Up to now, it has been planned to use track 5 at Ludwigsburg station from Markgröningen in advance. However, a current operating program study by Deutsche Bahn has shown that track 5 is not available during peak hours. As an alternative, an upstream track between tracks 4 and 5 is proposed, but only short trains can stop at this track due to its limited length. The Zweckverband therefore proposes turning off before Talallee and running along Kurfürstenstraße to the west exit of the station as a temporary terminus. This would mean independence from rail operations and avoid the purchase of expensive dual-system vehicles.
Proposed new route is more cost-effective and operationally stable
The original plan was to run the train through a new tunnel to be built under the tracks via the central bus station (ZOB) and then continue along Leonberger Straße to Hindenburgstraße. However, this route would incur considerable costs due to the tunnel construction and would further burden the ZOB. In addition, crossing the B27 during rush hour is associated with waiting times for the train of up to 6 minutes and 40 seconds. A new route is therefore proposed that runs from the provisional terminus at the west exit of the station via Friedrichstraße and under the B27. This route is more cost-effective and operationally more stable. The special purpose association is confident that the traffic conditions on Friedrichstraße can be optimized in terms of planning.
The city of Ludwigsburg and the Zweckverband Stadtbahn are inviting interested citizens to the Forum in Ludwigsburg on May 13, 2025 from 5 p.m. to obtain comprehensive information about the route options. This marks the start of a broad public participation process, at the end of which, and at the request of the special-purpose association, the final decision on the route will be made by Ludwigsburg City Council before the summer break. This decision must then be confirmed at the special purpose association meeting.
Reactivation of the Markgröningen railroad will cost around 103 million euros
As part of the preliminary planning, the expected costs for the construction measures required for the preliminary operation were determined. The reactivation of the line from Markgröningen station to the end of the leased line will cost around 103 million euros, while the continuation on the alternative route will cost around 34 million euros as a new construction. The planning costs amount to around 25 percent of the construction costs in each case. Federal and state subsidies provide for a funding rate of 95.75 percent for the reactivation and 87.5 percent for the new construction.
Taking into account non-eligible costs, which are assumed to be around 5 percent of the construction costs, this results in the following rounded costs for the members of the special-purpose association: Ludwigsburg district approx. 12.4 million euros, Ludwigsburg city approx. 6.3 million euros, Markgröningen approx. 2.2 million euros, Möglingen approx. 1.1 million euros, Remseck approx. 1.1 million euros, Pattonville special-purpose association approx. 0.8 million euros and Schwieberdingen approx. 0.9 million euros. These costs are spread over the planning and construction period.
"The Zweckverband Stadtbahn Ludwigsburg is striving to be able to put a cost-efficient and operationally stable solution for the LUCIE light rail system into operation in 2031," concluded Zweckverband Managing Director Ilk in the district council.
