Cologne threatens traffic collapse: KVB fights with record losses!

Cologne threatens traffic collapse: KVB fights with record losses!

Köln, Deutschland - The Cologne Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB) faces a huge challenge: By 2035, around 340 million passengers are to be transported on the city and railways of the city. This would mean an increase of around 100 million passengers compared to 2024 when only 236.2 million passengers were promoted. But in order to achieve this ambitious goal, a massive expansion of the bus and rail offering will be necessary. The urban budget is currently in a "desolate" situation, as Mayor Henriette Reker found. Financial support is therefore more urgent than ever. According to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger in 2023 recorded a minus of 185.1 million euros, which represents an increase of 40.9 % compared to 2022

A reason for the high losses lies in the lack of ticket demand by the Germany ticket. In addition, personnel costs are increasing, while ticket prices are politically defined. In order to be able to implement the recently mentioned expansion plans, KVB calls for long -term financing commitments. A similar picture is shown by the Cologne baths, which for 2024 predict a loss of 22.4 million euros and at the same time invest in the expansion of their water areas.

Lack of personnel and timetables

The lack of personnel forced the KVB in 2023 to shorten the timetable in two steps. These massive cuts are a direct reaction to the high disease quota within the staff. In November 2023 there was a reduction in the travel offer. With such measures, the KVB wants to react to the currently critical situation and at the same time ensure that the mobility of the Cologne population does not stall.

The renovation of the Mülheim bridge is another problem child. The route is expected to be released only towards the end of the first quarter of 2025 after the renovation costs have added up to an impressive 301 million euros. According to the " Rundschau ", a more intensive discussion about alternative tunnel variants is required to apply the east-west axis, which are also a role in the political conversations plays.

The future of KVB

The planned expansion projects are, among other things, the commissioning of the north-south railway after 2032 and the further development of the east-west axis. Last year, the KVB under the leadership of Board // Stefanie Haaks // took numerous steps to optimize its business models. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how the city of Cologne will react to the financial bottlenecks, especially since the losses exceed the defined limits of the municipal utility.

The KVB, founded in 1876 and now 90 % owned by the Cologne Stadtwerke, is a key component of the Cologne infrastructure. With a transport network that promotes millions of passengers annually, the role of KVB is of central importance in the urban mobility transition. Experts therefore call for quick measures to stabilize the KVB and its financial basis.

With the constant increase in passenger numbers and the intended modernization of the transport infrastructure, KVB is on the crossroads: S do the hoped -for upturn hoped for the mobility turn or will the current challenges be insurmountable? The city can and must be located to clarify these questions.