Secretary of the State pays a visit to a manufacturing workshop located in a hangar
A tour at Vohwinkel station on September 1, 2025, marked a significant step in the future of the Wuppertal Suspension Railway. Attended by high-ranking officials including the State Secretary, WSW CEO Markus Hilkenbach, WSW-mobil Managing Director Sabine Schnake, VRR Chairman Oliver Wittke, and Wuppertal's Mayor Uwe Schneidewind, the event highlighted the importance of modernising the railway's infrastructure.
The existing vehicle hall at Vohwinkel station, over 120 years old, requires replacement due to deteriorated structural integrity. The new vehicle hall will provide more space for vehicle parking and integrate a modern workshop for maintenance and upkeep. This will ensure the railway's resilience and functionality, a key priority emphasised by Christian Hirte, who underlined the importance of growth, prosperity, and a functional, resilient state, including a functioning infrastructure and all forms of mobility.
Funding for the planning of the new vehicle hall has already been applied for from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. An application for the construction of the new vehicle halls has also been made, with funds sought for both the planning and subsequent implementation phases. Christian Kindinger, Operations Manager, provided detailed explanations of the processes and showed current modernization measures.
Markus Hilkenbach, WSW CEO, stressed the importance of funding to implement modern, sustainable standards and secure the future of the suspension railway. He reiterated WSW's aim to strengthen its position as a "reliable partner in communal mobility."
Sabine Schnake, WSW-mobil Managing Director, stressed the central role of politics in public transport, as it creates the framework conditions for operations and funding. She expressed interest in plans to rebuild the vehicle hall, which would contribute to the railway's overall modernisation and sustainability.
Operations at the suspension railway are not the only aspect of public transport under consideration. The "eezy.nrw" ticket, a digital ticket for public transport in North Rhine-Westphalia, can be used via various mobility apps. This ticket, valid in buses, trains, and the suspension railway, operates on a principle of check-in before starting your journey and check-out upon exiting, with the fare calculated based on a fixed base price and straight-line kilometers.
During the tour, the historic Kaiserwagen, being prepared for reoperation, was a point of interest. The discussions for the subsequent implementation phase of the vehicle hall construction project are still ongoing, and political decisions are crucial to ensure comprehensive offers and the necessary funding to make public transport attractive and future-proof. Without these decisions, public transport would lack the necessary resources to be competitive and sustainable.
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