Frankfurt leads German cities in public transport quality

A new study by the think tank Agora Verkehrswende, published in its ÖV-Atlas, reveals significant disparities in public transport accessibility across Germany. Frankfurt am Main was identified as having the best public transport service among major cities, achieving a quality score of 1.3. It is followed closely by cities such as Stuttgart, Munich, Hannover, Karlsruhe, Düsseldorf, and Darmstadt.

The analysis indicates that approximately 30 million people in Germany are well-served by buses and trains, primarily residing in large cities or metropolitan fringes. Conversely, about 21 million people—roughly one-quarter of the population—are poorly served or have no access to public transit. This includes 5.6 million individuals who do not meet even the lowest quality standards, a group largely concentrated in rural areas.

Regional findings show that the metropolitan edges of Munich and the Hannover region perform well, while states like North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, and Baden-Württemberg lead in terms of coverage due to their urban density. In contrast, rural communities in states such as Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt face greater challenges, often leaving residents dependent on private vehicles.