The light rail system in the Ludwigsburg district is coming. Everyone agrees on this, and also that the extensive infrastructure project should be implemented in stages and as quickly as possible. At the request of the city of Ludwigsburg, the special-purpose association has now had a variant investigated to realize the light rail branch from Remseck/Aldingen via Pattonville to Ludwigsburg station more quickly on a new, southern route. A traffic study produced good results.
While the reactivation of the disused railroad line from Markgröningen to Ludwigsburg, most of whose tracks are still in place, appears comparatively straightforward, the realization of a completely new light rail network in Ludwigsburg city centre is more challenging. As a result, a considerable time lag is expected between the start of operations for rail traffic to Markgröningen on the one hand and the inner city lines in Ludwigsburg on the other.
Southern variants: Pattonville - Ludwigsburg station light rail line can be implemented more quickly
In order to also implement a light rail line between Remseck/Aldingen, Pattonville and Ludwigsburg Bahnhof as quickly as possible, Lord Mayor Dr. Matthias Knecht brought a so-called southern variant into play at the beginning of 2021: Instead of the previously planned route from Pattonville via Hindenburgstraße towards the train station, the traffic effects of a more southerly route were evaluated.
The results were presented to the administrative board of the Ludwigsburg district light rail association on 25.10.2021: The variants examined were those coming from Pattonville via Königinallee/W&W or via Robert-Franck-Allee to Ludwigsburg station as the provisional end point. The Stuttgart Transport Research Institute (VWI) has given these southern variants a positive assessment: The traffic effects of these southern variants hardly differ from the comparative variant with a route through Hindenburgstraße.
"These southern route variants could also be used by SSB high-floor light rail vehicles in advance operation - that's what makes them so charming," commented the chairman of the special-purpose association and Remseck's mayor Dirk Schönberger and Kornwestheim's mayor Ursula Keck. "The results of the potential analysis are now available. We have to draw the right conclusions from them. The decision of our municipal council plays a central role in this," added Dr. Matthias Knecht, Lord Mayor of Ludwigsburg. District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier, Chairman of the Stadtbahn-Zweckverband, also emphasized: "A broad political consensus for the light rail routes is important to us. Such an early southern variant could be Ludwigsburg's entry into the light rail system. Our common goal is to quickly improve public transport and put the light rail on track."
Frank von Meißner, the new Managing Director of the Zweckverband Stadtbahn, added: "While it is relatively easy to run the Markgröningen line in advance, the city center network with new lines, new low-floor light rail vehicles and a light rail workshop could only be implemented in its entirety - and this would be well within the next decade. There is now an alternative to implementing one of the three inner-city lines in advance and thus also realizing the long-discussed light rail connection for Pattonville; and this alternative is also attractive in terms of transport thanks to the development of the current Wüstenrot site." Markgröningen's mayor Rudolf Kürner made it clear: "It is important for us to proceed quickly in order to be able to start preliminary operations on the Markgröningen line as soon as possible."
In view of the positive effects on traffic, the Board of Directors has instructed the management of the special-purpose association to examine the implementation of such a concept in more detail.
