In December 2022, the Hof City Council passed a resolution in principle to relocate the central bus station to the main railway station. The current temporary solution at Sonnenplatz is neither user- nor operator-friendly and should therefore not remain in place permanently. A relocation to the main station offers the opportunity to better link different modes of transport (car, rail, bicycle, bus) and also to better connect regional transport with city transport. This will make switching to public transport more attractive. There is also enough space at the main station to create a modern, user-friendly and barrier-free mobility station for everyone.

The city of Hof has acquired the extensive area of the former post office and the adjoining parcel hall. This means that an important site in this development area is now in municipal ownership. The ZOB project is being driven forward in an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental manner at the town hall. The Civil Engineering, Urban Planning and Central Management departments are working closely together with Hof's public transport officer.

Current status

The relocation of the ZOB is a mammoth task, which therefore needs to be well planned and requires preparation and planning. The following steps have been and are currently being taken:

In May 2024, the Environment and Planning Committee discussed the findings to date and further planning for the central bus station at Hof's main railway station. The committee decided that the city administration should issue a tender for the preliminary planning services.

In the run-up to this, the city administration held talks with various stakeholders to involve them in the project at an early stage and to define the various requirements. These included the police, transport companies and Deutsche Bahn. The district's public transport officer was also involved in the preliminary discussions. In addition, comparable bus stations in Hanau, Regensburg and Amberg were visited. The discussions and visits yielded the following results:

• The land for the ZOB is owned by Deutsche Bahn, which has repeatedly confirmed its willingness and openness to the project.
• The new ZOB is to serve as a central mobility station and act as an interface between the different modes of transport, with a particular focus on accessibility and environmentally friendly modes of transport.
• An information center for timetable and ticket information as well as a platform allocation plan, which shows a clear allocation of local bus lines, regional bus lines and long-distance bus lines, are planned. In addition, accommodation and sanitary facilities must be created for employees of the transport companies.
• Alternative drive options and demand-responsive transportation are to be considered.
• A total of 16 bus platforms and 10 parking spaces for cabs are likely to be required, in addition to other facilities such as car-sharing services and bicycle parking.
• The ZOB is to be designed in such a way that the station forecourt is free of individual traffic, but traffic access and exit is guaranteed.

Based on the discussions, the city administration developed an initial interdisciplinary functional plan that shows which uses could be positioned where in the area around the main station. This functional planning will be put out to public tender to ensure that all traffic concerns are taken into account. The following points will be examined:

• Arrangement and design of the bus platforms (operational and functional linking of the bus stop areas)
• Traffic routing of motorized private transport, public transport, cab companies and local residents based on the functional planning
• Connection to adjacent streets
• Effects on the surrounding traffic network
• Capacity of the surrounding junctions

In addition to the points mentioned above, noise and tree protection will also be considered in the further process.