Ambitious goals for Hamburg – an interview with Dr Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg Minister for Transport

November 27, 2024

The UITP Summit taking place on 15-18 June 2025 in Hamburg, Germany will provide guests from all over the world with an opportunity to see in-person the transformations happening in this ambitious city. There is much to discover, from metro automation and the construction of cycle lanes to the digital revolution.

One individual who has seen – and is driving – Hamburg’s transformation is Dr Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg’s Minister for Transport and the Mobility Transformation. He joined the Hamburg Senate in 2011 and has been in his current position since June 2020.

And the senator has ambitious goals for Hamburg’s mobility network.

Q: What is the state of public transport in Hamburg today?
Anjes Tjarks: We have a very well-developed public transport system, and we have ambitious goals to grow it from 24% to 30% public transport modal share. For this, we will open around 36 new train stations during the next 20 years. The second thing is we are, by European standards, very advanced in electrifying our bus fleet. We have electrified 24% of our buses and will reach 29% by the end of 2024.

Dr Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg’s Minister for Transport and the Mobility Transformation

Q: Let’s talk about the future. What is your and the authorities’ vision of the future of mobility in Hamburg?
Anjes Tjarks: So, we must organise public transport in a big city which also has rural areas and lots of single homes. For this, you need to cut the costs of the production of public transport per kilometre. And the way to do it is to invest in automated vehicles… the question is also about the internal organisation of public transport companies. It’s the whole digital integration. The second thing is that we are working on a data strategy. While public transport is mass transportation, the question is how can we personalise the journey and experience? This is data-driven and other industries are more advanced. It is not only Hamburg’s issue; a lot of cities face this.

Discover more insights

What are the challenges to Hamburg’s vision and goals? What can other cities learn from Hamburg? In our interview, Anjes Tjarks shares insights on these topics and more, from first/last mile connectivity, the state of cycling in Hamburg, and the key to successful stakeholder collaboration.

Read the full interview with Dr Anjes Tjarks in UITP’s latest report! 

Report cover - The Future of Mobility is in Hamburg

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