The campaign launched to save the Plauen tram network has great public support.
The Tatra tram fleet in Plauen was rebuilt between 1992 and 1996, but is now nearing the end of its life
The tram network in the city of Plauen in the southeastern German state of Saxony may be forced to close due to financial difficulties.
The Plauen tram lines, which operate the 37.6 km long network, are almost insolvent, according to their management. While the network, which serves a city of 65,000 people, was used by 7.6 million passengers in 2024, it has seen little investment in recent years. Its fleet of 14 Tatra KT4D trams dating back to 1983 which operate several services, along with the latest Bombardier Flexity LRV trams, is nearing completion.
Several other small networks in eastern Germany have ordered new LRVs to replace their Tatra fleets in recent years such as Zwickau and Görlitz, also in Saxony, which ordered new vehicles from HeiterBlick in 2021 in a joint order with Leipzig.
Plauen Tramways is owned by the city council but is financed by the Vogtlandkreis Regional Council and its transport agency.
After public outcry and interference from politicians, Vogtlandkreis agreed in late September to develop plans for public transport in Plauen by the end of this year. The petition launched by Plauen Tramways had already received 16,000 signatures by mid-October.
However, a shutdown may still be recommended rather than upgrading all or some of the network.
The national lobby for passenger railways Pro Bahn has given its full support to the campaign. “While we are talking here about the possible end of the tram system [in Plauen]Bertram Zetsche, spokesman for the Vogtland region, says other cities such as Kiel, Hamburg and Wiesbaden are discussing building a new tram system.
He pointed to nearby Chemnitz, where the city’s light rail network has become part of an integrated tram system that also serves the surrounding area. “It is unlikely that the closed tram system will be restarted,” Zetsche warned.
