Deutsche Bahn faces protests over Augsburg-Munich rail cuts

Deutsche Bahn is facing significant opposition from commuters, local politicians, and the Bavarian state regarding plans to reduce regional train services between Augsburg and Munich starting in 2028.

According to documents from the Federal Network Agency, the infrastructure subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn has declared the Munich rail hub and several feeder routes, including the line to Olching, to be overloaded. To prioritize long-distance ICE trains on these congested tracks, the current plan suggests reducing regional services from four trains per hour during peak times to just two. This change could result in the loss of twelve regional connections between the two cities.

In response, the Mayor of Augsburg, Florian Freund, along with three Swabian district administrators, has demanded that the rail company abandon these plans. Augsburg District Administrator Martin Sailer argued that service should not be cut on one of Bavaria’s most critical and heavily used commuter axes, especially when efforts are needed to encourage more people to switch to rail travel.