Criticism mounts for the new ICE Sprinter heading to Berlin: local area expresses concerns about potential significant drawbacks
The railway industry is abuzz with the announcement of Deutsche Bahn's plan to introduce a new ICE Sprinter connection between Stuttgart and Berlin. However, the proposed route through the Murrtal area, via Backnang, Murrhardt, and Schwäbisch Hall, has sparked a heated debate among local politicians and activists.
The ICE Sprinter, scheduled to depart Stuttgart at 7:03 AM and arrive in Berlin at 11:55 AM, an hour faster than via Frankfurt, will pass through the Murrtal area but is not scheduled to stop anywhere along its route, except for a brief halt in Nuremberg. This has raised concerns about the potential impact on local transport, including delays and missed connections for commuters.
Matthias Gastel, Green transport politician, acknowledges the connection as long overdue but stresses the need for double-track expansion that has been neglected for years. The demand for such an expansion on the Murrbahn, which is single-track on many sections, causing delays and diversions, has been around for decades but has yet to be implemented.
Backnang's mayor Maximilian Friedrich demands a stop in Backnang and double-track expansion for the ICE on this route. Murrhardt's mayor Armin Mößner, too, demands intermediate stops, at least in Schwäbisch Hall or Murrhardt. Ralf Nentwich, Green state parliamentarian from Murrhardt, emphasizes the importance of a stop in Backnang for the benefits of the region.
The S-Bahn line S3, which connects to regional transport in Backnang, could be affected by the ICE Sprinter. The RE 90, the only continuous regional express between Stuttgart and Nuremberg, may have to wait ten minutes for the ICE to overtake. These potential disruptions have led activists to accuse the railway of using the Sprinter to distract from the real problems and compete with Flixtrain.
The Action Alliance against Stuttgart 21 criticizes the ICE Sprinter as a "race track for a few, at the expense of many". CDU Bundestag member Inge Grässle considers the route as "not suitable for ICE" and demands "fundamental improvements". Simone Kirschbaum, SPD state parliamentarian from Backnang, sees an opportunity in the ICE connection but warns about the potential imbalance between long-distance and regional transport if expansion is not immediate.
Bundestag member Matthias Gastel (Greens) also demands the upgrading of the Murrbahn route. He believes that the introduction of the ICE Sprinter may exacerbate the problems on the Murrbahn, which is in poor condition in many places.
The debate over the ICE Sprinter's impact on the Murrbahn and local transport is far from over. As the introduction of the new connection approaches, it remains to be seen whether the necessary infrastructure improvements will be implemented to ensure smooth operations for both long-distance and regional transport.
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