Start Mitteldeutschland takes over operations in the Saxony-Anhalt diesel network
Tonight was the night: the operational handover of the Saxony-Anhalt diesel network (DISA-II) from Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland (ABRM) to Regionalverkehre Start Deutschland GmbH (start for short) was completed. The network comprises 16 railroad lines with a route network of 980 km and a service volume of approx. 9.3 million train kilometers per year and is now operated under the Start Mitteldeutschland brand. In total, a team of around 500 dedicated railroad employees ensures smooth regional transportation in Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Lower Saxony and Berlin.
Commissioning such a large rail network is a complex challenge: “After so many months of preparation, the time has finally come: we are STARTing! We are looking forward to our passengers and our railroad here in Saxony-Anhalt,” explains Markus Hoffmann, Site Manager of Start Mitteldeutschland.
“We were aware of the challenges of such a change of operator from the very beginning and have worked intensively with the management, employees and Abellio to ensure a smooth transition,” emphasizes Peter Panitz, Managing Director of NASA GmbH.
“We also welcome Start Mitteldeutschland as a new transport company in our region,” emphasizes Ralf Sygusch, Association Director of the Greater Braunschweig Regional Association. “We are confident that they will continue to provide the services that passengers are accustomed to on this route and wish them every success.
success.”
Operating 16 railroad lines requires an enormous organizational feat. The day after the contract was awarded by NASA GmbH, the responsible body for local rail passenger transport in Saxony-Anhalt, the work began. A team of 500 dedicated people had to be found and put together. The takeover of the 54 Lints had to be clarified. All the ticket machines had to be converted during ongoing operations. Employee training was carried out in parallel to setting up the office locations, the control center and the colleagues' reporting points. Commissioning such a large network is an organizational challenge.
For the passengers, the transition of operations should run as smoothly as possible and so the timetables remain almost unchanged, the current vehicles in use and vehicle maintenance anchored in Halberstadt
“I am delighted with the great performance of our team in the preparation and implementation of this commissioning and would also like to thank the entire team at Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland for their excellent cooperation,” says Dirk Bartels, CEO of start. A transition like this can only succeed if everyone pulls together. The public transport authorities, NASA GmbH, the Greater Braunschweig Regional Association and the Thuringian Ministry for Infrastructure and Agriculture, but above all Abellio and start have worked hand in hand.
About Start Mitteldeutschland
Start Mitteldeutschland - an operation of Regionalverkehre Start Deutschland GmbH (start) - will operate a significant part of the regional transport routes in Saxony-Anhalt from December 2024 under the management of Markus Hoffmann on behalf of NASA GmbH, the Braunschweig Regional Association and the Thuringian State Office for Construction and Transport. The 16 railroad lines cover large parts of Saxony-Anhalt and also extend into the neighboring federal states as far as Wolfsburg, Goslar and Erfurt. The Harz-Berlin-Express (HBX), which runs from Fridays to Sundays, is also part of this network.
About Regionalverkehre Start Deutschland GmbH
The best of both worlds: Regionalverkehre Start Deutschland GmbH (start for short) was founded in 2016 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of DB Regio AG and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. In a start-up atmosphere, the team of experts develops innovative solutions for public transport authorities along the entire value chain in local rail passenger transport. The aim is to work with the parent company's resources to successfully acquire regional rail passenger transport services and operate them optimally for customers. In doing so, start relies on regional business models that are individually tailored to the respective transport contract and flexible concepts for the regional rail transport of the future.