A tightening of the railway law, which is intended to promote the reactivation of disused railway lines, is slowing down hundreds of construction and residential projects in Germany. The traffic lights want to be improved, but the Modern Rail Act from the Ministry of Transport is still a long time coming. Now the Union faction is putting pressure on it and is submitting its own draft law to solve the problem.
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While many municipalities want to put disused railway lines back into operation in order to advance their public transport and the transport transition, others urgently need new living space that could be created on railway land that is no longer needed. But this has become difficult since the General Railway Act (AEG) was changed almost a year ago: the dezoning of railway land is now only possible if the planned construction project is of “outstanding public interest”.
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In Berlin, projects with 5,800 apartments are affected
The result: In more than 150 cases, corresponding applications from municipalities have since been rejected. The stricter law means that the responsible Federal Railway Office no longer has any room for maneuver, complains the managing director of the German Association of Cities, Helmut Dedy. “This is a real problem, especially where planning has been going on for years or where contracts have long been signed.” The best-known example: up to 5,700 apartments that are to be built as part of Stuttgart 21 in the area of the current terminus station in the city in danger. Nine projects with a total of around 5,800 apartments are also affected in Berlin.
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“The amendment turns out to be a real obstacle to urban development,” says Dedy. The unused railway areas are often in the middle of the cities. “They have enormous potential. Living space can be created here, retirement homes, university buildings, but also infrastructure such as long-distance bus terminals or bicycle parking garages at train stations. Such projects must not fail.”
A quick solution is required
The aim of the change in the law was actually to make it more difficult to build railway lines and operational facilities prematurely and to keep options open for their reactivation. It is now clear that in many cases new problems have been created.
The Union urges: “In the current housing construction crisis, it is very important that we use all available space potential. “Here I am expressly including areas that are not necessary for Deutsche Bahn,” said Union parliamentary group vice-president Ulrich Lange to the editorial network Germany (RND). “It must not be the case that large areas of potential land are lost or lie fallow just because of incorrect regulations.”
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But the SPD also wants more speed. “We need a quick solution in order to be able to continue to carry out urban development projects on former railway land as planned,” emphasizes the SPD parliamentary group’s transport policy spokeswoman, Isabel Cademartori. “The government factions are in discussions with the Federal Ministry of Transport about an early adjustment to the General Railway Act,” she told the RND.
The Green Party’s rail expert in the Bundestag, Matthias Gastel, emphasizes that the hurdles to dezoning railway land must remain high, but: “We also see a need for additional living space and commercial space.” Railway areas that would no longer be needed in the future could be given to others uses are made available. “We want to move away from the black and white view, according to which only either rail or another development is possible.”
