Hamburger Hochbahn Achieves Record Investment and Passenger Numbers
Hamburg, July 1st – Hamburger Hochbahn, the city’s public transport operator, has reported a record-breaking year in 2025, investing 938 million euros in new buses and trains. This significant expenditure coincides with an unprecedented increase in passenger numbers, reaching 552 million for the year.
Hamburg’s Transport Senator Anjes Tjarks (Green Party) lauded the company’s performance, particularly highlighting the punctuality of its services. “Hochbahn’s U-Bahn (subway) service is sensationally punctual, achieving 98 percent. Buses also show strong performance with 91 percent punctuality,” Tjarks stated, noting these figures represent an improvement over previous years.
Massive Investment in Fleet Expansion and Modernization
To accommodate the growing number of passengers, Hochbahn is making substantial purchases of new buses and DT6 series subway trains, which are expected to be delivered within two years. Additionally, the older white DT4 subway trains will remain in service longer than initially planned, with an extended operational life of up to seven years. This strategy aims to save costs, as Hochbahn, together with HADAG, currently reports an annual deficit of 319 million euros.
Jens-Günter Lang, Hochbahn’s CEO, attributed the company’s success in managing projects within time and budget to long-term and structured planning. With 7,000 employees, Hochbahn is one of Hamburg’s largest employers, having hired 650 new staff members last year.
U4 Extension and U5 Construction Progressing as Planned
Next year, Hochbahn is set to open the U4 extension to Horner Geest, and construction of the U5 line is also underway. Both projects are reportedly proceeding on schedule and within budget, underscoring the company’s effective project management.
Strengthening Resilience Against Future Crises
Hochbahn is also focusing on enhancing its resilience against various crises, including sabotage, prolonged power outages, heavy rainfall, and heatwaves. Measures are being implemented to ensure that subway and bus services can operate under challenging conditions. This includes ensuring all sidewalks at bus stops are elevated to prevent flooding during heavy rains and installing deployable barriers at subway entrances to protect tunnels. Lang also mentioned that the use of subway facilities for civil protection is being explored.
Future Leadership and Strategic Importance of U5
Senator Tjarks indicated in the parliamentary committee that a new chairman for Hochbahn is not expected until next year. Meanwhile, analyses by Hochbahn suggest that the U5 line, stretching from Bramfeld to Osdorf, is projected to carry more passengers than any other subway line, highlighting its strategic importance for the city’s public transport network.
Source: NDR.de
