Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - Saxony-Anhalt's infrastructure minister, Lydia Hüskens, reacted with incomprehension to the short-notice announcement of rail route closures in the state. In a letter to the infrastructure board member responsible in the Deutsche Bahn Group, the FDP politician wrote on Tuesday: "I urge you to take all possible measures to end this unacceptable situation as quickly as possible."
The catastrophic communication about the closures that had already begun deprived everyone involved of the opportunity to offer passengers viable alternatives, said the minister. She asked Deutsche Bahn to immediately name the reasons for the short-term closures and to communicate openly how long the impairments will last.
According to the ministry and the railway company Abellio, which operates on the route, DB Netz AG only informed on Monday that individual sections of the route in the country will be closed as early as Monday due to repair work. Abellio then warned of extensive restrictions on train traffic from Tuesday. Routes in and through the Harz Mountains are particularly affected.
Solutions are being worked on, but it is particularly difficult to organize rail replacement services at such short notice, said an Abellio spokesman on Tuesday. "We are looking for buses as far as Bavaria." According to him, without the existing structure, it is also challenging to get the necessary personnel to the appropriate location.
