You drive at full steam through the Harz Mountains or on Rügen: historic narrow-gauge steam locomotives are a magnet for tourists. Now they fear for their charm due to the requirements for digital standards.
Narrow-gauge railways such as the “Racing Roland” on Rügen or “Molli” on the Baltic Sea coast fear for their historic charm due to technical passenger rights standards in the railway system. Who wants to experience “digital displays in and on historical vehicles” and “permanent sound reinforcement, possibly also introduced with a melody, on various topics while driving?” says a statement from the Mecklenburg Baths Railway Molli, the managing director Michael Misslitz on Monday at a hearing of the Transport Committee in the Bundestag.
Specifically, it is about the question of how an EU regulation on passenger rights is implemented in Germany and who ultimately controls compliance with the standards. The regulation is primarily about uniform passenger rights throughout Europe. Among other things, it makes specifications for accessibility as well as digital reimbursement options in the event of delays. It also regulates the technical passenger information in trains, i.e. digital displays or loudspeaker announcements.
In Germany, the Federal Railway Authority is usually responsible for enforcing such requirements. The narrow-gauge railways claim that the federal states are responsible in their case. They fear that the Federal Office will interpret the EU regulation in such a way that it also applies to steam locomotives.
Concern for historical authenticity
You would then have to retrofit – with digital displays in the wagons and at the front of the locomotives as well as with barrier-free access. From Mißlitz’s point of view, that would not only be too expensive for most companies. He also fears for the historical authenticity of the trains. “Our vehicles are often more than 100 years old,” he told dpa. “They have different widths, different entry heights. We can’t guarantee accessibility to that extent.”
The EU regulation provides for exceptions for “rail transport services that are offered exclusively for historical or tourist purposes”. This is where the narrow-gauge railways line up. The Federal Railway Authority could be more critical there, they fear.
But they are confident. In a draft recommendation to the Federal Government, the Federal Council has already made it clear that it sees things in a similar way. “The railway supervisory authorities of the federal states have a great deal of experience in this area and are in a better position to apply the EU regulation, taking into account the protection of existing assets and the required safety of railway operations,” it says there. The government factions have already announced that the interests of the narrow-gauge railways should be taken into account, said Mißlitz. (dpa)