Saxony-Anhalt is in need of better long-distance rail links 13. July 202313. July 2023 Commenting on the latest statements by Infrastructure Minister Hüskens, according to which she is in favor of an ICE connection for Magdeburg on the occasion of the Intel investment, Madeleine Linke, state chairwoman of Alliance 90/The Greens Saxony-Anhalt, said: “It is encouraging that Minister Hüskens wants to advocate for a better ICE connection and thus clearly distinguishes herself from her coalition partner CDU, which dreams of a nonsensical highway ring around Magdeburg. But she should bear in mind that Saxony-Anhalt is not only made up of Magdeburg, despite the Intel investment. Long-distance rail links are also completely inadequate in the regional center of Dessau-Roßlau. A holistic concept would, in the event of an increase in long-distance trains between Magdeburg and Halle, route some of the trains that continue to Leipzig via Dessau and thus also remedy this deficit. Instead of rushing ahead as a single small state, coordination with neighboring states, especially Brandenburg and Thuringia, increases the chances of success. With Potsdam and Brandenburg an der Havel as well as Jena and Gera, these states also have major centers on rail routes to Saxony-Anhalt with inadequate long-distance connections. It would therefore make sense to develop a joint long-distance transportation concept with these states and to represent this jointly to the federal government. A long-distance train from Berlin to Magdeburg would be much more economical if it offered residents of Potsdam and Brandenburg an attractive connection to Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Commenting on the state of regional transport in the state, Linke adds, “I would have liked Minister Hüskens to have shown the same commitment to maintaining the all-day half-hourly service on the Central German S-Bahn network in the new transport treaty. At least hourly accessibility to all rail stations in the state should also finally be addressed and can be implemented by the minister under direct responsibility. In addition to better connections, however, a solution is also needed in the short and long term for the understaffing of the railway control centers. In recent months, breakdowns caused primarily by staff shortages and outdated signal boxes have meant that some rail connections in the state can hardly be used. What is needed here is rapid modernization and better working conditions, because even the best rail replacement bus service can only provide limited remedies!”