Munich (dpa) – Munich Airport has been pushing for its connection to the ICE network of Deutsche Bahn for many years. The Bavarian Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer (CSU) has now announced a feasibility study for the coming year. The FDP parliamentary group already considers such a study to be wasted because the federal government, as the person responsible for the expansion of the rail network, was not involved at all.

“By the time Berlin deals with the possible feasibility and financial feasibility of the project, the results of the study are long out of date. The state government has messed up the ICE connection to Munich Airport as of today,” criticized the transport policy spokesman for the FDP in the state parliament, Sebastian Körber.

As Schreyer announced in response to a request from Körber, half of the passengers drive by car or taxi to the German airport, which is 38 kilometers from Munich Central Station. A good third travel by suburban train, which is prone to disruption and takes around 40 minutes from the main train station, while the others mainly take the bus.

“The new electronic interlocking at Ostbahnhof should go into operation in mid-2023. In 2028, the second main line for the S-Bahn should bring further improvements.

“The supraregional rail connection of Munich Airport is of great importance for the Free State,” emphasized the minister. The airport company, the Bavarian Railway Company, DB Netz AG and DB Station & Service, the Munich Transport Association (MVV), the state capital and the MVV districts are involved in the preparation of the feasibility study.

The federal government and the surrounding area with the cities of Augsburg and Ingolstadt are not included, criticized the FDP. “Without alliance with the surrounding area and the federal government, the feasibility study for long-distance traffic connections to Munich Airport is just a cheap diversionary maneuver,” said Körber. There has been an acute need for action for years. Neither the connection to the state capital nor the supra-regional connection would meet the needs of the train drivers. “The volume in the rail network over the last 30 years is evidence of how neglected the expansion of the rail network in Bavaria has been, and how it has been delayed.”

A report on the rail connection was drawn up in 2008. According to the ministry, it showed “that if only airport-related traffic is taken into account, no adequate benefit could be achieved that could justify the extensive implementation of rail infrastructure”.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 211120-99-71897 / 3