"With the extension of the light rail line, we will significantly strengthen local transport in the north of Bonn," says Bonn's Mayor Katja Dörner, who welcomes the inclusion in the public transport requirement plan. "Together with the cable car, Westbahn and the redesign of the central bus station, this measure is one of the most important and largest infrastructure projects in Bonn's local transport system in the coming years."
"The journey time from Bonn Central Station to the planned new stops will be roughly halved compared to the current bus connection," says Helmut Wiesner, Head of the Department of Transport and Public Works.
Anja Wenmakers, Managing Director of SWB Bus und Bahn, adds: "We are particularly pleased that the project has reached the next stage because it is very sustainable. On the one hand, we can offer more people the opportunity to travel with us by extending the route. To do this, we are using some of the existing infrastructure, namely the former Cologne-Bonn railroad line. Secondly, we offer accessibility for everyone at modern stops."
2.6 kilometers long and four new stops
As an extension of the existing light rail line 63, four new stops are to be developed over a length of 2.6 kilometers in Buschdorf: Friedlandstraße, Schlesienstraße, Gewerbepark Buschdorf/ In den Dauen and Friedrich-Wöhler-Straße / Nordbahnhof, mostly on a line that has been decommissioned. The extension can largely be implemented on the existing route due to an old existing rail system. The project achieves a benefit-cost factor of 1.41 and is therefore economically viable and generally eligible for funding. The costs are estimated at around 31 million euros. (Price level 2016) According to an independent analysis, up to 4,200 passengers per day are expected.
Following the Bonn Council's decision on the preliminary planning and standardized assessment at the end of August 2024, the regional council of the Cologne administrative district unanimously proposed the inclusion of the project in the NRW public transport requirements plan and the public transport infrastructure financing plan. Following the approval of the municipality and region, the state of NRW has now set the course for a timely project start with the inclusion in the public transport requirement plan.
Dialog event on March 29
The city administration will invite the public to a dialog about the project on Saturday, 29 March 2025. The event is primarily aimed at residents living along the future route. The city administration will announce the venue and time in good time.
By the time of the dialogue event, the city administration will have finalized the design planning and further developed the invitation to tender for engineering services.
Background to the public transport requirements plan
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia draws up long-term demand plans based on economic feasibility studies, including for public transport, to plan and prioritize the state's transport infrastructure measures. These plans take into account transport and environmental protection aspects, urban planning and integrated transport planning.