The Saarbahn passenger shelters at the Johanneskirche in the direction of Lebach are being replaced with modern ones. The Saarbahn is replacing the old passenger shelters at the Johanneskirche with modern ones. The dismantling will take place on Saturday. Saturday was chosen because, according to the Saarbahn's operational and construction instructions (Betra), the dismantling and removal of the old shelters may only take place during train pauses, which are longer on weekends than on weekdays.
Starting Monday, May 9, the company Wall will erect two modern passenger shelters there – similar to those at the bus stop at the St. Johann Town Hall on Betzenstraße. Wall will cover the costs for the construction and installation of the shelters. The work on the new passenger shelters, including civil engineering and foundation construction, will take several weeks. The basis is a cooperation agreement between Wall and the state capital.
Saarbrücken’s Mayor Uwe Conradt: “The area around the Johanneskirche should once again become a safe place for all people. Based on 25 years of experience, during which the passenger shelters have regularly been misused and there have been conflicts over public space usage, Saarbahn will now replace the passenger shelters. The goal is for the stop to be a safe place for passengers and the church surroundings to be a safe place for everyone. As has regularly been reported in the media, there are numerous complaints from local residents and Saarbahn customers about the conditions at the Johanneskirche. For the people who have stayed there so far, and certainly some who will continue to do so in the future, we offer numerous social services in the city and will provide additional services at a new alternative location. It is important for me to emphasize that we are not pushing anyone out of public space; the people who are there today are and will remain part of our city and have a right to their place, but it must be designed in the interest of all people so that conflicts over usage are minimized,” explains Uwe Conradt, who personally informed the affected individuals on site.
Saarbahn Managing Director Peter Edlinger: "After 25 years, the shelters are in need of renovation and require extensive maintenance. It is time to replace them with modern shelters. That is what we are doing now. Additionally, we know from many customers that they feel scared at the Johanneskirche stop and even avoid it for this reason. We hope to increase our passengers' sense of safety through this measure."
As a city, we have a responsibility for all the people around the Johanneskirche: residents, Saarbahn customers, and visitors to the city center. "After weighing the various interests, we decided to take this step," said the mayor.
City fulfills social responsibility and creates attractive alternative offering
"We are planning a new place to stay with an appropriate social care structure for people with multiple problems near the city center. It will be equipped with toilet facilities. In addition, the area will be greened and prepared for offering various leisure activities," says Uwe Conradt.
Kirchgarten will reopen
The mayor had discussed the measures with the Protestant church congregation in advance. They support these and have announced that they will additionally reopen the church garden at St. John's Church from Monday to Friday and make it accessible to the public as a place to stay.
In recent years, the state capital has tried to defuse the conflict with various measures. As early as 2015, an alternative site was established on Johannisstraße at the corner of Richard-Wagner-Straße. This was intended to provide people with multiple problems an alternative place to stay. The area around Johanneskirche is now monitored by the police with video surveillance as part of the security partnership with the city. However, there are still complaints due to usage conflicts, which is why this next step is also being taken.
