Senate Experts Warned: Berlin's Planned Maglev Is Twice as Expensive as a Tram

Internal files obtained by Berliner Zeitung reveal that Berlin Senate transportation experts warned as early as 2026 that Transport Senator Ute Bonde's (CDU) preferred magnetic-levitation rail project to Siemensstadt Square was 'acutely endangered' and could jeopardise an entire new urban quarter. The experts calculated the maglev at between 592 and 888 million euros for the route, against just 300 million euros for the 13-kilometre tram that had already been planned but was cancelled by the CDU-led Senate. The cost per kilometre of the maglev (45.5–68.3 million euros) would be two to three times that of the tram (23.1 million euros). More than 17,000 homes planned along the tram corridor in Spandau alone could be delayed or cancelled if no rail connection materialises in time. The documents also flag that the maglev technology lacks proven large-scale construction methods, faces unclear long-term maintenance costs, consumes more electricity than a tram, and occupies the same street space as the rejected option. The BUND environmental organisation and several planning experts called the Senate's decision to abandon the tram in favour of the costlier maglev politically motivated.