Work on the future tram stop in the tunnel under Augsburg’s main railway station is making good progress. Stadtwerke Augsburg (swa) has now reached another milestone. On 9 December 2024, the first rail vehicle entered the tunnel and the stop. The entry of the grinding car took place as part of the tests and technical acceptance for the overhead lines. ‘Together with the companies and the authorities, we are working flat out to complete the station, but we still have major tasks ahead of us over the next two to two and a half years,’ explains Stadtwerke Managing Director Rainer Nauerz.
The coronavirus pandemic, supply bottlenecks, particularly for electronic equipment and special cables, and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the construction industry have made the original schedule for completing the tunnel stop impossible. In the original plans, there was talk of an opening in 2019, autumn 2025 had long been the target, but now a date between the end of 2026 and mid-2027 is on the agenda.
With the opening of the tram stop, it will be possible to change from long-distance and regional rail services to local tram services barrier-free, easily and over short distances, with escalators and lifts across three levels within the main station. The first pedestrian level has been in operation since the end of 2023.
Initially, two tram lines, the 3 and the 4, will enter the tunnel from Königsplatz via the ramp in Halderstraße, stop at the station, turn in the underground track loop under the goods station and exit again via the station in the direction of Königsplatz. Up to now, they have been turning about 150 metres away from the main station via Bahnhofstrasse and Viktoriastrasse. 6-12 months later, the gap to the existing track in Pferseer Straße should also be closed in the western exit of the tunnel via Buchegger-Platz and Rosenaustrasse, so that line 6 can travel through the tunnel in the direction of Stadtbergen. A few months ago, the decision was made to run the line on two tracks through Rosenaustraße, after the long-preferred variant with single-track tracks through Hörbrotstraße towards the city centre and in the opposite direction through Rosenaustraße had been delayed by the various approval hurdles. Building permission for the double-track variant has already been in place for more than 10 years, so it should be possible to keep to the schedule.
