Bavarian Forest National Park traffic concept
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The Bavarian Forest National Park traffic concept has been implemented since 2000 with a coordination office based at the Regen District Office for the further development of local public transport in the Bavarian Forest National Park .
description
The project center for the further development of the transport concept of the Bavarian Forest National Park at the Regen district office , as it is called, was founded by a decision of the Bavarian cabinet on April 11, 2000. It was launched under the direction of Christina Wibmer with the aim of improving the possibility of car-free holidays in the Bavarian Forest nature and national park. The project office is assigned to the regional management and economic development department in the Regen district office.
According to the traffic concept, a line network is coordinated with a total of 137 km of railway lines and 1008 km of bus routes with around 100 train journeys and 350 bus journeys daily.
The core area comprises the two districts of Regen and Freyung-Grafenau with a total of 1959.27 km², 159,780 inhabitants and 7.08 million overnight stays in 2008. There are also individual lines in the southern district of Cham and a railway line in the district of Deggendorf.
development
The introduction of the so-called National Park Line East can be regarded as the beginning of the National Park traffic concept. This bus route, which started on June 2, 1991, connected Schönbrunn am Lusen and Finsterau (Mauth) with the information center in Neuschönau . A total of three pairs of buses operated daily between June and November.
In 1992, a traffic report was commissioned and alternative drive methods for buses were tested in the following two years. A hydrogen-powered electric bus ran between Finsterau and the border crossing at Bučina and a year later a natural gas bus between Spiegelau and Finsterau. This drive method was convincing, so that from May 15, 1996 the natural gas powered Igelbuses were used in the Freyung-Grafenau district. For this purpose, a coordination office limited to two years was introduced by the national park.
In 1996, the Regentalbahn took over operations on the lines from Zwiesel station under the brand name Waldbahn with new railcars on behalf of Deutsche Bahn .
On April 11, 2000, the National Park Traffic Concept project office was set up in the Regen district office.
A year later, on May 15, 2001, the Bayerwald ticket network , valid from May 15 to November 1, and the Falkenstein buses around Zwiesel were introduced.
Seven new natural gas buses were purchased for the Igel bus system for the 2002 season. Due to funding cuts, there was a signature campaign this year to preserve the hedgehog buses. However, the funding from the Free State of Bavaria was reduced to 100,000 euros in the following years.
Since May 2003 the "KulTOUR in der Waldbahn" events have been held every month.
After several years of renovation, the Zwiesel and Plattling node will be opened for the timetable change in December 2003, and the two-hour cycle will be introduced between Zwiesel and Grafenau.
In 2004, the validity of the Bayerwald ticket was extended to the whole year.
After completion of the continuous travel option, individual journeys of the forest railway to Spičak have been extended since May 28, 2006.
At the start of the season on May 15, 2007, the Falkenstein buses were also given the brand name Igelbus .
In 2008, the number of guests traveling by public transport was 20%. A doubling of the 1990 figures.
The municipalities of Spiegelau, St. Oswald-Riedlhütte and Neuschönau introduced on May 15, 2009 that hedgehog buses can be used free of charge with their guest cards.
After the Ludwigsthal stop was relocated near the Falkenstein National Park Center - Haus zur Wildnis, the number of guests arriving by forest railway increased . In 2009 this totaled 20%
After the ten-year funding period expired in April 2010, the district of Regen tried to get another ten-year funding approval. For this reason, the neighboring district of Freyung-Grafenau was approached. In the summer of 2009, the latter decided to join the Bavarian Forest transport concept. The Bavarian Cabinet then decided in February 2010 to re-finance and expand the project. The work was included in the 2010/2011 budget and will therefore continue to be subsidized by the Free State of Bavaria with funds from the EU at a rate of 50%, up to a maximum of 67,500 euros.
On May 1, 2010, the “ GUTi ” guest service environmental ticket was introduced. This has since been included in the spa cards of the municipalities of Grafenau, Spiegelau, Schönberg, St. Oswald / Riedlhütte, Bayerisch Eisenstein, Frauenau, Neuschönau and Hohenau. With these spa cards, you can travel free of charge within the scope of the Bayerwaldticket.
In the course of the year, other communities joined the GUTi. The city of Zwiesel followed on June 1st and the municipality of Lindberg on August 1st. The city of Regen and the municipality of Mauth also want to introduce it for the winter season from December 1, 2010. On July 1, 2011, Lam is a market town from the Cham district.
On September 11, 2010, three more seasonal bus routes were introduced by the Freyung-Grafenau district. These lead from Freyung via Neuschönau to Lusen, from Waldkirchen via Neureichenau to Haidmühle and from Freyung via Mauth to Finsterau. The bus routes operate on weekends and public holidays from May to October. They serve to connect the Passau – Freyung (Ilz Valley Railway) line to the Igelbus system, the route network of the Czech railway company ČD and the “green buses” of the Šumava National Park .
