https://www.egtre.info/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Ken+Romford&feedformat=atomEGTRE - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T13:30:42ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.41.0https://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55516Germany (Baden-Württemberg) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-28T15:28:23Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
===Mannheim-Waldhof – Mannheim Hbf (via Mannheim-Käfertal)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 53C2-53C1; ERA-R 111A2-111B2; S+W ''159A1-159A2'') DE24/601<br />
<br />
Most trains between Mannheim-Waldhof and Mannheim Hbf run via Mannheim-Luzenberg. However, several weekday ''S8'' trains run via Mannheim-Käfertal. <br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim via Biblis, this route will not be served between 1 and 19 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38767<br />
| Biblis – 06:39 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38769<br />
| Biblis – 07:36 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38771<br />
| Biblis – 08:38 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38773<br />
| Biblis – 17:20 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38775<br />
| Biblis – 18:28 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38777<br />
| Biblis – 19:31 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38766 <br />
| 05:11 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38768<br />
| 06:13 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38770<br />
| Mainz Hbf – 07:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38774<br />
| 17:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38776<br />
| Groß Rohrheim – 18:12 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Not 1-19 January or 16 July - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
A permanent hourly ''S-Bahn'' service is planned to run via this route from 2026, whereupon this entry will be removed. <br />
<br />
The ''TGV'' and ''ICE'' trains between Frankfurt am Main and Paris via Saarbrücken and the ''Nightjet'' services ''NJ424/425'' between Berlin and Bruxelles also run via Mannheim-Käfertal in order to avoid reversal at Mannheim Hbf. This does not occur on certain dates, including during the closures of the ''Riedbahn'' between 1 and 19 January and 16 July and 14 December 2024.<br />
<br />
In addition, the following ''ICE'' service runs this way and reverses at Mannheim Hbf on certain days.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE775<br />
| Berlin-Gesundbrunnen - 23:24 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf - Karlsruhe Hbf / Basel Bad Bf (MO)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 22 January - 29 February 2024<br />
<br />
===Appenweier – Legelshurst (Appenweier Kurve)===<br />
[719] (ERA-E 58B4; ERA-R 117C5; S+W ''102C1'') DE24/602<br />
<br />
This north to west curve forms part of the triangular junction between the Karlsruhe – Basel main line and the line to Kehl and Strasbourg. It is used by through trains between Karlsruhe and Strasbourg, which are <br />
<br />
*''TGV/ICE'' between Paris and Stuttgart<br />
*''TGV/ICE'' between Paris or Marseille and Frankfurt am Main via Karlsruhe.<br />
<br />
Local trains between Kehl and Offenburg stopping at Appenweier use platform 9 on the south curve. <br />
<br />
===Ubstadt-Weiher (Abzw Ubstadt) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)===<br />
[771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161B1'') DE24/603<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Heidelberg to Karlsruhe main line with the Mannheim to Stuttgart ''Schnellfahrstrecke''. It is used by frequent ''EC/IC/ICE/RJX'' trains non-stop between Heidelberg Hbf or Wiesloch-Walldorf and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Bruchsal (Abzw Bruchsal Nord) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)===<br />
[770, 771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161B1'') DE24/604<br />
<br />
This south to east curve connects the Heidelberg to Karlsruhe main line with the Mannheim to Stuttgart'' Schnellfahrstrecke''. It is used by ''EC/IC/ICE/TGV'' trains non-stop between Karlsruhe Hbf or Bruchsal and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Bruchsal – Bruchsal Tunnelstraße (Abzw Bruchsal Ost)===<br />
[771] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161A2-161B2'') DE24/605<br />
<br />
There are two routes into Bruchsal from Abzw Bruchsal Ost. The 'long curve' (''Strecke'' 4131) can only be accessed from Platforms 4 and 5 at Bruchsal. All platforms can be accessed from the 'short curve' (''Strecke'' 4130).<br />
<br />
All trains to and from the Bretten line now run to and from Bruchsal only and mainly arrive and depart from platform 2b or bay platform 6, which is adjacent to platform 1, so must use the 'short curve'. <br />
<br />
''RE17b'' trains to Mühlacker departing at 30 minutes past each even hour between 09:30 and 21:30 leave from platform 5b so can be expected to use the 'long curve' to avoid conflicting with ''RE73'' departures towards Karlsruhe which are booked to depart platform 4 at the same time. The exception to the pattern is the 11:28 (rather than 11:30) service which has been reported to use either curve. Note that the 19:30 departure runs MTWX except between 11 December 2023 and 15 January 2024, when it runs daily.<br />
<br />
The following ''RE17b'' trains, departing from Bretten at the times shown, arrive in platform 5b so '''may''' use the 'long curve':<br />
07:14 SX, 18:16 daily and 20:16 MTWX (daily 11 December 2023 - 15 January 2024)<br />
<br />
===Enzberg (Abzw Mühlacker Süd) – Ötisheim (Abzw Mühlacker Nord)===<br />
[772] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B3; S+W ''94A2'') DE24/606<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the Pforzheim and Bretten lines, avoiding Mühlacker, and is used on Sundays and public holidays from 1 May to 20 October 2024 by trains between Pforzheim Hbf and Maulbronn Stadt/Kloster shown in ''Kursbuch'' Table 772.<br />
<br />
*From Pforzheim Hbf: 10:32, 13:32, 16:32<br />
*From Maulbronn West: 11:09, 16:08, 17:08<br />
<br />
===Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße – KIT-Campus Nord===<br />
[710.1 not shown] (ERA-E 58C5 not shown; ERA-R 82A1; S+W ''160C2'') DE24/607<br />
<br />
This branch off the ''S1/S11'' Hochstetten line of the ''Albtalbahn'' is used by services for workers at KIT Campus, part of ''Karlsruher Institut für Technologie''. Although trains to and from KIT-Campus Nord are shown in the [https://www.kvv.de/fahrplan/fahrplaene/fahrplantabelle.html KVV timetable, downloadable as a PDF], note '''C''' states that entry to the establishment is permitted only with an official identification card. <br />
<br />
Reports indicate that passengers without authority to enter the complex will be removed from the train at a makeshift concrete platform in the woods outside the perimeter fence, and collected on the train's return.<br />
<br />
However on 17 June 2023, as part of "''Tag der offenen Tür''" (Open Doors Day), the Institute was open to the general public between 10:00 and 19:00. A shuttle ''S-Bahn'' service ran from Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße to the Campus. If a similar event is organised for 2024, details will be added here.<br />
<br />
=== Laupheim Stadt avoiding line: Laupheim West – Schemmerberg===<br />
[751] (ERA-E 59B3; ERA-R 119A4; S+W ''105A3'') DE24/608<br />
<br />
The Laupheim Stadt branch is connected to the Ulm – Friedrichshafen main line by a triangular junction at Laupheim West. Through services calling at Laupheim Stadt use the north and south curves whereas those not calling at Laupheim Stadt use the main line avoiding the branch. For most of the day there is an hourly service in each direction via Laupheim Stadt and three trains each hour (two at weekends) between Ulm and Biberach (Riß) direct.<br />
<br />
=== Ettlingen West – Ettlingen Erbprinz===<br />
[710.1] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B1; S+W ''161B4'') DE24/609 <br />
<br />
This line links the the DB Karlsruhe – Rastatt line with the AVG-operated ''Albtalbahn'' to Bad Herrenalb at Ettlingen. It is used by the following services on Sundays and public holidays only.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S85699 / S FEX<br />
| Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden) – Karlsruhe Hbf – 09:24 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S85697 / S FEX<br />
| Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden) – Karlsruhe Hbf – 16:24 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S FEX / S85696<br />
| Bad Herrenalb – 10:25 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden)<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S FEX / S85698<br />
| Bad Herrenalb – 17:25 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''Note'': These trains run as ''S FEX'' between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb and as ''S31/S32'' between Karlsruhe Hbf and Odenheim / Menzingen respectively.<br />
<br />
[http://www.uef-dampf.de/-ettlingen/ Ulmer Eisenbahnfreunde] operate a number of steam excursions between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb which also use this connection. These run approximately monthly, May to October.<br />
<br />
=== Schlatt (Hohenz.) (Walkenmühle) – Hechingen Landesbahn===<br />
[768] (ERA-E 59A4; ERA-R 118B4; S+W ''104A2'') DE24/610<br />
<br />
Trains to and from Gammertingen use the DB station at Hechingen except for: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| HzL86309<br />
| 06:59 Hechingen Landesbahn - Gammertingen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| HzL86344<br />
| Sigmaringen - 20x45 Schlatt (Hohenz) - Hechingen Landesbahn<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Schliengen – Haltingen===<br />
[702] (ERA-E 58A2-58B2; ERA-R 117B2; S+W ''110A2-110A3'') DE24/611<br />
<br />
Trains with no stops between Müllheim (Baden) and Weil am Rhein run via the new Katzenberg Tunnel. These are mainly ''EC/IC/ICE'' trains non-stop between Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf and Basel Bad Bf, and certain ''RE7'' trains. Stopping trains (''RB27'' and slower ''RE7'' services) follow the old main line via Bad Bellingen.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
Diversions in the Stuttgart area are particularly likely while Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof is being rebuilt.<br />
<br />
===Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen===<br />
[750, 770] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown; ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B1-168B2'') DE24/631 <br />
<br />
This route enables enables trains to run between the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Mannheim and the line to Ulm without reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. Diversions this way are indicated by calls at Stuttgart Hbf being omitted. Note that the eastbound and westbound lines are quite widely separated at the Zazenhausen end.<br />
<br />
Between 15 March and 4 April 2024, '''certain''' ''IC/ICE'' trains between Mannheim, Karlsruhe or Heidelberg and Ulm are diverted this way, calling at Esslingen (Neckar) instead of Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| WThO<br />
| ICE561<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 06:16 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| TSSuX<br />
| RJX897<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 07:04 Wiesloch-Walldorf – Flughafen Wien<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC217<br />
| Saarbrücken Hbf – 07:11 Mannheim Hbf – Graz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE267<br />
| Basel SBB – 08:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICE913<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 08:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC113<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 09:13 Heidelberg Hbf – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE563<br />
| Saarbrücken Hbf – 10:02 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE915<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 10:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE115<br />
| Köln Hbf – 11:37 Vaihingen (Enz) – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE565<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 12:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
|<br />
| ICE119<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:06 Heidelberg Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE917<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 12:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC219<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 13:13/13:15 Heidelberg Hbf – Graz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE567<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 14:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE117<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 15:13/15:16 Heidelberg Hbf – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1011<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 16:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1291<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:13/17:15 Heidelberg Hbf – Salzburg Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE1069<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 18:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| TWThO<br />
| TGV9577<br />
| Paris Est – 18:28 Karlsruhe Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1211<br />
| Berlin Hbf – 18:30 Mannheim Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1013<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 18:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MWThO<br />
| ICE1099<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 19:13/19:16 Heidelberg Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| TGV9579<br />
| Paris Est – 20:27 Karlsruhe Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1015<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 20:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| ThFO<br />
| ICE1098<br />
| München Hbf – 07:59 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICE1012<br />
| München Hbf – 08:25 Esslingen (Neckar) – Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| ThFO<br />
| TGV9576<br />
| München Hbf – 08:55 Esslingen (Neckar) – Paris Est<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1296<br />
| Salzburg Hbf – 09:52 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1010<br />
| München Hbf – 10:25 Esslingen (Neckar) – Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE568<br />
| München Hbf – 10:56/10:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1290<br />
| Salzburg Hbf – 11:51/11:57/12:07 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE918<br />
| München Hbf – 12:25/12:27 Esslingen (Neckar) – Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1218<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 12:37 Esslingen (Neckar) – Berlin Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE566<br />
| München Hbf – 12:56/12:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC218<br />
| Graz Hbf – 13:57/14:08 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE118<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 14:53 Esslingen (Neckar) – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE564<br />
| München Hbf – 14:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE114<br />
| Klagenfurt Hbf – 15:57 Esslingen (Neckar) – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE914<br />
| München Hbf – 16:27 Esslingen (Neckar) – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE562<br />
| München Hbf – 16:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC112<br />
| Klagenfurt Hbf – 17:56 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE912<br />
| München Hbf – 18:26 Esslingen (Neckar) – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE266<br />
| München Hbf – 18:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC216<br />
| Graz Hbf – 19:53/19:56 Esslingen (Neckar) – Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| RJX860<br />
| Flughafen Wien/Bregenz – 20:03 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE910<br />
| München Hbf – 20:26 Esslingen (Neckar) – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE560<br />
| München Hbf – 20:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Ludwigsburg – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen via Kornwestheim Rbf===<br />
[790.11] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown); ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B1-168B2'') DE24/632<br />
<br />
The weekday peak-time ''RB11'' services between Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and Kornwestheim Pbf are sometimes diverted via Kornwestheim Rbf (Rangierbahnhof / marshalling yard) omitting the call at Kornwestheim and running to and from Ludwigsburg.<br />
<br />
===Stuttgart Nürnberger Straße – Stuttgart-Untertürkheim===<br />
[750, 785, 786] (ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4-111B4; S+W ''168C2-168C3'') DE24/633<br />
<br />
This route enables trains to run between the Ulm and Aalen lines without reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. It is very rarely used by passenger trains but was used in March, June and July 2023 by the two-hourly ''IC'' services between Karlsruhe and Nürnberg (and v.v.) which ran via Stuttgart Langes Feld – Zazenhausen (DE24/631) to Esslingen (Neckar) and reversed there to travel via this curve towards Crailsheim.<br />
<br />
===Stuttgart-Feuerbach (Abzw Stuttgart Nord Rbf) – Stuttgart-Vaihingen (Stuttgart Hbf Em Nord)===<br />
(ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B2'') DE24/634<br />
<br />
This curve via Stuttgart Nord Gbf connects the ''S-Bahn'' line from Stuttgart-Feuerbach with the ''Gäubahn'' towards Horb, avoiding Stuttgart Hbf. An additional ''S15'' service between Bietigheim-Bissingen and Böblingen was scheduled during recent years as a result of extensive "Stuttgart-21" engineering works but the service did not run as often as expected owing to staff and rolling stock shortages.<br />
<br />
===Beimerstetten (Ulm Hbf Em Nord) – Ulm Rbf===<br />
[750] (ERA-E 59B4; ERA-R 119B4; S+W ''163C2-163D2'') DE24/635<br />
<br />
This route enables trains to run between the Stuttgart line and Ulm Rbf (adjacent to the line to Sigmaringen) without reversal at Ulm Hbf and is very rarely used by passenger services, however occasionally in the last few years ''IRE'' and ''RB'' trains between Ulm and Stuttgart have been diverted via Ulm Rbf, where they reversed.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55515Germany (Baden-Württemberg) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-28T15:21:34Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen */ final update Mar 24</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
===Mannheim-Waldhof – Mannheim Hbf (via Mannheim-Käfertal)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 53C2-53C1; ERA-R 111A2-111B2; S+W ''159A1-159A2'') DE24/601<br />
<br />
Most trains between Mannheim-Waldhof and Mannheim Hbf run via Mannheim-Luzenberg. However, several weekday ''S8'' trains run via Mannheim-Käfertal. <br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim via Biblis, this route will not be served between 1 and 19 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38767<br />
| Biblis – 06:39 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38769<br />
| Biblis – 07:36 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38771<br />
| Biblis – 08:38 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38773<br />
| Biblis – 17:20 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38775<br />
| Biblis – 18:28 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38777<br />
| Biblis – 19:31 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38766 <br />
| 05:11 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38768<br />
| 06:13 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38770<br />
| Mainz Hbf – 07:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38774<br />
| 17:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38776<br />
| Groß Rohrheim – 18:12 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Not 1-19 January or 16 July - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
A permanent hourly ''S-Bahn'' service is planned to run via this route from 2026, whereupon this entry will be removed. <br />
<br />
The ''TGV'' and ''ICE'' trains between Frankfurt am Main and Paris via Saarbrücken and the ''Nightjet'' services ''NJ424/425'' between Berlin and Bruxelles also run via Mannheim-Käfertal in order to avoid reversal at Mannheim Hbf. This does not occur on certain dates, including during the closures of the ''Riedbahn'' between 1 and 19 January and 16 July and 14 December 2024.<br />
<br />
In addition, the following ''ICE'' service runs this way and reverses at Mannheim Hbf on certain days.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE775<br />
| Berlin-Gesundbrunnen - 23:24 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf - Karlsruhe Hbf / Basel Bad Bf (MO)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 22 January - 29 February 2024<br />
<br />
===Appenweier – Legelshurst (Appenweier Kurve)===<br />
[719] (ERA-E 58B4; ERA-R 117C5; S+W ''102C1'') DE24/602<br />
<br />
This north to west curve forms part of the triangular junction between the Karlsruhe – Basel main line and the line to Kehl and Strasbourg. It is used by through trains between Karlsruhe and Strasbourg, which are <br />
<br />
*''TGV/ICE'' between Paris and Stuttgart<br />
*''TGV/ICE'' between Paris or Marseille and Frankfurt am Main via Karlsruhe.<br />
<br />
Local trains between Kehl and Offenburg stopping at Appenweier use platform 9 on the south curve. <br />
<br />
===Ubstadt-Weiher (Abzw Ubstadt) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)===<br />
[771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161B1'') DE24/603<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Heidelberg to Karlsruhe main line with the Mannheim to Stuttgart ''Schnellfahrstrecke''. It is used by frequent ''EC/IC/ICE/RJX'' trains non-stop between Heidelberg Hbf or Wiesloch-Walldorf and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Bruchsal (Abzw Bruchsal Nord) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)===<br />
[770, 771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161B1'') DE24/604<br />
<br />
This south to east curve connects the Heidelberg to Karlsruhe main line with the Mannheim to Stuttgart'' Schnellfahrstrecke''. It is used by ''EC/IC/ICE/TGV'' trains non-stop between Karlsruhe Hbf or Bruchsal and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Bruchsal – Bruchsal Tunnelstraße (Abzw Bruchsal Ost)===<br />
[771] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161A2-161B2'') DE24/605<br />
<br />
There are two routes into Bruchsal from Abzw Bruchsal Ost. The 'long curve' (''Strecke'' 4131) can only be accessed from Platforms 4 and 5 at Bruchsal. All platforms can be accessed from the 'short curve' (''Strecke'' 4130).<br />
<br />
All trains to and from the Bretten line now run to and from Bruchsal only and mainly arrive and depart from platform 2b or bay platform 6, which is adjacent to platform 1, so must use the 'short curve'. <br />
<br />
''RE17b'' trains to Mühlacker departing at 30 minutes past each even hour between 09:30 and 21:30 leave from platform 5b so can be expected to use the 'long curve' to avoid conflicting with ''RE73'' departures towards Karlsruhe which are booked to depart platform 4 at the same time. The exception to the pattern is the 11:28 (rather than 11:30) service which has been reported to use either curve. Note that the 19:30 departure runs MTWX except between 11 December 2023 and 15 January 2024, when it runs daily.<br />
<br />
The following ''RE17b'' trains, departing from Bretten at the times shown, arrive in platform 5b so '''may''' use the 'long curve':<br />
07:14 SX, 18:16 daily and 20:16 MTWX (daily 11 December 2023 - 15 January 2024)<br />
<br />
===Enzberg (Abzw Mühlacker Süd) – Ötisheim (Abzw Mühlacker Nord)===<br />
[772] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B3; S+W ''94A2'') DE24/606<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the Pforzheim and Bretten lines, avoiding Mühlacker, and is used on Sundays and public holidays from 1 May to 20 October 2024 by trains between Pforzheim Hbf and Maulbronn Stadt/Kloster shown in ''Kursbuch'' Table 772.<br />
<br />
*From Pforzheim Hbf: 10:32, 13:32, 16:32<br />
*From Maulbronn West: 11:09, 16:08, 17:08<br />
<br />
===Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße – KIT-Campus Nord===<br />
[710.1 not shown] (ERA-E 58C5 not shown; ERA-R 82A1; S+W ''160C2'') DE24/607<br />
<br />
This branch off the ''S1/S11'' Hochstetten line of the ''Albtalbahn'' is used by services for workers at KIT Campus, part of ''Karlsruher Institut für Technologie''. Although trains to and from KIT-Campus Nord are shown in the [https://www.kvv.de/fahrplan/fahrplaene/fahrplantabelle.html KVV timetable, downloadable as a PDF], note '''C''' states that entry to the establishment is permitted only with an official identification card. <br />
<br />
Reports indicate that passengers without authority to enter the complex will be removed from the train at a makeshift concrete platform in the woods outside the perimeter fence, and collected on the train's return.<br />
<br />
However on 17 June 2023, as part of "''Tag der offenen Tür''" (Open Doors Day), the Institute was open to the general public between 10:00 and 19:00. A shuttle ''S-Bahn'' service ran from Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße to the Campus. If a similar event is organised for 2024, details will be added here.<br />
<br />
=== Laupheim Stadt avoiding line: Laupheim West – Schemmerberg===<br />
[751] (ERA-E 59B3; ERA-R 119A4; S+W ''105A3'') DE24/608<br />
<br />
The Laupheim Stadt branch is connected to the Ulm – Friedrichshafen main line by a triangular junction at Laupheim West. Through services calling at Laupheim Stadt use the north and south curves whereas those not calling at Laupheim Stadt use the main line avoiding the branch. For most of the day there is an hourly service in each direction via Laupheim Stadt and three trains each hour (two at weekends) between Ulm and Biberach (Riß) direct.<br />
<br />
=== Ettlingen West – Ettlingen Erbprinz===<br />
[710.1] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B1; S+W ''161B4'') DE24/609 <br />
<br />
This line links the the DB Karlsruhe – Rastatt line with the AVG-operated ''Albtalbahn'' to Bad Herrenalb at Ettlingen. It is used by the following services on Sundays and public holidays only.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S85699 / S FEX<br />
| Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden) – Karlsruhe Hbf – 09:24 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S85697 / S FEX<br />
| Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden) – Karlsruhe Hbf – 16:24 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S FEX / S85696<br />
| Bad Herrenalb – 10:25 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden)<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S FEX / S85698<br />
| Bad Herrenalb – 17:25 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''Note'': These trains run as ''S FEX'' between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb and as ''S31/S32'' between Karlsruhe Hbf and Odenheim / Menzingen respectively.<br />
<br />
[http://www.uef-dampf.de/-ettlingen/ Ulmer Eisenbahnfreunde] operate a number of steam excursions between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb which also use this connection. These run approximately monthly, May to October.<br />
<br />
=== Schlatt (Hohenz.) (Walkenmühle) – Hechingen Landesbahn===<br />
[768] (ERA-E 59A4; ERA-R 118B4; S+W ''104A2'') DE24/610<br />
<br />
Trains to and from Gammertingen use the DB station at Hechingen except for: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| HzL86309<br />
| 06:59 Hechingen Landesbahn - Gammertingen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| HzL86344<br />
| Sigmaringen - 20x45 Schlatt (Hohenz) - Hechingen Landesbahn<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Schliengen – Haltingen===<br />
[702] (ERA-E 58A2-58B2; ERA-R 117B2; S+W ''110A2-110A3'') DE24/611<br />
<br />
Trains with no stops between Müllheim (Baden) and Weil am Rhein run via the new Katzenberg Tunnel. These are mainly ''EC/IC/ICE'' trains non-stop between Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf and Basel Bad Bf, and certain ''RE7'' trains. Stopping trains (''RB27'' and slower ''RE7'' services) follow the old main line via Bad Bellingen.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
Diversions in the Stuttgart area are particularly likely while Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof is being rebuilt.<br />
<br />
===Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen===<br />
[750, 770] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown; ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B1-168B2'') DE24/631 <br />
<br />
This route enables enables trains to run between the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Mannheim and the line to Ulm without reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. Diversions this way are indicated by calls at Stuttgart Hbf being omitted. Note that the eastbound and westbound lines are quite widely separated at the Zazenhausen end.<br />
<br />
Between 15 March and 4 April 2024, '''certain''' ''IC/ICE'' trains between Mannheim, Karlsruhe or Heidelberg and Ulm are diverted this way, calling at Esslingen (Neckar) instead of Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| WThO<br />
| ICE561<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 06:16 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| TSSuX<br />
| RJX897<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 07:04 Wiesloch-Walldorf – Flughafen Wien<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC217<br />
| Saarbrücken Hbf – 07:11 Mannheim Hbf – Graz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE267<br />
| Basel SBB – 08:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICE913<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 08:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC113<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 09:13 Heidelberg Hbf – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE563<br />
| Saarbrücken Hbf – 10:02 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE915<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 10:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE115<br />
| Köln Hbf – 11:37 Vaihingen (Enz) – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE565<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 12:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
|<br />
| ICE119<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:06 Heidelberg Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE917<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 12:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC219<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 13:13/13:15 Heidelberg Hbf – Graz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE567<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 14:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE117<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 15:13/15:16 Heidelberg Hbf – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1011<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 16:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1291<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:13/17:15 Heidelberg Hbf – Salzburg Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE1069<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 18:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| TWThO<br />
| TGV9577<br />
| Paris Est – 18:28 Karlsruhe Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1211<br />
| Berlin Hbf – 18:30 Mannheim Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1013<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 18:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MWThO<br />
| ICE1099<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 19:13/19:16 Heidelberg Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| TGV9579<br />
| Paris Est – 20:27 Karlsruhe Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1015<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 20:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| ThFO?<br />
| ICE1098<br />
| München Hbf – 07:59 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICE1012<br />
| München Hbf – 08:25 Esslingen (Neckar) – Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| ThFO?<br />
| TGV9576<br />
| München Hbf – 08:55 Esslingen (Neckar) – Paris Est<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1296<br />
| Salzburg Hbf – 09:52 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1010<br />
| München Hbf – 10:25 Esslingen (Neckar) – Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE568<br />
