The preliminary planning phase of stage 4 of the so-called Chemnitz Model is making decisive progress. The Chemnitz Model is a connection of the city tramway with various regional railway lines – often referred as TramTrain somewhere else. The regional transport consortium Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen VMS has presented the preferred variant for the routing in the city centre. It includes three key findings:
– In Theaterstraße and Hartmannstraße, the tracks will lie in the middle of the street. Previously, lateral positions had been discussed.
– Theaterstraße and Hartmannstraße will mainly have grass tracks, which will decisively reduce the noise of the trains.
– Through traffic will still be possible in Brückenstraße (from “Marx-Kopf”). There will be no traffic calming.
In April 2021, there was held a digital citizens’ information event with 50 responses from citizens and institutions. In July, a citizens’ information event was held at the Carlowitz Congress Centre (around 100 participants). Mathias Korda, VMS Head of Transport/Infrastructure: “Citizens can continue to get involved. After the plans for the preferred variant, these will be posted on www.vms.de in October.”
In December 2021, the Chemnitz City Council is expected to finally decided upon the preferred option. The start of construction work, however, depends on:
– Approval of the plans for the construction of the Zentrumsring (planning approval),
– securing the financing,
– consideration of the festive activities around the Capital of Culture year 2025.
Stage 4 is the most extensive of all stages of the so-called Chemnitz Model, with a total of 17 kilometres and an approximately 12-kilometre-long new section included. The plan is to build a new, direct connection from Chemnitz city centre via Hartmannstraße, then along Leipziger Straße to Chemnitz-Center and on to Limbach-Oberfrohna.
With the implementation of stage 4, the town of Limbach-Oberfrohna will once again have a fast and efficient connection to the Chemnitz urban area, the Chemnitz Center commercial area and to the supra-regional rail traffic.
The planning for the extension in the direction of Leipziger Straße and to Limbach-Oberfrohna was resumed in 2020 after a longer interruption and provides for the realisation of the necessary steps of design and approval planning, implementation planning, planning approval, tendering, awarding of contracts, construction and commissioning in five sub-sections. Commissioning is not expected before 2026/27.
We last reported on the Chemnitz Model here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/construction-work-to-start-for-stage-2-of-chemnitz-tram-train-network/
