Who will operate the Singen-Schaffhausen rail service in the future?: Singener Wochenblatt

To sing. The state of Baden-Württemberg intends to decide by June 30, 2022 at the latest who will operate the regional rail service between Singen and Schaffhausen after the timetable change in December of this year. The two members of the state parliament, Hans-Peter Storz (SPD) and Dorothea Wehinger (Greens), learned this from Baden-Württemberg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann, as has now been announced.

The tender for rail transport is currently running. Until April 6th, railway companies can apply to operate the network 19, as the route is called in the language of traffic planners. “Passengers need a reliable train service. It must also satisfy our Swiss neighbors and partners so that they continue to participate in the financing," explained Storz after the meeting with the minister.

The tender conditions stipulate that the workshop where the trains are serviced must not be more than 50 kilometers away from the railway line used, the minister informed the MPs. With this demand on the transport companies, the country wants to ensure that the trains run reliably and on time. Some of the problems that the previous operator DB Regio had between Singen and Schaffhausen was due to insufficient maintenance and repair of the rolling stock. “The quality of service must have particular weight in the award process. However, we can only achieve future-oriented mobility if the trains run punctually, reliably and at regular intervals," says Dorothea Wehinger, member of the state parliament, welcoming the specifications for the tender.

In discussions with the MPs, the Minister of Transport emphasized that the state of Baden-Württemberg attaches great importance to a proper tendering process that complies with the legal requirements. This excludes the possibility of excluding certain providers from the procedure due to poor performance in the past. Conversely, this means that no providers are given preference in the process.

The DB Regio currently serves the railway line from Singen to Schaffhausen every half hour. The offer is denser in the off-peak times and on weekends than in other parts of the country, which is also achieved through a financial contribution from the canton of Schaffhausen to the additional costs. "We hope for a convincing transport concept so that the Swiss side sees no reason to withdraw from the financing," emphasized Wehinger and Storz in unison.

After numerous breakdowns and train cancellations, the state of Baden-Württemberg had mutually terminated the transport contract with DB Regio in December 2022. After the situation had not improved in the course of 2021 either, efforts are being made in the canton of Schaffhausen to question the joint financing of the additional offers.