| München Hbf – 10:56/10:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1290<br />
| Salzburg Hbf – 11:51/11:57/12:07 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE918<br />
| München Hbf – 12:25/12:27 Esslingen (Neckar) – Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1218<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 12:37 Esslingen (Neckar) – Berlin Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE566<br />
| München Hbf – 12:56/12:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC218<br />
| Graz Hbf – 13:57/14:08 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE118<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 14:53 Esslingen (Neckar) – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE564<br />
| München Hbf – 14:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE114<br />
| Klagenfurt Hbf – 15:57 Esslingen (Neckar) – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE914<br />
| München Hbf – 16:27 Esslingen (Neckar) – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE562<br />
| München Hbf – 16:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC112<br />
| Klagenfurt Hbf – 17:56 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE912<br />
| München Hbf – 18:26 Esslingen (Neckar) – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE266<br />
| München Hbf – 18:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC216<br />
| Graz Hbf – 19:53/19:56 Esslingen (Neckar) – Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| RJX860<br />
| Flughafen Wien/Bregenz – 20:03 Esslingen (Neckar) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE910<br />
| München Hbf – 20:26 Esslingen (Neckar) – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE560<br />
| München Hbf – 20:58 Esslingen (Neckar) – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Ludwigsburg – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen via Kornwestheim Rbf===<br />
[790.11] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown); ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B1-168B2'') DE24/632<br />
<br />
The weekday peak-time ''RB11'' services between Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and Kornwestheim Pbf are sometimes diverted via Kornwestheim Rbf (Rangierbahnhof / marshalling yard) omitting the call at Kornwestheim and running to and from Ludwigsburg.<br />
<br />
===Stuttgart Nürnberger Straße – Stuttgart-Untertürkheim===<br />
[750, 785, 786] (ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4-111B4; S+W ''168C2-168C3'') DE24/633<br />
<br />
This route enables trains to run between the Ulm and Aalen lines without reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. It is very rarely used by passenger trains but was used in March, June and July 2023 by the two-hourly ''IC'' services between Karlsruhe and Nürnberg (and v.v.) which ran via Stuttgart Langes Feld – Zazenhausen (DE24/631) to Esslingen (Neckar) and reversed there to travel via this curve towards Crailsheim.<br />
<br />
===Stuttgart-Feuerbach (Abzw Stuttgart Nord Rbf) – Stuttgart-Vaihingen (Stuttgart Hbf Em Nord)===<br />
(ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B2'') DE24/634<br />
<br />
This curve via Stuttgart Nord Gbf connects the ''S-Bahn'' line from Stuttgart-Feuerbach with the ''Gäubahn'' towards Horb, avoiding Stuttgart Hbf. An additional ''S15'' service between Bietigheim-Bissingen and Böblingen was scheduled during recent years as a result of extensive "Stuttgart-21" engineering works but the service did not run as often as expected owing to staff and rolling stock shortages.<br />
<br />
===Beimerstetten (Ulm Hbf Em Nord) – Ulm Rbf===<br />
[750] (ERA-E 59B4; ERA-R 119B4; S+W ''163C2-163D2'') DE24/635<br />
<br />
This route enables trains to run between the Stuttgart line and Ulm Rbf (adjacent to the line to Sigmaringen) without reversal at Ulm Hbf and is very rarely used by passenger services, however occasionally in the last few years ''IRE'' and ''RB'' trains between Ulm and Stuttgart have been diverted via Ulm Rbf, where they reversed.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55511Germany (Baden-Württemberg) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-27T16:38:52Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen */ use in March/April 2024</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
===Mannheim-Waldhof – Mannheim Hbf (via Mannheim-Käfertal)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 53C2-53C1; ERA-R 111A2-111B2; S+W ''159A1-159A2'') DE24/601<br />
<br />
Most trains between Mannheim-Waldhof and Mannheim Hbf run via Mannheim-Luzenberg. However, several weekday ''S8'' trains run via Mannheim-Käfertal. <br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim via Biblis, this route will not be served between 1 and 19 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38767<br />
| Biblis – 06:39 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38769<br />
| Biblis – 07:36 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38771<br />
| Biblis – 08:38 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38773<br />
| Biblis – 17:20 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38775<br />
| Biblis – 18:28 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38777<br />
| Biblis – 19:31 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38766 <br />
| 05:11 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38768<br />
| 06:13 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38770<br />
| Mainz Hbf – 07:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX <br />
| S38774<br />
| 17:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S38776<br />
| Groß Rohrheim – 18:12 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Not 1-19 January or 16 July - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
A permanent hourly ''S-Bahn'' service is planned to run via this route from 2026, whereupon this entry will be removed. <br />
<br />
The ''TGV'' and ''ICE'' trains between Frankfurt am Main and Paris via Saarbrücken and the ''Nightjet'' services ''NJ424/425'' between Berlin and Bruxelles also run via Mannheim-Käfertal in order to avoid reversal at Mannheim Hbf. This does not occur on certain dates, including during the closures of the ''Riedbahn'' between 1 and 19 January and 16 July and 14 December 2024.<br />
<br />
In addition, the following ''ICE'' service runs this way and reverses at Mannheim Hbf on certain days.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE775<br />
| Berlin-Gesundbrunnen - 23:24 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf - Karlsruhe Hbf / Basel Bad Bf (MO)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 22 January - 29 February 2024<br />
<br />
===Appenweier – Legelshurst (Appenweier Kurve)===<br />
[719] (ERA-E 58B4; ERA-R 117C5; S+W ''102C1'') DE24/602<br />
<br />
This north to west curve forms part of the triangular junction between the Karlsruhe – Basel main line and the line to Kehl and Strasbourg. It is used by through trains between Karlsruhe and Strasbourg, which are <br />
<br />
*''TGV/ICE'' between Paris and Stuttgart<br />
*''TGV/ICE'' between Paris or Marseille and Frankfurt am Main via Karlsruhe.<br />
<br />
Local trains between Kehl and Offenburg stopping at Appenweier use platform 9 on the south curve. <br />
<br />
===Ubstadt-Weiher (Abzw Ubstadt) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)===<br />
[771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161B1'') DE24/603<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Heidelberg to Karlsruhe main line with the Mannheim to Stuttgart ''Schnellfahrstrecke''. It is used by frequent ''EC/IC/ICE/RJX'' trains non-stop between Heidelberg Hbf or Wiesloch-Walldorf and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Bruchsal (Abzw Bruchsal Nord) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)===<br />
[770, 771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161B1'') DE24/604<br />
<br />
This south to east curve connects the Heidelberg to Karlsruhe main line with the Mannheim to Stuttgart'' Schnellfahrstrecke''. It is used by ''EC/IC/ICE/TGV'' trains non-stop between Karlsruhe Hbf or Bruchsal and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Bruchsal – Bruchsal Tunnelstraße (Abzw Bruchsal Ost)===<br />
[771] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W ''161A2-161B2'') DE24/605<br />
<br />
There are two routes into Bruchsal from Abzw Bruchsal Ost. The 'long curve' (''Strecke'' 4131) can only be accessed from Platforms 4 and 5 at Bruchsal. All platforms can be accessed from the 'short curve' (''Strecke'' 4130).<br />
<br />
All trains to and from the Bretten line now run to and from Bruchsal only and mainly arrive and depart from platform 2b or bay platform 6, which is adjacent to platform 1, so must use the 'short curve'. <br />
<br />
''RE17b'' trains to Mühlacker departing at 30 minutes past each even hour between 09:30 and 21:30 leave from platform 5b so can be expected to use the 'long curve' to avoid conflicting with ''RE73'' departures towards Karlsruhe which are booked to depart platform 4 at the same time. The exception to the pattern is the 11:28 (rather than 11:30) service which has been reported to use either curve. Note that the 19:30 departure runs MTWX except between 11 December 2023 and 15 January 2024, when it runs daily.<br />
<br />
The following ''RE17b'' trains, departing from Bretten at the times shown, arrive in platform 5b so '''may''' use the 'long curve':<br />
07:14 SX, 18:16 daily and 20:16 MTWX (daily 11 December 2023 - 15 January 2024)<br />
<br />
===Enzberg (Abzw Mühlacker Süd) – Ötisheim (Abzw Mühlacker Nord)===<br />
[772] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B3; S+W ''94A2'') DE24/606<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the Pforzheim and Bretten lines, avoiding Mühlacker, and is used on Sundays and public holidays from 1 May to 20 October 2024 by trains between Pforzheim Hbf and Maulbronn Stadt/Kloster shown in ''Kursbuch'' Table 772.<br />
<br />
*From Pforzheim Hbf: 10:32, 13:32, 16:32<br />
*From Maulbronn West: 11:09, 16:08, 17:08<br />
<br />
===Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße – KIT-Campus Nord===<br />
[710.1 not shown] (ERA-E 58C5 not shown; ERA-R 82A1; S+W ''160C2'') DE24/607<br />
<br />
This branch off the ''S1/S11'' Hochstetten line of the ''Albtalbahn'' is used by services for workers at KIT Campus, part of ''Karlsruher Institut für Technologie''. Although trains to and from KIT-Campus Nord are shown in the [https://www.kvv.de/fahrplan/fahrplaene/fahrplantabelle.html KVV timetable, downloadable as a PDF], note '''C''' states that entry to the establishment is permitted only with an official identification card. <br />
<br />
Reports indicate that passengers without authority to enter the complex will be removed from the train at a makeshift concrete platform in the woods outside the perimeter fence, and collected on the train's return.<br />
<br />
However on 17 June 2023, as part of "''Tag der offenen Tür''" (Open Doors Day), the Institute was open to the general public between 10:00 and 19:00. A shuttle ''S-Bahn'' service ran from Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße to the Campus. If a similar event is organised for 2024, details will be added here.<br />
<br />
=== Laupheim Stadt avoiding line: Laupheim West – Schemmerberg===<br />
[751] (ERA-E 59B3; ERA-R 119A4; S+W ''105A3'') DE24/608<br />
<br />
The Laupheim Stadt branch is connected to the Ulm – Friedrichshafen main line by a triangular junction at Laupheim West. Through services calling at Laupheim Stadt use the north and south curves whereas those not calling at Laupheim Stadt use the main line avoiding the branch. For most of the day there is an hourly service in each direction via Laupheim Stadt and three trains each hour (two at weekends) between Ulm and Biberach (Riß) direct.<br />
<br />
=== Ettlingen West – Ettlingen Erbprinz===<br />
[710.1] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B1; S+W ''161B4'') DE24/609 <br />
<br />
This line links the the DB Karlsruhe – Rastatt line with the AVG-operated ''Albtalbahn'' to Bad Herrenalb at Ettlingen. It is used by the following services on Sundays and public holidays only.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S85699 / S FEX<br />
| Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden) – Karlsruhe Hbf – 09:24 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S85697 / S FEX<br />
| Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden) – Karlsruhe Hbf – 16:24 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S FEX / S85696<br />
| Bad Herrenalb – 10:25 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden)<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| SuO<br />
| S FEX / S85698<br />
| Bad Herrenalb – 17:25 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Odenheim / Menzingen (Baden)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''Note'': These trains run as ''S FEX'' between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb and as ''S31/S32'' between Karlsruhe Hbf and Odenheim / Menzingen respectively.<br />
<br />
[http://www.uef-dampf.de/-ettlingen/ Ulmer Eisenbahnfreunde] operate a number of steam excursions between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb which also use this connection. These run approximately monthly, May to October.<br />
<br />
=== Schlatt (Hohenz.) (Walkenmühle) – Hechingen Landesbahn===<br />
[768] (ERA-E 59A4; ERA-R 118B4; S+W ''104A2'') DE24/610<br />
<br />
Trains to and from Gammertingen use the DB station at Hechingen except for: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| HzL86309<br />
| 06:59 Hechingen Landesbahn - Gammertingen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| HzL86344<br />
| Sigmaringen - 20x45 Schlatt (Hohenz) - Hechingen Landesbahn<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Schliengen – Haltingen===<br />
[702] (ERA-E 58A2-58B2; ERA-R 117B2; S+W ''110A2-110A3'') DE24/611<br />
<br />
Trains with no stops between Müllheim (Baden) and Weil am Rhein run via the new Katzenberg Tunnel. These are mainly ''EC/IC/ICE'' trains non-stop between Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf and Basel Bad Bf, and certain ''RE7'' trains. Stopping trains (''RB27'' and slower ''RE7'' services) follow the old main line via Bad Bellingen.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
Diversions in the Stuttgart area are particularly likely while Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof is being rebuilt.<br />
<br />
===Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen===<br />
[750, 770] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown; ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B1-168B2'') DE24/631 <br />
<br />
This route enables enables trains to run between the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Mannheim and the line to Ulm without reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. Diversions this way are indicated by calls at Stuttgart Hbf being omitted. Note that the eastbound and westbound lines are quite widely separated at the Zazenhausen end.<br />
<br />
Between 15 March and 4 April 2024, '''certain''' ''IC/ICE'' trains between Mannheim, Karlsruhe or Heidelberg and Ulm are diverted this way, calling at Esslingen (Neckar) instead of Stuttgart Hbf.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| WThO<br />
| ICE561<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 06:16 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| TSSuX<br />
| RJX897<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 07:04 Wiesloch-Walldorf – Flughafen Wien<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC217<br />
| Saarbrücken Hbf – 07:11 Mannheim Hbf – Graz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE267<br />
| Basel SBB – 08:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MSSuX<br />
| ICE913<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 08:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC113<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 09:13 Heidelberg Hbf – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE563<br />
| Saarbrücken Hbf – 10:02 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE915<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 10:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE115<br />
| Köln Hbf – 11:37 Vaihingen (Enz) – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE565<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 12:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
|<br />
| ICE119<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:06 Heidelberg Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE917<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 12:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| EC219<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 13:13/13:15 Heidelberg Hbf – Graz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE567<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 14:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE117<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 15:13/15:16 Heidelberg Hbf – Klagenfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1011<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 16:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| IC1291<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:13/17:15 Heidelberg Hbf – Salzburg Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MTX<br />
| ICE1069<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 18:17 Bruchsal – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| TWThO<br />
| TGV9577<br />
| Paris Est – 18:28 Karlsruhe Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1211<br />
| Berlin Hbf – 18:30 Mannheim Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| <br />
| ICE1013<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 18:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MWThO<br />
| ICE1099<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 19:13/19:16 Heidelberg Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SuO<br />
| TGV9579<br />
| Paris Est – 20:27 Karlsruhe Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1015<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – 20:43 Mannheim Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Services in the other direction will be posted shortly.<br />
<br />
===Ludwigsburg – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen via Kornwestheim Rbf===<br />
[790.11] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown); ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B1-168B2'') DE24/632<br />
<br />
The weekday peak-time ''RB11'' services between Stuttgart-Untertürkheim and Kornwestheim Pbf are sometimes diverted via Kornwestheim Rbf (Rangierbahnhof / marshalling yard) omitting the call at Kornwestheim and running to and from Ludwigsburg.<br />
<br />
===Stuttgart Nürnberger Straße – Stuttgart-Untertürkheim===<br />
[750, 785, 786] (ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4-111B4; S+W ''168C2-168C3'') DE24/633<br />
<br />
This route enables trains to run between the Ulm and Aalen lines without reversal at Stuttgart Hbf. It is very rarely used by passenger trains but was used in March, June and July 2023 by the two-hourly ''IC'' services between Karlsruhe and Nürnberg (and v.v.) which ran via Stuttgart Langes Feld – Zazenhausen (DE24/631) to Esslingen (Neckar) and reversed there to travel via this curve towards Crailsheim.<br />
<br />
===Stuttgart-Feuerbach (Abzw Stuttgart Nord Rbf) – Stuttgart-Vaihingen (Stuttgart Hbf Em Nord)===<br />
(ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4; S+W ''168B2'') DE24/634<br />
<br />
This curve via Stuttgart Nord Gbf connects the ''S-Bahn'' line from Stuttgart-Feuerbach with the ''Gäubahn'' towards Horb, avoiding Stuttgart Hbf. An additional ''S15'' service between Bietigheim-Bissingen and Böblingen was scheduled during recent years as a result of extensive "Stuttgart-21" engineering works but the service did not run as often as expected owing to staff and rolling stock shortages.<br />
<br />
===Beimerstetten (Ulm Hbf Em Nord) – Ulm Rbf===<br />
[750] (ERA-E 59B4; ERA-R 119B4; S+W ''163C2-163D2'') DE24/635<br />
<br />
This route enables trains to run between the Stuttgart line and Ulm Rbf (adjacent to the line to Sigmaringen) without reversal at Ulm Hbf and is very rarely used by passenger services, however occasionally in the last few years ''IRE'' and ''RB'' trains between Ulm and Stuttgart have been diverted via Ulm Rbf, where they reversed.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55510Germany - General Information2024-03-27T14:14:21Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned permanent closures (without replacement) */ Rinteln - Stadthagen (museum line) appears likely to close</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
Scheduled services on the ''Wisentatalbahn'' museum line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West ceased after farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, and after a very last farewell excursion on 13 March from Zittau, the line was closed to all traffic. This is because the line's leaseholders Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) wish to terminate the lease and no other undertaking has offered to take it on. <br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. The intermediate station at Perleberger Brücke is not due to open until 2029. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum" line sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rinteln and Stadthagen is facing closure as a result of lack of funds to maintain the infrastructure. It appears that the operating day on 21 April 2024 may be the last and after that, the line looks likely close to all traffic.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The line between Frankfurt an Main-Höchst and Bad Soden (Taunus) will be closed from 29 March 2024 until further notice and the ''RB11'' service replaced by buses. This is in connection with construction of the new ''Regionaltangente West'' line.<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55509Germany - Older General Information2024-03-27T13:46:32Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Openings */ add 2019</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz Hbf - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (connection from Chemnitz Hbf replaced by tram-train connection from Chemnitz Technopark in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the ''Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands) <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof ''Neubaustrecke'' (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
| ''City-Bahn Chemnitz''<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath (experimental summer Sunday service)<br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal - Hranicna (Czech Rep)<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. Reopened 11 June 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55508Germany - General Information2024-03-27T13:45:42Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Openings */ move 2019 to Older General Information</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
Scheduled services on the ''Wisentatalbahn'' museum line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West ceased after farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, and after a very last farewell excursion on 13 March from Zittau, the line was closed to all traffic. This is because the line's leaseholders Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) wish to terminate the lease and no other undertaking has offered to take it on. <br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. The intermediate station at Perleberger Brücke is not due to open until 2029. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The line between Frankfurt an Main-Höchst and Bad Soden (Taunus) will be closed from 29 March 2024 until further notice and the ''RB11'' service replaced by buses. This is in connection with construction of the new ''Regionaltangente West'' line.<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55507Germany - Older General Information2024-03-27T13:44:30Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Closures */ add 2019</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz Hbf - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (connection from Chemnitz Hbf replaced by tram-train connection from Chemnitz Technopark in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the ''Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands) <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof ''Neubaustrecke'' (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
| ''City-Bahn Chemnitz''<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath (experimental summer Sunday service)<br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal - Hranicna (Czech Rep)<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. Reopened 11 June 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55506Germany - General Information2024-03-27T13:43:28Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Permanent Closures */ add Wisentatalbahn and move 2019 closures to Older General Information</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
Scheduled services on the ''Wisentatalbahn'' museum line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West ceased after farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, and after a very last farewell excursion on 13 March from Zittau, the line was closed to all traffic. This is because the line's leaseholders Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) wish to terminate the lease and no other undertaking has offered to take it on. <br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. The intermediate station at Perleberger Brücke is not due to open until 2029. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The line between Frankfurt an Main-Höchst and Bad Soden (Taunus) will be closed from 29 March 2024 until further notice and the ''RB11'' service replaced by buses. This is in connection with construction of the new ''Regionaltangente West'' line.<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55505Germany - General Information2024-03-27T13:25:04Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned permanent closures (without replacement) */ remove Wisentatalbahn and relocate to Closures</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. The intermediate station at Perleberger Brücke is not due to open until 2029. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The line between Frankfurt an Main-Höchst and Bad Soden (Taunus) will be closed from 29 March 2024 until further notice and the ''RB11'' service replaced by buses. This is in connection with construction of the new ''Regionaltangente West'' line.<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55502Germany - General Information2024-03-26T10:59:29Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ Frankfurt-Höchst - Bad Soden to close UFN for works.</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. The intermediate station at Perleberger Brücke is not due to open until 2029. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The line between Frankfurt an Main-Höchst and Bad Soden (Taunus) will be closed from 29 March 2024 until further notice and the ''RB11'' service replaced by buses. This is in connection with construction of the new ''Regionaltangente West'' line.<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Saarland)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55501Germany (Saarland) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-26T10:33:55Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Niedaltdorf – Bouzonville (France) */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===<div id="NIEDBOUZ"></div>Niedaltdorf – Bouzonville (France)===<br />
(ERA-E 52C1; ERA-R 111C3; S+W ''83B4'') DE24/451<br />
<br />
This line, the ''Niedtalbahn'', has no regular service beyond Niedaltdorf, but a special shuttle service operates every year from Dillingen (Saar) in conjunction with the Good Friday market at Bouzonville - see France route [[France_(Grand_Est)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#BOUZ| Bouzonville - Niedaltdorf]]. <br />
<br />
'''Trains will run on 29 March 2024.''' The online timetable is [https://zps-online.de/auf-nach-bouzonville/ here].'''<br />
<br />
Trains depart Dillingen (Saar) at 08:46 (through working from Saarbrücken Hbf), 09:11, 10:40, 11:18, 13:12, 14:35 and 16:00. Return workings are at 10:04, 12:04, 13:53, 15:23, 16:46 and 17:55 from Bouzonville.<br />
<br />
The future operation of this service is doubtful as with the withdrawal of most Class 628 diesel units, in years to come there may not be any units available that are passed to operate over the French section of this line.<br />
<br />
Note that these trains can be exceptionally busy. Deutschland-Tickets, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland-Tickets, and local Saar-VV day tickets with validity as far as Niedaltdorf are all valid through to Bouzonville without additional payment.<br />
<br />
===Merchweiler (Abzw Wemmetsweiler Kurve) – Wemmetsweiler Rathaus===<br />
[681] (ERA-E 53A1; ERA-R 112A3; S+W ''157B1'') DE24/452<br />
<br />
Most trains passing through Merchweiler run directly between Saarbrücken Hbf and Lebach-Jabach via the Wemmetsweiler curve. However a few run between Saarbrücken Hbf and Wemmetsweiler Rathaus, thereby using the above route. These run Mondays to Fridays unless shown otherwise:<br />
*From Merchweiler: 01:40 (every night), 06:58, 08:52, 13:52 and 17:52.<br />
*From Wemmetsweiler Rathaus: 06:54, 07:34, 10:03, 15:03 and 19:03.<br />
<br />
===Saarbrücken Hbf – Jägersfreude (Saarbrücken Hbf Srg)===<br />
[680] (ERA-E 53A1 not shown; ERA-R 112A3 not shown; S+W ''157A3'') DE24/453<br />
<br />
There are two reversible single tracks between Saarbrücken Hbf and the line via Sulzbach (Saar). One runs via a dive-under below the line from Saarbrücken Ost and the other runs direct. The dive-under line can be used only to access platforms 1 and 3 on the south side of Saarbrücken Hbf. The direct route is used to and from high-numbered platforms. For most of the day there is regular use of both routes. ''RE3'' trains to and from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf via Mainz normally use platforms 1 or 3.<br />
<br />
===Saarbrücken Hbf (– Saarbrücken Grenze) - Forbach===<br />
[682] (ERA-E 53A1 not shown; ERA-R 112A3 not shown; S+W ''157A3'') DE24/454<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Saarbrücken Hbf and the line to/from Forbach in France. ''RE/TER'' services normally arrive/depart from west end bay Platform 2 on the south side of the station via a ground level route, whereas TGVs use a pair of tracks that go under the Dillingen line to/from higher numbered platforms.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Austria_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55500Austria - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-25T21:50:21Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Knoten Wagram – Knoten Rohr via GZU (Güterzugumfahrung St. Pölten) */ amend tenses in preamble</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This list is based on the timetable valid from 10 December 2023 until 14 December 2024. {{Standard Abbreviations}}<br />
<br />
{{Map Refs ERA-E}} {{Map Refs ERA-R-2}} {{Map Refs SW-AT}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
===<div id="WM_SP_LH"></div>Wien Meidling – St. Pölten – Linz Hbf===<br />
[100, 110] (ERA-E 64B1-B4; ERA-R 126A3-125C3; ''99B2-106C2'') AT24/1<br />
<br />
Fast lines, known as the ''Neue Westbahn'', were opened in stages between 2005 and 2016 and are in use all the way from Wien Meidling to Linz, except for a short section of around 12 km from St Pölten to the west. However, St Pölten is bypassed by a ''Güterzugumfahrung'' (freight avoiding line) (see [[#WAG_ROR|AT24/31]]). For parts of the route the ''Neue Westbahn'' runs adjacent to the old line, but there are substantial sections on entirely new alignments, including some long tunnels. <br />
<br />
The old and ''Neue Westbahn'' routes between Wien and St. Pölten cross at Abzw Knoten Wien Hadersdorf, to the west of Wien Hütteldorf. Trains from Wien Westbahnhof can join the ''Neue Westbahn'' at this junction.<br />
<br />
There is a grade-separated junction at Knoten Wagram, east of St. Pölten, where the fast lines are in the centre at lower level, with the slow lines on outside at higher level, to allow access to the freight facilities on the north side. Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.<br />
[[File:Knoten Wagram.jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
Connections link the old ''Westbahn'' and ''Neue Westbahn'' lines at several places between St. Pölten and and Linz. These have no booked passenger use but may be used occasionally as required.<br />
<br />
The ''Neue Westbahn'' is used as follows:<br />
<br />
* ''IC'', ''ICE'', ''Railjet/Railjet Xpress'' and ''Nightjet'' services between Wien Hbf, Linz Hbf and beyond use the full length of the ''Neue Westbahn'' unless it is unavailable. <br />
