GERMANY: Metronom is negotiating with Niedersachsen transport authority LNVG to terminate its contract to operate Hansenetz regional passenger services in June 2026 rather than in December 2033.
In recent months Metronom has faced a series of problems including rising costs and a shortage of train drivers, leading to frequent cancellation and ultimately a reduced timetable. In a bid to mitigate the difficulties, Metronom launched a revised timetable on February 4 that will run until the end of July.
At the end of December, the operator had sought to initiate formal discussions with LNVG about handing back its contract. LNVG’s management board then instructed its executive team at the end of January to proceed with negotiations.
Earlier, LNVG had authorised season ticket holders to use specified weekday ICE services run by Deutsche Bahn between Hamburg and Lüneburg on a temporary basis because so many Metronom services were being cancelled.
In the meantime, LNVG plans to draw up a revised concept for the Hansenetz with a view to one or more operating contracts being let in the future. The services cover the Hamburg – Bremen, Hamburg – Lüneburg – Uelzen, Uelzen – Celle – Hannover and Hannover – Göttingen routes and are used by around 80 000 passengers a day.
LNVG says that any operator, including Metronom which it says was previously ‘a reliable partner’, will be free to apply to run routes on the future network. The fleet of double-deck push-pull rolling stock used on these services is owned by LNVG, meaning that it can be transferred easily to another service provider.
Metronom first ran the services in 2011, subsequently securing a second contract which began in 2018. This requires 8∙7 million train-km to be operated in 2024.
The problems caused by driver shortages ― which also affect national operator Deutsche Bahn ― have been exacerbated by engineering work on the Hamburg – Hannover main line during recent months. Major reconstruction of the route under plans being developed by infrastructure manager InfraGO is not scheduled until 2029.
Olaf Lies, minister responsible for transport in Niedersachsen, says ‘Metronom has been a reliable partner in the past and the Metronom name is well established. Our goal is to fully maintain services on the route until June 2026 and [then] improve them again.’
Metronom is a subsidiary of Niedersachsenbahn GmbH & Co KG, itself a subsidiary of Osthannoversche Eisenbahn AG and Eisenbahnen & Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser GmbH.