As a result of the increase in passenger numbers as a result of the introduction of GUTi, the Igelbus routes in the Rachel-Lusen area will run all year round from the beginning of the 2010 Christmas holidays, and the buses in the Falkenstein area will be increased on weekends.
With the start of the second season on April 28, 2012, the Ilztalbahn GmbH joined the Bayerwald-Ticket and GUTi system with its railway line from Freyung to Röhrnbach .
In December 2014, the Free State of Bavaria refused any further funding for the project site. So far the country has borne 1/3 of the costs of € 67,500 / year. As an interim solution, the districts of Regen and Freyung-Grafenau agreed that Arberland Regio GmbH would take over the project. The Freyung-Grafenau district would continue to bear 1/3 of the project costs that would then amount to € 66,000. Approx. € 10,000 of this € 22,000 should be applied for as funding for general public transport from the Free State of Bavaria.
Individual components of the national park traffic concept
Tariff offers and passenger information
Central elements of the national park traffic concept are the Bayerwald-Ticket, the GUTi and a timetable folder.
Bayerwald-Ticket The Bayerwald-Ticket , introduced in 2001, is a network ticket in the districts of Freyung-Grafenau and Regen as well as some adjacent routes.
GUTi (Guest Service Environment Ticket) GUTi describes the free use of buses and trains in the Bayerwald Ticket tariff area with spa cards.
Passenger information
A central point of the traffic concept is the improvement of passenger information. Automatic passenger information systems were installed in the buses and trains , timetable notices were designed in a uniform and clear manner, the bus stops were marked with the Igelbus line colors, and signs to the forest train stops were set up. A website with central information was also launched.
Twice a year, at the beginning of the summer season in mid-May and at the beginning of the winter season at the beginning of November, a timetable booklet appears with the timetables of the above-mentioned transport systems, as well as the regular bus systems that supplement them. This is published in an edition of 100,000 pieces (summer) and 50,000 pieces (winter).
The most important timetable information is also available in Czech and partly in English.
Forest railway
Regio shuttle railcars have been in use on the three railway lines around Zwiesel station since 1996 . The railway lines were expanded by 2003, so that a clock hub was created in Zwiesel and at Plattling station .
See Waldbahn (brand)
Hedgehog buses
Two bus systems in the Bavarian Forest National Park that circulate around the two national park centers Rachel-Lusen and Falkenstein are summarized as the Igelbus system. These are characterized by a higher quality level, more frequent trips and independent tariff compared to the regional buses in the region.
See Igelbus
Pedestrian and bicycle traffic
In addition to motorized traffic, non-motorized traffic is particularly encouraged. So were bike trails and family-friendly hiking trails created. The information on these trails and the signposting of the trails themselves have also been improved. Particular attention was paid to so-called target hikes, where part of the route is a hike and the outward and return journey takes place by public transport.
Integration of the hotel and hospitality industry
Information materials In addition to the above-mentioned free passenger information materials, various information posters and leaflets are made available to the local hotel and hospitality industry. These are also offered in German, English and Czech.
KulTOUR in the forest railway In the series “KulTOUR in the forest railway”, trips to the regional culture and way of life are regularly carried out on the last Sunday of the month, where the journey takes place with the forest railway. Already on arrival there is an introduction to the event, such as the boarding of musicians or Raunachtsgeistern .
Ticket sales In addition to the information material, Bayerwald tickets or Bayerwald-Tickets-Plus can also be sold to guests in a graphically appealing form. These are sold in tear-off blocks of 25 with a 5% discount. The tickets do not have a travel date. This is entered by the passenger at the start of the journey.
Training In order to increase the level of knowledge of the employees in the hotel and hospitality industry about public transport in the region, regular training courses are also offered.
Partnerships Almost 50 different tourist facilities have entered into partnerships with the national park traffic concept. Passengers receive discounts on presentation of their valid Bayerwald ticket.
Privately operated railway lines
In the districts of Freyung-Grafenau and Regen there is one railway line operated by associations . The Gotteszell – Blaibach railway line has been operated as a so-called hiking railway since 1991 as a museum railway. This uses the advertising opportunities of the transport concept and offers passengers with GUTi or Bayerwald tickets discount options. The Passau – Freyung line has been operated as the so-called Ilztalbahn since 2010 in weekend traffic with modern railcars. This railway line has been included in the Bavarian Forest Ticket and GUTi system in the Freyung-Grafenau district since April 28, 2012.
