Rail operator abandons plans to cut Munich-Augsburg regional trains

DB InfraGO will not cut regional train services between Munich and Augsburg from 2028, the Bavarian Transport Ministry said, according to BR. A notification to the Federal Network Agency indicates that the number of services could instead be significantly higher than first announced.

DB InfraGO had considered halving regional services during rush hour on the route. The company is no longer pursuing those plans, the ministry said.

Bavarian Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter welcomed the decision, saying the proposed cuts would have been difficult to justify on heavily used routes around Munich. He also said the plans had caused anger and uncertainty among passengers and mayors.

The Greens in the state parliament said a petition with more than 5,000 signatures, alongside politicians’ efforts, had helped persuade the rail company to change course. Green Party MP Stephanie Schuhknecht said daily commuters needed to be able to rely on the current service continuing.

The proposal had been to remove 12 regional trains a day from the route from 2028. During peak periods, services would have fallen from three or four trains an hour to two, while 19 additional long-distance trains were to use the track. The Deutschlandticket is not valid on those long-distance trains.

The Greens urged the rail company to maintain regional services in the long term, saying the route was already heavily used and passenger numbers were expected to rise in the coming years.