Offenbach/Kassel (dpa/lhe) – Boarded-up windows and doors, peeling plaster: Many train stations in Hesse are empty and in need of renovation. In the summer, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would stop selling the buildings, after a large part had been sold in previous years, to local authorities and, above all, to private investors. In Hesse, the group still owns 41 station buildings, which are now to be developed in cooperation with the municipalities.
A railway spokeswoman named the train station in Niederwalgern (Marburg-Biedenkopf district), in Bad Vilbel Süd (Wetterau district) and in Dutenhofen (Wetzlar district) as examples. The aim is to create inviting buildings that people enjoy spending time in. Discussions were being held with politicians about funding opportunities.
In Frankfurt’s neighboring city of Offenbach, an initiative has been fighting for five years to revitalize the main station there, which is only used as a passage to the tracks and is otherwise empty.
In addition to vacancies and sadness, there are many examples of new uses as living space, restaurants or cultural venues – such as in Kassel. There the main station had lost its importance in 1991 with the expansion of the Wilhelmshöhe station to an ICE and long-distance train station. The railway kept the main station, which was completely renovated in 1995 and now functions as a cultural station with arthouse cinemas, galleries, studios, cabaret stages and restaurants.
