Referendum: Free ride for urban-regional railroad

The citizens of Erlangen are in favor of the extension of the Nuremberg tramway (Stadt-Umland-Bahn - StUB) through Erlangen city center to the train station and on to Herzogenaurach being built on the basis of the existing plans. In the referendum on Sunday (June 9), 52.4 percent (28,693 votes) voted yes, according to quick reports.

A total of 55,108 eligible voters took part in the vote. The turnout was therefore 67.25 percent. The vote was open to people aged 18 and over who have had their primary residence in Erlangen for at least two months. The official final result should be available by Wednesday afternoon.

Lord Mayor Florian Janik was delighted with the outcome of the decision: "I am delighted with the clear result. This is a good signal for our business and science location and for the transport transition. For the second time since 2016, the citizens of Erlangen have spoken out in favor of this project - and as we know, this is not a matter of course for such major projects. Now there is clarity and we can devote all our energy to the final step in the approval process, the planning approval procedure with the government of Middle Franconia, and the concrete preparations for the construction phase. In recent years, the Stadt-Umland-Bahn special-purpose association has involved citizens in the planning process in an extensive participation procedure. And dialog, constructive cooperation and transparency will remain our guiding principles for the next steps."

Looking back: Back in 2016, the citizens of Erlangen were called upon to decide for or against the plans for an urban-regional railroad in a referendum. At that time, 60.4 percent of those who voted were in favor of the city pursuing the plans for the suburban rail link.

Detailed results are available online at https://erlangen.de/wahlen/be2024/.