* Trains operated by Westbahn GmbH between Wien Westbahnhof and Salzburg and beyond use the ''Neue Westbahn'' between Abzw Knoten Wien Hadersdorf and Linz Hbf.<br />
* Semi-fast ''CJX'' trains between Wien Westbahnhof and Amstetten use only the section of the ''Neue Westbahn'' between Abzw Knoten Wien Hadersdorf and St. Pölten via Tullnerfeld.<br />
<br />
Any local service that calls at a station other than Tullnerfeld, St. Pölten Hbf, Amstetten, St. Valentin or Linz Hbf has to use the old ''Westbahn''.<br />
<br />
===Wien Süßenbrunn===<br />
At this location, north-east of Wien, the ''Laaer Ostbahn'' (Wien - Mistelbach) crosses the ''Nordbahn'' (Wien - Břeclav).<br />
<br />
[[File:Sussenbrunn.jpg |thumb|left|50px]]<br />
<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
Note that there are no scheduled services covering the entire north-south line between Wien Süßenbrunn Nord and Wien Süßenbrunn Mitte. However, Wien-bound trains over the east to south curve (AT24/2) and northbound trains over the west to north curve (AT24/3) together cover at least one of the two tracks for the whole length of the north-south section.<br />
<br />
There are no longer any scheduled services over the south to west curve at Wien Süßenbrunn but very occasionally ''REX 3'' services between Wien and Retz/Znojmo are diverted this way, also using the ''Floridsdorfer Hochbahn'' curve between Wien Leopoldau and Wien Jedlersdorf.<br />
<br />
====<div id="WS_SBN"></div>Wien Stadlau Fbf – Abzw Wien Süßenbrunn Ost==== <br />
[901] (ERA-E 64B5; ERA-R 133C5; ''105C2'') AT24/2<br />
<br />
This line is used only by non-stop ''Railjet'' or ''EC'' trains between Wien Hauptbahnhof and Břeclav and beyond, which run at hourly or two-hourly intervals. As there is right-hand running, northbound trains use the direct curve at Wien Süßenbrunn and southbound ones use the spur on to the flyover line from Mistelbach.<br />
<br />
Wien Stadlau Fbf (Frachtenbahnhof) is located 0.4 km north of Wien Stadlau station and is deemed to be the divergence of the Mistelbach and Marchegg lines,<br />
<br />
====Wien Süßenbrunn West – Wien Süßenbrunn Nord====<br />
[902] (ERA-E 65B5; ERA-R 133C5; ''105C2'') AT24/3<br />
<br />
These west-to-north curves at Wien Süßenbrunn are used by frequent ''S2'' and ''REX2'' services between Mödling, Wolfsthal or Flughafen Wien and Wolkersdorf, Mistelbach or Laa an der Thaya via Wien Floridsdorf. With right-hand running, the direct curve is used by trains heading towards Wien and the curve to the flyover line by those heading towards Mistelbach.<br />
<br />
===Wien Hauptbahnhof (platforms 3 to 12) – Wien Simmering ===<br />
[901, 910] (ERA-E 65C5, not shown; ERA-R 133B3, not shown; ''106D2-107B2A'') AT24/4 <br />
<br />
All departures from Wien Hbf to the line via Wien Simmering use a diveunder at the east end of the Hauptbahnhof, to avoid conflicts with incoming trains on the <i>Ostbahn</i>. There are two separate inward ramps to the diveunder:<br />
<br />
*The ramp from the lower-numbered platforms is booked to be used by the hourly ''REX'' services to Bratislava hl.st via Marchegg<br />
<br />
*The ramp from the higher-numbered platforms is booked to be used by non-stop trains to Břeclav and beyond from platforms 9 to 12.<br />
<br />
*The half-hourly ''S80'' Wien Hütteldorf - Wien Aspern Nord ''S-Bahn'' services and the hourly ''R81'' services to Marchegg via Siebenbrunn-Leopoldsdorf will use the appropriate ramp for the platforms they depart from. Normally ''S80'' uses platforms 3 or 4 and ''R81'' services use platform 12, but this may vary.<br />
<br />
Planned platform use can be derived from the [http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en? ÖBB journey planner] but should be checked against departure screens on the day. <br />
<br />
In the opposite direction, these services use the surface level tracks.<br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.<br />
[[File:Wien to Simmering.jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
===<div id="WIEN_SP_ME2"></div>Wien Matzleinsdorfer Platz – Wien Hauptbahnhof (platforms 3 and 4)===<br />
[900, 910] (ERA-E 65C5, not shown; ERA-R 133B3, not shown; ''106B2-C2'') AT24/5 <br />
<br />
The ''S80'' Wien Hütteldorf - Wien Hbf - Wien Aspern Nord ''S-Bahn'' service, which runs half-hourly, uses this link to access platforms 3 and 4 at Wien Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.<br />
[[File:Wien Matz to Wien Hbf 3 and 4.jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
===Wien Hauptbahnhof – Wien Meidling via flyover line===<br />
[100, 900 and others] (ERA-E 65C5, not shown; ERA-R 133B3, not shown; ''106B2-C2'') AT24/6<br />
<br />
The main running lines pass either side of Wien Matzleinsdorf rolling stock maintenance facility at surface level. However, to enable westbound trains to the Wien Inzersdorf line (for <i>Donauländebahn</i> and <i>Pottendorfer Linie</i>) from Wien Hbf platforms 4 to 8 to avoid conflicting with inbound trains to the higher numbered platforms, a flyover crosses above the maintenance facility. It reaches the surface at km 1.7, to run parallel with the inbound alignment as far as Wien Meidling platforms 7 and 8. This flyover is used by: <br />
<br />
* the hourly ''S60'' Bruck an der Leitha - xx:11 Wien Hbf - Pottendorf-Landegg - Wiener Neustadt service (table 511). <br />
* the generally two-hourly ''REX6'' Bratislava-Petrzalska - xx:23 Wien Hbf - Deutschkreutz services, with afternoon extras starting from Wien Hbf at xx:59 (table 512).<br />
* Regiojet services to Budapest, which use the [[#INZ_O_KL|Wien Inzersdorf – Kledering]] line.<br />
<br />
In the opposite direction, these services use the surface level tracks.<br />
<br />
Regiojet services to Wien Flughafen, which ran by this route, ceased on 10 June 2023. <br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.<br />
[[File:Wien to Meidling.jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
===<div id="WIEN_SP_ME2"></div>Wien Speising (Stw Maxing) – Wien Meidling===<br />
[900] (ERA-E 65C5, not shown; ERA-R 133A3, not shown correctly; ''106B2-C2'') AT24/7<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Wien Speising and Wien Meidling - a northern route via Flohberg Tunnel and a southern route via Abzw Matzleinsdorf-Oswaldgasse.<br />
<br />
The Flohberg Tunnel route is used by trains shown under [[#WIEN_PZ_SP|Wien Penzing – Wien Speising]] and the half-hourly ''S80'' Wien Hütteldorf – Wien Hbf – Wien Aspern Nord ''S-Bahn'' services, which all run via platforms 1 (westbound) and 3 or 4 (eastbound) at Wien Meidling.<br />
<br />
As ''S80'' runs to the low-numbered platforms at Wien Meidling, no passenger services appear to use the longer route via Abzw Oswaldgasse during this timetable period. <br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.<br />
[[File:Wien Meidling to Speising.jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
===<div id="WIEN_PZ_SP"></div>Wien Penzing – Wien Speising (Abzw Wien Hütteldorf 1)===<br />
[110, 902] (ERA-E 65B4-B5; ERA-R 133A3; ''106B1'') AT24/8<br />
<br />
This east to south curve, which connects Wien Westbahnhof with the Wien southern ring line to Wien Meidling and Kledering, carried only a few peak hour passenger services in 2023. For the 2023/24 timetable period, it appears that these trains no longer run.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2408<br />
| Wien Westbahnhof - 14:39 Wien Penzing - Laa an der Thaya <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2410 <br />
| Wien Westbahnhof - 15:39 Wien Penzing - Laa an der Thaya <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2412<br />
| Wien Westbahnhof - 16:39 Wien Penzing - Laa an der Thaya <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2414<br />
| Wien Westbahnhof - 17:39 Wien Penzing - Laa an der Thaya <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2403<br />
| Laa an der Thaya - 06:34 Wien Speising - Wien Westbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2407<br />
| Laa an der Thaya - 08:34 Wien Speising - Wien Westbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2409<br />
| Laa an der Thaya - 09:34 Wien Speising - Wien Westbahnhof <br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===<div id="INZ_O_KL"></div>Inzersdorf Ort – Lanzendorf-Rannersdorf via Wien Oberlaa===<br />
[512,700] (ERA-E 65C5; ERA-R 133B3; ''106D3-107B3'') AT24/9<br />
<br />
This line links Wien Meidling with the ''Ostbahn'' towards Gramatneusiedl via the Wien southern avoiding line through Wien Oberlaa.<br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size map.<br />
[[File:Kledering area.jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
To reach the ''Ostbahn'' from Wien Oberlaa there are two possible routes, a direct curve to the north of Kledering station and a flying junction to the north of Lanzendorf-Rannersdorf station, reached via the line from Wien Zvbf Nord through Wien Zvbf Ost. Most services use the direct curve to Kledering.<br />
<br />
It is used by the following services. In addition, these may either use the Wien Inzersdorf avoiding line to the north of the former station, or the connection between the former station and Wien Inzersdorf Ost, depending on operating convenience.<br />
<br />
* Two daily RegioJet train pairs between Praha, Wien and Budapest. Note that the next stop towards Budapest from Wien Meidling is Hegyeshalom (HU). These services are reported to use the direct curve to Kledering. <br />
<br />
* Trains between Ebenfurth and Wien which are diverted over the [[#WAM_GRA|Wampersdorf - Gramatneusiedl]] line because of engineering work on the ''Pottendorfer Linie'' and call at Wien Meidling.<br />
<br />
* Note that the evening peak ''REX'' services from Wien Hbf to Deutschkreutz that ran this way and via Wampersdorf - Gramatneusiedl longer run.<br />
<br />
===Inzersdorf Ort – Abzw Wien Zvbf Nord – Schwechat (via Wien Kaiserebersdorf yard)===<br />
[901, 907 not shown] (ERA-E 65C5; ERA-R 133B3; ''107A2-B3'') AT24/10<br />
<br />
This route links the Wien southern avoiding line with the Flughafen Wien line, avoiding Wien Hbf. It uses a flyover over the ''Ostbahn'' to reach the Flughafen Wien line at Abzw Wien Zvbf Nord. It then runs by the flyover line through Kaiserebersdorf (Klein Schwechat) yard to just beyond Wien Kaiserebersdorf station.<br />
<br />
Direct overnight ''RegioJet'' trains between Brno and Flughafen Wien via Wien Hbf and this route ceased in June 2023. The replacement services, operated by RegioJet on behalf of Gepard Express, ran directly to Flughafen Wien via Wien Zvbf rather than by this route. From the December 2023 timetable change, the Gepard Express trains were extended to run to and from Wien Hbf but via a reversal at Flughafen Wien, so still using the route via Wien Zvbf (see entry AT24/10A below).<br />
<br />
===Wien Haidestraße (Wien Hasenleiten) – Wien Zvbf – Abzw Wien Zvbf Nord – Schwechat (via Wien Kaiserebersdorf yard)===<br />
[901, 907 not shown] (ERA-E 65C5; ERA-R 133B3; ''107A2-B3'') AT24/10A<br />
<br />
This route links the line from Wien-Stadlau over the ''Stadlauer Ostbahnbrücke'' with the line to Flughafen Wien, running via the curve from Wien Simmering to Wien Zvbf (marshalling yard), then joining route AT24/10 at Wien Zvbf Nord (which is to the south of Wien Zvbf). It is used by the Gepard Express trains between Brno and Wien Hbf via Flughafen Wien, between calls at Flughafen Wien and Wien Stadlau. These trains reverse at Flughafen Wien and run to and from Wien Hbf by the direct route via Grillgasse.<br />
<br />
Timings are not on the ÖBB journey planner and are not clear on the Gepard Express [https://www.gepard.com/en website]. They are however on the RegioJet [https://regiojet.com/ journey planner] as these services are operated on behalf of Gepard Express by Regiojet. The journey planner needs to be used as the times are not shown on the RegioJet timetable pdf for that route.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| Ex1135<br />
| Brno hl.n – 03:35 Wien Stadlau – Flughafen Wien – Wien Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| Ex1136<br />
| Wien Hbf – 23:29 Flughafen Wien – Brno hl.n.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Wien Hütteldorf – Purkersdorf Zentrum===<br />
[110] (ERA-E 64B3-B4; ERA-R 126A3-133A4; ''23D3'', ''106A1'') AT24/11<br />
<br />
There are two routes between these stations - a route in tunnel on the northern side of the formation via Abzw. Knoten Wien Hadersdorf, and a surface route via Wien Weidlingau.<br />
<br />
''REX'' services between Wien Westbahnhof and St. Pölten, which are not booked to call at intermediate stations between Wien Hütteldorf and Purkersdorf Zentrum, use the tunnel route whereas ''S50'' trains to/from Unter Purkersdorf or beyond use the surface route. <br />
<br />
The tunnel route joins the ''Neue Westbahn'' from Tullnerfeld at Abzw. Knoten Wien Hadersdorf. Services between the ''Neue Westbahn'' and Wien Westbahnhof (''Westbahn'' and semi-fast Amstetten trains) use the same eastern ramp at Wien Hütteldorf.<br />
<br />
=== Korneuburg – Ernstbrunn===<br />
(ERA-E 64B4; ERA-R 64B4; ''24A2-14A3'') AT24/12<br />
<br />
One return trip, operated by ''Regiobahn'' and branded as ''ErlebnisZug in die Leiser Berge'', runs on this branch approximately monthly from May to October. Trains run through from Wien Praterstern, departing at 09:14, and return from Ernstbrunn at 16:32. For further details and to book, see the [https://regiobahn.at/ausflugsfahrten/ Regiobahn website].<br />
<br />
===Tulln avoiding line: Tulln Donaubrücke – Tulln Stadt===<br />
[903] (ERA-E 64B3; ERA-R 126A3; ''23B2'') AT24/13<br />
<br />
This curve links the lines from Tullnerfeld and Absdorf-Hippersdorf to the west of Tulln an der Donau station. It is used in the mornings and evenings by the following services: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21182'' || Wien Floridsdorf – 05:58 Absdorf-Hippersdorf – Tullnerfeld<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| ||''R/S4 21222'' || Wiener Neustadt Hbf – 06:58 Absdorf-Hippersdorf - Tullnerfeld<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21974'' || Stockerau – 07:58 Absdorf-Hippersdorf – Tullnerfeld<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21980'' || Stockerau – 17:00 Absdorf-Hippersdorf – Tullnerfeld<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21982'' || Stockerau – 18:00 Absdorf-Hippersdorf – Tullnerfeld<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21971'' || Tullnerfeld – 06:53 Tulln Stadt – Stockerau<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21973'' || Tullnerfeld – 07:53 Tulln Stadt – Stockerau<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21981'' || Tullnerfeld – 16:53 Tulln Stadt – Stockerau<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21983'' || Tullnerfeld – 17:53 Tulln Stadt – Stockerau<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| ||''S4 21985'' || Tullnerfeld – 18:53 Tulln Stadt – Stockerau<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===St. Valentin avoiding line: Enns (Abzw St. Valentin 11) – St. Pantaleon (Abzw Mauthausen 1)===<br />
[100, 133] (ERA-E 64B1; ERA-R 124C2; ''19D3'') AT24/14<br />
<br />
This curve, opened in 2005, is used by direct trains between Linz Hbf and St. Nikola-Struden, which run every two hours SSuX with peak extras. These are shown in Table 133 as not calling at St. Valentin.<br />
<br />
===Linz Ebelsberg (Linz Kleinmünchen) – Linz Hbf (via Linz Vbf West and Linz Vbf Durchfahrgruppe)===<br />
[100] (ERA-E 64B1; ERA-R 124xx; ''99C3-B2'') AT24/15<br />
<br />
This route approaches Linz Hbf from the east via Linz Vbf West (''Verschiebebahnhof'' / marshalling yard) and the freight lines into Linz Hbf that run to the west and south of the passenger tracks. It is reportedly used by the following westbound services:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX <br />
| REX2466<br />
| Amstetten – 06:43 St. Valentin – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuO<br />
| R/S1 2458<br />
| St. Nikola-Struden – 09:33 Linz Ebelsberg – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX/S1 3612<br />
| Weißenbach-St. Gallen – 11:28 Linz Ebelsberg – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuO<br />
| R/S1 2464<br />
| St. Nikola-Struden – 11:33 Linz Ebelsberg – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX/S1 3616<br />
| Kleinreifling – 13:28 Linz Ebelsberg – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX/S1 3620<br />
| Weißenbach-St. Gallen – 15:28 Linz Ebelsberg – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX/S1 3626<br />
| Kleinreifling – 17:28 Linz Ebelsberg – Linz Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Traun – Marchtrenk===<br />
[101, 140] (ERA-E 62B2; ERA-R 124B2; ''19A3-18D3'') AT24/15 <br />
<br />
This route provides an alternative to the Linz – Wels main line, allowing slower trains to be overtaken. Trains using this route can be discerned by their having a Traun call shown in Table 140 or just by having a wavy line shown in Table 101 against the stations on the direct route between Linz Hbf and Marchtrenk. The following trains are expected to use this route; ''REX3204'' being the only train that has a Traun call, so is certain to run this way.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX <br />
| REX5051<br />
| Freilassing – 07:11 Marchtrenk – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| <br />
| NJ/491/40421<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Amsterdam Centraal – 07:16 Wels Hbf – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX <br />
| REX3204<br />
| Grünau im Almtal – 07:32 Marchtrenk – Linz Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX <br />
| REX5961<br />
| Simbach – 08:40 Wels Hbf – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC1019<br />
| Stainach-Irdning – 19:25 Attnang-Puchheim – Wien Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Wels – Marchtrenk via Wels Vbf===<br />
[101] (ERA-E 62B2; ERA-R 124B2, ''18C3 - D3'') AT24/16<br />
<br />
This route via Wels Vbf (''Verschiebebahnhof'' / marshalling yard) is used by one early morning local service and one overnight service to allow faster services to overtake them. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| R3003<br />
| Attnang-Puchheim – 06:55 Wels Hbf – Linz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| <br />
| NJ/491/40421<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Amsterdam Centraal – 07:16 Wels Hbf – Wien Hbf <br />
|}<br />
<br />
Local and long-distance services between Wels and Marchtrenk/Linz may be diverted over this route if the main ''Westbahn'' is blocked.<br />
<br />
===Lambach avoiding line: Gunskirchen (Abzw Umfahrung Lambach) – Lambach Markt===<br />
[101] (ERA-E 62C5; ERA-R 124B2; ''18B4'') AT24/17<br />
<br />
A tunnel avoiding Lambach is used by all trains between Wels Hbf and Attnang-Puchheim not booked to call at Lambach. These comprise all ''IC'', ''ICE'', ''Railjet/Railjet Xpress'', ''Westbahn'' and ''Nightjet'' services. All local ''R'' and ''REX'' services run via Lambach.<br />
<br />
===Salzburg Hbf – Salzburg Sam (Salzburg Mitte) via diveunder line===<br />
[200, 220] (ERA-E 62C4, not shown); ERA-R 123C1, not shown; ''30C, 102A'') AT24/18 <br />
<br />
This route from Salzburg Hbf to the Bischofshofen line runs to the west of the ''Westbahn'' towards Linz, then dives under it to join the curve to the Bischofshofen line at Salzburg Mitte. While this route can be reached from all platforms at Salzburg Hbf, it is more likely to be used by trains between the Bischofshofen line (to and from Wörgl, Schwarzach-St. Veit, Graz, Klagenfurt etc) and the low-numbered platforms (particularly platforms 1 and 2) to avoid conflicting movements on the main line.<br />
<br />
===<div id="WORGBAUM"></div>Wörgl Kundl (Abzw Knoten Radfeld) – Volders-Baumkirchen (Abzw Fritzens-Wattens 2) (''Neue Unterinntalbahn'')===<br />
[300] (ERA-E 63A2; ERA-R 128C4-B3; ''38C4-56C2'') AT24/19 <br />
<br />
This line, opened in December 2012, is mostly in tunnel, parallel with the old ''Westbahn''. All ''Westbahn'' and about half of ''Railjet Xpress'' services run non-stop between Wörgl and Innsbruck, so use the entire length of the line. The remaining ''Railjet/Railjet Xpress'' and all ''IC/EC'', ''ICE'' and semi-fast ''CJX'' services call at Jenbach and so run via the old ''Westbahn'' between Wörgl and Jenbach, normally joining or leaving the ''Neue Unterinntalbahn'' at Abzw Knoten Stans, to the west of Jenbach station.<br />
<br />
===<div id="BREG_AL"></div>Bregenz avoiding line: Hard-Fussach (Lauterach West) – Wolfurt (Lauterach Süd)===<br />
[401] (ERA 127A4; ''52B2'') AT24/20<br />
<br />
This curve enables trains to run between St. Margrethen SG (CH) and Feldkirch without reversal at Bregenz. It is used by the following services on Mondays to Fridays only.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25850 <br />
| Feldkirch – 06:27 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25852 <br />
| Dornbirn – 07:24 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25854<br />
| Feldkirch – 13:27 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25856<br />
| Feldkirch – 15:27 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25858<br />
| Feldkirch – 16:27 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25860<br />
| Feldkirch – 17:27 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25862<br />
| Feldkirch – 18:27 Wolfurt – St. Margrethen SG<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25851 <br />
| St. Margrethen SG – 06:54 Hard-Fussach – Dornbirn<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25853<br />
| St. Margrethen SG – 07:54 Hard-Fussach – Feldkirch<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25855<br />
| St. Margrethen SG – 13:54 Hard-Fussach – Feldkirch<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25857<br />
| St. Margrethen SG – 15:52 Hard-Fussach – Dornbirn<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25859<br />
| St. Margrethen SG – 16:52 Hard-Fussach – Dornbirn<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| R25861<br />
| St. Margrethen SG – 17:52 Hard-Fussach – Feldkirch<br />
|}<br />
<br />
It is also used for diversions when the Buchs SG – Feldkirch line is closed for engineering works, which usually occurs in late April and early May. Diverted trains may also use the [[Switzerland - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services#ROM_AL|Romanshorn avoiding line]] in Switzerland.<br />
<br />
===Bruck an der Mur avoiding line: Pernegg (Bruck Übelstein) – Oberaich (Bruck Stadtwald)===<br />
[501, 600] (ERA-E 65A2; ERA-R 131B4; ''66B2'') AT24/21<br />
<br />
This south to west curve enables trains to run between Graz and Leoben without reversal at Bruck an der Mur. It is used by services shown in table 600 as not calling at Bruck an der Mur. These comprise ''IC/EC'' services to/from Graz, generally every two hours with occasional extras, and ''REX'' services between Graz and Leoben in the morning and evening peaks.<br />
<br />
===St. Michael avoiding line: Leoben Hbf (St. Michael Ost) – Kraubath (St. Michael West)===<br />
[600] (ERA-E 65A2; ERA-R 131A4; ''65D2-C2'') AT24/22<br />
<br />
This east to west chord of the St. Michael triangle enables trains to run between Leoben Hbf and Knittelfeld without reversal at St. Michael station. All ''Railjet'', ''IC/EC'' and ''Nightjet'' services which run non-stop between Leoben Hbf and Knittelfeld or Klagenfurt use this route, also one westbound Graz Hbf – Unzmarkt ''REX'' service at 17:58 SuX from Leoben Hbf.<br />
<br />
===St. Michael – Kraubath (St. Michael West)===<br />
[600] (ERA-E 65A2; ERA-R 131A4; ''65C2'') AT24/23<br />
<br />
This north to west chord of the St. Michael triangle is used by the hourly local services between Bruck an der Mur or Mürzzuschlag and Unzmarkt or Friesach, which reverse in St. Michael station. There are no through trains between the Selzthal line and Knittelfeld.<br />
<br />
=== Villach Landskron (Villach Hbf Ostbahnhof) – Villach Westbahnhof (via Villach Hbf high-level line)===<br />
[650/670] (ERA-E 63C5; ERA-R 130B1; ''97C2'') AT24/24 <br />
<br />
Only two ''S-Bahn'' services are booked to arrive at and depart from Villach Hbf high-level platform 8 in the current timetable:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
|<br />
| <br />
| S2/S4 4303<br />
| St Veit a d Glan – 07x04 Villach Landskron – Arnoldstein<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| S4/S1 4250<br />
| Hermagor – 16:39 Villach Westbahnhof – St. Veit a d Glan<br />
|- <br />
|}<br />
<br />
Platform 8 may also be used occasionally by other services if no suitable low-level platform is available. <br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size map. [[File:Villach (Hbf Ostbahnhof) - Villach Westbahnhof (via high level line).jpg|50px|thumb|left]]<br style="clear: both" /><br />
<br />
===Puch b. Villach (Abzw Gummern 2) – Villach Westbahnhof (Abzw Draubrücke)===<br />
[220, 601] (ERA-E 63C5; ERA-R 130B1; ''97C2'') AT24/25<br />
<br />
This north to south connection (the ''Tauernschleife'') avoiding Villach Hbf links the ''Drautalbahn'' via Spittal-Millstättersee with the line via Villach Westbahnhof to Rosenbach or Tarvisio Boscoverde. It is used by one weekday ''S1'' service, except in the summer months:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| S1 4931<br />
| Spittal-Millstättersee – 07x07 Puch b. Villach – Villach Warmbad<br />
|- <br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Not 8 July to 6 September 2024 <br />
<br />
If the Brenner route is blocked by engineering work, certain ''EC'' trains between München and Italy may be diverted this way. <br />
<br />
It can also be used by the München – Zagreb sleepers if Villach station is unavailable. This occurred in July 2022.<br />
<br />
===Mittlern – Wiederndorf-Aich===<br />
[620] (ERA-E xxx; ERA-R xxx; ''92C3-C4'' AT24/26<br />
<br />
There are two routes between the new ''Koralmbahn'' stations of Mittlern and Wiederndorf-Aich; a direct connection via the ''Koralmbahn'' and a loop through the existing Bleiburg station which rejoins the ''Koralmbahn'' by a new connection north of Bleiburg Stadt.<br />
<br />
All ''S3'' stopping services between Klagenfurt and Wolfsberg run via Bleiburg. A few ''REX3'' trains in the morning and evening peaks on Mondays to Fridays use the direct connection.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX3 1741<br />
| Wolfsberg – 06:03 St. Paul im Lavanttal – Klagenfurt<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX3 1743<br />
| Wolfsberg – 06:48 St. Paul im Lavanttal – Klagenfurt<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX3 1742<br />
| Klagenfurt – 15:58 Kühsdorf-Klopeiner See – Wolfsberg<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX3 1744<br />
| Klagenfurt – 16:58 Kühsdorf-Klopeiner See – Wolfsberg<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX3 1746<br />
| Klagenfurt – 17:58 Kühsdorf-Klopeiner See – Wolfsberg<br />
|}<br />
<br />
From December 2025, the direct connection will be served by fast Klagenfurt – Graz services via the ''Koralmtunnel'' so will cease to be 'obscure'.<br />
<br />
===Ebenfurth avoiding line: Pottendorf-Landegg (Abzw Ebenfurth Nord) – Untereggendorf (Abzw Ebenfurth Süd)===<br />
[511] (ERA-E 64C4; ERA-R 126A1-B1; ''36A3'') AT24/27<br />
<br />
This line which avoids Ebenfurth station is used by certain services between Wien Hbf and Wiener Neustadt Hbf. It is also used by other fast services when the line via Baden is unavailable.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ457 <br />
| Berlin Hbf – 07:13 Wien Meidling – Graz Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2753<br />
| Wien Hbf – 16:57 Wien Meidling – Friedberg <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2757<br />
| Wien Hbf – 17:14 Wien Meidling – Hartberg <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| REX2759<br />
| Wien Hbf – 17:57 Wien Meidling – Friedberg <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC106<br />
| Graz – 07:28 Wiener Neustadt – Przemyśl Główny<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| MThSO<br />
| EN1152<br />
| Split – 08:12 (TFSuO) Wiener Neustadt – Bratislava Nové Mesto<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ234/40294<br />
| La Spezia Centrale / Roma Termini – 08:17 Wiener Neustadt - Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| D15132<br />
| Villach Hbf – 17:12 Wiener Neustadt – Wien Hbf<br />
|} <br />
<br />
D1: 5 May - 4 October 2024 (with exceptions in May, June and September)<br><br />
D2: Only runs 26 December 2023; 1,7 January, 11 February, 1 April, 20 May; 2 June; 3 November 2024 <br><br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis==<br />
<br />
===<div id="WAM_GRA"></div>Wampersdorf – Gramatneusiedl===<br />
(ERA-E 64C4; ERA-R 126B2-133C1; ''36B3-2'') AT24/30<br />
<br />
This line links the ''Ostbahn'' to Hungary via Hegyeshalom with the lines via Ebenfurth towards Sopron or Wiener Neustadt.<br />
<br />
It is not used during the current timetable period by scheduled services but may be used when the direct ''Pottendorfer Linie'' route between Wampersdorf and Wien Meidling via Achau (tables 511 and 512) is blocked by engineering work (which should be found from the [https://www.oebb.at/de/fahrplan/baustelleninformation.html ÖBB engineering work page]).<br />
<br />
===<div id="WAG_ROR"></div>Knoten Wagram – Knoten Rohr via GZU (''Güterzugumfahrung'' St. Pölten)===<br />
[100] (ERA-E ; ERA-R ; ''22A4-C3'') AT24/31<br />
<br />
This avoiding line, which runs mainly in tunnel on a newly-built alignment to the south of St. Pölten, opened in December 2017. It is mainly used by freight services but is used occasionally, especially at holiday periods, by relief trains to allow them to be overtaken. These are generally westbound services but a few eastbound services have also run. All use the connections at Knoten Wagram onto, or off, the ''Neue Westbahn''. The signalling on this line requires ETCS-2 fitted trains. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| EC 133<br />
| Wien Hbf - 10:59 Wien Meidling - Venezia S.L.<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| EC 132<br />
| Venezia S.L. - 18:00 Linz - Wien Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Note D1:- 6-28 April 2024. Note these trains run via Linz, Selzthal and Knittelfeld<br />
<br />
===Salzburg Hbf avoiding line: Salzburg Kasern (Abzw Hallwang-Elixhausen 3) – Salzburg Gnigl Vbf – Salzburg Parsch (Salzburg Gnigl)===<br />
(ERA-E 62C4; ERA-R 128B3; ''30C, 102A'') AT24/32<br />
<br />
This curve allows trains between Wels and the Bischofshofen line to avoid Salzburg Hbf. No permanent booked services have been identified as using it in the current timetable. It may be used, particularly by overnight services, if the route to Wörgl and Innsbruck via the Rosenheim avoider (DE24/665) is unavailable.<br />
<br />
===Villach Warmbad (Villach Süd Gvbf-Auen) – Neuhaus an der Gail (via Villach Süd Großverschiebebahnhof)===<br />
[651] (ERA-E 63C5; ERA-R 130B1; ''97C2'') AT24/33<br />
<br />
This route is an alternative to the main line from Villach to Tarvisio Boscoverde (IT) which runs via the large marshalling yard (''Großverschiebebahnhof'') at Villach Süd.<br />
<br />
In early 2023 all Micotra, Railjet and Nightjet services between Villach and Tarvisio Boscoverde were diverted via the north side of the yard because of engineering work between Villach Hbf and Arnoldstein. ''S4'' and ''REX 4'' local trains were replaced by buses. It was reported that the same route was used in both directions on this approximately 5.5 km diversion.<br />
<br />
===Innsbruck avoiding line: Volders-Baumkirchen (Abzw Fritzens-Wattens 2) – Inntaltunnel – Unterberg-Stefansbrücke (Abzw Innsbruck 1; Gärberbach)===<br />
(ERA-E 63B1; ERA-R 128A2; ''60B-60C'') AT24/34<br />
<br />
This line via the ''Inntaltunnel'' avoiding Innsbruck Hbf was opened in 1994. It is normally banned to passenger trains, but it may be used for diversions of ''EC'' services between München and Italy routed via the Brenner line when there is engineering work at Innsbruck Hbf.<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Austria_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Austria - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Other sparse services==<br />
The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally in this country) – fewer than five trains each way on at least three days a week – or do not run each weekday:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 130/131 <br />
| Weißenbach-St.Gallen – Selzthal<br />
| Limited service on Fridays to Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 532<br />
| Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg<br />
| Weekends only from mid-March to late October plus early December to mid-January<br />
|-<br />
| 801<br />
| Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs <br />
|-<br />
| 802<br />
| Gmünd NÖ – Litschau<br />
|-<br />
| 802<br />
| Altnagelberg – Heidenreichstein<br />
|-<br />
| 811<br />
| Krems an der Donau – Emmersdorf an der Donau<br />
| Weekends only from mid-March to end April and in November; daily from May to October <br />
|-<br />
| 941<br />
| Retz – Drosendorf<br />
| Weekends only from late April to early November plus Fridays in high summer <br />
