling along this important axis will be greatly improved. And the expansion of the light rail network will continue consistently in the years to come. We are grateful for the state’s support for the project, future-oriented transport can only be achieved together, and we cities need further financial support for the necessary investments.”

The Stadtbahn in Waldkircher Strasse is mainly run on its own tracks. Only between Karlsruher Strasse and Zähringerstrasse is there not enough space – here the light rail and cars share the lanes. The green grass track not only looks chic, but also absorbs noise and vibrations, and rainwater can also seep away. The two new stops “Zollhallenplatz” and “Eugen-Martin-Straße” are of course barrier-free according to the latest standards. The two roundabouts with the Stadtbahn route in the middle are new for Freiburg. VAG Board Member Stephan Bartosch sums up what has happened: “What began around two and a half years ago with initial work on the bridge over the Roßgäßlebach has now been completed with final work on the overhead line and the control technology: the start of operations is on June 14th the Stadtbahn in Waldkircher Straße went into operation as planned, despite some hurdles due to the corona and energy crises. The new section of the Stadtbahn line 2 on its own, green tracks and two barrier-free stops improves the connection to public transport for the rapidly developing former freight railway site. In addition, the junction at Hornusstraße and the turning facility have been improved in terms of traffic and made barrier-free.”

A very good development of the goods station area by the city railway is important in order to be able to offer as many people as possible who live or work there an attractive alternative to the car. VAG board member Oliver Benz explains the mobility concept: “The urban railway in Waldkircher Strasse will take the development of the Brühl-Beurbarung district, but especially the urban development area on the former freight yard area, to a new level. The light rail as the backbone of the mobility concept for the district is supplemented by four more Frelo stations and additional bicycle parking facilities.

The new building area is also being developed by VAG with a “pick-up service by telephone” (AST). For companies in the freight station area, VAG offers mobility advice to support them in switching to sustainable mobility.

State Secretary Zimmer: “The state of Baden-Württemberg is continuing to provide extensive support for the expansion of public transport in Freiburg. Our goal is to improve the overall quality of the service, and this includes investing in new, attractively designed routes and stops we can win even more people over to public transport. In this way, we are driving the turnaround in mobility and at the same time making an important contribution to climate protection.”

More than light rail

Initiated by the construction of the Stadtbahn, the entire street is redesigned at the same time. With a section of the bicycle priority route FR 3, there will be modern 1.80 to 2 meter wide bicycle lanes here in the future, which will also have a safety separating strip for the longitudinally arranged parking spaces. The intersections will be equipped with roundabouts that will make traffic flow safer and smoother. People who walk around the district will also benefit from the redesign.

The number of crossing options, be it via zebra crossings or controlled by traffic lights, increases from zero to five between Neunlindenstraße. Not much will change for car traffic. Waldkircher Strasse is and will remain an important main thoroughfare. However, the two roundabouts on Neunlindenstrasse and Kaiserstuhlstrasse are new. Here, the planning experts are anticipating a smoother flow of traffic overall. The entire concept was examined with a traffic simulation. The result is that one lane in each direction plus turning lane is sufficient to handle car traffic smoothly.

A video of a tram ride on the new route section and background information can be found on the VAG YouTube channel at:

Press release VAG