GERMANY: The first section of Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft’s western orbital tram corridor was formally inaugurated on February 28, closing a gap in a network that had been focused on radial routes.
The initial 1·5 km section runs along Fürstenrieder Straße between Agnes-Bernauer-Straße and Ammerseestraße, adding three stops. The line is served by Route 14, connecting the existing tram termini at Pasing Bhf and Gondrellplatz.
Describing the Westtangente as ‘one of München’s largest and most important infrastructure projects in recent years’, Deputy Mayor Dominik Krause emphasised that it would close a long-standing gap in a tram network that had been focused on routes to and from the city centre.
Welcoming the resumption of tram expansion after nearly a decade, he noted that the first phase had been completed in just 22 months. ‘Expanding public transport is a fundamental prerequisite for attractive mobility and, ultimately, for quality of life in München’, he explained.
The full Westtangente route from Romanplatz in the north to Aidenbachstraße in the south is expected to be completed by the end of 2028, at an estimated cost of €490m.
The southern segment linking Ammerseestraße and Aidenbachstraße via Ratzingerplatz is currently under construction and scheduled to open in the second half of 2028.
The northern section linking Romanplatz and Agnes-Bernauer-Straße is expected follow a few months later.
