MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Deutsche Bahn is making initial preliminary plans for the construction of a new high-speed long-distance line from Munich to Ingolstadt - including the long-distance station at Munich Airport that has been missing for decades. This was announced by the outgoing DB Group representative Klaus-Dieter Josel at his final press conference in Munich on Thursday. According to DB's analysis, greater capacity will be required in future as part of the "Deutschlandtakt" planned for the future, as Josel explained. "It would be essential for us to build a new line from Ingolstadt to Munich."

As Munich Airport is located away from the existing long-distance network, building a connection for passengers only would not have been economical, said Josel. However, if a new route is planned in northern Upper Bavaria, it could therefore run via the airport. "This is the route we are currently discussing with the Federal Ministry of Transport together with the Free State of Bavaria, Lufthansa and, above all, the airport," said Josel. There are various conceptual considerations, "but it is clear that we already have our foot in the door with the federal government."

Frankfurt Airport has its own long-distance train station, while Munich Airport, the second largest, has lacked one since it opened in 1992, although it has been under discussion for decades. The Deutschlandtakt is a DB concept for the future based on the Swiss model. The aim is a 30-minute interval for long-distance services between the main German cities, while regional services are to run every half hour between the larger "hub stations". Planning for the expansion of the rail network is now geared towards this goal. The previous Munich-Nuremberg high-speed line went into operation in 2006.

Josel is retiring after 21 years at the head of DB in Bavaria and will be succeeded on June 1 by Heiko Büttner, head of the Munich S-Bahn. The outgoing Group representative was the main point of contact for Bavarian politicians, from the purchase of new trains to major projects such as the ICE line to Berlin. Josel was appreciated by many politicians for his calm and objective manner. In view of the need to renovate the rail network and the delays in expansion and new construction projects, the DB manager expressed his wish for greater political support for the railroad: "We can only manage major projects in Germany with the active support of politicians."/cho/DP/ngu