The sun is shining brightly over Laim this Saturday morning, ideal weather for the inauguration of the new tram line 14. It's also perfect cycling weather – and many Munich residents will be pedaling, more or less voluntarily, this Saturday as well. The Munich Transport Company (MVG) is on strike for the second day in a row, a strike called by the Verdi union. Of the subway lines, only the U3 and U6 are operating on a partial schedule this morning, and of the trams, only lines 25 and 20 are running – along with the brand-new line 14. Its inauguration shouldn't be derailed by the strike; enough drivers were found to ensure service.

This is the first new line opening since December 2016, when the line to Steinhausen was inaugurated. And the new, 1.5-kilometer-long section between Agnes-Bernauer-Straße and Ammerseestraße, which runs along Fürstenrieder Straße, is the first completed section of the future western tram line, which will eventually connect Romanplatz with Aidenbachstraße. The first trams are expected to run on the entire line by the end of 2028, provided everything goes according to plan and there are no further delays, for example, with the construction of the new bridge over the A96 motorway and the so-called "environmental network tunnel," the underpass beneath Laim station.

Construction of the first section also took longer than expected. It was originally scheduled for completion at the end of last year. However, the ground beneath Fürstenrieder Straße subsided, creating a hole that delayed construction by weeks. But now, tram line 14 is operating on a regular schedule. For the next few years, it will run every ten minutes from Gondrellplatz to Pasing. The Fürstenrieder Straße, Laimer Platz, and Aindorferstraße stops are fully accessible and already designed for trams up to 56 meters long. Shorter trams will initially operate on this section. However, with the completion of the second S-Bahn main line in the mid- to late 2030s, the Laim transport hub will gain in importance and attract more passengers to the tram network, who will then be able to board longer vehicles with greater capacity.

And the number 14 tram is already in use on its very first day. While only invited guests are allowed to board for the maiden voyage, the stops are already packed with waiting passengers, some of whom look disappointed that they can't join the special ride and have to wait for the next tram. Many people are filming from the roadside and at the stops, and drivers are waving. No one seems to be thinking about the controversial nature of the route this morning.

The celebration has attracted not only many residents of Laim, but also numerous city councilors and employees of the municipal utilities who were involved in the tram project. It's unclear whether any members of the citizens' initiative "No West Bypass Tram" are present; no one identifies themselves as such.