Public transport services in Stuttgart are still progressing, with modifications to ensure a measured advancement.
In the heart of Germany, the Stuttgart Streetcars AG (SSB) is experiencing a surge in expenses, with the city administration and SSB proposing temporary suspensions of some planned projects to alleviate the economic strain by 25 million euros per year.
The increased expenses are due to a variety of factors, including agreed short-time work, investments in infrastructure and vehicles, expanding the public transport offer, and higher costs in the area of climate protection. The transition of the bus fleet to climate-neutral drives is underway, and the night bus service was expanded in July 2021.
Approximately 230,000 residents of Stuttgart currently use the Germany ticket, a fundamental change in the revenue model for transport companies like SSB, with the federal and state governments now influencing the SSB's income. The number of passenger kilometers in the Stadtbahn network is expected to increase from 5.252 million kilometers in 2021 to 5.407 million kilometers in 2025.
Other expansion projects include the construction of a new city railway depot in Weilimdorf, extension of line U13 to Hausen, expansion of line U19 (extension to the Mercedes plant and increased frequency), more frequent bus line 65 trips to the airport after the new station is put into operation, and an increase in the frequency of the heavily used bus line 42 to a 5-minute interval during peak hours.
From next year, the city railway line U1 (Fellbach - Heslach) will be operated with 80-meter trains, doubling the capacity on this central line. Since December 2023, all inner-city bus lines run an hour longer in the evening at 10-minute intervals.
Despite these financial challenges, the expansion of public transport in Stuttgart will continue, albeit at an adjusted pace. The share of trips made using public transport in Stuttgart is 26 percent, a significant increase compared to the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper calls on the federal and state governments to fulfil their financial responsibility, as they currently determine around 80 percent of the SSB's income. With 92 percent of SSB passengers rating the services positively, it is evident that the citizens of Stuttgart value their public transportation system.
As the city and the SSB navigate these financial difficulties, they are exploring measures such as diversifying funding sources, improving operational efficiency, and advocating for government support. For precise information about SSB's situation, it would be necessary to consult official SSB announcements or local government reports.
The financial strains experienced by SSB are due to factors such as the transition of the bus fleet to climate-neutral drives, investments in infrastructure and vehicles, expanding the public transport offer, and higher costs in the area of climate protection, all of which fall under the broader categories of business and industry. To fund these ventures, the federal and state governments, operating in the realm of finance, are influencing SSB's income through the Germany ticket, a change in the revenue model for transport companies like SSB.