Future developments
Rail transport
A tender is currently taking place for the forest railway lines with the start of operations for the December 2013 timetable change. Here an hourly service from Zwiesel to Grafenau is to be introduced, the traffic between Plattling and Deggendorf is to be increased and the trains to Klatovy are to be connected over two hours.
- See: Forest Railway .
Bus transport
There are plans to have bike stands on all buses to replace the bike trailer, as well as an expansion of the Igelbus range.
International cooperation
Efforts are being made to strengthen cooperation with the transport system in the neighboring Czech national park, Šumava. The aim here is to introduce a ticket that is valid in both countries, the so-called “Bayerwald-Šumava-Ticket”, and to improve international connections.
Since 2008, a so-called "Public Transport - Structure and Potential Analysis Bavarian Forest / Bohemian Forest 2020" has been carried out. This is funded with 100,000 euros from ERDF funds.
At the start of the season in July 2012, an improved link was established between the hedgehog buses and the “green buses” of the Šumava National Park. The Czech network, with its 135,000 passengers a year, was expanded to include a branch line to the state border. The 800 m long sandy path, which had previously been covered on foot, was converted into a road. This means that there are now short transfer routes between the two terminal stops.
Another important connection point to the Czech public transport is the Nové Údolí train station near Haidmühle. This is 1.8 km from the bus stop in the center of Haidmühle, right on the border. Local trains ran here every two hours, as well as an express train to and from Prague in the summer months. This station has been served every hour since 2011. Since September 11, 2010, a bus stop has been set up here directly at the border for seasonal traffic, so that a transition was made easier. This bus line connects the train station with Waldkirchen on weekends. There is a connection to the trains of the Ilztalbahn GmbH . Plans to rebuild the tracks between Nové Údolí and Haidmühle Bahnhof failed because of the high costs.
Awards
The national park traffic concept and its subsystems received various awards:
- 1998 "Royal conditions in bus and train 1998" ( VCD ) (for Igelbus system)
- 2005 Nets Awards Special Prize in the Land Category (Soft Mobility) (for the overall concept)
- 2007 National Park Partner (Bavarian Forest National Park) (for the entire system)
- 2008 Bavarian Public Transport Prize 2008 (Free State of Bavaria) (for the entire system)
- 2009 1st place Fahrtziel Natur Award ( DB AG , BUND , NABU , VCD) (for overall concept)
- 2012 Bavarian Nature Conservation Medal of the Bund Naturschutz (for Christiane Wibmer as head of the project)
Web links
- Official website
- Official website of the hedgehog buses
- Official website of the Regentalbahn
- Bavarian Forest / National Park Cycle Path in the ADFC tour portal
Individual evidence
- ↑ B. Richter: "Creating and implementing a total public transport offer in a national park region", diploma thesis at the Faculty of Transport Sciences "Friedrich List" , TU Dresden , 1997
- ↑ Application of the national park traffic concept for the Destination Nature Award ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Bavarian Forest National Park: Annual Report 2009 ( Memento of the original from April 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Regen district: "Meeting of the Committee for Economic, Tourism and Environmental Issues on June 16, 2009" - accessed on October 31, 2009 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ PNP Freyung July 22, 2009: There is still a lot of work to be done with local public transport ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Passauer Neue Presse issue F February 12, 2010: "Cabinet decides to further develop the transport concept"
- ↑ Bayerwaldbote local part Zwiesel July 29, 2010: "Igelbuses will also run in winter from this season on"
- ↑ Bayerwald-Bote 13th September 2010 Local section Viechtach: "No direct bus from Arnbruck to Teisnach"
- ^ Grafenauer Anzeiger: "A financial sign to the Ilztalbahn", May 1, 2015
- ↑ Application for the Destination Nature Award 2009
- ↑ List of partner companies of the Bayerwald-Ticket ( Memento of the original from May 7th, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Christine Völzow: Cross-border traffic between Germany and the Czech Republic from the perspective of the StMWIVT ( Memento of the original from April 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 4.4 MB)
- ^ Free State of Bavaria: List of beneficiaries according to Art. 7 Para. 2 Letter d of Regulation (EC) No. 1828/2006 as of December 31, 2012 ( Memento of the original of April 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Grafenauer Anzeiger: “Final stops at the Buchwald border crossing only 100 meters away” ( Memento of the original from May 18, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , July 5, 2012
- ↑ Passauer Neue Presse July 21, 2010: "Rail reactivation is progressing step by step"
- ↑ Soft Mobility Net Awards 2004/2005 Special Prize in the Country Category ( Memento of the original from August 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ( MS Word ; 57 kB)
- ↑ Fahrziel Natur Award 2009 ( Memento of the original dated November 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Bayerwald Bote : "Bund Naturschutz honors Christina Wibmer" February 28, 2012
