Ecovista expresses contentment with the adapted traffic solutions they've implemented, despite identified issues.
The Berlin-Hamburg railway line is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation, with the line closed for nine months from early August to the end of April next year. This extensive work has led to significant changes in long-distance traffic, with services being rerouted via Stendal, adding approximately 45 minutes to the journey.
Ecovista, a company awarded the contract for the comprehensive replacement transport concept, has ordered over 200 new buses for the services between Hamburg and Berlin. However, the replacement bus services have been facing several issues, including a lack of toilets, insufficient passenger information, and the absence of ticket machines.
The failure rate of the buses is relatively low, at around one percent, but the lack of facilities and information has caused inconvenience for many passengers. Ticket machines are often not available at smaller stations, creating a problem for people without access to digital channels.
Ecovista has hired 500 new bus drivers for the services and is referring the issue of ticket sales to the responsible associations and BahnEisenbahn Verkehrs Nachrichten (EVN). The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) has expressed criticism about the passenger information and signage on the buses.
Punctuality of the replacement bus services is at around 91 percent, but there are concerns about the lack of toilets, particularly on longer routes like line R between Seegefeld and Kyritz in Brandenburg. The Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) is also overseeing the bus replacement service operations in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, working alongside Deutsche Bahn (DB), which is responsible for the infrastructure works and coordination.
Next week, schools in Berlin and Brandenburg will be back in session, and many students will be relying on the replacement services. The planning and execution of these services are a challenging task, but efforts are being made to improve the situation for the passengers.
