Press release of the Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour
Jesse: Seasonal transport is part of a sustainable, forward-looking, modern mobility concept for the region - involving rail, Regiobus and on-demand buses
Climate-friendly at Easter with the Southern Railway to the tourist destinations of the Mecklenburg Lake District: At the start of the season, the Southern Railway - from Parchim via Lübz and Karow to Plau am See (RB19) and between Waren (Müritz), Malchow and Plau (RB15) - will be running again at weekends. "The Southern Railway is important for the people living in the region and for tourism. The seasonal service is part of a sustainable, forward-looking, modern mobility concept for the region - involving rail, bus and call bus services in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A good example of this is the region's first regional bus route, which has been running between Neustrelitz and Waren (Müritz) since December 2023. This will be extended to Röbel (Müritz) on 1 May. The seasonal service will create more opportunities to reach the attractive excursion options in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern by public transport," said Ines Jesse, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour.
Seasonal traffic on the southern railway line
In cooperation with the districts of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Ludwigslust-Parchim as well as the railway infrastructure company Regio Infra Nord-Ost, the state will once again revitalise the southern railway line with a seasonal service this year. From 29 March to 1 April and from 11 May to 8 September 2024, ODEG trains will run between Plau am See and the island town of Malchow and between Plau am See and Parchim on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. In addition, seasonal trains run on 28 March and 8 May (as on Fridays) and on 9 and 10 May (as on Saturdays/Sundays) on the routes Waren (Müritz) - Inselstadt Malchow - Plau am See and Parchim - Lübz - Plau am See. During the summer holidays in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the RB15 trains will also be extended from the island town of Malchow via Malchow Krebssee to Alt Schwerin on Mondays to Fridays.
Since summer 2020, the RB19 line has been serving the Parchim - Plau am See route at weekends during the peak season. From the other direction, the RB15 line from Waren (Müritz) is extended to Plau am See via Malchow and Karow. The seasonal service, which was initially launched with individual trains in 2020, will be offered every two hours from summer 2022. An additional improved interlinking with buses and on-call buses ensures that every destination in the region can be reached.
"Our aim is to offer seasonal transport to passengers as a reliable constant. With the Südbahn seasonal service, we are now making a clear statement for the fifth year in terms of sustainable travel as part of the mobility campaign for our state," emphasises Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. "With the Deutschland-Ticket, you can also use trains and buses in the region at unbeatably favourable conditions."
"For five years, the Südbahn has been an indispensable part of our transport network and makes a significant contribution to the quality of life of residents and to tourism in the region. Its seasonal operation integrates an innovative transport concept that seamlessly combines rail and bus. The continued trust of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern transport company in ODEG strengthens us and our commitment to the region. Our RB15 and RB19 lines offer a reliable connection with an optimised timetable at two-hourly intervals, allowing travellers to explore the beauty of the region in comfort," says Lars Gehrke, Managing Director of ODEG.
Bus route 77 and on-call bus complement train services
Verkehrsgesellschaft Ludwigslust-Parchim mbH (VLP) supplements the rail service with bus route 77 and the on-call bus. The continuous journeys of this line on the Parchim - Plau am See - Malchow route and the rail services complement each other perfectly, as they run one hour apart, creating an almost hourly service between Parchim and the island town of Malchow. In Parchim and Malchow there are connections between bus and rail. "I am delighted about the cooperation between all modes of transport and especially about the wide-ranging ticket recognition among them. The Deutschland-Ticket makes the connections even more attractive and will ensure an increase in passenger numbers. Verkehrsgesellschaft Ludwigslust-Parchim mbh (VLP) is well positioned for the new season and has built two new depots in Lübz and Plau am See," said Stefan Lösel, Managing Director of Verkehrsgesellschaft Ludwigslust-Parchim mbH (VLP).
Additional weekend journeys on the RB 74
This year, Hanseatische Eisenbahn GmbH (HANS) will also be running three trips on the RB74 from Pritzwalk via Meyenburg to Plau am See on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 May to 8 September on behalf of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mbH and VBB Verkehrsverbund Berlin Brandenburg.
"The extension of the RB74 will close the gap between the lines in the western Lake District and the Berlin-Brandenburg regional rail network. Lake Plauer See is now just one change away from the centre of Berlin," emphasises René Haber-Henning, Managing Director of Hanseatische Eisenbahn GmbH. "The service is complemented by the Plauer See circular bus, which travels to tourist attractions five times a day, every two hours, and can also be reached by train by changing at the Silbermühle stop on the RB74 line. We hope that the service will be used by many passengers and that this sustainable, climate-friendly service will not only be available seasonally in future, but 365 days a year."
A potential analysis is being prepared for the Meyenburg - Plau - Karow - Güstrow route, initiated by the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg. An expert opinion will be used to evaluate the potential for passenger and freight transport and to determine the potential need for expansion.
Information on the timetables:
The timetable for the ODEG lines RB15 and RB19 is available at here. You can obtain the Hanseatic Railway timetable for the RB74 here. You can find the timetable for VLP line 77 here here.
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