Amendment to the General Railway Act

The Bundestag voted in particular on a bill from the CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary groups to amend the General Railway Act. The aim of the law is to relax the stricter conditions for the exemption of railway areas from railway operating purposes in 2023. In the future, the overriding public interest in the railway's operating purpose should only exist if an actual need for transport or long-term use is identifiable. This is intended to make it easier for municipal projects such as housing construction projects, which have so far failed due to the strict exemption requirements. At the same time, it is made clear that railway areas may not be released if reactivation of the route appears possible. A transitional regulation also makes it possible to process applications submitted before December 29, 2023 according to the old legal situation. The draft thus creates a balance between infrastructure maintenance and municipal development goals. The Transport Committee had a recommendation for a resolution on the draft law, which recommended the adoption of the law in an amended version. The coalition factions' bill was approved in the version amended by the Transport Committee with 305 votes in favour. 172 MPs voted against and there were 67 abstentions.