• Monitoring considers developments from 2019 to 2024
• Growth in local rail passenger transport and on-demand transport
• Transport Minister Bernreiter: ‘Good for passengers and the climate’

More passengers, more climate protection. These are two key objectives that the Free State of Bavaria is pursuing with its Public Transport Strategy 2030. The strategy was presented in December 2022, and the first findings are now available. Bavaria’s Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter is satisfied: ‘Local public transport in Bavaria is developing very well. Thanks to our efforts in recent years, we have not only reached pre-coronavirus levels, but have even exceeded them. We have seen significant growth, particularly in regional train connections and on-demand transport in rural areas. This is not only good for passengers, but also for the climate.’

When looking at public transport, the focus is on structure, performance and the development of supply and demand. The monitoring of the public transport strategy distinguishes between local rail passenger transport (SPNV), i.e. regional train services, and general local public transport (aÖPNV), i.e. buses and underground trains, for example. The results for the period from 2019 to 2024 show that, compared to 2019, the service offering in 2024 will have increased by 11.0 per cent in terms of scheduled kilometres offered in SPNV and aÖPNV combined. Since 2022, there has also been a 20.5 per cent increase in demand-responsive transport.

‘Public transport services have developed positively in all administrative districts,’ says Bernreiter happily. ‘We have also noticed that demand-oriented services, such as dial-a-bus or on-demand transport, are developing extremely well in rural areas.’ In the Upper Palatinate, demand-responsive transport accounted for more than 50 per cent of general public transport in 2024, in Upper Franconia it was almost 40 per cent and in Lower Bavaria around 35 per cent. In 2024, the Free State supported supplementary local transport services in these regions, such as on-demand transport, with around €9 million through the funding programme to improve mobility in rural areas.

‘The development of public transport demand clearly shows that the decline resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has been overcome since 2023,’ explains the Minister. This is due to an increase of almost 6 per cent in local rail passenger transport compared to 2019. Bernreiter continues: “Especially in rural areas, the car remains the most important mode of transport. But the further strengthening and associated increase in the attractiveness of public transport is making a significant contribution to climate protection through CO2 savings. An efficient infrastructure continues to form the basis for convincing even more passengers to use public transport in the future with attractive offers and reasonable fares. We must therefore continue to invest in our infrastructure, for which the special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality offers a very good opportunity.”