Early this morning, via ZDF (public TV in Germany, Channel Two).....they did a Q and A with a railway expert (non-Bahn member). His background? Professor at a Berlin university that excels in the science of public transportation and railway efforts.
Over the past year, there's been a lot of hype in the public arena about getting more people out of their cars and on the German railway system. The current goal? Doubling Bahn passenger traffic in ten years.
What Professor Christian Böttger basically said? It'll likely never happen.
The journalist went back on occasion to drag up the amount to be spent.....86 billion Euro, and the Professor pointed out....that basically renovates the current structure, and keeps bridges and railways operating. It doesn't expand them, and that's the only way to double the load.
On a typical work-day, I can stand around the Frankfurt subway system and observe the crowded conditions, or stand in the middle of Wiesbaden's train station to observe the filled seats on the S-Bahn trains leaving the station. The system is saturated. You might be able to add one or two more cars to each segment, but no matter where you look....it's reaching max capacity right now, and it's hard to see where doubling that traffic will occur.
It's a good interview segment, and I'd strongly recommend it if you follow German railways.
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