|-<br />
| 10 (SŽ)<br />
| Bleiburg – Holmec (Slovenia) <br />
| Five train pairs on weekdays, two pairs on summer Saturdays and one pair on Sundays, except in the summer<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines do not have service throughout the winter:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable2"<br />
| 173<br />
| St. Wolfgang Schafbergbahnhof – Schafbergspitze<br />
|-<br />
| 311<br />
| Jenbach – Achensee Seespitz<br />
|-<br />
| 523<br />
| Puchberg am Schneeberg – Hochschneeberg (''Schneebergbahn'')<br />
|-<br />
| 532<br />
| Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg<br />
|-<br />
| 801<br />
| Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs <br />
|-<br />
| 802<br />
| Gmünd NÖ – Litschau<br />
|-<br />
| 802<br />
| Altnagelberg – Heidenreichstein<br />
|-<br />
| 811<br />
| Krems an der Donau – Emmersdorf an der Donau<br />
|-<br />
| 941<br />
| Retz – Drosendorf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Deletions since previous edition==<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| AT23/9<br />
| Wampersdorf – Gramatneusiedl<br />
| No longer used by scheduled services so moved to 'Occasional Use' section as AT24/30<br />
|-<br />
| AT23/30<br />
| Ebenfurth avoiding line: Pottendorf-Landegg (Abzw Ebenfurth Nord) – Untereggendorf (Abzw Ebenfurth Süd)<br />
| Served by a few trains in the 2023/24 timetable so moved to the main Obscure services section as AT24/27<br />
|-<br />
| AT23/34<br />
| Wien Zvbf Nord – Wien Zbf Ost – Wien Zvbf Abzw Felixdorf<br />
| Only known passenger train use was by one train on one day in 2022<br />
|-<br />
| AT23/35<br />
| Tullnerfeld (Üst Abzw Knoten Hetzendorf) – Inzersdorf Ort<br />
| Only known passenger train use was by one train on one day in 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Austria}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Hessen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55487Germany (Hessen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-24T11:08:01Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion */ ''RE connection" not used by RB58</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
Routes are ordered geographically. In the Frankfurt area, routes in and out of the Hauptbahnhof are considered first and then the various avoiding lines. In both cases, routes are ordered clockwise round the city, from Frankfurt am Main Süd to Frankfurt am Main West.<br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the complete closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Mannheim via Biblis) between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, local and long-distance services in the entire area between Frankfurt, Mainz, Darmstadt and Mannheim are severely affected. This site will attempt to incorporate these alterations into the appropriate entries as much as possible.<br />
<br />
===Eichenberg avoiding line: Friedland (Han) (Abzw Eichenberg Nordkopf) – Arenshausen (Abzw Eichenberg Ostkopf)===<br />
[540.1] (ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 100A1; S+W ''55B3'') DE24/501<br />
<br />
This north to east curve links the Göttingen and Nordhausen lines and is used by through trains between Göttingen, Leinefelde and Glauchau (Sachs), generally every two hours. Note that between Göttingen and Leinefelde, these trains stop only at Heilbad Heiligenstadt.<br />
<br />
===Bad Sooden-Allendorf (Abzw Eschwege-Wehre) – Wehretal-Reichensachsen (Abzw Eschwege-Stegmühle) ===<br />
(ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 107A5; S+W ''55B4'') DE24/502<br />
<br />
Since the reopening of Eschwege Stadtbahnhof in 2009, all local trains between Eichenberg and Bebra reverse there, leaving and returning to the main line at a triangular junction at Eschwege West. Daytime expresses normally use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'', so the only passenger trains to use the main line, bypassing Eschwege, regularly are overnight ones. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:03/01:32 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ473<br />
| Hannover Hbf – 00:05 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1081<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 01:13 Göttingen – München Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| D3<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1271<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:18 (MO) Göttingen – Chur <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D4<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1970<br />
| Rastatt – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D5<br />
| SuO/MSuO<br />
| ICE4<br />
| Zürich HB – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| ICE1080<br />
| München Hbf – 01:19 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE990<br />
| München Hbf – 01:45/01:48/02:28 Bad Hersfeld – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:36 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:43 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:31 Hanau Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Dep. Göttingen 01:32 10 December 2023 - 9 March 2024, 29 March - 8 August; 30 August - 14 December 2024; dep. Göttingen 00:03 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 10 - 28 March 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 21 July - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: 18, 25 August 2024<br />
<br />
D5: MSuO 1 - 21 January, SuO 1 September - 8 December 2024 (one day later from Fulda)<br />
<br />
D6: SuO 10 - 26 December 2023, 28 January - 25 February, 2 March - 12 June 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:45 following day); daily 14 June- 14 July (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:48 following day); SuO 21 - 8 December 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 02:28 following day)<br />
<br />
D7: 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D8: 11 December 2023 - 27 March 2024, 1 April - 16 May, 30 August - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
[https://urlaubs-express.de/ ''Urlaubs Express''] trains to and from Hamburg are likely to use this route.<br />
<br />
===Bebra avoiding line: Ludwigsau-Friedlos (Abzw Blankenheim) – Ronshausen (Abzw Faßdorf)===<br />
[no table] (ERA-E 54B5; ERA-R 107A4; S+W ''67 inset'') DE24/503<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains between Fulda and Eisenach to avoid reversal at Bebra. It is used at least hourly by ''ICE'' services between Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig, which run non-stop between Fulda or Bad Hersfeld and Eisenach.<br />
<br />
===Gießen avoiding line: Dutenhofen – Großen Linden (Gießen Bergwald Stw Gs)===<br />
[445] (ERA-E 53C4; ERA-R 106A3; S+W ''65A4'') DE24/504<br />
<br />
This west to south curve enables trains to run between Wetzlar and Friedberg (Hess) without reversing at Gießen. It is used by ''IC'' trains every two hours between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and destinations via Siegen and also by:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24531<br />
| Siegen – 05:47 Wetzlar – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24530<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 18:00 Bad Nauheim – Siegen<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Fulda area===<br />
[615] (ERA-E 54B4 not shown; ERA-R 107A3; S+W ''78C1'') DE24/505<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) (Fulda-Bronnzell) – Fulda via flyover====<br />
<br />
The flyover south of Fulda station allows trains northbound from Flieden access to the low-numbered platforms at Fulda without crossing the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' on the level. It is used by most ''RE50'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf '''terminating''' at Fulda which run hourly. <br />
<br />
Southbound ''RE50'' services to Frankfurt am Main Hbf starting from Fulda platform 1 use the same track as inbound terminating services via the flyover and rise as if heading that way, but then drop down to run underneath the flyover parallel with the southbound main line. Some travellers may also consider this to be a separate route.<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) via southbound platform loop====<br />
<br />
Local hourly stopping services from Fulda towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf must use the loop of the main line to call at Platform 3 as there is no platform on the southbound main line. This loop line is on a separate alignment well to the west of the main line.<br />
<br />
===Flieden – Sterbfritz (Elm Bbf)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A4-54B4; ERA-R 107A2; S+W ''78C1-78C2'') DE24/506<br />
<br />
This is part of the former main line between München and Hamburg. Daytime expresses now use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and diversion of Gemünden local trains to Schlüchtern, instead of Fulda, has left the route with regular passenger trains only during the night, plus occasional diversions.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC634<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 05:44 Würzburg Hbf – Bremen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1689<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 01:13 Göttingen - München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1688<br />
| München Hbf - 01:20 Würzburg Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:35 Würzburg Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Nordseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3 not shown; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/507<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between the Maintal and Fulda lines. There are two spurs linking the Maintal line to Hanau Hbf Nordseite (Fulda line). The southerly one is for eastbound trains via platform 7 only. The other is reversible and links with platforms 2 to 7. Most local trains via Maintal Ost terminating or starting at Hanau Hbf normally use the reversible connection and platform 5. Trains from beyond Hanau that use platform 6 may use this connection if they call at Maintal Ost or run non-stop to Frankfurt am Main Süd.<br />
<br />
Most ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Offenbach (Main), but some are routed via Maintal. The following are scheduled to run via Maintal Ost and Hanau Hbf Nordseite. (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1658<br />
| Erfurt Hbf – 06:44 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE791<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:24 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE793<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8 <br />
| SSuO <br />
| ICE1285/1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:15/15:16 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE795<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE797<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof - 17:24 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:29 Hanau Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1699<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 18:47 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D9<br />
| <br />
| ICE273<br />
| Berlin Gesundbrunnen – 21:34 Hanau Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470<br />
| Zürich HB – 02:14 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE1590<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 08:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE992<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 10:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE798<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 12:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE796<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 14:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE794<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 16:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D10<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Berlin Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE776<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 17:15 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE792<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf - 18:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd - Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1690<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 20:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Südseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/508<br />
<br />
This route is used by ''RB'' trains between Aschaffenburg and Frankfurt am Main via the Maintal line.<br />
<br />
===Offenbach (Main) Hbf - Offenbach (Main) Ost===<br />
[645.8-9] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''153B2'') DE24/509<br />
<br />
This 1.7km connecting line links the main Frankfurt - Hanau line at Offenbach Hbf with the ''S-Bahn'' line at Offenbach Ost. Early on Monday mornings certain ''S8'' trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Offenbach Ost run to and from Frankfurt am Main Hbf (high level) via Frankfurt am Main Süd and this line. <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Hbf: 00:39, 01:12 and 01:39, all MO <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Ost: 23:58 SuO; 00:28 and 01:01, both MO<br />
<br />
Note that these trains do not run between 16 June and 15 July 2024.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf===<br />
Trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Stadion, Neu Isenburg or Frankfurt am Main Süd may use two routes over the River Main, crossing the Niederräder Brücke or the Main-Neckar-Brücke, about 2 km further upstream. The line over the Niederräder Brücke gives access to platforms 1a through 8 on the south side (via Abzw Gutleuthof), platforms 15 through 24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof and the ''S-Bahn'' underground station. The Main-Neckar-Brücke gives access to platforms 4 through 13, but following construction of a new spur it may be possible for trains to run to platforms 1 to 3 as well. Platforms 4 through 8 are accessible from both bridges.<br />
<br />
Trains via Frankfurt am Main Süd and Neu Isenburg mainly use the Main-Neckar-Brücke and those via Frankfurt am Main Stadion mainly the Niederräder Brücke. There is little difference in journey time between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and the Hauptbahnhof via either bridge. However, there is a significant difference between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Hauptbahnhof, with trains via Niederräder Brücke being scheduled at least 10 minutes, rather than 6 or 7 minutes for the Main-Neckar-Brücke route.<br />
<br />
Many long-distance trains reverse at Frankfurt and, in the lists below, trains using a route inward are shown before those using it outward.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Süd==== <br />
[615, 615.1, 640] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151D3'') DE23/511<br />
<br />
Most trains run via Main-Neckar-Brücke. The following trains are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke and Abzw Forsthaus: List to follow<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC2022<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 14:04 Aschaffenburg Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1285<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE776<br />
| 17:01 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
Local trains taking longer than ten minutes between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Süd can be expected to run via Frankfurt Niederrad.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)==== <br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151C4'') DE23/512<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Neu Isenburg, other than ''S-Bahn'', run via Main-Neckar-Brücke, but the following are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC2286<br />
| Rottweil / Horb – 08:47 Darmstadt Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1571<br />
| 07:02 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC1995<br />
| 16:51 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''IC1995'' and ''IC2286'' run in connection with trade fairs.---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Stadion==== <br />
[471, 472, 655, 655.1] (ERA-E 57C2-57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B4'') DE24/513<br />
<br />
Most trains (and particularly ''RE'' and ''RB'' ones) run via Niederräder Brücke. Most ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use platforms 15–24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof. Most ''S-Bahn'' S7 services and many ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Abzw Gutleuthof and use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
The following trains are scheduled via Main-Neckar Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Mannheim Hbf hourly 05:50 to 21:50<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof hourly 07:10 to 22:10<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Mannheim Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Hbf hourly 06:32 to 22:32, every two hours 06:41 to 20:41 and every two hours 07:16 to 19:16, but not when the 19:16 terminates at Frankfurt am Main Hbf <br />
<br />
Timings from Mannheim may vary by a few minutes, because of engineering work.<br />
<br />
The following trains are also scheduled to use this route:<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE698<br />
| München Hbf – 02:29 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE672<br />
| Wiesbaden Hbf – 05:32 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| MO<br />
| ICE696<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 05:28 Mannheim Hbf – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE27<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:01 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Wien Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC459<br />
| Zürich HB – 23:42 Mannheim Hbf – Praha hl.n<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE887/1087<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:13 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE699<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:25 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC458<br />
| Praha hl.n – 04:00 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE826<br />
| 05:40 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Essen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1097<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 09:34 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1554<br />
| Dresden Hbf – 20:56 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf / Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Höchst====<br />
[466, 627, 646] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2 not shown; S+W ''151C3-151B3'' partly shown) DE24/514<br />
<br />
Most trains, other than ''S-Bahn'', between Frankfurt-Höchst and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße. <br />
<br />
Most of those to and from Koblenz and Wiesbaden use the connection between Abzw Mainzer Landstraße and platforms 15–24 on the north side of Frankfurt am Main Hbf. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the ''Außenbahnhof'', came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Limburg (Lahn) run via Abzw Gutleuthof to use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
Generally only ''S-Bahn'' services to and from the low-level station at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf use the route via Frankfurt-Griesheim.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Rödelheim (via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße)====<br />
[637] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-152D2'') DE24/515<br />
<br />
This route is used by the through trains between Brandoberndorf, Grävenwiesbach and Frankfurt am Main Hbf, all of which arrive and depart at the north side platforms. These run on Mondays to Fridays, peak hours only. ''S-Bahn'' trains between Frankfurt-Rödelheim and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Frankfurt West. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt (Main) Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the Außenbahnhof, came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Süd (Abstellbahnhof) – Frankfurt-Louisa===<br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151D3-151C4'') DE24/521<br />
<br />
This east to south curve provides a link between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Darmstadt line. There is a frequent ''S-Bahn'' service over tracks parallel to this route. List to follow.<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ471 / IC60471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 04:32 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D8 <br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1079<br />
| Hamburg-Harburg / Hamburg-Altona – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1956<br />
| Leipzig Hbf – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:45 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470 / IC60470<br />
| Zürich HB – 01:53 Darmstadt Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1694 / ICE1737<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1174<br />
| Basel SBB – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[471, 650] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151C4'') DE23/522<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Neu Isenburg if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1223<br />
| 06:47 Darmstadt Hbf - Düsseldorf Hbf (continues to München via Kassel)<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Frankfurt am Main Süd (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151D3'') DE24/523<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Frankfurt am Main Süd if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. It is used by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach and on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RB59'' services between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen and Hanau Hbf. <!---CHECK FOR ANY USE BY ICEs---><br />
<br />
See route DE24/521 (above) for details of trains that run via Frankfurt-Louisa, instead of the direct route via line 3650.<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Abzw Breckenheim) - Wiesbaden Hbf (Wiesbaden-Wäschbach)===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151B1 - 151D1'') DE23/524<br />
<br />
This branch off the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' is used by ''ICE'' trains between Köln and Wiesbaden Hbf. Owing to the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Biblis – Mannheim) during the second half of the year, many more trains than usual are using this connection. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| Köln Hbf - 06:54 Limburg Süd - Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SX<br />
| ICE713<br />
| Köln Hbf - 18:20 Limburg Süd - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE712<br />
| Mainz Hbf - 06:22 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE710<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf - 16:45 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf / Köln Messe/Deutz<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Wiesbaden avoiding line: Wiesbaden-Biebrich - Wiesbaden Ost=== <br />
[466] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/525<br />
<br />
This line allows trains to run between Frankfurt am Main and the ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'' (via Rüdesheim) without reversal at Wiesbaden Hbf. It is used by Monday to Friday ''RE'' peak trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Eltville or Rudesheim which do not call at Wiesbaden Hbf. The north and southbound routes differ significantly south of Wiesbaden Ost.<br />
<br />
From Mainz-Kastel: 08:35, 16:35, 18:35 all SSuX<br />
<br />
From Wiesbaden-Biebrich: 07:15, 09:15, 17:15 all SSuX<br />
<br />
Note that Table 466 shows an hourly service towards Eltville in the morning and evening peaks, but the journey planner only shows three trains in either direction.<br />
<br />
===Mainz-Bischofsheim (Abzw Kostheim Ost) – Mainz-Kastel (Abzw Kostheim)===<br />
<br />
[645.8-9, 651] (ERA-E 57A1-57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151D2-151C2'') DE24/526<br />
<br />
This connection across the Main splits in two parts at Abzw Kostheim Ost just north of the river. The two main tracks fly over the Höchst line and turn west to touch it briefly (Abzw Kostheim) before turning north to become route DE24/527 to the Kaiserbrücke over the Rhein. There is also a single-track south-to-west curve (line 3531) that avoids the flyover and diverges from the Höchst line to the south at Abzw Kostheim. This is used by trains from Mainz-Kastel to Bischofsheim, but all trains from Bischofsheim use the main track until Abzw Kostheim. The eastbound main track from Abzw Kostheim to Abzw Kostheim Ost is only used by trains coming from the Mainz Kaiserbrücke via route DE24/527.<br />
<br />
===Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) – Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151C2'') DE24/527 <br />
<br />
This route allows trains from the north bank of the River Main to access the ''Kaiserbrücke'' over the River Rhein to Mainz, so trains can run between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Frankfurt-Höchst. This line can also be used to allow trains to run between Mainz-Bischofsheim and Mainz-Mombach without passing through Mainz Hbf. <br />
<br />
The line is used by ''RE4'' services, generally every two hours with peak extras, between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Mainz Hbf via Hochheim (Main). <br />
<br />
===Kelsterbach – Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152C3-152D3'') DE24/528<br />
<br />
This is part of the original main line and is used by trains between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Kelsterbach, which stop at neither of the stations at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29243<br />
| Kirchheimbolanden – 06:56 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29205<br />
| Alzey – 07:41 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B2 not shown; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/529<br />
<br />
Where the new line from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regionalbahnhof converges with the old main line via Kelsterbach west of Frankfurt am Main Stadion, two routes are possible. Trains to and from the ''S-Bahn'' tunnel route under the city centre cross the Kelsterbach line on a flyover. There is also a single track connection directly to the line from Kelsterbach which is used by certain ''RE'' trains '''to''' the Hauptbahnhof high-level station. <br />
<br />
The single-track connection also is used on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RE59'' services between Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbf and Hanau Hbf via Frankfurt am Main Süd. These trains run via platforms 4 and 5 at Frankfurt am Main Stadion, avoiding Frankfurt am Main Hbf. <br />
<br />
Note that the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach via Frankfurt am Main Süd and Hanau call at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof and so do not use this connection.<br />
<br />
===Raunheim (Abzw Mönchwald) – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf (Abzw Mönchhof)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''152B4'') DE24/530 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This spur connects the old main line from Mainz Hbf to the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Köln. It is used by trains calling at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf. There is a generally hourly ''ICE'' service for most of the day. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – Zeppelinheim===<br />
[655.1] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/531 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This grade-separated south to west curve is from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf to the line to Mannheim via Biblis. It is used by trains running direct between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf and Mannheim. These are ''ICE'' services at least hourly. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
===Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Stockschneise) – Darmstadt Nord – Darmstadt-Kranichstein===<br />
(ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W 154C2) DE24/532<br />
<br />
This west to east route connects the Mainz and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. Between Darmstadt Nord and Darmstadt-Kranichstein it has its own alignment, different from the one used by local passenger trains. The [https://bahnwelt.de/ Darmstadt-Kranichstein railway museum] sometimes runs a shuttle service between Groß-Gerau and Kranichstein during its annual ''Bahnwelttage'' event in May.<br />
<br />
The route is also occasionally used for diversion of ''RB75'' trains between Mainz and Aschaffenburg.<br />
<br />
===Arheilgen – Darmstadt-Nord===<br />
[641] (ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W ''154C2'') DE24/533<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Frankfurt am Main and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. It is used by through trains between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach via Darmstadt Nord, generally hourly. <br />
<br />
===Darmstadt Hbf – Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Bergschneise ''and'' Abzw Weiterstadt Stockschneise)===<br />
[651] (ERA-E 57B1 partly shown; S+W ''154C3-154C2'') DE24/534<br />
<br />
Darmstadt Hbf is connected to the line towards Mainz by three geographically separate tracks, of which two constitute a widely separated double track flying junction and the third is reversible.<br />
<br />
The Darmstadt to Mainz track diverges from the main track towards Frankfurt (line 3605) north of Darmstadt Hbf, at about the the place where it passes over the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line. It then makes a 135° curve to the left and joins the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line from the north at Abzw Stockschneise. It was formerly numbered as line 3537 but is now numbered as 3530 as the Mainz-bound track of the double-track Darmstadt to Mainz line. The Mainz to Darmstadt track of line 3530 diverges to the south at Abzw Stockschneise directly to the Hauptbahnhof, where it eventually becomes platform 9.<br />
<br />
Between these two tracks, there is a reversible track (line 3541) which splits from the Mainz - Aschaffenburg line on the flat at Abzw Bergschneise, 1 km east of Abzw Stockschneise. At Darmstadt Hbf it arrives between the tracks from/to Darmstadt Nord, which eventually become platforms 7 and 8.<br />
<br />
Trains from Mainz use the short curve of line 3530. Trains towards Mainz from platforms 8 and 9 (which are most of them) can only use the reversible Bergschneise route as line 3605 and therefore the Stockschneise route cannot be reached from these platforms. <br />
<br />
Only two services at 06:12 and 08:12 (both SSuX) depart from platform 7 and so can use either route. The Stockschneise route is longer but allows higher speeds. Reports in the last couple of years have confirmed that both trains took the Stockschneise route and therefore the 'long curve'. Which route is used can be seen from the position of the scissors crossover points just north of the platforms – left for the Bergschneise route, right for the Stockschneise route.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Hanau avoiding line: Großkrotzenburg - Hanau Nord (Rauschwald)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4; S+W ''151D2'') DE24/541 <!---APPARENTLY IN PASSENGER USE IN 2024; CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This line is used occasionally, particularly by overnight trains, to allow trains to run between the Aschaffenburg and Fulda or Friedberg lines without reversal at Hanau Hbf. List to follow.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt am Main West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Louisa (Main-Neckar Brücke)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151C3'') DE24/542<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south, but particularly via Darmstadt, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. Use of this route is indicated by trains calling at Frankfurt am Main West instead of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Niederrad / Frankfurt Griesheim=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/543<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south via Niederräder Brücke or to the west via Griesheim, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
This route is sometimes also used by ''IC'' trains when there is engineering working in the Hauptbahnhof area. However, as most ''IC'' trains via Frankfurt West also run via Darmstadt, use of route DE24/542 is more likely.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt-Niederrad – Frankfurt-Höchst=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C4-152C2'') DE24/544 <---CHECK FOR ANY FV USE IN 2024---><br />
