Petition for the RE 200: Commuters defend themselves against train closures!

Petition for the RE 200: Commuters defend themselves against train closures!

The future of Germany's fastest regional train, the RE 200, is hanging in the balance. The connection between Wendlingen and Ulm, which runs over the new line, could be abolished when Stuttgart 21 goes into operation in 2026. The train, which reaches speeds of up to 200 km/h, currently transports numerous commuters and day-trippers every day and has established itself as indispensable.

The RE 200 has been in operation since the timetable change in December 2022 and attracted around 800,000 passengers in the first year. The route between Wendlingen and Ulm is covered in around 30 minutes, with a stop at the new Merklingen train station. Nevertheless, Deutsche Bahn plans to cancel the connection after the opening of Stuttgart 21, as it will only be accessible on a single track. This means there is a risk of longer journey times and additional changes for passengers, which would particularly affect commuters from Tübingen and Reutlingen, who save around 20 minutes on their way to Ulm with the RE 200.

Petition to receive the RE 200

In response to the threatened abolition, an online petition was launched that has already been signed by over 3,400 people. The authors of the petition argue that the RE 200 plays a central role in public transport and a solution to the technical challenge must be found. According to Deutsche Bahn, the train in the Albvorland tunnel would have to use the opposite rail, which would be logistically complex and limit the capacity of the route. This is the reason why continued operation is not considered feasible.

The section between Wendlingen and Ulm is part of the extensive Stuttgart-Ulm railway project, which costs four billion euros and whose opening was celebrated two and a half years ago. However, the actual operating conditions of the new line are causing dissatisfaction: so far only a single freight train has run on this route, although 17 freight trains per day were originally planned. This development raises questions about the actual usefulness of the investment and causes a lack of understanding among the affected passengers.

The supporters of the RE 200 emphasize the importance of the fast regional connection for the entire region and regularly call for political support for the preservation of this important transport axis. The resistance to the planned deletion of the connection shows how essential the RE 200 is for people's mobility.

The future of the RE 200 therefore remains uncertain, but the continued pressure from commuters and the ever-growing support for the petition give hope to supporters of the connection that perhaps a solution can still be found to preserve this fast and important connection.

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