New regional train stop at Kolumbusplatz unlikely for now, says Munich mobility department

A new regional train stop at Kolumbusplatz in Munich is unlikely to be built any time soon, according to the city's mobility department. Mobility officer Georg Dunkel was responding to a motion from councillors of the Greens – Rosa Liste – Volt group, which asked the city to examine with Deutsche Bahn whether a stop on the DB south ring at Kolumbusplatz would be technically and operationally possible.

In his reply, Mr Dunkel said that the City of Munich is not responsible for the matter, and that the questions raised can only be resolved through the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Building and Transport. He added that the city's mobility committee had already given its view on a possible stop at Kolumbusplatz at its meeting on 22 April 2026, and that nothing new had emerged since then.

The mobility department said it is broadly in favour of a stop at Kolumbusplatz. It would allow passengers to change to the U1 and U2 underground lines, open up many new direct connections from the neighbourhood and, together with a planned stop at Poccistraße, offer an attractive way of crossing the Isar. The Poccistraße stop is planned under the Bahnausbau Region München programme and will provide a connection to the U3 and U6, and possibly later to the U9.

However, DB InfraGO AG says neither the technical nor the operational feasibility of a Kolumbusplatz stop has been examined. It pointed out that extra stops lengthen journey times for other passengers and make regional services less attractive, and it views the current chances of a stop critically. The mobility department broadly agrees, and also cited operational concerns and the difficult location on a slope as reasons against a quick implementation.

The department said the situation would be reassessed once future line upgrades in the Munich area, including between Daglfing and Johanneskirchen, relieve pressure on the south ring. It also agrees with experts in the Bahnausbau Region München programme that a Kolumbusplatz stop could come as part of a ring railway solution. For that, passenger services would first need to be established on the DB north ring and expanded through infrastructure work, particularly between Daglfing and Johanneskirchen. The city administration said it wants planning capacity to go into this first and will press the Free State of Bavaria and Deutsche Bahn to give both projects the necessary priority.