Launch of new regional bus line in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Press release by the Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour

Jesse: Strengthening mobility in rural areas

On Tuesday (3 September), State Secretary Ines Jesse gave the starting signal for the new cross-district regional bus route MV 320 on the Sanitz - Marlow - Bad Sülze - Tribsees route operated by Verkehrsgesellschaft Vorpommern-Rügen (VVR). The MV regional bus line was put into operation during a joint press trip with District Administrator Dr Stefan Kerth from the district of Vorpommern-Rügen, District Administrator Sebastian Constien from the district of Rostock, Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Ulrich Sehl, Managing Director of Verkehrsgesellschaft Vorpommern-Rügen (VVR).

This represents a significant step towards strengthening local public transport in the two districts and implementing the state's mobility campaign. The line has been launched as a run-up to the extended regional bus line 320 Sanitz - Marlow - Tribsees - Grimmen - Greifswald, which is due to start in 2025, and is the second cross-district regional bus line in the MV mobility offensive alongside Sternberg - Güstrow.

Ines Jesse, State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour, said: "In the district of Vorpommern-Rügen, the Regiobus line 320 is the second Regiobus line and the seventh Regiobus MV line in the state since its launch in December 2023. The new Regiobus line, which connects the towns of Sanitz, Marlow, Bad Sülze and Tribsees, among others, is a further step towards improving mobility and connectivity in the district of Vorpommern-Rügen and thus in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This is to be expanded even further with the extension to Greifswald next year. Two further Regiobus routes were also introduced in the district of Northwest Mecklenburg this September. The Regiobus routes are operated by NAHBUS 345 Grevesmühlen - Boltenhagen - Weiße Wiek and 245 Wismar - Neukloster - Blankenberg. All newly introduced regional bus routes are subsidised by the state through the "TaktbusÖPNVRL" guideline.

Until now, there was no through service on the Sanitz - Marlow - Bad Sülze - Tribsees route, but only a limited and intermittent service on routes 320 and 120. The new VVR route 320 will create a new year-round, daily through service at two-hour intervals between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Regiobus route 320 runs from Sanitz ZOB to Tribsees Wendeplatz and back again. In Sanitz, the local rail passenger transport service (RB11) and in the towns of Marlow, Bad Sülze and Tribsees, for example, other regional transport services to Grimmen and Greifswald. In 2024, VVR will be supported by REBUS as a subcontractor at weekends.

District Administrator Dr Stefan Kerth: "The Regiobus line 320 and the expansion of the on-call bus service will improve the quality of life in rural areas. The district of Vorpommern-Rügen is financing a public transport service that offers residents and visitors a more convenient and environmentally friendly mobility solution."

Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mbH, emphasised: "In addition to line 320, VVR is gradually expanding its on-demand bus system throughout the district, establishing the "VVR-Surfer" as a regional component of the MV on-demand bus. The MV on-call bus is part of the "MV fährt gut" mobility campaign of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and will expand the public transport services in Vorpommern-Rügen in future, especially in rural areas. With the introduction of a state-wide bus network in 2023, the state has begun to financially support transport companies in the expansion of regional bus routes and on-call bus systems. The well-connected line 320 and the flexible VVR surfer call bus are an attractive part of the climate-friendly mobility services funded by the state in this popular holiday region."

Managing Director of Verkehrsgesellschaft Vorpommern-Rügen (VVR) Ulrich Sehl: "I am delighted to be able to realise a project that has been planned for some time with the introduction of the Regiobus line 320. VVR is thus offering an attractive service on this transfer-free route, which I hope will be well received by passengers. The associated reduction in journey time of up to 15 minutes underlines the attractiveness of this service, which includes a year-round expansion and densification of the timetable. "

The Ministry of Economic Affairs is supporting the project with state funds via the VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. For the entire Regiobus line 320 Sanitz - Marlow - Tribsees - Grimmen - Greifswald, the district is expected to receive funding of approx. 1.1 million euros per year in accordance with the "TaktbusÖPNVRL". The Regiobus MV journeys are subsidised at € 2.05 per kilometre.

You can find the timetable for the Regiobus route 320 here.

The "MV FÄHRT GUT" journey planner

The state-wide timetable information service "MV FÄHRT GUT" for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern takes into account all changes to the new timetable. The state's free app contains all public transport timetable data in M-V and is available for Android and iOS (www.fahrplanauskunft-mv.de).

Background:

As part of its Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mobility offensive, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern grants financial assistance for the development, provision and operation of municipal regional and call bus systems as part of the state-wide bus network in accordance with specified quality criteria.