<br />
There are two possible routes between Niederräder Brücke and Frankfurt-Höchst – a south to east curve to the ''S-Bahn'' line via Frankfurt-Griesheim and a south to north link to the main line at Abzw. Mainzer Landstraße.<br />
<br />
On various dates the following overnight services are booked to run via Niederräder Brücke and Höchst; however it is unclear which of the two routes they will take in between these points. Whether trains will run via one or other of these routes can be confirmed by their omitting calls at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ420<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 03:47 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 23:46 Koblenz Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Caltex) - Kelsterbach (Brunnenschneise)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2-122B2; S+W ''152B3'') DE24/544<br />
<br />
This north to east curve allows trains to run between the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and the old main line between Mainz and Frankfurt. Use by passenger trains is extremely rare and further diversions are unlikely soon, but are indicated by a stop at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf being omitted.<br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau – Groß Gerau-Dornberg===<br />
[660] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/545 <!---APPARENTLY IN USE IN EARLY 2024 WHEN RIEDBAHN IS OPEN - CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Mainz to Darmstadt line with the Frankfurt am Main to Mannheim ''Riedbahn''.<br />
<br />
''IC'' and ''EC'' trains between Mainz and Mannheim not calling at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen normally run via Worms, but are sometimes diverted via this curve. Relief ''IC'' trains may also run this way, and it has been used at short notice when there is an operating or infrastructure problem on the Worms route. If local trains via Worms are replaced by buses, it is likely that ''IC'' and ''EC'' trains will use this route. <br />
<br />
Between 11 and 24 March 2024, ''IC/EC/ICE'' trains between Mainz Hbf and Mannheim Hbf are diverted this way, not calling at Worms Hbf.<br />
<br />
<!---TRAINS RUNNING THIS WAY DURING RIEDBAHN CLOSURE??---><br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau-Dornberg – Klein Gerau (Abzw Klein Gerau Eichmühle)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/546<br />
<br />
This is the east to south curve at Groß Gerau. Occasionally, ''RE70'' services between Mannheim Hbf and Frankfurt are diverted to/from Frankfurt am Main Süd via this curve, reversing at Darmstadt Hbf, with a public call there.<br />
<br />
Note that during the total closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, it will not be possible to divert any trains via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Hessen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55486Germany (Hessen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-24T10:44:36Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
Routes are ordered geographically. In the Frankfurt area, routes in and out of the Hauptbahnhof are considered first and then the various avoiding lines. In both cases, routes are ordered clockwise round the city, from Frankfurt am Main Süd to Frankfurt am Main West.<br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the complete closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Mannheim via Biblis) between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, local and long-distance services in the entire area between Frankfurt, Mainz, Darmstadt and Mannheim are severely affected. This site will attempt to incorporate these alterations into the appropriate entries as much as possible.<br />
<br />
===Eichenberg avoiding line: Friedland (Han) (Abzw Eichenberg Nordkopf) – Arenshausen (Abzw Eichenberg Ostkopf)===<br />
[540.1] (ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 100A1; S+W ''55B3'') DE24/501<br />
<br />
This north to east curve links the Göttingen and Nordhausen lines and is used by through trains between Göttingen, Leinefelde and Glauchau (Sachs), generally every two hours. Note that between Göttingen and Leinefelde, these trains stop only at Heilbad Heiligenstadt.<br />
<br />
===Bad Sooden-Allendorf (Abzw Eschwege-Wehre) – Wehretal-Reichensachsen (Abzw Eschwege-Stegmühle) ===<br />
(ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 107A5; S+W ''55B4'') DE24/502<br />
<br />
Since the reopening of Eschwege Stadtbahnhof in 2009, all local trains between Eichenberg and Bebra reverse there, leaving and returning to the main line at a triangular junction at Eschwege West. Daytime expresses normally use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'', so the only passenger trains to use the main line, bypassing Eschwege, regularly are overnight ones. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:03/01:32 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ473<br />
| Hannover Hbf – 00:05 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1081<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 01:13 Göttingen – München Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| D3<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1271<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:18 (MO) Göttingen – Chur <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D4<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1970<br />
| Rastatt – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D5<br />
| SuO/MSuO<br />
| ICE4<br />
| Zürich HB – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| ICE1080<br />
| München Hbf – 01:19 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE990<br />
| München Hbf – 01:45/01:48/02:28 Bad Hersfeld – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:36 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:43 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:31 Hanau Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Dep. Göttingen 01:32 10 December 2023 - 9 March 2024, 29 March - 8 August; 30 August - 14 December 2024; dep. Göttingen 00:03 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 10 - 28 March 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 21 July - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: 18, 25 August 2024<br />
<br />
D5: MSuO 1 - 21 January, SuO 1 September - 8 December 2024 (one day later from Fulda)<br />
<br />
D6: SuO 10 - 26 December 2023, 28 January - 25 February, 2 March - 12 June 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:45 following day); daily 14 June- 14 July (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:48 following day); SuO 21 - 8 December 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 02:28 following day)<br />
<br />
D7: 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D8: 11 December 2023 - 27 March 2024, 1 April - 16 May, 30 August - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
[https://urlaubs-express.de/ ''Urlaubs Express''] trains to and from Hamburg are likely to use this route.<br />
<br />
===Bebra avoiding line: Ludwigsau-Friedlos (Abzw Blankenheim) – Ronshausen (Abzw Faßdorf)===<br />
[no table] (ERA-E 54B5; ERA-R 107A4; S+W ''67 inset'') DE24/503<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains between Fulda and Eisenach to avoid reversal at Bebra. It is used at least hourly by ''ICE'' services between Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig, which run non-stop between Fulda or Bad Hersfeld and Eisenach.<br />
<br />
===Gießen avoiding line: Dutenhofen – Großen Linden (Gießen Bergwald Stw Gs)===<br />
[445] (ERA-E 53C4; ERA-R 106A3; S+W ''65A4'') DE24/504<br />
<br />
This west to south curve enables trains to run between Wetzlar and Friedberg (Hess) without reversing at Gießen. It is used by ''IC'' trains every two hours between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and destinations via Siegen and also by:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24531<br />
| Siegen – 05:47 Wetzlar – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24530<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 18:00 Bad Nauheim – Siegen<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Fulda area===<br />
[615] (ERA-E 54B4 not shown; ERA-R 107A3; S+W ''78C1'') DE24/505<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) (Fulda-Bronnzell) – Fulda via flyover====<br />
<br />
The flyover south of Fulda station allows trains northbound from Flieden access to the low-numbered platforms at Fulda without crossing the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' on the level. It is used by most ''RE50'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf '''terminating''' at Fulda which run hourly. <br />
<br />
Southbound ''RE50'' services to Frankfurt am Main Hbf starting from Fulda platform 1 use the same track as inbound terminating services via the flyover and rise as if heading that way, but then drop down to run underneath the flyover parallel with the southbound main line. Some travellers may also consider this to be a separate route.<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) via southbound platform loop====<br />
<br />
Local hourly stopping services from Fulda towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf must use the loop of the main line to call at Platform 3 as there is no platform on the southbound main line. This loop line is on a separate alignment well to the west of the main line.<br />
<br />
===Flieden – Sterbfritz (Elm Bbf)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A4-54B4; ERA-R 107A2; S+W ''78C1-78C2'') DE24/506<br />
<br />
This is part of the former main line between München and Hamburg. Daytime expresses now use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and diversion of Gemünden local trains to Schlüchtern, instead of Fulda, has left the route with regular passenger trains only during the night, plus occasional diversions.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC634<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 05:44 Würzburg Hbf – Bremen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1689<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 01:13 Göttingen - München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1688<br />
| München Hbf - 01:20 Würzburg Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:35 Würzburg Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Nordseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3 not shown; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/507<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between the Maintal and Fulda lines. There are two spurs linking the Maintal line to Hanau Hbf Nordseite (Fulda line). The southerly one is for eastbound trains via platform 7 only. The other is reversible and links with platforms 2 to 7. Most local trains via Maintal Ost terminating or starting at Hanau Hbf normally use the reversible connection and platform 5. Trains from beyond Hanau that use platform 6 may use this connection if they call at Maintal Ost or run non-stop to Frankfurt am Main Süd.<br />
<br />
Most ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Offenbach (Main), but some are routed via Maintal. The following are scheduled to run via Maintal Ost and Hanau Hbf Nordseite. (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1658<br />
| Erfurt Hbf – 06:44 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE791<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:24 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE793<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8 <br />
| SSuO <br />
| ICE1285/1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:15/15:16 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE795<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE797<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof - 17:24 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:29 Hanau Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1699<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 18:47 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D9<br />
| <br />
| ICE273<br />
| Berlin Gesundbrunnen – 21:34 Hanau Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470<br />
| Zürich HB – 02:14 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE1590<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 08:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE992<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 10:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE798<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 12:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE796<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 14:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE794<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 16:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D10<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Berlin Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE776<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 17:15 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE792<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf - 18:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd - Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1690<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 20:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Südseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/508<br />
<br />
This route is used by ''RB'' trains between Aschaffenburg and Frankfurt am Main via the Maintal line.<br />
<br />
===Offenbach (Main) Hbf - Offenbach (Main) Ost===<br />
[645.8-9] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''153B2'') DE24/509<br />
<br />
This 1.7km connecting line links the main Frankfurt - Hanau line at Offenbach Hbf with the ''S-Bahn'' line at Offenbach Ost. Early on Monday mornings certain ''S8'' trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Offenbach Ost run to and from Frankfurt am Main Hbf (high level) via Frankfurt am Main Süd and this line. <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Hbf: 00:39, 01:12 and 01:39, all MO <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Ost: 23:58 SuO; 00:28 and 01:01, both MO<br />
<br />
Note that these trains do not run between 16 June and 15 July 2024.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf===<br />
Trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Stadion, Neu Isenburg or Frankfurt am Main Süd may use two routes over the River Main, crossing the Niederräder Brücke or the Main-Neckar-Brücke, about 2 km further upstream. The line over the Niederräder Brücke gives access to platforms 1a through 8 on the south side (via Abzw Gutleuthof), platforms 15 through 24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof and the ''S-Bahn'' underground station. The Main-Neckar-Brücke gives access to platforms 4 through 13, but following construction of a new spur it may be possible for trains to run to platforms 1 to 3 as well. Platforms 4 through 8 are accessible from both bridges.<br />
<br />
Trains via Frankfurt am Main Süd and Neu Isenburg mainly use the Main-Neckar-Brücke and those via Frankfurt am Main Stadion mainly the Niederräder Brücke. There is little difference in journey time between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and the Hauptbahnhof via either bridge. However, there is a significant difference between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Hauptbahnhof, with trains via Niederräder Brücke being scheduled at least 10 minutes, rather than 6 or 7 minutes for the Main-Neckar-Brücke route.<br />
<br />
Many long-distance trains reverse at Frankfurt and, in the lists below, trains using a route inward are shown before those using it outward.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Süd==== <br />
[615, 615.1, 640] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151D3'') DE23/511<br />
<br />
Most trains run via Main-Neckar-Brücke. The following trains are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke and Abzw Forsthaus: List to follow<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC2022<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 14:04 Aschaffenburg Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1285<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE776<br />
| 17:01 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
Local trains taking longer than ten minutes between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Süd can be expected to run via Frankfurt Niederrad.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)==== <br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151C4'') DE23/512<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Neu Isenburg, other than ''S-Bahn'', run via Main-Neckar-Brücke, but the following are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC2286<br />
| Rottweil / Horb – 08:47 Darmstadt Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1571<br />
| 07:02 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC1995<br />
| 16:51 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''IC1995'' and ''IC2286'' run in connection with trade fairs.---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Stadion==== <br />
[471, 472, 655, 655.1] (ERA-E 57C2-57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B4'') DE24/513<br />
<br />
Most trains (and particularly ''RE'' and ''RB'' ones) run via Niederräder Brücke. Most ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use platforms 15–24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof. Most ''S-Bahn'' S7 services and many ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Abzw Gutleuthof and use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
The following trains are scheduled via Main-Neckar Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Mannheim Hbf hourly 05:50 to 21:50<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof hourly 07:10 to 22:10<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Mannheim Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Hbf hourly 06:32 to 22:32, every two hours 06:41 to 20:41 and every two hours 07:16 to 19:16, but not when the 19:16 terminates at Frankfurt am Main Hbf <br />
<br />
Timings from Mannheim may vary by a few minutes, because of engineering work.<br />
<br />
The following trains are also scheduled to use this route:<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE698<br />
| München Hbf – 02:29 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE672<br />
| Wiesbaden Hbf – 05:32 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| MO<br />
| ICE696<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 05:28 Mannheim Hbf – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE27<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:01 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Wien Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC459<br />
| Zürich HB – 23:42 Mannheim Hbf – Praha hl.n<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE887/1087<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:13 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE699<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:25 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC458<br />
| Praha hl.n – 04:00 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE826<br />
| 05:40 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Essen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1097<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 09:34 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1554<br />
| Dresden Hbf – 20:56 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf / Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Höchst====<br />
[466, 627, 646] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2 not shown; S+W ''151C3-151B3'' partly shown) DE24/514<br />
<br />
Most trains, other than ''S-Bahn'', between Frankfurt-Höchst and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße. <br />
<br />
Most of those to and from Koblenz and Wiesbaden use the connection between Abzw Mainzer Landstraße and platforms 15–24 on the north side of Frankfurt am Main Hbf. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the ''Außenbahnhof'', came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Limburg (Lahn) run via Abzw Gutleuthof to use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
Generally only ''S-Bahn'' services to and from the low-level station at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf use the route via Frankfurt-Griesheim.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Rödelheim (via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße)====<br />
[637] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-152D2'') DE24/515<br />
<br />
This route is used by the through trains between Brandoberndorf, Grävenwiesbach and Frankfurt am Main Hbf, all of which arrive and depart at the north side platforms. These run on Mondays to Fridays, peak hours only. ''S-Bahn'' trains between Frankfurt-Rödelheim and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Frankfurt West. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt (Main) Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the Außenbahnhof, came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Süd (Abstellbahnhof) – Frankfurt-Louisa===<br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151D3-151C4'') DE24/521<br />
<br />
This east to south curve provides a link between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Darmstadt line. There is a frequent ''S-Bahn'' service over tracks parallel to this route. List to follow.<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ471 / IC60471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 04:32 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D8 <br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1079<br />
| Hamburg-Harburg / Hamburg-Altona – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1956<br />
| Leipzig Hbf – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:45 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470 / IC60470<br />
| Zürich HB – 01:53 Darmstadt Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1694 / ICE1737<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1174<br />
| Basel SBB – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[471, 650] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151C4'') DE23/522<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Neu Isenburg if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1223<br />
| 06:47 Darmstadt Hbf - Düsseldorf Hbf (continues to München via Kassel)<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Frankfurt am Main Süd (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151D3'') DE24/523<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Frankfurt am Main Süd if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. It is used by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach and on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RB59'' services between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen and Hanau Hbf. <!---CHECK FOR ANY USE BY ICEs---><br />
<br />
See route DE24/521 (above) for details of trains that run via Frankfurt-Louisa, instead of the direct route via line 3650.<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Abzw Breckenheim) - Wiesbaden Hbf (Wiesbaden-Wäschbach)===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151B1 - 151D1'') DE23/524<br />
<br />
This branch off the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' is used by ''ICE'' trains between Köln and Wiesbaden Hbf. Owing to the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Biblis – Mannheim) during the second half of the year, many more trains than usual are using this connection. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| Köln Hbf - 06:54 Limburg Süd - Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SX<br />
| ICE713<br />
| Köln Hbf - 18:20 Limburg Süd - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE712<br />
| Mainz Hbf - 06:22 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE710<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf - 16:45 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf / Köln Messe/Deutz<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Wiesbaden avoiding line: Wiesbaden-Biebrich - Wiesbaden Ost=== <br />
[466] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/525<br />
<br />
This line allows trains to run between Frankfurt am Main and the ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'' (via Rüdesheim) without reversal at Wiesbaden Hbf. It is used by Monday to Friday ''RE'' peak trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Eltville or Rudesheim which do not call at Wiesbaden Hbf. The north and southbound routes differ significantly south of Wiesbaden Ost.<br />
<br />
From Mainz-Kastel: 08:35, 16:35, 18:35 all SSuX<br />
<br />
From Wiesbaden-Biebrich: 07:15, 09:15, 17:15 all SSuX<br />
<br />
Note that Table 466 shows an hourly service towards Eltville in the morning and evening peaks, but the journey planner only shows three trains in either direction.<br />
<br />
===Mainz-Bischofsheim (Abzw Kostheim Ost) – Mainz-Kastel (Abzw Kostheim)===<br />
<br />
[645.8-9, 651] (ERA-E 57A1-57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151D2-151C2'') DE24/526<br />
<br />
This connection across the Main splits in two parts at Abzw Kostheim Ost just north of the river. The two main tracks fly over the Höchst line and turn west to touch it briefly (Abzw Kostheim) before turning north to become route DE24/527 to the Kaiserbrücke over the Rhein. There is also a single-track south-to-west curve (line 3531) that avoids the flyover and diverges from the Höchst line to the south at Abzw Kostheim. This is used by trains from Mainz-Kastel to Bischofsheim, but all trains from Bischofsheim use the main track until Abzw Kostheim. The eastbound main track from Abzw Kostheim to Abzw Kostheim Ost is only used by trains coming from the Mainz Kaiserbrücke via route DE24/527.<br />
<br />
===Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) – Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151C2'') DE24/527 <br />
<br />
This route allows trains from the north bank of the River Main to access the ''Kaiserbrücke'' over the River Rhein to Mainz, so trains can run between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Frankfurt-Höchst. This line can also be used to allow trains to run between Mainz-Bischofsheim and Mainz-Mombach without passing through Mainz Hbf. <br />
<br />
The line is used by ''RE4'' services, generally every two hours with peak extras, between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Mainz Hbf via Hochheim (Main). <br />
<br />
===Kelsterbach – Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152C3-152D3'') DE24/528<br />
<br />
This is part of the original main line and is used by trains between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Kelsterbach, which stop at neither of the stations at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29243<br />
| Kirchheimbolanden – 06:56 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29205<br />
| Alzey – 07:41 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B2 not shown; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/529<br />
<br />
Where the new line from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regionalbahnhof converges with the old main line via Kelsterbach west of Frankfurt am Main Stadion, two routes are possible. Trains to and from the ''S-Bahn'' tunnel route under the city centre cross the Kelsterbach line on a flyover. There is also a single track connection directly to the line from Kelsterbach which is used by certain ''RE'' trains '''to''' the Hauptbahnhof high-level station. <br />
<br />
It is used additionally by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach via Hanau, also on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RE59'' services between Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbf and Hanau Hbf. These trains run via platforms 4 and 5 at Frankfurt am Main Stadion, where ''RE59'' makes a call, and Frankfurt am Main Süd, avoiding Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Raunheim (Abzw Mönchwald) – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf (Abzw Mönchhof)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''152B4'') DE24/530 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This spur connects the old main line from Mainz Hbf to the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Köln. It is used by trains calling at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf. There is a generally hourly ''ICE'' service for most of the day. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – Zeppelinheim===<br />
[655.1] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/531 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This grade-separated south to west curve is from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf to the line to Mannheim via Biblis. It is used by trains running direct between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf and Mannheim. These are ''ICE'' services at least hourly. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
===Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Stockschneise) – Darmstadt Nord – Darmstadt-Kranichstein===<br />
(ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W 154C2) DE24/532<br />
<br />
This west to east route connects the Mainz and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. Between Darmstadt Nord and Darmstadt-Kranichstein it has its own alignment, different from the one used by local passenger trains. The [https://bahnwelt.de/ Darmstadt-Kranichstein railway museum] sometimes runs a shuttle service between Groß-Gerau and Kranichstein during its annual ''Bahnwelttage'' event in May.<br />
<br />
The route is also occasionally used for diversion of ''RB75'' trains between Mainz and Aschaffenburg.<br />
<br />
===Arheilgen – Darmstadt-Nord===<br />
[641] (ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W ''154C2'') DE24/533<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Frankfurt am Main and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. It is used by through trains between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach via Darmstadt Nord, generally hourly. <br />
<br />
===Darmstadt Hbf – Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Bergschneise ''and'' Abzw Weiterstadt Stockschneise)===<br />
[651] (ERA-E 57B1 partly shown; S+W ''154C3-154C2'') DE24/534<br />
<br />
Darmstadt Hbf is connected to the line towards Mainz by three geographically separate tracks, of which two constitute a widely separated double track flying junction and the third is reversible.<br />
<br />
The Darmstadt to Mainz track diverges from the main track towards Frankfurt (line 3605) north of Darmstadt Hbf, at about the the place where it passes over the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line. It then makes a 135° curve to the left and joins the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line from the north at Abzw Stockschneise. It was formerly numbered as line 3537 but is now numbered as 3530 as the Mainz-bound track of the double-track Darmstadt to Mainz line. The Mainz to Darmstadt track of line 3530 diverges to the south at Abzw Stockschneise directly to the Hauptbahnhof, where it eventually becomes platform 9.<br />
<br />
Between these two tracks, there is a reversible track (line 3541) which splits from the Mainz - Aschaffenburg line on the flat at Abzw Bergschneise, 1 km east of Abzw Stockschneise. At Darmstadt Hbf it arrives between the tracks from/to Darmstadt Nord, which eventually become platforms 7 and 8.<br />
<br />
Trains from Mainz use the short curve of line 3530. Trains towards Mainz from platforms 8 and 9 (which are most of them) can only use the reversible Bergschneise route as line 3605 and therefore the Stockschneise route cannot be reached from these platforms. <br />
<br />
Only two services at 06:12 and 08:12 (both SSuX) depart from platform 7 and so can use either route. The Stockschneise route is longer but allows higher speeds. Reports in the last couple of years have confirmed that both trains took the Stockschneise route and therefore the 'long curve'. Which route is used can be seen from the position of the scissors crossover points just north of the platforms – left for the Bergschneise route, right for the Stockschneise route.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Hanau avoiding line: Großkrotzenburg - Hanau Nord (Rauschwald)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4; S+W ''151D2'') DE24/541 <!---APPARENTLY IN PASSENGER USE IN 2024; CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This line is used occasionally, particularly by overnight trains, to allow trains to run between the Aschaffenburg and Fulda or Friedberg lines without reversal at Hanau Hbf. List to follow.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt am Main West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Louisa (Main-Neckar Brücke)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151C3'') DE24/542<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south, but particularly via Darmstadt, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. Use of this route is indicated by trains calling at Frankfurt am Main West instead of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Niederrad / Frankfurt Griesheim=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/543<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south via Niederräder Brücke or to the west via Griesheim, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
