Climate-neutral mobility: Minister President Dr. Markus Söder and Interior Minister Joachim Hermann visit the HI ERN
Erlangen, 17 May 2024 - At this press event of the Bavarian State Government at the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg for Renewable Energy, Minister President Dr. Markus Söder and Minister of the Interior Joachim Hermann, together with representatives of Siemens and the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, provided information about the "Stadt-Umland-Bahn".
Minister President Söder and Interior Minister Herrmann campaign for "new lifeline"
"The metropolitan region has the chance of a new lifeline," said Bavaria's Minister President Dr. Markus Söder on Friday, 17 May 2024 at a joint press event with Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, Siemens CFO Prof. Dr. Ralf Thomas and FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger at the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) in Erlangen.
The Bavarian state government, Siemens and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) had invited guests to jointly inform them about the advantages of the Stadt-Umland-Bahn (StUB), which Erlangen's citizens will be able to decide on June 9, 2024. "The Stadt-Umland-Bahn will bring the entire Nuremberg, Erlangen and Herzogenaurach region closer together," continued the Minister President.
"Only modern infrastructure ensures a good future. It is about lasting economic strength and jobs. The urban-rural railroad is necessary for this and should definitely be built. The streetcar has been planned for a long time and enables modern, ecological and fast mobility every ten minutes. There is also up to 90 percent funding. That is money that would otherwise not flow into the region."
For him, speaking out in favor of the StUB does not mean being for one form of mobility and against the other: "We need all transport axes via public transport, bike and car. The Free State of Bavaria is massively strengthening the metropolitan region with a lot of money for research and science, for example. Large companies such as Siemens are also committed to the location. But it also needs the right infrastructure. Erlangen has the chance to commit to the future and quality of life."
Funding of this kind so far only once in Bavaria
Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann also campaigned for what he sees as a key major project for the region in the coming years: "A huge amount of funding is flowing into the metropolitan region for the StUB. For this municipal project of the cities of Nuremberg, Erlangen and Herzogenaurach, 90 percent of the eligible costs have been firmly promised. I campaigned strongly for this in my role as Bavarian Transport Minister. This exceptional funding has only been granted once before in Bavaria: for the extension of the subway line from Munich to Garching. That was also about the complete connection of state university locations - and we were able to make a good case for it."
He also understands that there are people who are concerned - he himself does not like all the details of the current planning, such as restrictions on car traffic on the B4. But such details could still be adjusted in the planning approval process. "But for now, we need to say yes to the project itself."
Strong supporters in the region
FAU President Joachim Hornegger is also calling for not only better, but also climate-neutral mobility: More than 55,000 people travel in the region every day for FAU alone.
Finally, Siemens CFO Ralf Thomas made it clear that Siemens had invested heavily in the region and wanted to continue to do so, but that the Stadt-Umland-Bahn was a clear prerequisite for this investment. "Large corporations like Siemens need planning security and trust in order to invest in a region in the long term," said Thomas.
After the meeting, Herrmann, Hornegger and Thomas, together with HI ERN founding director Prof. Peter Wasserscheid, took a look from the roof of the HI ERN in the direction of the B4 - where the route of the StUB is to run, regardless of its design.
More information
Press release of FAU (in german)
Zweckverband Stadt-Umland-Bahn (in german)
