Laimer S-Bahn station not barrier-free from September to April
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It is expected that the platform at Laimer Bahnhof will no longer be accessible to everyone from the fall due to the ongoing construction work. (Image: Beatrix Kober)
For Munich residents with limited mobility, the platform at Laim S-Bahn station will probably not be accessible between September and April 2023. This can be seen from a draft resolution on the 2. The project is based on the results of a study recently presented by the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations. During this period, the currently usable elevator, which was installed as an interim solution, will be dismantled due to construction work on the extension of the second main line. "The existing interim elevator will remain in operation as long as possible," explained a spokeswoman for Deutsche Bahn in response to an inquiry from Wochenanzeiger Medien. For a few months, however, elevator use will not be possible, she said. "For technical and construction reasons, we currently see hardly any possibility of erecting an interim elevator elsewhere," said the railroad spokeswoman.
Almost read over
Currently, intensive work is being carried out in the track area between the Laim and Donnersbergerbrucke S-Bahn stations, in some cases also at night. Because in the second quarter of this year, a new platform, on the outbound track 1, is to be put into operation. As soon as the new platform is in operation, the old platform will be demolished. At the Laimer station, according to spokespersons for Deutsche Bahn, the access to platform 2, i.e. to the S-Bahn trains traveling into the city, can then be made through a temporary tunnel. "The existing interim elevator will remain in operation as long as possible and will be connected to the new platform 1 via a footbridge," the Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman explained further.
However, when demolition work reaches the spot where the elevator now stands in the fall, probably in September, it will have to give way. Currently, no alternative is seen as to where the interim elevator could be placed instead in order to ensure continuous accessibility during the entire construction phase.
To the annoyance of the local politicians, this information was almost overlooked in the draft resolution submitted by the planning department, which was recently on the agenda of the Laim district committee (BA).
Testing for further phases of construction
Deutsche Bahn is now examining the possibility of creating a new barrier-free access route through the Umweltverbundrohre (UVR) during the further construction phases – from where barrier-free access to the platforms will also be provided in the final state of completion. "In this regard, we are investigating the extent to which temporary access routes to the east access structure are possible here, which will be equipped with elevators that allow barrier-free access to the platforms," says the railroad spokeswoman. "We are also in discussion about this with the City of Munich, which is responsible for the interior design of the UVR." The conclusion of this examination is not to be anticipated and therefore no further details on the schedule and the possible design of the temporary access roads can be given yet.
Service number of the railroad
Whereas the BA Laim wrote a letter to the railroad company urging that every effort be made to find a way to maintain accessibility during the entire construction period, the BA Neuhausen-Nymphenburg (BA 9) did not discuss the proposed resolution at its January meeting. In the meantime, the BA 9 deals with complaints from citizens about the noise caused by the construction work. Under the service number of the railroad Tel. Citizens can call 089/1308 2291 if they suspect that noise limits are being exceeded.