Freiburg/Mulhouse (dpa/lsw) – Freiburg and Mulhouse in Alsace want to protest with clear words against massive failures on the cross-border railway line between the two metropolitan areas. “We are disappointed and shocked,” said Freiburg’s mayor Martin Horn (non-party) to the German Press Agency. The occasion was a meeting of the local councils of the two friendly cities on Thursday in Mulhouse in eastern France.
There will be no trains running on the route from Müllheim south of Freiburg to Mulhouse for several months, to the detriment of commuters and travelers. The French railway company SNCF lacks suitable employees, as the company confirmed in response to a dpa request. Buses are on the way to replace them, but according to media information they take longer to cover the route.
The route, which has existed since the 19th century, is “a significant symbol of good cross-border cooperation,” said Horn. He and his Mulhouse colleague Michèle Lutz will call on the French state railway SNCF to reverse the de facto closure of the route.
It must also be ensured that all passengers are informed about the replacement service and that it also works reliably. The letter of protest will go to the French region of Grand Est, which also includes Alsace, Horn said. He and Lutz had already written a first letter in February, which, according to information at the time, went to, among others, State Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens).
The replacement service between Müllheim (Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district) and Alsace will last at least until December, an SNCF spokeswoman said. There are not enough platoon drivers with skills for both countries. The reopening of the railway line in 2012 was seen as an important signal for the German-French partnership in the region.
Freiburg and Mulhouse have been linked by a city friendship since 1990. The local councilors last met in June 2016 in Freiburg, as the city administration there announced.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:231011-99-529811/4
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