Since 2019, the South Lower Saxony Transport Association (VSN Verkehrsverbund Süd-Niedersachsen) has operated the ‘Landesbus’ line 160 from Duderstadt via Ebergötzen and Waake to Göttingen. It runs mainly every hour between 5 a.m. (first departure from Göttingen station) and 11.10 p.m. (last departure). According to the timetable, the bus takes 45 minutes to complete the entire route.
The line has proven to be a great success. Passenger numbers have risen steadily, more than tripling since the line was introduced. The VSN: ‘More than 500 passengers already use the regional bus line on weekdays.’ As a result, the standard buses used to date are sometimes too small and additional carriages have to be added. And so the VSN decided to test the use of double-deckers on line 160.
Bus oprator Scheithauer from Nesselröden, which operates line 160, does not have any double-deckers. So a bus was borrowed for the test. From 2 to 12 October, bus 70 from the municipal BKW Bad Wildungen, a Setra S 531 DT from 2022 adapted for regular service, will be in use. BKW has five of these buses, which are used on the 50-kilometre-long line 500 from Bad Wildungen to Kassel.
The test is intended to provide information on whether double-deckers are suitable for line 160. And whether passengers would even accept such a bus. However, Arne Behre, the mayor of Radolfshausen, says: ‘A double-decker not only provides more space, but also brings back a touch of fascination to bus transport.’ He adds: ‘If we make attractive offers to people, they will switch to public transport.’
The bus
The 15-metre-long, three-axle Setra S 531 DT double-decker has 85 seats and standing room for 14 passengers, meaning it can carry almost 100 passengers. That is about 10 passengers more than a normal 12-metre-long single-decker can accommodate. So one might ask whether a double-decker makes sense on this route at all. But the big advantage of the double-decker is that it has almost only seats, which is not insignificant on a route with a long walking distance. Or would you prefer to stand on the long journey from Göttingen to Duderstadt? As Mayor Behre says, ‘If we make people an attractive offer…’
Incidentally, the newly designed Setra also has a large multi-purpose area for wheelchairs, prams, bulky luggage and the like.
The transport contract with Scheithauer runs until 31st July 2029. If the double-decker bus proves itself on line 160, only double-decker buses will be used under the new transport contract from 1st August 2029.
