Almost 6 million euros for innovative local transport project in the Burgenland district

Saxony-Anhalt is providing around 5.9 million euros for the “Improving mobility services in the Burgenland district” project. “With this financial support, we are making an important contribution to future-proofing local public transport services in the area undergoing structural change,” said Dr. Lydia Hüskens, Minister for Infrastructure and Digital Affairs, today in Eckartsberga when handing over the funding decision to Landrat Götz Ulrich.

“The creation of modern, attractive public transport services should be an incentive for people to stay in or move to rural areas affected by structural change,” emphasized the Minister. The EU is making the money available over three years (2025-2027) as part of the “Just Transition Fund”.

The funded project aims, for example, to redesign the public transport network in the Burgenland district so that rural areas outside the medium-sized centers are better connected. The focus here is primarily on the region north-west of the Saale valley.

Innovative measures such as on-demand transport (on-call buses) and the use of autonomous vehicles are also planned. This should make it easier to reach the Nebra Ark and the Zeitz Industrial Park by public transport in the future.

In addition, there will be increased use of digital information systems to keep passengers on buses and at bus stops informed in real time about the availability of public transport.

The concept on which the funding application is based forecasts an increase in passenger numbers of at least 15,000 travelers.

“Mobility means freedom. Freedom also includes a real choice of means of transport. We want people in our country to be able to freely choose all forms of mobility. This requires well-developed infrastructure: cycle paths as well as roads, including bridges and, of course, attractive public transport services. We are working on this. Every day. The financial support for the model project here in the south of our state is a living example of this,” concluded Lydia Hüskens.

In addition to Burgenlandkreis and NASA GmbH, PVG Burgenlandkreis mbH, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and Merseburg University of Applied Sciences are also involved in the project.

The project has been running since February 1 and is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2027.