This route is sometimes also used by ''IC'' trains when there is engineering working in the Hauptbahnhof area. However, as most ''IC'' trains via Frankfurt West also run via Darmstadt, use of route DE24/542 is more likely.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt-Niederrad – Frankfurt-Höchst=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C4-152C2'') DE24/544 <---CHECK FOR ANY FV USE IN 2024---><br />
<br />
There are two possible routes between Niederräder Brücke and Frankfurt-Höchst – a south to east curve to the ''S-Bahn'' line via Frankfurt-Griesheim and a south to north link to the main line at Abzw. Mainzer Landstraße.<br />
<br />
On various dates the following overnight services are booked to run via Niederräder Brücke and Höchst; however it is unclear which of the two routes they will take in between these points. Whether trains will run via one or other of these routes can be confirmed by their omitting calls at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ420<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 03:47 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 23:46 Koblenz Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Caltex) - Kelsterbach (Brunnenschneise)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2-122B2; S+W ''152B3'') DE24/544<br />
<br />
This north to east curve allows trains to run between the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and the old main line between Mainz and Frankfurt. Use by passenger trains is extremely rare and further diversions are unlikely soon, but are indicated by a stop at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf being omitted.<br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau – Groß Gerau-Dornberg===<br />
[660] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/545 <!---APPARENTLY IN USE IN EARLY 2024 WHEN RIEDBAHN IS OPEN - CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Mainz to Darmstadt line with the Frankfurt am Main to Mannheim ''Riedbahn''.<br />
<br />
''IC'' and ''EC'' trains between Mainz and Mannheim not calling at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen normally run via Worms, but are sometimes diverted via this curve. Relief ''IC'' trains may also run this way, and it has been used at short notice when there is an operating or infrastructure problem on the Worms route. If local trains via Worms are replaced by buses, it is likely that ''IC'' and ''EC'' trains will use this route. <br />
<br />
Between 11 and 24 March 2024, ''IC/EC/ICE'' trains between Mainz Hbf and Mannheim Hbf are diverted this way, not calling at Worms Hbf.<br />
<br />
<!---TRAINS RUNNING THIS WAY DURING RIEDBAHN CLOSURE??---><br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau-Dornberg – Klein Gerau (Abzw Klein Gerau Eichmühle)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/546<br />
<br />
This is the east to south curve at Groß Gerau. Occasionally, ''RE70'' services between Mannheim Hbf and Frankfurt are diverted to/from Frankfurt am Main Süd via this curve, reversing at Darmstadt Hbf, with a public call there.<br />
<br />
Note that during the total closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, it will not be possible to divert any trains via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Hessen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55485Germany (Hessen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-24T10:42:06Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
Routes are ordered geographically. In the Frankfurt area, routes in and out of the Hauptbahnhof are considered first and then the various avoiding lines. In both cases, routes are ordered clockwise round the city, from Frankfurt am Main Süd to Frankfurt am Main West.<br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the complete closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Mannheim via Biblis) between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, local and long-distance services in the entire area between Frankfurt, Mainz, Darmstadt and Mannheim are severely affected. This site will attempt to incorporate these alterations into the appropriate entries as much as possible.<br />
<br />
===Eichenberg avoiding line: Friedland (Han) (Abzw Eichenberg Nordkopf) – Arenshausen (Abzw Eichenberg Ostkopf)===<br />
[540.1] (ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 100A1; S+W ''55B3'') DE24/501<br />
<br />
This north to east curve links the Göttingen and Nordhausen lines and is used by through trains between Göttingen, Leinefelde and Glauchau (Sachs), generally every two hours. Note that between Göttingen and Leinefelde, these trains stop only at Heilbad Heiligenstadt.<br />
<br />
===Bad Sooden-Allendorf (Abzw Eschwege-Wehre) – Wehretal-Reichensachsen (Abzw Eschwege-Stegmühle) ===<br />
(ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 107A5; S+W ''55B4'') DE24/502<br />
<br />
Since the reopening of Eschwege Stadtbahnhof in 2009, all local trains between Eichenberg and Bebra reverse there, leaving and returning to the main line at a triangular junction at Eschwege West. Daytime expresses normally use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'', so the only passenger trains to use the main line, bypassing Eschwege, regularly are overnight ones. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:03/01:32 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ473<br />
| Hannover Hbf – 00:05 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1081<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 01:13 Göttingen – München Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| D3<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1271<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:18 (MO) Göttingen – Chur <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D4<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1970<br />
| Rastatt – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D5<br />
| SuO/MSuO<br />
| ICE4<br />
| Zürich HB – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| ICE1080<br />
| München Hbf – 01:19 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE990<br />
| München Hbf – 01:45/01:48/02:28 Bad Hersfeld – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:36 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:43 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:31 Hanau Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Dep. Göttingen 01:32 10 December 2023 - 9 March 2024, 29 March - 8 August; 30 August - 14 December 2024; dep. Göttingen 00:03 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 10 - 28 March 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 21 July - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: 18, 25 August 2024<br />
<br />
D5: MSuO 1 - 21 January, SuO 1 September - 8 December 2024 (one day later from Fulda)<br />
<br />
D6: SuO 10 - 26 December 2023, 28 January - 25 February, 2 March - 12 June 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:45 following day); daily 14 June- 14 July (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:48 following day); SuO 21 - 8 December 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 02:28 following day)<br />
<br />
D7: 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D8: 11 December 2023 - 27 March 2024, 1 April - 16 May, 30 August - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
[https://urlaubs-express.de/ ''Urlaubs Express''] trains to and from Hamburg are likely to use this route.<br />
<br />
===Bebra avoiding line: Ludwigsau-Friedlos (Abzw Blankenheim) – Ronshausen (Abzw Faßdorf)===<br />
[no table] (ERA-E 54B5; ERA-R 107A4; S+W ''67 inset'') DE24/503<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains between Fulda and Eisenach to avoid reversal at Bebra. It is used at least hourly by ''ICE'' services between Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig, which run non-stop between Fulda or Bad Hersfeld and Eisenach.<br />
<br />
===Gießen avoiding line: Dutenhofen – Großen Linden (Gießen Bergwald Stw Gs)===<br />
[445] (ERA-E 53C4; ERA-R 106A3; S+W ''65A4'') DE24/504<br />
<br />
This west to south curve enables trains to run between Wetzlar and Friedberg (Hess) without reversing at Gießen. It is used by ''IC'' trains every two hours between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and destinations via Siegen and also by:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24531<br />
| Siegen – 05:47 Wetzlar – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24530<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 18:00 Bad Nauheim – Siegen<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Fulda area===<br />
[615] (ERA-E 54B4 not shown; ERA-R 107A3; S+W ''78C1'') DE24/505<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) (Fulda-Bronnzell) – Fulda via flyover====<br />
<br />
The flyover south of Fulda station allows trains northbound from Flieden access to the low-numbered platforms at Fulda without crossing the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' on the level. It is used by most ''RE50'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf '''terminating''' at Fulda which run hourly. <br />
<br />
Southbound ''RE50'' services to Frankfurt am Main Hbf starting from Fulda platform 1 use the same track as inbound terminating services via the flyover and rise as if heading that way, but then drop down to run underneath the flyover parallel with the southbound main line. Some travellers may also consider this to be a separate route.<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) via southbound platform loop====<br />
<br />
Local hourly stopping services from Fulda towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf must use the loop of the main line to call at Platform 3 as there is no platform on the southbound main line. This loop line is on a separate alignment well to the west of the main line.<br />
<br />
===Flieden – Sterbfritz (Elm Bbf)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A4-54B4; ERA-R 107A2; S+W ''78C1-78C2'') DE24/506<br />
<br />
This is part of the former main line between München and Hamburg. Daytime expresses now use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and diversion of Gemünden local trains to Schlüchtern, instead of Fulda, has left the route with regular passenger trains only during the night, plus occasional diversions.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC634<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 05:44 Würzburg Hbf – Bremen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1689<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 01:13 Göttingen - München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1688<br />
| München Hbf - 01:20 Würzburg Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:35 Würzburg Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Nordseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3 not shown; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/507<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between the Maintal and Fulda lines. There are two spurs linking the Maintal line to Hanau Hbf Nordseite (Fulda line). The southerly one is for eastbound trains via platform 7 only. The other is reversible and links with platforms 2 to 7. Most local trains via Maintal Ost terminating or starting at Hanau Hbf normally use the reversible connection and platform 5. Trains from beyond Hanau that use platform 6 may use this connection if they call at Maintal Ost or run non-stop to Frankfurt am Main Süd.<br />
<br />
Most ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Offenbach (Main), but some are routed via Maintal. The following are scheduled to run via Maintal Ost and Hanau Hbf Nordseite. (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1658<br />
| Erfurt Hbf – 06:44 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE791<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:24 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE793<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8 <br />
| SSuO <br />
| ICE1285/1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:15/15:16 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE795<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE797<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof - 17:24 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:29 Hanau Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1699<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 18:47 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D9<br />
| <br />
| ICE273<br />
| Berlin Gesundbrunnen – 21:34 Hanau Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470<br />
| Zürich HB – 02:14 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE1590<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 08:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE992<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 10:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE798<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 12:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE796<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 14:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE794<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 16:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D10<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Berlin Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE776<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 17:15 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE792<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf - 18:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd - Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1690<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 20:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Südseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/508<br />
<br />
This route is used by ''RB'' trains between Aschaffenburg and Frankfurt am Main via the Maintal line.<br />
<br />
===Offenbach (Main) Hbf - Offenbach (Main) Ost===<br />
[645.8-9] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''153B2'') DE24/509<br />
<br />
This 1.7km connecting line links the main Frankfurt - Hanau line at Offenbach Hbf with the ''S-Bahn'' line at Offenbach Ost. Early on Monday mornings certain ''S8'' trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Offenbach Ost run to and from Frankfurt am Main Hbf (high level) via Frankfurt am Main Süd and this line. <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Hbf: 00:39, 01:12 and 01:39, all MO <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Ost: 23:58 SuO; 00:28 and 01:01, both MO<br />
<br />
Note that these trains do not run between 16 June and 15 July 2024.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf===<br />
Trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Stadion, Neu Isenburg or Frankfurt am Main Süd may use two routes over the River Main, crossing the Niederräder Brücke or the Main-Neckar-Brücke, about 2 km further upstream. The line over the Niederräder Brücke gives access to platforms 1a through 8 on the south side (via Abzw Gutleuthof), platforms 15 through 24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof and the ''S-Bahn'' underground station. The Main-Neckar-Brücke gives access to platforms 4 through 13, but following construction of a new spur it may be possible for trains to run to platforms 1 to 3 as well. Platforms 4 through 8 are accessible from both bridges.<br />
<br />
Trains via Frankfurt am Main Süd and Neu Isenburg mainly use the Main-Neckar-Brücke and those via Frankfurt am Main Stadion mainly the Niederräder Brücke. There is little difference in journey time between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and the Hauptbahnhof via either bridge. However, there is a significant difference between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Hauptbahnhof, with trains via Niederräder Brücke being scheduled at least 10 minutes, rather than 6 or 7 minutes for the Main-Neckar-Brücke route.<br />
<br />
Many long-distance trains reverse at Frankfurt and, in the lists below, trains using a route inward are shown before those using it outward.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Süd==== <br />
[615, 615.1, 640] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151D3'') DE23/511<br />
<br />
Most trains run via Main-Neckar-Brücke. The following trains are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke and Abzw Forsthaus: List to follow<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC2022<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 14:04 Aschaffenburg Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1285<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE776<br />
| 17:01 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
Local trains taking longer than ten minutes between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Süd can be expected to run via Frankfurt Niederrad.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)==== <br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151C4'') DE23/512<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Neu Isenburg, other than ''S-Bahn'', run via Main-Neckar-Brücke, but the following are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC2286<br />
| Rottweil / Horb – 08:47 Darmstadt Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1571<br />
| 07:02 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC1995<br />
| 16:51 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''IC1995'' and ''IC2286'' run in connection with trade fairs.---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Stadion==== <br />
[471, 472, 655, 655.1] (ERA-E 57C2-57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B4'') DE24/513<br />
<br />
Most trains (and particularly ''RE'' and ''RB'' ones) run via Niederräder Brücke. Most ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use platforms 15–24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof. Most ''S-Bahn'' S7 services and many ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Abzw Gutleuthof and use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
The following trains are scheduled via Main-Neckar Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Mannheim Hbf hourly 05:50 to 21:50<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof hourly 07:10 to 22:10<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Mannheim Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Hbf hourly 06:32 to 22:32, every two hours 06:41 to 20:41 and every two hours 07:16 to 19:16, but not when the 19:16 terminates at Frankfurt am Main Hbf <br />
<br />
Timings from Mannheim may vary by a few minutes, because of engineering work.<br />
<br />
The following trains are also scheduled to use this route:<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE698<br />
| München Hbf – 02:29 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE672<br />
| Wiesbaden Hbf – 05:32 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| MO<br />
| ICE696<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 05:28 Mannheim Hbf – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE27<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:01 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Wien Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC459<br />
| Zürich HB – 23:42 Mannheim Hbf – Praha hl.n<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE887/1087<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:13 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE699<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:25 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC458<br />
| Praha hl.n – 04:00 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE826<br />
| 05:40 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Essen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1097<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 09:34 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1554<br />
| Dresden Hbf – 20:56 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf / Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Höchst====<br />
[466, 627, 646] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2 not shown; S+W ''151C3-151B3'' partly shown) DE24/514<br />
<br />
Most trains, other than ''S-Bahn'', between Frankfurt-Höchst and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße. <br />
<br />
Most of those to and from Koblenz and Wiesbaden use the connection between Abzw Mainzer Landstraße and platforms 15–24 on the north side of Frankfurt am Main Hbf. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the ''Außenbahnhof'', came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Limburg (Lahn) run via Abzw Gutleuthof to use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
Generally only ''S-Bahn'' services to and from the low-level station at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf use the route via Frankfurt-Griesheim.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Rödelheim (via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße)====<br />
[637] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-152D2'') DE24/515<br />
<br />
This route is used by the through trains between Brandoberndorf, Grävenwiesbach and Frankfurt am Main Hbf, all of which arrive and depart at the north side platforms. These run on Mondays to Fridays, peak hours only. ''S-Bahn'' trains between Frankfurt-Rödelheim and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Frankfurt West. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt (Main) Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the Außenbahnhof, came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Süd (Abstellbahnhof) – Frankfurt-Louisa===<br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151D3-151C4'') DE24/521<br />
<br />
This east to south curve provides a link between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Darmstadt line. There is a frequent ''S-Bahn'' service over tracks parallel to this route. List to follow.<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ471 / IC60471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 04:32 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D8 <br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1079<br />
| Hamburg-Harburg / Hamburg-Altona – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1956<br />
| Leipzig Hbf – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:45 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470 / IC60470<br />
| Zürich HB – 01:53 Darmstadt Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1694 / ICE1737<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1174<br />
| Basel SBB – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[471, 650] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151C4'') DE23/522<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Neu Isenburg if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1223<br />
| 06:47 Darmstadt Hbf - Düsseldorf Hbf (continues to München via Kassel)<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Frankfurt am Main Süd (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151D3'') DE24/523<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Frankfurt am Main Süd if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. It is used by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach and on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RB59'' services between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen and Hanau Hbf. <!---CHECK FOR ANY USE BY ICEs---><br />
<br />
See route DE24/521 (above) for details of trains that run via Frankfurt-Louisa, instead of the direct route via line 3650.<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Abzw Breckenheim) - Wiesbaden Hbf (Wiesbaden-Wäschbach)===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151B1 - 151D1'') DE23/524<br />
<br />
This branch off the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' is used by ''ICE'' trains between Köln and Wiesbaden Hbf. Owing to the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Biblis – Mannheim) during the second half of the year, many more trains than usual are using this connection. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| Köln Hbf - 06:54 Limburg Süd - Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SX<br />
| ICE713<br />
| Köln Hbf - 18:20 Limburg Süd - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE712<br />
| Mainz Hbf - 06:22 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE710<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf - 16:45 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf / Köln Messe/Deutz<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Wiesbaden avoiding line: Wiesbaden-Biebrich - Wiesbaden Ost=== <br />
[466] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/525<br />
<br />
This line allows trains to run between Frankfurt am Main and the ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'' (via Rüdesheim) without reversal at Wiesbaden Hbf. It is used by Monday to Friday ''RE'' peak trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Eltville or Rudesheim which do not call at Wiesbaden Hbf. The north and southbound routes differ significantly south of Wiesbaden Ost.<br />
<br />
From Mainz-Kastel: 08:35, 16:35, 18:35 all SSuX<br />
<br />
From Wiesbaden-Biebrich: 07:15, 09:15, 17:15 all SSuX<br />
<br />
Note that Table 466 shows an hourly service towards Eltville in the morning and evening peaks, but the journey planner only shows three trains in either direction.<br />
<br />
===Mainz-Bischofsheim (Abzw Kostheim Ost) – Mainz-Kastel (Abzw Kostheim)===<br />
<br />
[645.8-9, 651] (ERA-E 57A1-57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151D2-151C2'') DE24/526<br />
<br />
This connection across the Main splits in two parts at Abzw Kostheim Ost just north of the river. The two main tracks fly over the Höchst line and turn west to touch it briefly (Abzw Kostheim) before turning north to become route DE24/527 to the Kaiserbrücke over the Rhein. There is also a single-track south-to-west curve (line 3531) that avoids the flyover and diverges from the Höchst line to the south at Abzw Kostheim. This is used by trains from Mainz-Kastel to Bischofsheim, but all trains from Bischofsheim use the main track until Abzw Kostheim. The eastbound main track from Abzw Kostheim to Abzw Kostheim Ost is only used by trains coming from the Mainz Kaiserbrücke via route DE24/527.<br />
<br />
===Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) – Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151C2'') DE24/527 <br />
<br />
This route allows trains from the north bank of the River Main to access the ''Kaiserbrücke'' over the River Rhein to Mainz, so trains can run between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Frankfurt-Höchst. This line can also be used to allow trains to run between Mainz-Bischofsheim and Mainz-Mombach without passing through Mainz Hbf. <br />
<br />
The line is used by ''RE4'' services, generally every two hours with peak extras, between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Mainz Hbf via Hochheim (Main). <br />
<br />
===Kelsterbach – Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152C3-152D3'') DE24/528<br />
<br />
This is part of the original main line and is used by trains between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Kelsterbach, which stop at neither of the stations at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29243<br />
| Kirchheimbolanden – 06:56 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29205<br />
| Alzey – 07:41 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471, 645.8-9] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B2 not shown; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/529<br />
<br />
Where the new line from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regionalbahnhof converges with the old main line via Kelsterbach west of Frankfurt am Main Stadion, two routes are possible. Trains to and from the ''S-Bahn'' tunnel route under the city centre cross the Kelsterbach line on a flyover. There is also a single track connection directly to the line from Kelsterbach which is used by certain ''RE'' trains '''to''' the Hauptbahnhof high-level station. <br />
<br />
It is used additionally by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach via Hanau, also on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RE59'' services between Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbf and Hanau Hbf. These trains run via platforms 4 and 5 at Frankfurt am Main Stadion, where ''RE59'' makes a call, and Frankfurt am Main Süd, avoiding Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Raunheim (Abzw Mönchwald) – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf (Abzw Mönchhof)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''152B4'') DE24/530 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This spur connects the old main line from Mainz Hbf to the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Köln. It is used by trains calling at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf. There is a generally hourly ''ICE'' service for most of the day. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – Zeppelinheim===<br />
[655.1] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/531 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This grade-separated south to west curve is from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf to the line to Mannheim via Biblis. It is used by trains running direct between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf and Mannheim. These are ''ICE'' services at least hourly. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
===Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Stockschneise) – Darmstadt Nord – Darmstadt-Kranichstein===<br />
(ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W 154C2) DE24/532<br />
<br />
This west to east route connects the Mainz and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. Between Darmstadt Nord and Darmstadt-Kranichstein it has its own alignment, different from the one used by local passenger trains. The [https://bahnwelt.de/ Darmstadt-Kranichstein railway museum] sometimes runs a shuttle service between Groß-Gerau and Kranichstein during its annual ''Bahnwelttage'' event in May.<br />
<br />
The route is also occasionally used for diversion of ''RB75'' trains between Mainz and Aschaffenburg.<br />
<br />
===Arheilgen – Darmstadt-Nord===<br />
[641] (ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W ''154C2'') DE24/533<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Frankfurt am Main and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. It is used by through trains between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach via Darmstadt Nord, generally hourly. <br />
<br />
===Darmstadt Hbf – Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Bergschneise ''and'' Abzw Weiterstadt Stockschneise)===<br />
[651] (ERA-E 57B1 partly shown; S+W ''154C3-154C2'') DE24/534<br />
<br />
Darmstadt Hbf is connected to the line towards Mainz by three geographically separate tracks, of which two constitute a widely separated double track flying junction and the third is reversible.<br />
<br />
The Darmstadt to Mainz track diverges from the main track towards Frankfurt (line 3605) north of Darmstadt Hbf, at about the the place where it passes over the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line. It then makes a 135° curve to the left and joins the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line from the north at Abzw Stockschneise. It was formerly numbered as line 3537 but is now numbered as 3530 as the Mainz-bound track of the double-track Darmstadt to Mainz line. The Mainz to Darmstadt track of line 3530 diverges to the south at Abzw Stockschneise directly to the Hauptbahnhof, where it eventually becomes platform 9.<br />
<br />
Between these two tracks, there is a reversible track (line 3541) which splits from the Mainz - Aschaffenburg line on the flat at Abzw Bergschneise, 1 km east of Abzw Stockschneise. At Darmstadt Hbf it arrives between the tracks from/to Darmstadt Nord, which eventually become platforms 7 and 8.<br />
<br />
Trains from Mainz use the short curve of line 3530. Trains towards Mainz from platforms 8 and 9 (which are most of them) can only use the reversible Bergschneise route as line 3605 and therefore the Stockschneise route cannot be reached from these platforms. <br />
<br />
