Merzig and Losheim: Protest against stopping the train reactivation!

Merzig and Losheim: Protest against stopping the train reactivation!

The debate about the reactivation of the disabled railway line between Merzig and Losheim, which has been in operation for passenger transport since 1962 and since the 1980s, has been using an unexpected turn. The city councils of Merzig and the Losheim municipal council decided on May 9, 2025 to reject reactivation. This was justified with multiple concerns about possible incalculable costs that could come to the cities. If the reactivation had taken place, the federal government would have borne up to 90 percent of the cost of re -establishment, which would have meant a significant financial relief. Nevertheless, the CDU, AfD and FDP fear additional annual burdens for the city, which contributed to this rejection.

In front of the town hall in Merzig, around 20 protesters gathered who drew attention to the importance of reactivation with a model train on a silver tray. Werner Ried from the Transport Club Germany described the decision as a "dagger shock" for the region. Arndt Oehm, Chairman of the Merziger SPD parliamentary group, called the possibility of reactivation a "opportunity to play" for mobility in the region and was supported by critics of rejection.

financial concerns in Losheim

The example of Losheim is particularly concise, because the community has been struggling with financial restrictions since 2022. The municipal council decided on September 26 that there was no more maintenance costs of up to 100,000 euros a year for the railway line that has been disused since then. A fire letter to the state government describes the precarious financial situation and threatens to dissolve the municipal railway infrastructure company and the sale of the route.

The challenges are enormous. Losheim expects a total cost of up to 50 million euros for the reactivation, whereby the municipality itself would have to raise around 5 million euros. In addition, maintenance costs would be expected annually. This could turn out to be an intolerable burden for the small community, which is why responsibility was transferred to the country.

meaning of reactivation for rural areas

The discussion about the reactivation of the railway line is part of a larger trend in Germany. According to an investigation by the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR), reactivated railway lines increase mobility and rural regions. Over 5,000 km of rail routes have been shut down in recent years, and the revival of such routes can be decisive in order to make rural areas more attractive as residential and corporate locations.

The upcoming feasibility study by the Saarland Ministry of Transport for reactivation is therefore eagerly awaited. This study could provide clear indications of the actual feasibility and the associated economic effects.

In several regions of Germany, it has been shown that reactivated routes cause the relief of existing traffic infrastructures in metropolitan areas and promote the connection to the regional and national transport network. The example of the National Park Railway between Sebnitz and Dolní Poustevna illustrated how not only local public transport is improved by reactivation, but also economic impulses can be set.

The fact that the majority of political actors in Merzig and Losheim tend to reject is therefore in contradiction to the nationwide efforts to better connect rural areas to public transport and could represent a missed opportunity for this region. The future of the railway line remains uncertain, although the discussion about reactivation is not over.

While citizens and politicians continue to exchange ideas on the subjects of mobility and connection, the Saarland Ministry of the Environment also plays a central role that works in the context of model projects to improve the infrastructure. Despite the current resistance, the reactivation could certainly get back on the agenda in the coming months and offer new opportunities.

Information about this decision was also dealt with in detail in the SR Info-Nachrichten on May 9, 2025 and testify to the explosiveness of the topic for both Merzig and Losheim. Reactivation is a complex project, the discussion of which is far from complete.