The mayor of Seifhennersdorf, Karin Berndt (UBS), has armed herself with a toy ladle. There was a stately bouquet of flowers for the train driver. Residents stood with flags on the platform. Even a song was dedicated to the track and presented live. Period: At the train station in Seifhennersdorf there was a party mood on Friday. After eight years of standstill, trains are arriving here again. The small border town has regained its connection to the railway network after a long break.
From Sunday the Trilex trains roll every day
With the small timetable change on Sunday Trilex trains run daily from Seifhennersdorf via Varnsdorf in the direction of Zittau and Liberec and back. In the future, train passengers will travel from Zittau to Seifhennersdorf in about half an hour, where the L7 line will end at from now on. This eliminates the years of rail replacement bus services from Varnsdorf.
“We’re glad that after such a long time we’re going back to the final stop in Seifhennersdorf with the Trilex line L7 and that we can now do without the years of rail replacement service,” emphasizes Stephan Naue, Managing Director of Länderbahn GmbH.
We are glad that we can now do without the years of rail replacement service.
Lots of hustle and bustle on the maiden voyage
“Miracles just take a little longer,” says Seifhennerdorf’s mayor in a good mood. “You see that persistence pays off and you should also believe in impossible things and not give up hope.” For Karin Berndt, rail transport is nothing nostalgic, but the means of transport of the future, as she emphasizes.
At least on the maiden voyage on Friday, there was a dense crowd on the platform. The citizens of Seifhennersdorf were happy to be taken on a short commute to Varnsdorf, three kilometers away. It remains to be seen how the offer will be accepted in the future.
“At the moment you drive a lot, but that will get better over time,” said a senior citizen who often used the train in the GDR era. “It’s more convenient by car than running from the platform to the city first,” a resident shakes his head skeptically. “I’m guaranteed to take the train and I’m very happy that it’s running again,” says a woman from Seifhennersdorf who, among other things, keeps doctor’s appointments in Zittau. “I need it every day,” emphasizes another resident, “I have to go to Großschönau for work.”