ODEG wins transport contract in West Mecklenburg

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

Meyer: "The new contract ties in seamlessly and the offering will be further improved"

Schwerin, 18 November 2024 - ODEG - Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH has been awarded the contract by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and VMV - Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mbH. The award procedure for local public rail passenger transport for the West Mecklenburg II sub-network, which has been running since summer 2023, has been successfully completed.

The transport contract covers 2.3 million train kilometres per year, strengthens the mobility of people in West Mecklenburg and secures jobs. The aim of the state's tender was to ensure that the sub-network is served with an even better range of services and a new, more modern train fleet in future.

Upwind for Parchim and West Mecklenburg

State Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour, Reinhard Meyer: "The new transport contract follows on seamlessly from the existing contract and will secure transport services in the West Mecklenburg sub-network from the timetable change in December 2025. It includes the lines RB13 Rehna - Schwerin - Parchim, RB14 Parchim - Ludwigslust - Hagenow Stadt and RB15 Waren (Müritz) - Inselstadt Malchow as well as the annual seasonal service on the Mecklenburg Southern Railway from Malchow and Parchim to Plau am See. With this transport contract, we are already gradually converting the second sub-network in our state from diesel operation to climate-friendly battery electric vehicles and are thus consistently continuing the switch to alternative drive systems."

Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of VMV, adds: "In future, the RB13 and RB14 lines will also run every hour at weekends, thus improving accessibility to the region - another important step in the MV mobility offensive. Some important infrastructural prerequisites still need to be created for the use of battery-electric vehicles on all routes of the sub-network. ODEG's operational preparations are therefore already underway."

Stefan Neubert, Managing Director of ODEG: "Parchim is the place where Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (ODEG) was founded - the place where it all began in 2002 and where the unique success story of the largest private railway in eastern Germany continues to be written. The foundation stone was once laid here with 30 railwaymen and railwaywomen, and today over 1,000 employees in five federal states operate 19.5 million train kilometres for 27.7 million passengers every year. Many of the first employees are still with ODEG and have been working for passengers every day for over 20 years. We are particularly pleased for them that with the continuation of operations by ODEG, this immense achievement will now be crowned by their retirement from the "ODEG family"."

Innovations to the transport contract

The service on the RB13 and RB14 will be increased to a one-hour cycle at weekends. The services on the RB15 line and the seasonal services on the southern railway in Mecklenburg will be continued.

The state has stipulated the gradual use of new vehicles with battery-electric drives in the new transport contract. The first zero-emission battery-electric trains (BEMU) are due to enter service from December 2027. The purchase of the new vehicles by ODEG is being subsidised by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV). The existing workshop in Parchim must be expanded for the new vehicles. The state plans to provide funding for this in accordance with InvestSPNVFöRL M-V. Investments are also being made in the construction of additional track facilities, as well as for vehicle access and stabling.

In addition, a new overhead line island is being built at the Parchim workshop site, which is also being subsidised by the BMDV. 

Some facts about the West Mecklenburg transport contract:

1. 15-year term
2. Start of operations in December 2025 - term until December 2040

The following routes are served:

• RB13: Rehna Schwerin Parchim (every hour)
• RB14: Parchim Hagenow Stadt (every hour)
• RB15: Waren island town of Malchow (every two hours)

Includes seasonal transport:

• RB15 Waren Inselstadt Malchow Plau am See
• RB19 Parchim Lübz Plau am See

Vehicle use:

• BEMU battery-electric multiple-unit trains (two-part) from the end of 2027, to be deployed in stages
• Stadler RegioShuttle diesel railcars as a reserve fleet until the end of 2032

New jobs in the region

The operation of the expanded West Mecklenburg sub-network will require more staff. ODEG plans to deploy 56 train drivers, 35 service employees in local transport and 7 additional employees in the workshop (mechatronics/electricians/electronics technicians) - all to ensure smooth railway operations.