Smart, user-friendly and good for the environment: Those are the pillars of what the future of public transport in South Tyrol will look like. On a newly launched website dedicated to the initiative, South Tyrol Minister for Mobility Daniel Alfreider lists concrete measures and projects for the next ten years.
In a bid to invest in the future of local transport, the focus will be on emission-free vehicles, sustainably developing the so-called “last mile”, digitisation and a fair range of offers and services for both users and transport operators in line with EU criteria.
The strategy will be based on the provincial government’s new mobility plan, which sets out a list of strategic objectives and quality criteria for public transport and the necessary infrastructure networks.
2025 will see the completion of a first series of milestones: new mobility centres in Ponte d’Adige/Sigmundskron, Brunico/Bruneck and Bressanone/Brixen, the inauguration of the electrified railway line along the Venosta/Vinschgau valley, a new ticketing system with mobile ticketing services, a bike mobility plan including BikeBox parking facilities for bicycles, new trains and eco-friendly buses with low-floor access, an interregional online journey planner and timetable information system, plus many more new features. Another series of major construction projects are scheduled to be completed by 2025, too – among them the Virgolo/Virgl tunnel just outside the capital city and a brand-new train route through the Val Riga/Riggertal valley, which will directly link services running along the Pusteria/Pustertal valley with the Brennero/Brenner train line, considerably shortening journeys.
By 2030, the schedule will include an update of the provincial government’s mobility plan, a new mobility centre in San Candido/Innichen, a series of first projects for autonomous driving and a continued effort to convert the bus fleet to electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The goal is clear: Buses, trains and bicycles must be key elements in all future mobility designs – for the sake of the environment and to secure our quality of life in the long run.
Curious? Visit 2030.suedtirolmobil.info to explore the official mobility plan, individual projects and all the latest news and data (currently only available in Italian and German).