Only two services at 06:12 and 08:12 (both SSuX) depart from platform 7 and so can use either route. The Stockschneise route is longer but allows higher speeds. Reports in the last couple of years have confirmed that both trains took the Stockschneise route and therefore the 'long curve'. Which route is used can be seen from the position of the scissors crossover points just north of the platforms – left for the Bergschneise route, right for the Stockschneise route.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Hanau avoiding line: Großkrotzenburg - Hanau Nord (Rauschwald)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4; S+W ''151D2'') DE24/541 <!---APPARENTLY IN PASSENGER USE IN 2024; CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This line is used occasionally, particularly by overnight trains, to allow trains to run between the Aschaffenburg and Fulda or Friedberg lines without reversal at Hanau Hbf. List to follow.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt am Main West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Louisa (Main-Neckar Brücke)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151C3'') DE24/542<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south, but particularly via Darmstadt, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. Use of this route is indicated by trains calling at Frankfurt am Main West instead of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Niederrad / Frankfurt Griesheim=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/543<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south via Niederräder Brücke or to the west via Griesheim, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
This route is sometimes also used by ''IC'' trains when there is engineering working in the Hauptbahnhof area. However, as most ''IC'' trains via Frankfurt West also run via Darmstadt, use of route DE24/542 is more likely.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt-Niederrad – Frankfurt-Höchst=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C4-152C2'') DE24/544 <---CHECK FOR ANY FV USE IN 2024---><br />
<br />
There are two possible routes between Niederräder Brücke and Frankfurt-Höchst – a south to east curve to the ''S-Bahn'' line via Frankfurt-Griesheim and a south to north link to the main line at Abzw. Mainzer Landstraße.<br />
<br />
On various dates the following overnight services are booked to run via Niederräder Brücke and Höchst; however it is unclear which of the two routes they will take in between these points. Whether trains will run via one or other of these routes can be confirmed by their omitting calls at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ420<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 03:47 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 23:46 Koblenz Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Caltex) - Kelsterbach (Brunnenschneise)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2-122B2; S+W ''152B3'') DE24/544<br />
<br />
This north to east curve allows trains to run between the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and the old main line between Mainz and Frankfurt. Use by passenger trains is extremely rare and further diversions are unlikely soon, but are indicated by a stop at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf being omitted.<br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau – Groß Gerau-Dornberg===<br />
[660] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/545 <!---APPARENTLY IN USE IN EARLY 2024 WHEN RIEDBAHN IS OPEN - CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Mainz to Darmstadt line with the Frankfurt am Main to Mannheim ''Riedbahn''.<br />
<br />
''IC'' and ''EC'' trains between Mainz and Mannheim not calling at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen normally run via Worms, but are sometimes diverted via this curve. Relief ''IC'' trains may also run this way, and it has been used at short notice when there is an operating or infrastructure problem on the Worms route. If local trains via Worms are replaced by buses, it is likely that ''IC'' and ''EC'' trains will use this route. <br />
<br />
Between 11 and 24 March 2024, ''IC/EC/ICE'' trains between Mainz Hbf and Mannheim Hbf are diverted this way, not calling at Worms Hbf.<br />
<br />
<!---TRAINS RUNNING THIS WAY DURING RIEDBAHN CLOSURE??---><br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau-Dornberg – Klein Gerau (Abzw Klein Gerau Eichmühle)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/546<br />
<br />
This is the east to south curve at Groß Gerau. Occasionally, ''RE70'' services between Mannheim Hbf and Frankfurt are diverted to/from Frankfurt am Main Süd via this curve, reversing at Darmstadt Hbf, with a public call there.<br />
<br />
Note that during the total closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, it will not be possible to divert any trains via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Rheinland-Pfalz)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55484Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-24T10:32:38Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Hochspeyer curve: Frankenstein (Pfalz) (Hochspeyer Ost) – Enkenbach (Hochspeyer Nord) */ correct year</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Mainz-Mombach – Mainz Abzw Kaiserbrücke West===<br />
[680] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151B2'') DE24/401<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the line from Koblenz via Bingen with the Kaiserbrücke over the Rhein. It may be used by trains to Hochheim (Main) or Mainz-Bischofsheim if not calling at Mainz Hbf. Various types of older carriages are not permitted through the tunnels at Mainz, so any excursion or charter trains including such vehicles are likely to be diverted this way. <br />
<br />
The following train is the rear portion of a service that divides at Budenheim.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB29681<br />
| Bad Kreuznach – 07:14 Budenheim – Wiesbaden Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<!---On various dates the following overnight services are booked to run via this curve. Whether these trains run this way can be confirmed by their omitting calls at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf. CHECK <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D2<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ420<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 03:47 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 23:46 Koblenz Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D2: Daily 31 March - 25 May and 21 August - 27 September 2023; MWFX 28 September - 10 December 2023 (one day later from Frankfurt Süd)---><br />
===Ludwigshafen (Rhein) Hbf – Ludwigshafen (Rhein) BASF Nord===<br />
[670.1] (ERA-E 53C1-61C2; ERA-R 111A2; S+W ''159A2-158D1'') DE24/402<br />
<br />
Trains operate between Ludwigshafen Hbf and the [https://www.basf.com/de/en/company/about-us/sites/ludwigshafen.html BASF chemical works]. Many trains in the peak operate through to/from other stations such as Karlsruhe Hbf or Germersheim. All trains operate under the designation ''S44'' except the 07:21 from Ludwigshafen Hbf which runs through from Ramsen as ''RB46''.<br />
<br />
'''From Ludwigshafen (Rh) Hbf''':<br />
* SSuX: 04:50 TWX, frequent until 07:55; 09:03 and hourly until 15:03, then 17:03, 18:15<br />
* SSuO: 04:50, 05:37, 17:03<br />
<br />
'''From Ludwigshafen (Rh) BASF Nord''':<br />
* SSuX: 05:19, 05:58, 08:46 and hourly until 14:46, then frequent until 17:43, 18:45<br />
* SSuO: 05:19, 05:58, 17:43<br />
<br />
'''Use of these trains is officially restricted to those with works passes. Smoking and photography are strictly forbidden within the works.'''<br />
<br />
===Ludwigshafen west curve: Ludwigshafen-Oggersheim (Überleitung Nord) – Ludwigshafen-Mundenheim===<br />
[659] (ERA-E 53C1 not shown; ERA-R 111A2; S+W ''158D2'') DE24/403<br />
<br />
This pair of curves, via the low level west side platforms at Ludwigshafen (Rhein) Hbf, is used by through trains between the Worms and Schifferstadt lines. There is an ''RE'' service between Mainz and Karlsruhe via Germersheim every two hours for most of the day. Northbound trains run via platform 6 and the diveunder route to the Worms line, whereas southbound trains run via the direct curve to platforms 8 or 9.<br />
<br />
===Schifferstadt avoiding line: Limburgerhof (Abzw Limburgerhof) – Böhl-Iggelheim (Abzw Böhl-Iggelheim)===<br />
[670] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 111A1; S+W ''158D3-158C4'') DE24/404<br />
<br />
This line is used by trains between Mannheim / Ludwigshafen and Neustadt (Weinstraße) / Kaiserslautern not calling at Schifferstadt.<br />
<br />
===Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf===<br />
[672.2] (ERA-E 53B1; ERA-R 112C4; S+W ''155C4-155D3'') DE24/405<br />
<br />
Most services between Enkenbach and Kaiserslautern Hbf are not booked to call at Hochspeyer, so run on the direct line via Eselsfürth. Only the following trains run via Hochspeyer.<br />
<br />
{| class = "ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12700<br />
| Bad Kreuznach – 05:54 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12704<br />
| Bad Kreuznach – 06:24 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12706<br />
| Bingen (Rhein) Hbf – 06:56 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12712<br />
| Bingen (Rhein) Hbf – 07:54 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12386<br />
| Mainz Hbf / Bad Kreuznach – 14:04 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29540<br />
| Mainz Hbf – 18:05 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE12746<br />
| Mainz Hbf (as ''RB12744'') – 18:37 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| SO<br />
| RB12705<br />
| 05:16 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Mainz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12711<br />
| 06:37 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Bingen (Rhein) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE12383<br />
| 07:08 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Mainz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12745<br />
| 17:36 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Bingen (Rhein) Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 11 December 2023 - 19 August 2024<br><br />
D2: 11 December 2023 - 19 August 2024; not 1-19 January 2024<br><br />
D3: 16 December 2023 - 17 August 2024.<br />
<br />
From 20 August 2024, all these services omit Hochspeyer, so can be expected to run via Eselsfurth.<br />
<br />
===Hochspeyer curve: Frankenstein (Pfalz) (Hochspeyer Ost) – Enkenbach (Hochspeyer Nord)===<br />
[672.2, 676] (ERA-E 53B1; ERA-R 112C4; S+W ''155D4'') DE24/406<br />
<br />
This east to north curve links the Neustadt (Weinstraße) and Bingen (Rhein) lines east of Hochspeyer.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| D1<br />
| SuO <br />
| RE WX81493<br />
| Koblenz Hbf – 11:06 Rockenhausen – Wissembourg <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SuO <br />
| RE WX81494<br />
| Wissembourg – 18:17 Neustadt (Weinstraße) Hbf – Koblenz Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 28 April to 27 October 2024, plus holidays<br />
<br />
===Trier Hbf - Ehrang Ort / Kordel===<br />
[690] (ERA-E 52C2 not shown; ERA-R 111C5; S+W ''155D1'') DE24/407<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Trier Hbf and the ''Moselstrecke'' to Koblenz, or the ''Eifelstrecke'' towards Köln. The main line runs via Ehrang Bahnhof, but there is also a single line that runs on the far (east) side of the marshalling yard (Rbf) at Ehrang. The eastern route is sometimes used by ''RE'' trains '''from''' Trier to Koblenz, non-stop to Schweich. <br />
<br />
This route is often used by diverted trains to/from Kyllburg, Wittlich or Koblenz, sometimes in one direction only. Whether trains are due to take this route can be ascertained by calls at Pfalzel and Ehrang being omitted by ''RB'' services as is the case between 17 - 21 January 2024.<br />
<br />
===Koblenz-Moselweiß (Koblenz Mosel Gbf) - Koblenz-Lützel===<br />
[470,690] (ERA-E 53B4; ERA-R 105B2; S+W ''150C2'') DE24/408<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the ''Moselstrecke'' from Trier to the ''Linke Rheinstrecke'' via Bonn Hbf, avoiding Koblenz Hbf. It is used by a pair of ''RE12'' services between Trier and Köln. Note until AM 22 March 2024 this pair is diverted to/from Köln Messe/Deutz to/from Koblenz-Lützel via a call at Bonn-Beuel.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| RE4188<br />
| Trier Hbf – 19:36 Wittlich Hbf – Köln Messe/Deutz<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| RE4189<br />
| Köln Messe/Deutz – 07:19 Koblenz-Lützel – Trier Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Note that once the ''Eifelstrecke'' via Gerolstein is fully reopened, these workings are likely to cease. This is not likely to be until the end of 2024 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===<div id="KENL"></div>Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein (Pfaffendorf) - Niederlahnstein=== <br />
[465.1, 465.2] (ERA-E 53B4; ERA-R 105B2; S+W ''150D2'') DE24/431<br />
<br />
If trains are diverted via the ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'' they normally cross back to the left bank to call at Koblenz Hbf. Exceptionally, they may use this route and not call at Koblenz. Diverted trains can be readily identified because they stop at Bonn-Beuel and Neuwied instead of Bonn Hbf and Koblenz Hbf.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Rheinland-Pfalz)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55483Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-24T10:30:57Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Mainz-Mombach – Mainz Abzw Kaiserbrücke West===<br />
[680] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151B2'') DE24/401<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the line from Koblenz via Bingen with the Kaiserbrücke over the Rhein. It may be used by trains to Hochheim (Main) or Mainz-Bischofsheim if not calling at Mainz Hbf. Various types of older carriages are not permitted through the tunnels at Mainz, so any excursion or charter trains including such vehicles are likely to be diverted this way. <br />
<br />
The following train is the rear portion of a service that divides at Budenheim.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB29681<br />
| Bad Kreuznach – 07:14 Budenheim – Wiesbaden Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<!---On various dates the following overnight services are booked to run via this curve. Whether these trains run this way can be confirmed by their omitting calls at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf. CHECK <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D2<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ420<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 03:47 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 23:46 Koblenz Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D2: Daily 31 March - 25 May and 21 August - 27 September 2023; MWFX 28 September - 10 December 2023 (one day later from Frankfurt Süd)---><br />
===Ludwigshafen (Rhein) Hbf – Ludwigshafen (Rhein) BASF Nord===<br />
[670.1] (ERA-E 53C1-61C2; ERA-R 111A2; S+W ''159A2-158D1'') DE24/402<br />
<br />
Trains operate between Ludwigshafen Hbf and the [https://www.basf.com/de/en/company/about-us/sites/ludwigshafen.html BASF chemical works]. Many trains in the peak operate through to/from other stations such as Karlsruhe Hbf or Germersheim. All trains operate under the designation ''S44'' except the 07:21 from Ludwigshafen Hbf which runs through from Ramsen as ''RB46''.<br />
<br />
'''From Ludwigshafen (Rh) Hbf''':<br />
* SSuX: 04:50 TWX, frequent until 07:55; 09:03 and hourly until 15:03, then 17:03, 18:15<br />
* SSuO: 04:50, 05:37, 17:03<br />
<br />
'''From Ludwigshafen (Rh) BASF Nord''':<br />
* SSuX: 05:19, 05:58, 08:46 and hourly until 14:46, then frequent until 17:43, 18:45<br />
* SSuO: 05:19, 05:58, 17:43<br />
<br />
'''Use of these trains is officially restricted to those with works passes. Smoking and photography are strictly forbidden within the works.'''<br />
<br />
===Ludwigshafen west curve: Ludwigshafen-Oggersheim (Überleitung Nord) – Ludwigshafen-Mundenheim===<br />
[659] (ERA-E 53C1 not shown; ERA-R 111A2; S+W ''158D2'') DE24/403<br />
<br />
This pair of curves, via the low level west side platforms at Ludwigshafen (Rhein) Hbf, is used by through trains between the Worms and Schifferstadt lines. There is an ''RE'' service between Mainz and Karlsruhe via Germersheim every two hours for most of the day. Northbound trains run via platform 6 and the diveunder route to the Worms line, whereas southbound trains run via the direct curve to platforms 8 or 9.<br />
<br />
===Schifferstadt avoiding line: Limburgerhof (Abzw Limburgerhof) – Böhl-Iggelheim (Abzw Böhl-Iggelheim)===<br />
[670] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 111A1; S+W ''158D3-158C4'') DE24/404<br />
<br />
This line is used by trains between Mannheim / Ludwigshafen and Neustadt (Weinstraße) / Kaiserslautern not calling at Schifferstadt.<br />
<br />
===Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf===<br />
[672.2] (ERA-E 53B1; ERA-R 112C4; S+W ''155C4-155D3'') DE24/405<br />
<br />
Most services between Enkenbach and Kaiserslautern Hbf are not booked to call at Hochspeyer, so run on the direct line via Eselsfürth. Only the following trains run via Hochspeyer.<br />
<br />
{| class = "ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12700<br />
| Bad Kreuznach – 05:54 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12704<br />
| Bad Kreuznach – 06:24 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12706<br />
| Bingen (Rhein) Hbf – 06:56 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12712<br />
| Bingen (Rhein) Hbf – 07:54 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12386<br />
| Mainz Hbf / Bad Kreuznach – 14:04 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29540<br />
| Mainz Hbf – 18:05 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE12746<br />
| Mainz Hbf (as ''RB12744'') – 18:37 Enkenbach – Kaiserslautern Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| SO<br />
| RB12705<br />
| 05:16 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Mainz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12711<br />
| 06:37 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Bingen (Rhein) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE12383<br />
| 07:08 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Mainz Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| RB12745<br />
| 17:36 Kaiserslautern Hbf – Bingen (Rhein) Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 11 December 2023 - 19 August 2024<br><br />
D2: 11 December 2023 - 19 August 2024; not 1-19 January 2024<br><br />
D3: 16 December 2023 - 17 August 2024.<br />
<br />
From 20 August 2024, all these services omit Hochspeyer, so can be expected to run via Eselsfurth.<br />
<br />
===Hochspeyer curve: Frankenstein (Pfalz) (Hochspeyer Ost) – Enkenbach (Hochspeyer Nord)===<br />
[672.2, 676] (ERA-E 53B1; ERA-R 112C4; S+W ''155D4'') DE24/406<br />
<br />
This east to north curve links the Neustadt (Weinstraße) and Bingen (Rhein) lines east of Hochspeyer.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| D1<br />
| SuO <br />
| RE WX81493<br />
| Koblenz Hbf – 11:06 Rockenhausen – Wissembourg <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SuO <br />
| RE WX81494<br />
| Wissembourg – 18:17 Neustadt (Weinstraße) Hbf – Koblenz Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 28 April to 27 October 2023, plus holidays <br />
<br />
===Trier Hbf - Ehrang Ort / Kordel===<br />
[690] (ERA-E 52C2 not shown; ERA-R 111C5; S+W ''155D1'') DE24/407<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Trier Hbf and the ''Moselstrecke'' to Koblenz, or the ''Eifelstrecke'' towards Köln. The main line runs via Ehrang Bahnhof, but there is also a single line that runs on the far (east) side of the marshalling yard (Rbf) at Ehrang. The eastern route is sometimes used by ''RE'' trains '''from''' Trier to Koblenz, non-stop to Schweich. <br />
<br />
This route is often used by diverted trains to/from Kyllburg, Wittlich or Koblenz, sometimes in one direction only. Whether trains are due to take this route can be ascertained by calls at Pfalzel and Ehrang being omitted by ''RB'' services as is the case between 17 - 21 January 2024.<br />
<br />
===Koblenz-Moselweiß (Koblenz Mosel Gbf) - Koblenz-Lützel===<br />
[470,690] (ERA-E 53B4; ERA-R 105B2; S+W ''150C2'') DE24/408<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the ''Moselstrecke'' from Trier to the ''Linke Rheinstrecke'' via Bonn Hbf, avoiding Koblenz Hbf. It is used by a pair of ''RE12'' services between Trier and Köln. Note until AM 22 March 2024 this pair is diverted to/from Köln Messe/Deutz to/from Koblenz-Lützel via a call at Bonn-Beuel.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| RE4188<br />
| Trier Hbf – 19:36 Wittlich Hbf – Köln Messe/Deutz<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| RE4189<br />
| Köln Messe/Deutz – 07:19 Koblenz-Lützel – Trier Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Note that once the ''Eifelstrecke'' via Gerolstein is fully reopened, these workings are likely to cease. This is not likely to be until the end of 2024 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===<div id="KENL"></div>Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein (Pfaffendorf) - Niederlahnstein=== <br />
[465.1, 465.2] (ERA-E 53B4; ERA-R 105B2; S+W ''150D2'') DE24/431<br />
<br />
If trains are diverted via the ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'' they normally cross back to the left bank to call at Koblenz Hbf. Exceptionally, they may use this route and not call at Koblenz. Diverted trains can be readily identified because they stop at Bonn-Beuel and Neuwied instead of Bonn Hbf and Koblenz Hbf.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55468Germany - General Information2024-03-22T15:17:35Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2024 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. The intermediate station at Perleberger Brücke is not due to open until 2029. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55467Germany - General Information2024-03-22T15:14:28Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
Perleberger Brücke station is not due to open until 2029<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume on 1 April 2024, but this has been further deferred to an unknown date. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55466Germany - General Information2024-03-22T15:10:26Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ update flood closure section</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
Perleberger Brücke station is not due to open until 2029<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|- <br />
| 459 ''Oberbergische Bahn'' (part)<br />
| Gummersbach – Marienheide <br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 459 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Marienheide – Lüdenscheid-Brügge<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55465Germany - General Information2024-03-22T15:00:47Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ Pingelheini to close partially once again; this time actual work on the tram extension is expected to happen</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
Perleberger Brücke station is not due to open until 2029<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 17 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service is to close once again between Stuhr and Leeste (b. Bremen) after service on 16 June 2024, so that work can actually commence on the long-awaited extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. This section originally closed at the end of the 2015 season to allow work on the tram extension but reopened on 22 August 2021 with no progress on the tramway having been made. It is believed that eventually the ''Pingelheini'' trains will resume as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting, sharing the track with the trams as far as a junction just short of there.<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55464Germany - General Information2024-03-22T14:50:53Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2021 */ move Pingelheini back to Temporary Closures as part closing again</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 15 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
Perleberger Brücke station is not due to open until 2029<br />
<br />
0.000 WESTHAFEN <br><br />
0.857 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE <br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform)<br> <br><br />
<br />
0.000 WEDDING<br><br />
0.800 PERLEBERGER BRÜCKE<br><br />
1.700 Junction at bottom of triangle 1.700 = 1.600<br><br />
1.600 Junction at bottom of triangle<br><br />
1.821 Tunnel Portal<br><br />
2.357 HAUPTBAHNHOF (middle of platform; 2.457 from Wedding)<br><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new curve between Glasower Damm Nord and Glasower Damm Süd which will be an extension of exisiting line 6151 from the airport to Glasower Damm Süd This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd. This work will include a reinstatement of a closed section of S-Bahn: When the S-Bahn reopened to Blankenfelde on 04.10.1992 it was given its own platform 172m north of the actual station (until closure on 11.09.1961 the S-Bahn ran through Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf) As part of the Dresdener Bahn rebuilding the S-Bahn will be extended into the station proper and this is expected to open in December 2025<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the closed 4.46 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm. The last train ran on September 17 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 12 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55463Germany - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-22T14:03:34Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Other Sparse Services */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
Owing to the size and complexity of the German railway system, the [[#LL|Obscure Services]] listing is subdivided by ''Land'' (Province). Berlin and Bremen are separate ''Länder'', but it is convenient to include them with Brandenburg and Niedersachsen respectively. Details of Other Sparse Services, Services not included in the DB ''Kursbuch'' and Deletions since previous edition can be found below.<br />
<br />
The stations at which long-distance trains start and terminate may vary, depending on the date. Where there are more than two possibilities, such as a train terminating at Kassel, Hannover or Hamburg, only the shortest and longest itineraries are indicated in the lists on this site. <br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
This list is based on the timetable dated from 12 December 2021 to 10 December 2022, unless otherwise stated. <br />
<br />
===<div id="LL"></div>List of Länder (Regions)===<br />
<br />
{| width="80%" | <br />
| [[Germany_(Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Baden-Württemberg]]<br />
| Includes Mannheim and Stuttgart<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/601' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Bayern)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Bayern]]<br />
| Includes München and Nürnberg<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/651' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Berlin_and_Brandenburg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Berlin and Brandenburg]] <br />
| Includes Falkenberg (Elster) and Cottbus<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/251' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Hamburg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Hamburg]] <br />
|<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/051' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Hessen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Hessen]] <br />
| Includes Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadt<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/501' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] <br />
| Includes Rostock and Stralsund<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/101' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Niedersachsen_and_Bremen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Niedersachsen and Bremen]]<br />
| Includes Hannover and Osnabrück<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/151' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Nordrhein-Westfalen]] <br />
| Includes Köln and Dortmund<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/351' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Rheinland-Pfalz]] <br />
| Includes Koblenz and Ludwigshafen<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/401' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Saarland) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Saarland]] <br />
| Includes Saarbrücken<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/451' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Sachsen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sachsen]] <br />
| Includes Leipzig and Dresden<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/301' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Sachsen-Anhalt) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sachsen-Anhalt]] <br />
| Includes Halle (Saale) and Magdeburg<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/201' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Schleswig-Holstein]]<br />
| Includes Lübeck and Kiel<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/001' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Thüringen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Thüringen]] <br />
| Includes Erfurt and Nordhausen<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/551' <br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Other Sparse Services==<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 174<br />
| Inselstadt Malchow – Karow (Meckl) – Plau am See / Parchim<br />
| Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays in summer only; Malchow – Alt Schwerin also on weekdays in high summer<br />
|-<br />
| 186<br />
| Bad Doberan – Ostseebad Kühlungsborn West<br />
| Five train pairs in winter; more in summer<br />
|-<br />
| 190<br />
| Bergen auf Rügen – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen <br />
| Two train pairs on summer Saturdays only in 2023. Details of 2024 service awaited.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.20<br />
| Priort – Falkenhagen ''and'' Hennigsdorf – Birkenwerder (b. Berlin)<br />
| No weekend service over these sections <br />
|-<br />
| 209.27<br />
| Wensickendorf – Schmachtenhagen<br />
| Weekend daytime service only <br />
|-<br />
| 209.73<br />
| Kyritz Am Bürgerpark – Pritzwalk<br />
| Four train pairs on weekdays; three at weekends<br />
|-<br />
| 209.74<br />
| Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg [– Plau am See]<br />
| Five train pairs on weekdays. Three train pairs at weekends, extending to Plau am See in the summer. Very limited schoolday-only service to Pritzwalk West. <br />
|-<br />
| ''RB TES''<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| No weekend service on this recently-opened branch<br />
|-<br />
| 238 <br />
| Zittau – Kurort Jonsdorf / Kurort Oybin<br />
| Limited winter service; better (but still fairly sparse) in the summer<br />
|-<br />
| 257<br />
| Dessau Hbf – Wörlitz<br />
| No winter service<br />
|-<br />
| 326<br />
| Drei Annen Hohne – Eisfelder Talmühle – Ifield Neanderklinik<br />
| Very limited winter service of between one and three trains each way<br />
|-<br />
| 333<br />
| Alexisbad – Hasselfelde and Eisfelder Talmühle<br />
| Only two train pairs in the winter<br />
|-<br />
| 357.1<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher<br />
| Limited service weekdays, no service at weekends on this recently reopened section<br />
|-<br />
| 397<br />
| [Leer –] Ihrhove – Weener<br />
| No trains until December 2024 at the earliest, pending rebuilding of the River Ems bridge<br />
|-<br />
| 479<br />
| Boppard – Boppard Süd<br />
| Very limited schoolday-only service<br />
|-<br />
| 509<br />
| Radebeul Ost – Radeburg <br />
| Five train pairs daily; only two beyond Moritzburg. Closed most of March and November.<br />
|-<br />
| 513<br />
| Freital Hainsberg – Kurort Kipsdorf<br />
| Three train pairs daily; only two beyond Dippoldiswalde. Closed most of March and November.<br />
|-<br />
| 517<br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (CZ) [– Chomutov]<br />
| Three train pairs on summer weekends only<br />
|-<br />
| 518<br />
| Cranzahl – Kurort Oberwiesenthal<br />
| Four train pairs daily; closed most of March and November<br />
|-<br />
| 544<br />
| Bad Brambach – Plesná (CZ) [– Cheb]<br />
| Five train pairs daily<br />
|-<br />
| 566<br />
| Ilmenau – Rennsteig <br />
| Four train pairs, weekends and holidays only <br />
|-<br />
| 662.1<br />
