The metronome trains are privately operated railway lines, the majority of which are publicly owned. They are in competition with the state-owned DB Regio AG. They operate in Lower Saxony and are easy to recognize by their blue-yellow paint. Only modern double-decker cars with electric or diesel locomotives are used.
history
The origin of the railway company Metronom is that politicians decided to take the monopoly in rail traffic, especially in local traffic, from Deutsche Bahn AG in order to achieve an improvement in passenger transport through the resulting competition. This has worked quite well in northern Germany, in many areas private railway companies have taken over and improved the lines.
The company was founded in the early 1990s. It took until 2003, however, for the metronome to move between the first Hamburg and Uelzen took off. In Uelzen, a completely new railway operations site has been completed, where the trains are serviced, and the company's headquarters are also located there.
In 2010 the railway company became a subsidiary Erixx founded the heather cross (by Soltau to Hanover, Bremen, Uelzen and Buchholz in the north heath) served.
stretch
Metronome:
- Elbe cycle: Uelzen - Bad Bevensen - Beehive - Luneburg - Winsen (Luhe) - Hamburg / Harburg - Hamburg Central Station
- All tact: Uelzen - Suderburg - Unterlüß - Eschede - Celle - Großburgwedel - Isernhagen - Langenhagen-Middle - Hanover Central Station
- Leinetal cycle: Hanover Central Station - Sarstedt - Elze - Kreiensen - Northeim - Goettingen. Detailed route description: Hanover Southern Railway
- Weser cycle: Hamburg Central Station - Buchholz in the north heath - Tostedt - Rotenburg (Wumme) - Bremen Central Station
Metronome regional:
- Hamburg Central Station - Buchholz in the north heath - Tostedt - Rotenburg (Wumme) - Bremen Central Station
Tickets
- The Metronom maintains its own ticket machines at all stations, at which flex-price tickets as well as the Country tickets for Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as well as that Across the country ticket can be bought. The machines accept coins, banknotes, credit cards and EC cards. Timetable information and travel plans can also be printed out at the metronome ticket machines. Compound tickets such as B. Tickets of the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV) available, tickets of the HVV are also valid on the S-Bahn, Hamburg U-Bahn and city buses.
- Via the Internet, either via der-metronom.de or bahn.de.
- At the ticket offices and travel centers of Deutsche Bahn and other railway companies as well as in DB service stores.
- The metronome is a member of Tariff Association of Federal and Non-Federal Railways in Germany (TBNE), therefore local transport tickets issued by other railway companies are also valid in the metronome.
- Association tickets, tickets for Lower Saxony tariffs as well as the Lower Saxony Ticket, the Lower Saxony Ticket Groningen, the Across the country ticket is also valid in the trains of the metronome.
- A seat reservation is possible, but not required.
- In the metronome trains there is both a 1st and a 2nd class, which hardly differ in terms of the level of equipment from that of Deutsche Bahn AG.
service
Each train of the metronome has at least one, usually two train attendants, who not only take care of whether all passengers have a ticket for the journey. One also takes care of the little problems that the traveler has. Friendliness and helpfulness are the order of the day. On the other hand, if you violate the transport contract, you are rigorous and go through all decisions. Maybe that's why you can expect a clean car to drive in.
There is a bistro area in the normal metronome trains. Here you can get drinks and snacks from vending machines. The metronome regional trains are also to be retrofitted in this way.
The following applies to all trains of the metronome Smoke- and Alcohol ban. Both bans are also enforced by the train attendants.
The trains of the Metronom Eisenbahngesellschaft are divided into quiet cars and non-quiet cars. It should be noted, however, that producing unnecessary noise such as playing music and sound carriers via loudspeakers is also prohibited outside of the quiet cars.
Taking bicycles with you
There is also the option of taking bicycles with you on the trains of the metronome. Transport is limited for reasons of space, but some series have very generous bicycle compartments. But apart from the usual peak times on weekends and during holiday periods, there are seldom problems because the offer is only used to a limited extent.
Mobility service
There is an extra entrance for wheelchair users in the control car. This is specially looked after by a train attendant. It is important that you register in advance to use this service.
fleet
The company does not have its own vehicles; all vehicles are leased. The locomotives operated are 27 TRAXX 160 AC electric locomotives from Bombardier for the electrified routes and 7 TRAXX 160 DE diesel locomotives for the non-electrified route to Cuxhaven. Only the fourth generation of the "Görlitz" type double-decker coaches are used. All cars are air-conditioned and modernly equipped. On every floor of a car there are also tables on which you can work on a laptop, for example.
The company operates two depots, one in Uelzen and one in Bremervörde. This is where the trains are serviced and cleaned. Both depots are new and modernly equipped.
