Tracks forging links: the three-city streetcar
History repeats itself. December 7, 1835 ushers in the age of the railroad in Germany when the country’s first railroad line is opened for service between Nuremberg and Fürth. Almost 200 years later, another crucial innovation is put on track right around the corner: an urban-and-environs line (or Stadt-Umland-Bahn – StUB in German) to move commuter traffic in an industrially shaped region that’s home to several global corporations (Schaeffler, Siemens, Adidas, Puma) off the roads. If the vision of the movers and shakers becomes a reality this urban mobility project could basically catch on in any prospering metropolitan region in the world in which traffic jams are part of daily life.
What is the Stadt-Umland-Bahn (StUB)?
StUB is the streetcar line of the Nuremberg metropolitan region. It will operate as a low-floor streetcar featuring state-of-the-art vehicle technology and as an extension of the Nuremberg Streetcar Line connect the cities of Nuremberg, Erlangen, and Herzogenaurach as well as possibly other towns east of Erlangen and therefore put them in closer touch with each other. The line must be built from scratch. The project is currently deemed to be Germany’s biggest new streetcar project.
What are the benefits of the StUB?
As a sustainable and efficient means of transportation, the StUB is intended to connect important school and university locations, including Schaeffler with its company headquarters in Herzogenaurach, and others. It will cover three quarters of the distance on routes separate from regular road traffic and is supposed to make a major contribution to shifting passenger transportation to local public transit and to enhancing quality of life.
When will the StUB become a reality?
Following a local referendum in Erlangen, in which people voted in favor of the project, the way has been cleared for the StUB. Construction of the line is planned to commence in 2028. The first streetcar is scheduled to start traveling from Nuremberg to Erlangen in 2031.
Schaeffler’s position concerning the project:
The project is backed by an extensive alliance comprised of business, academia, and policymakers – including Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, one of Germany’s major universities, Siemens, Adidas, Puma and Schaeffler.
“The StUB will benefit not only employees of Schaeffler’s and other companies in Herzogenaurach, Erlangen, and Nuremberg. The StUB is going to make the business region as a whole more attractive.”
Has there been any opposition against the StUB?
In a local referendum in Erlangen, residents voted in favor of the StUB project with a small majority. Opponents proposed an extension of the local bus network as an alternative, claiming that it was cheaper and would produce the same effect. The StUB planners countered that view by saying that an optimized bus system would only lead to improvements in local public transportation if provided with separate lanes. In addition, they argued that the resulting improvements would be minimal.
