The plan follows a feasibility study undertaken last year following demand from local authorities and represents incremental change initially rather than a brand-new network.

From December 2024 increased half-hourly frequencies are planned on five core routes but only on weekdays during peak hours. Introduction of a full S-Bahn type service off-peak and at weekends is deferred to an as yet unspecified date after 2030.

Enhanced services are planned to start on the following five corridors from December 2024:

  • Regensburg to Landshut (on the line to Munich)
  • Regensburg to Schwandorf (on the line to Hof/Weiden)
  • Regensburg to Parsberg (on the line to Nuremberg)
  • Regensburg to Straubing (on the line to Passau), and
  • Regensburg to Saal (on the line to Ingolstadt).

Services on the five routes are currently shared between multiple operators and each route is electrified apart from the line to Schwandorf. Operation of the Regio S-Bahn service will be included as part of three larger operating concession contracts planned by the Bavarian government.

Additional stations are planned on some routes with interchanges to bus services. Other infrastructure improvements are required in some locations to support the introduction of extra services.

Development of the Regio S-Bahn network beyond 2030 will require increased infrastructure  capacity. The Bavarian Transport Ministry has highlighted multiple projects to achieve this, which have already been included in the national federal transport plan:

  • electrification and rebuilding the Obertraubling - Regensburg - Hof line
  • rebuilding routes to Schwandorf from both Regensburg and Nuremberg and north to the Czech border at Fuerth im Wald
  • rebuilding the Regensburg - Landshut line and southeast to Muehldorf, and
  • capacity enhancements on the Nuremberg - Regensburg - Passau line to permit additional stopping passenger trains. This route is already very busy with freight and long-distance passenger traffic.
Light rail

Separately, the city of Regensburg is pursuing plans to build a ‘Stadtbahn’ light rail network.

Plans to develop this into a tram-train network based on the Chemnitz model appear to have been replaced, for now at least, by the cheaper but more modest Regio S-Bahn proposals. Planning of a two-line light rail network entirely within the Regensburg city boundaries is underway.