On 16 June 2020, the Bremen Senate approved the funding for the extension of Line 1 to Mittelshuchting. On the Bremen side, Line 1 will be extended by a total of 3.7 km from the current turning loop at the “Roland-Center” to “Huchtinger Heerstraße / Brüsseler Straße”. In the process, 14 traffic signal systems will be newly built or completely redesigned.
The BERNARD Gruppe, which has accompanied the project since 2010 with all preliminary traffic and feasibility studies, was commissioned with concept design, programming, tendering and site supervision for all traffic signal systems in 2020. In the course of implementation, additional detection units were installed to improve traffic capacity, traffic quality and public transport priority. Message exchanges (communication between the traffic signals) were also designed and the city’s advance signalling system was considered. For the conversion measures at the intersections, 8 different temporary traffic signals were developed in some cases. The coordination between civil engineering companies, traffic signal manufacturers, the Bremen tram company (Bremer Straßenbahn AG) and the Bremen Office for Roads and Traffic was part of the construction coordination and supervision. The extended line will enter service shortly. It is expected that the results of the traffic flow simulations will also be visible on site, resulting in broad acceptance and strong use of the new public transport service. What happens next? A recent decision provides for the extension of Line 8 from “Roland-Center” to the municipalities of Weyhe and Stuhr in Lower Saxony. The extension will be implemented along the existing BTE line (Bremen–Thedinghauser Eisenbahn), meaning the route alignment is already defined. In February 2026, BERNARD Gruppe was once again commissioned to plan the rail transport infrastructure, including a signal-controlled tram crossing.
Hendrik Pierer, BERNARD Gruppe
