Citizens defend themselves against freight trains: petition in the Germersheim district house!

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On May 7, 2025, the "Signal red!" A petition against freight train expansion with 1,686 signatures in the district house Germersheim.
On May 7, 2025, the "Signal red!" A petition against freight train expansion with 1,686 signatures in the district house Germersheim. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

On May 7, 2025 at 2 p.m., the petition "No freight trains on the Wörth - Germersheim route / no expansion Wörth - Lauterbourg for freight trains" personally handed over to district administrator Martin Brandl. The petition was initiated by Ulrike Newert from Wörth, after it became known that Switzerland is calling for the expansion of the Lauterbourg-Wörth rail route for heavy-duty transit traffic. She was very well received in the region and was able to collect a total of 1,686 signatures - 1,145 online and 541 handwritten on 70 collecting arches.

The submission to District Administrator Brandl was not only out of local interest, but also from the concern for the quality of life in the neighboring communities. This initiative was funded by the intensive citizen participation during a three and a half week detour of freight transport in August 2024 when numerous citizens felt affected. Supporters from Hagenbach, the community of Hagenbach as well as from Wörth, Neuburg and Jockgrim joined the petition.

broad support and commitment

Thanks to the strong mobilization, the initiators were able to reach the quorum of 1,400 signatures from the district of Germersheim on April 22, 2025. The response shows that 78% of the supporters see themselves directly affected. Especially during the detour phase, around 5,000 flyers were distributed to residents to inform about the petition and to collect further signatures.

The petition was not only transmitted to the district administrator, but also digitally to a number of political decision-makers, including Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Transport Daniela Schmitt and representative of Deutsche Bahn. In addition, the mayors of the municipalities concerned received information about the concerns of the citizens.

The citizens' initiative "Signal red!"

In February 2025, the citizens' initiative "Signal Rot!" Founded, which is intensively committed to a permanently compatible traffic solution without expansion of goods. This initiative emphasizes that expansion could not only affect the living and living environment of the residents, but also have negative effects on the natural and fauna.

On May 18, 2025, a natural history expert will inform the environment during an excursion about the potential consequences of a freight train expansion. The citizens' initiative and the signatories of the petition hope to take into account their concerns in the further planning of freight traffic routes.

Responsibility for traffic planning, especially with regard to heavy goods traffic between Genoa and Rotterdam, is also the responsibility of regional politics and infrastructure offices. In view of the collected signatures and the committed citizens' protests, it remains to be seen how the decision -makers will react to this petition and the associated claims.

How further information from Wochblatt Reporter and OpenPetition , the strong participation of the population shows that the topic of freight traffic is not just a local problem Represents, but also an important environmental issue that affects many people.

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