Buses in Braunschweig and the surrounding area: timetable changes from 2026!

Buses in Braunschweig and the surrounding area: timetable changes from 2026!

Local public transport is facing major challenges. The Greater Braunschweig Regional Association recently decided to significantly reduce the number of regional bus trips in the coming year. The decision, which was made at a meeting of the association assembly, is based on insufficient financial resources from the state and local authorities. These savings plans affect many regions and especially commuters and students who rely on bus connections. In Braunschweig, voices of criticism are increasing, particularly from the Alliance 90/The Greens council group, which has spoken out against the cuts.

As the regional association announced, numerous lines in the region will experience cuts. Lines 230, 420, 430, 450, 480, 560 and 730 in Braunschweig are affected, among others. In the districts of Gifhorn, Goslar, Helmstedt, Peine, Salzgitter, Wolfenbüttel and Wolfsburg there are also reductions in frequency and the cancellation of single journeys.

Details about the cuts

In the districts, affected citizens express concern about the reduced number of connections. In the Gifhorn district, the frequency on lines 160, 170, 180 and 480 will be reduced. Passengers in the Goslar district also have to expect cancellations on lines 810 and 820. The random samples show that lines 230, 430 and 360 are also affected in Helmstedt, while in Peine and Salzgitter the frequencies on many lines are reduced.

• Betroffene Linien:
• Braunschweig: 230, 420, 430, 450, 480, 560, 730
• Gifhorn: 160, 170, 180, 480
• Goslar: 810, 820
• Helmstedt: 230, 430, 360
• Peine: 450, 500, 530, 560, 502
• Salzgitter: 630, 790
• Wolfenbüttel: 420, 430, 630, 710, 790, 740
• Wolfsburg: 160, 170, 180, 230

Co-group leader Lisa-Marie Jalyschko expressed concern about the cuts in bus transport in Braunschweig, which amount to around 1.08 million euros. These reductions could be seen as a slap in the face to those who already rely on public transport. The evening connections on line 420 between Braunschweig and Wolfenbüttel in particular are met with resistance from users who rely on return journeys to get home safely after a long day at work.

Similar initiatives in other cities

A look beyond regional borders shows that measures and reforms also affect local public transport in cities like Berlin. Here the city administration has created new financial foundations for public transport with a mobility law. Large-scale investments of over 28 billion euros are expected to revolutionize local transport infrastructure by 2035, which represents a contrast to the cuts in Braunschweig. The goal is to replace all diesel buses with environmentally friendly e-buses and reduce ticket prices to make access easier.

The path taken in Berlin shows that work is also being done elsewhere to improve local public transport, while the Braunschweig region is confronted with drastic cuts that need to be addressed. The number of people relying on buses could fall sharply as a result of these savings due to insufficient financial resources. It remains to be seen how affected citizens will react to these changes.