| Monsheim – Münchweiler (Alsenz)<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Service was expected to resume on 1 April 2024 after four-year pause, but has been further delayed until an unknown date.<br />
|-<br />
| 666<br />
| Ramsen – Eiswoog <br />
| Weekends only <br />
|-<br />
| 675.1<br />
| Bundenthal-Rumbach – Hinterweidenthal Ost <br />
| Summer Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 692<br />
| Perl – Thionville (FR) <br />
| Two train pairs on weekends only. A full service is expected to resume in December 2024.<br />
|-<br />
| 707<br />
| Neckarbischofsheim Nord – Hüffenhardt <br />
| Summer Sundays and alternate Wednesdays only. Only four train pairs beyond Siegelsbach.<br />
|-<br />
| 732.1<br />
| Stockach – Mengen<br />
| Three train pairs on summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 737<br />
| Lauchringen – Weizen<br />
| Five train pairs on schooldays to Stühlingen; two train pairs on summer Sundays to Weizen<br />
|-<br />
| 743<br />
| Geisingen-Leipferdingen – Blumberg-Zollhaus <br />
| Limited service<br />
|-<br />
| 752<br />
| Aulendorf – Bad Wurzach <br />
| Summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 754<br />
| Aulendorf – Pfullendorf <br />
| Summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 758<br />
| Amstetten – Gerstetten <br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 759 <br />
| Gammertingen – Schelklingen <br />
| Limited service, better on schooldays<br />
|-<br />
| 767<br />
| Eyach – Hechingen (HzL) <br />
| Summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 769<br />
| Balingen – Schömberg <br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 772<br />
| Maulbronn West – Maulbronn Stadt<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 790.11<br />
| Kornwestheim – Stuttgart-Untertürkheim<br />
| Mondays to Fridays peak hours only. <!---Also used by ''NJ468/469'' Wien Hbf – Paris Est MThSO and v.v. TFSuO---><br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Regular services not in the ''Kursbuch''==<br />
The following lines are not included in the online DB ''Kursbuch'', but timetables can be found on the websites shown. Long-distance services appear in some, but not all, tables in the ''Kursbuch'' where they would be expected to be found, so the [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner] or the [http://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is often the best guide to these.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| <br />
| All Flixtrain services<br />
| [https://www.flixtrain.com/all-timetables flixtrain.com/all-timetables]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de just redirect to the Flixbus site so this particular address needs to be used.<br />
|-<br />
| 101.1<br />
| Hamburg Flughafen / Poppenbüttel – Wesel (''S1'')<br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)]<br />
|-<br />
| 101.2<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – Bergedorf (''S2'')<br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)]<br />
|-<br />
| 101.3<br />
| Pinneberg – Neugraben (''S3'')<br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)]<br />
|-<br />
| 101.5<br />
| Stade – Elbgaustraße (''S5'') <br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)] (the Stade - Hamburg section of ''S5'' is shown in '''Table 121''')<br />
|-<br />
| 132<br />
| Neumünster – Heide – Büsum<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel – Oppendorf<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 134<br />
| Kiel – Schleswig – Husum<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 135<br />
| Husum – Bad St. Peter-Ording<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 136<br />
| Niebüll – Dagebüll Mole<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 136.1<br />
| Niebüll – Tønder (DK) [– Esbjerg]<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 137<br />
| Neumünster – Kaltenkirchen – Hamburg-Eidelstedt<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 138<br />
| Ulzburg Süd – Norderstedt Mitte<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 139<br />
| Elmshorn – Barmstedt – Ulzburg Süd<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 140<br />
| Lübeck – Neustadt (Holst.) (trains) – Puttgarden (buses)<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 145<br />
| Lüneburg – Lübeck – Kiel<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 146<br />
| Kiel – Flensburg<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 174<br />
| Waren (Müritz) – Malchow [– Parchim / Plau am See (summer weekends only)]<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 201<br />
| Magdeburg – Berlin – Frankfurt (Oder) – Cottbus <br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| former 203<br />
| Berlin – Elsterwerda (''RE8S'')<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.12<br />
| Berlin – Löwenberg (Mark) – Templin Stadt<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.25<br />
| Berlin – Werneuchen<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.26<br />
| Berlin – Küstrin-Kietz [– Kostrzyn (PL)]<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.27<br />
| Berlin-Karow – Groß Schönebeck/Schmachtenhagen<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.33<br />
| Potsdam Hbf – Jüterbog<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.35<br />
| Furstenwalde (Spree) – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.36<br />
| Königs Wusterhausen – Frankfurt (Oder)<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.46 <br />
| Cottbus – Forst (Lausitz)<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.51<br />
| Rathenow – Brandenburg<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.54<br />
| Löwenberg (Mark) – Rheinsberg (Mark)<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.60<br />
| Eberswalde – Wriezen – Frankfurt (Oder)<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Eberswalde – Joachimsthal<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.73<br />
| Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk<br />
| [https://www.hanseatische-eisenbahn.de/fahrplan-netz.html Hanseatische Eisenbahn]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.74<br />
| Pritzwalk – Meyenburg [– Plau am See (summer weekends only)]<br />
| [https://www.hanseatische-eisenbahn.de/fahrplan-netz.html Hanseatische Eisenbahn]<br />
|- <br />
| ''RB TES''<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd (new service from 04.09.23)<br />
| [https://www.eberswalde-ffo.de/tesla-shuttle-fahrplan-erkner-fangschleuse-sued.html eberswalde.ffo.de] (Links to VRR timetable pdf)<br />
|-<br />
| 220<br />
| Cottbus – Görlitz – Zittau<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 229<br />
| Görlitz – Hoyerswerda<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|-<br />
| 236<br />
| Seifhennersdorf – Zittau<br />
| [https://www.laenderbahn.com/trilex/fahrplan/fahrplan-aenderungen/ Trilex]<br />
|-<br />
| 238<br />
| Zittau – Kurort Oybin / Kurort Jonsdorf<br />
| [https://www.zittauer-schmalspurbahn.de/ SOEG]<br />
|-<br />
| 257<br />
| Dessau – Wörlitz<br />
| [https://www.dvv-dessau.de/verkehr/fahrplan-woerlitzer-eisenbahn/#Fahrplan Dessau-Wörlitzer Eisenbahn]<br />
|-<br />
| 269<br />
| Stendal – Tangermünde<br />
| [https://www.hanseatische-eisenbahn.de/fahrplan-netz.html Hanseatische Eisenbahn]<br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Wernigerode – Brocken<br />
| [https://www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/ Harzer Schmalspurbahnen]<br />
|-<br />
| 326<br />
| Nordhausen – Drei Annen Hohne<br />
| [https://www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/ Harzer Schmalspurbahnen]<br />
|-<br />
| 333<br />
| Quedlinburg – Eisfelder Talmühle<br />
| [https://www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/ Harzer Schmalspurbahnen]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.1<br />
| Minden (Westf) – Hannover – Haste (''S1'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.2<br />
| Nienburg (Weser) – Hannover – Haste (''S2'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.3<br />
| Hannover – Hildesheim (''S3'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.4<br />
| Bennemühlen – Hannover – Hildesheim (''S4'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.5<br />
| Hannover Flughafen – Hannover – Paderborn (''S5'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.6<br />
| Hannover – Celle (''S6'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.7<br />
| Hannover – Lehrte – Celle (''S7'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 391<br />
| Bremen – Hude – Nordenham (''RS4'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Osnabrück – Oldenburg – Wilhelmshaven (''RE18'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande – Esens (''RB59'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 394<br />
| Bremen – Vechta – Osnabrück (''RB58'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 470<br />
| Köln Hbf – Bonn Hbf – Koblenz Hbf<br />
| [https://www.mittelrheinbahn.de/de/strecken/linien-fahrplaene Mittelrheinbahn (Transdev)] (stopping services. Use [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner] for ''RE'' and long-distance services)<br />
|-<br />
| 472<br />
| Köln Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf via the high-speed line<br />
| [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner]<br />
|- <br />
| former 484<br />
| Düren – Heimbach (Eifel)<br />
| [https://www.rurtalbahn.de/fahrplaene/ Rurtalbahn]<br />
|- <br />
| 495<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – Kleve<br />
| [https://www.rhein-ruhr-bahn.de/de/unsere-region/strecken Rhein-Ruhr-Bahn (Transdev)]<br />
|- <br />
| 514<br />
| Freiberg (Sachs) – Holzhau<br />
| [https://www.freiberger-eisenbahn.de/de/linien-fahrplaene Freiberger Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 633<br />
| Friedberg (Hess) – Hanau<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 636<br />
| Friedrichsdorf (Taunus) – Friedberg (Hess)<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 637<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Friedrichsdorf (Taunus) – Brandoberndorf<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 640<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Maintal – Hanau – Aschaffenburg<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 662.1<br />
| Monsheim – Münchweiler (Alsenz)<br />
| No timetable as yet. Services were expected to resume on 1 April 2024 but have been delayed until an unknown date.<br />
|- <br />
| 758<br />
| Amstetten (Württ) – Gerstetten<br />
| [https://lokalbahn-amstetten-gerstetten-e-v.jimdosite.com/start/freizeitexpress-ostalb/ UEF Lokalbahn Amstetten Gerstetten]<br />
|-<br />
| 762<br />
| Nürtingen – Neuffen (''Tälesbahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 790.21<br />
| Schörndorf – Oberrndorf (''Wieslauftalbahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 790.46<br />
| Böblingen - Dettenhausen (''Schönbuchbahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 790.47<br />
| Korntal – Heimerdingen (''Strohgäubahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| [https://www.rurtalbahn.de/fahrplaene/ Rurtalbahn]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Deletions since previous edition==<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| DE23/280<br />
| Rheinsberg (Mark) – Stechlinsee<br />
| Special trains have not run since 2021<br />
|-<br />
| DE23/302<br />
| Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (main/high level station) via diveunder line<br />
| No rare track on a separate alignment used<br />
|-<br />
| DE23/361<br />
| Bonn-Beuel – Hangelar<br />
| Special trains have not run since 2019. Line to be closed and railbuses used have been sold.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55462Germany - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-22T13:49:10Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Regular services not in the Kursbuch */ minor update</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
<br />
Owing to the size and complexity of the German railway system, the [[#LL|Obscure Services]] listing is subdivided by ''Land'' (Province). Berlin and Bremen are separate ''Länder'', but it is convenient to include them with Brandenburg and Niedersachsen respectively. Details of Other Sparse Services, Services not included in the DB ''Kursbuch'' and Deletions since previous edition can be found below.<br />
<br />
The stations at which long-distance trains start and terminate may vary, depending on the date. Where there are more than two possibilities, such as a train terminating at Kassel, Hannover or Hamburg, only the shortest and longest itineraries are indicated in the lists on this site. <br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
This list is based on the timetable dated from 12 December 2021 to 10 December 2022, unless otherwise stated. <br />
<br />
===<div id="LL"></div>List of Länder (Regions)===<br />
<br />
{| width="80%" | <br />
| [[Germany_(Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Baden-Württemberg]]<br />
| Includes Mannheim and Stuttgart<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/601' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Bayern)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Bayern]]<br />
| Includes München and Nürnberg<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/651' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Berlin_and_Brandenburg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Berlin and Brandenburg]] <br />
| Includes Falkenberg (Elster) and Cottbus<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/251' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Hamburg)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Hamburg]] <br />
|<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/051' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Hessen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Hessen]] <br />
| Includes Frankfurt am Main and Darmstadt<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/501' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] <br />
| Includes Rostock and Stralsund<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/101' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany_(Niedersachsen_and_Bremen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services|Niedersachsen and Bremen]]<br />
| Includes Hannover and Osnabrück<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/151' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Nordrhein-Westfalen]] <br />
| Includes Köln and Dortmund<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/351' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Rheinland-Pfalz]] <br />
| Includes Koblenz and Ludwigshafen<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/401' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Saarland) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Saarland]] <br />
| Includes Saarbrücken<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/451' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Sachsen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sachsen]] <br />
| Includes Leipzig and Dresden<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/301' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Sachsen-Anhalt) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Sachsen-Anhalt]] <br />
| Includes Halle (Saale) and Magdeburg<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/201' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Schleswig-Holstein]]<br />
| Includes Lübeck and Kiel<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/001' <br />
|-<br />
| [[Germany (Thüringen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services|Thüringen]] <br />
| Includes Erfurt and Nordhausen<br />
| entries starting with 'DExx/551' <br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Trams==<br />
See [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Other Sparse Services==<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 174<br />
| Inselstadt Malchow – Karow (Meckl) – Plau am See / Parchim<br />
| Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays in summer only; Malchow – Alt Schwerin also on weekdays in high summer<br />
|-<br />
| 186<br />
| Bad Doberan – Ostseebad Kühlungsborn West<br />
| Five train pairs in winter; more in summer<br />
|-<br />
| 190<br />
| Bergen auf Rügen – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen <br />
| Two train pairs on summer Saturdays only in 2023. Details of 2024 service awaited.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.20<br />
| Priort – Falkenhagen ''and'' Hennigsdorf – Birkenwerder (b. Berlin)<br />
| No weekend service over these sections <br />
|-<br />
| 209.27<br />
| Wensickendorf – Schmachtenhagen<br />
| Weekend daytime service only <br />
|-<br />
| 209.73<br />
| Kyritz Am Bürgerpark – Pritzwalk<br />
| Four train pairs on weekdays; three at weekends<br />
|-<br />
| 209.74<br />
| Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg [– Plau am See]<br />
| Five train pairs on weekdays. Three train pairs at weekends, extending to Plau am See in the summer. Very limited schoolday-only service to Pritzwalk West. <br />
|-<br />
| ''RB TES''<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| No weekend service on this recently-opened branch<br />
|-<br />
| 238 <br />
| Zittau – Kurort Jonsdorf / Kurort Oybin<br />
| Limited winter service; better (but still fairly sparse) in the summer<br />
|-<br />
| 257<br />
| Dessau Hbf – Wörlitz<br />
| No winter service<br />
|-<br />
| 326<br />
| Drei Annen Hohne – Eisfelder Talmühle – Ifield Neanderklinik<br />
| Very limited winter service of between one and three trains each way<br />
|-<br />
| 333<br />
| Alexisbad – Hasselfelde and Eisfelder Talmühle<br />
| Only two train pairs in the winter<br />
|-<br />
| 357.1<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher<br />
| Limited service weekdays, no service at weekends on this recently reopened section<br />
|-<br />
| 397<br />
| [Leer –] Ihrhove – Weener<br />
| No trains until December 2024 at the earliest, pending rebuilding of the River Ems bridge<br />
|-<br />
| 479<br />
| Boppard – Boppard Süd<br />
| Very limited schoolday-only service<br />
|-<br />
| 509<br />
| Radebeul Ost – Radeburg <br />
| Five train pairs daily; only two beyond Moritzburg. Closed most of March and November.<br />
|-<br />
| 513<br />
| Freital Hainsberg – Kurort Kipsdorf<br />
| Three train pairs daily; only two beyond Dippoldiswalde. Closed most of March and November.<br />
|-<br />
| 517<br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (CZ) [– Chomutov]<br />
| Three train pairs on summer weekends only in 2023. Details of 2024 timetable awaited.<br />
|-<br />
| 518<br />
| Cranzahl – Kurort Oberwiesenthal<br />
| Four train pairs daily; closed most of March and November<br />
|-<br />
| 544<br />
| Bad Brambach – Plesná (CZ) [– Cheb]<br />
| Five train pairs daily<br />
|-<br />
| 566<br />
| Ilmenau – Rennsteig <br />
| Four train pairs, weekends and holidays only <br />
|-<br />
| 662.1<br />
| Monsheim – Münchweiler (Alsenz)<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Service expected to resume on 1 April 2024 after four-year pause.<br />
|-<br />
| 666<br />
| Ramsen – Eiswoog <br />
| Weekends only <br />
|-<br />
| 675.1<br />
| Bundenthal-Rumbach – Hinterweidenthal Ost <br />
| Summer Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 692<br />
| Perl – Thionville (FR) <br />
| Two train pairs on weekends only. A full service is expected to resume in December 2024.<br />
|-<br />
| 707<br />
| Neckarbischofsheim Nord – Hüffenhardt <br />
| Summer Sundays and alternate Wednesdays only. Only four train pairs beyond Siegelsbach.<br />
|-<br />
| 732.1<br />
| Stockach – Mengen<br />
| Three train pairs on summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 737<br />
| Lauchringen – Weizen<br />
| Five train pairs on schooldays to Stühlingen; two train pairs on summer Sundays to Weizen<br />
|-<br />
| 743<br />
| Geisingen-Leipferdingen – Blumberg-Zollhaus <br />
| Limited service<br />
|-<br />
| 752<br />
| Aulendorf – Bad Wurzach <br />
| Summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 754<br />
| Aulendorf – Pfullendorf <br />
| Summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 758<br />
| Amstetten – Gerstetten <br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 759 <br />
| Gammertingen – Schelklingen <br />
| Limited service, better on schooldays<br />
|-<br />
| 767<br />
| Eyach – Hechingen (HzL) <br />
| Summer Sundays only<br />
|-<br />
| 769<br />
| Balingen – Schömberg <br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 772<br />
| Maulbronn West – Maulbronn Stadt<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|-<br />
| 790.11<br />
| Kornwestheim – Stuttgart-Untertürkheim<br />
| Mondays to Fridays peak hours only. <!---Also used by ''NJ468/469'' Wien Hbf – Paris Est MThSO and v.v. TFSuO---><br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Regular services not in the ''Kursbuch''==<br />
The following lines are not included in the online DB ''Kursbuch'', but timetables can be found on the websites shown. Long-distance services appear in some, but not all, tables in the ''Kursbuch'' where they would be expected to be found, so the [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner] or the [http://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is often the best guide to these.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| <br />
| All Flixtrain services<br />
| [https://www.flixtrain.com/all-timetables flixtrain.com/all-timetables]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de just redirect to the Flixbus site so this particular address needs to be used.<br />
|-<br />
| 101.1<br />
| Hamburg Flughafen / Poppenbüttel – Wesel (''S1'')<br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)]<br />
|-<br />
| 101.2<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – Bergedorf (''S2'')<br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)]<br />
|-<br />
| 101.3<br />
| Pinneberg – Neugraben (''S3'')<br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)]<br />
|-<br />
| 101.5<br />
| Stade – Elbgaustraße (''S5'') <br />
| [https://www.s-bahn-hamburg.de/ S-Bahn Hamburg (journey planner)] (the Stade - Hamburg section of ''S5'' is shown in '''Table 121''')<br />
|-<br />
| 132<br />
| Neumünster – Heide – Büsum<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel – Oppendorf<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 134<br />
| Kiel – Schleswig – Husum<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 135<br />
| Husum – Bad St. Peter-Ording<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 136<br />
| Niebüll – Dagebüll Mole<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 136.1<br />
| Niebüll – Tønder (DK) [– Esbjerg]<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 137<br />
| Neumünster – Kaltenkirchen – Hamburg-Eidelstedt<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 138<br />
| Ulzburg Süd – Norderstedt Mitte<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 139<br />
| Elmshorn – Barmstedt – Ulzburg Süd<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|-<br />
| 140<br />
| Lübeck – Neustadt (Holst.) (trains) – Puttgarden (buses)<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 145<br />
| Lüneburg – Lübeck – Kiel<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 146<br />
| Kiel – Flensburg<br />
| [https://www.nah.sh/de/fahrplan/fahrplantabellen/ nah.sh]<br />
|- <br />
| 174<br />
| Waren (Müritz) – Malchow [– Parchim / Plau am See (summer weekends only)]<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 201<br />
| Magdeburg – Berlin – Frankfurt (Oder) – Cottbus <br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| former 203<br />
| Berlin – Elsterwerda (''RE8S'')<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.12<br />
| Berlin – Löwenberg (Mark) – Templin Stadt<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.25<br />
| Berlin – Werneuchen<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.26<br />
| Berlin – Küstrin-Kietz [– Kostrzyn (PL)]<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.27<br />
| Berlin-Karow – Groß Schönebeck/Schmachtenhagen<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.33<br />
| Potsdam Hbf – Jüterbog<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.35<br />
| Furstenwalde (Spree) – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.36<br />
| Königs Wusterhausen – Frankfurt (Oder)<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.46 <br />
| Cottbus – Forst (Lausitz)<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.51<br />
| Rathenow – Brandenburg<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.54<br />
| Löwenberg (Mark) – Rheinsberg (Mark)<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.60<br />
| Eberswalde – Wriezen – Frankfurt (Oder)<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Eberswalde – Joachimsthal<br />
| [https://www.neb.de/service/downloads/fahrplaene/ Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB)]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.73<br />
| Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk<br />
| [https://www.hanseatische-eisenbahn.de/fahrplan-netz.html Hanseatische Eisenbahn]<br />
|- <br />
| 209.74<br />
| Pritzwalk – Meyenburg [– Plau am See (summer weekends only)]<br />
| [https://www.hanseatische-eisenbahn.de/fahrplan-netz.html Hanseatische Eisenbahn]<br />
|- <br />
| ''RB TES''<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd (new service from 04.09.23)<br />
| [https://www.eberswalde-ffo.de/tesla-shuttle-fahrplan-erkner-fangschleuse-sued.html eberswalde.ffo.de] (Links to VRR timetable pdf)<br />
|-<br />
| 220<br />
| Cottbus – Görlitz – Zittau<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|- <br />
| 229<br />
| Görlitz – Hoyerswerda<br />
| [https://www.odeg.de/linien-fahrplaene/liniennetz-fahrplaene ODEG]<br />
|-<br />
| 236<br />
| Seifhennersdorf – Zittau<br />
| [https://www.laenderbahn.com/trilex/fahrplan/fahrplan-aenderungen/ Trilex]<br />
|-<br />
| 238<br />
| Zittau – Kurort Oybin / Kurort Jonsdorf<br />
| [https://www.zittauer-schmalspurbahn.de/ SOEG]<br />
|-<br />
| 257<br />
| Dessau – Wörlitz<br />
| [https://www.dvv-dessau.de/verkehr/fahrplan-woerlitzer-eisenbahn/#Fahrplan Dessau-Wörlitzer Eisenbahn]<br />
|-<br />
| 269<br />
| Stendal – Tangermünde<br />
| [https://www.hanseatische-eisenbahn.de/fahrplan-netz.html Hanseatische Eisenbahn]<br />
|-<br />
| 325<br />
| Wernigerode – Brocken<br />
| [https://www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/ Harzer Schmalspurbahnen]<br />
|-<br />
| 326<br />
| Nordhausen – Drei Annen Hohne<br />
| [https://www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/ Harzer Schmalspurbahnen]<br />
|-<br />
| 333<br />
| Quedlinburg – Eisfelder Talmühle<br />
| [https://www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/ Harzer Schmalspurbahnen]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.1<br />
| Minden (Westf) – Hannover – Haste (''S1'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.2<br />
| Nienburg (Weser) – Hannover – Haste (''S2'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.3<br />
| Hannover – Hildesheim (''S3'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.4<br />
| Bennemühlen – Hannover – Hildesheim (''S4'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.5<br />
| Hannover Flughafen – Hannover – Paderborn (''S5'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.6<br />
| Hannover – Celle (''S6'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 360.7<br />
| Hannover – Lehrte – Celle (''S7'')<br />
| [https://www.sbahn-hannover.de/de/liniennetz/linienuebersicht Transdev Hannover]<br />
|-<br />
| 391<br />
| Bremen – Hude – Nordenham (''RS4'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 392<br />
| Osnabrück – Oldenburg – Wilhelmshaven (''RE18'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande – Esens (''RB59'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 394<br />
| Bremen – Vechta – Osnabrück (''RB58'')<br />
| [https://www.nordwestbahn.de/de/fahrplan Nordwestbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 470<br />
| Köln Hbf – Bonn Hbf – Koblenz Hbf<br />
| [https://www.mittelrheinbahn.de/de/strecken/linien-fahrplaene Mittelrheinbahn (Transdev)] (stopping services. Use [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner] for ''RE'' and long-distance services)<br />
|-<br />
| 472<br />
| Köln Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf via the high-speed line<br />
| [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner]<br />
|- <br />
| former 484<br />
| Düren – Heimbach (Eifel)<br />
| [https://www.rurtalbahn.de/fahrplaene/ Rurtalbahn]<br />
|- <br />
| 495<br />
| Düsseldorf Hbf – Kleve<br />
| [https://www.rhein-ruhr-bahn.de/de/unsere-region/strecken Rhein-Ruhr-Bahn (Transdev)]<br />
|- <br />
| 514<br />
| Freiberg (Sachs) – Holzhau<br />
| [https://www.freiberger-eisenbahn.de/de/linien-fahrplaene Freiberger Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 633<br />
| Friedberg (Hess) – Hanau<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 636<br />
| Friedrichsdorf (Taunus) – Friedberg (Hess)<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 637<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Friedrichsdorf (Taunus) – Brandoberndorf<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 640<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Maintal – Hanau – Aschaffenburg<br />
| [https://hlb-online.de/fahrplaene-tarife/ HLB (journey planner)] <br />
|-<br />
| 662.1<br />
| Monsheim – Münchweiler (Alsenz)<br />
| No timetable as yet. Services were expected to resume on 1 April 2024 but have been delayed until an unknown date.<br />
|- <br />
| 758<br />
| Amstetten (Württ) – Gerstetten<br />
| [https://lokalbahn-amstetten-gerstetten-e-v.jimdosite.com/start/freizeitexpress-ostalb/ UEF Lokalbahn Amstetten Gerstetten]<br />
|-<br />
| 762<br />
| Nürtingen – Neuffen (''Tälesbahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 790.21<br />
| Schörndorf – Oberrndorf (''Wieslauftalbahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 790.46<br />
| Böblingen - Dettenhausen (''Schönbuchbahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| 790.47<br />
| Korntal – Heimerdingen (''Strohgäubahn'')<br />
| [https://www.weg-bahn.de/ Württembergische Eisenbahn (Transdev)]<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| [https://www.rurtalbahn.de/fahrplaene/ Rurtalbahn]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Deletions since previous edition==<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| DE23/280<br />
| Rheinsberg (Mark) – Stechlinsee<br />
| Special trains have not run since 2021<br />
|-<br />
| DE23/302<br />
| Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (main/high level station) via diveunder line<br />
| No rare track on a separate alignment used<br />
|-<br />
| DE23/361<br />
| Bonn-Beuel – Hangelar<br />
| Special trains have not run since 2019. Line to be closed and railbuses used have been sold.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Niedersachsen_and_Bremen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55372Germany (Niedersachsen and Bremen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-03-13T12:48:17Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Bremen-Sebaldsbrück – Bremen Hbf (via Abzw. Vahr) */ clarify only used by two-hourly RE1 services</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
<br />
===Saline – Westen===<br />
(ERA-E 42B3; ERA-R 87C5; S+W ''9B3'') DE24/151<br />
<br />
This is a branch off DB's only metre-gauge line, on the island of Wangerooge. Passenger trains normally run only between the quay at Westanleger and Wangerooge town, but have been known to run to Westen when required by pre-booked parties staying at the Youth Hostel or other accommodation there.<br />
Excursions have operated in the past between Wangerooge and Westen during the summer season; however [https://www.siw-wangerooge.de/siw-de DB's Wangerooge website] had no mention of any such trips in 2023.<br />
<br />
===Emden Hbf – Emden Außenhafen===<br />
[395,396] (ERA-E 42A1; ERA-R 87B4; S+W ''18B4'') DE24/152<br />
<br />
This branch line is used by trains connecting with the ferry to and from Borkum. Dates and times of operation vary considerably. There are several ''RE'' services, mainly to and from Münster, and a few ''IC'' services with various origins and destinations. Times and dates are shown in [https://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/dn?searchmode=tableplus&mainframe=result&controlpattern=Q.&orig=sT&dosearch=1&table_nr=396&submitButton=Suchen ''Kursbuch'' Table 396].<br />
<br />
===Hamburg-Harburg – Buchholz (Nordheide) via Jesteburg===<br />
[120, 123] (ERA-E 45C4-43B1; ERA-R 89A4-89B4; S+W ''21D2-21C2'') DE24/153<br />
<br />
This is an alternative route between Hamburg-Harburg and Buchholz (Nordheide). It is used by ''RB38'' trains '''from''' Hamburg-Harburg '''to''' Hannover Hbf via Soltau (Han) hourly from 07:51 to 21:51 on Saturdays and Sundays only, with additional short workings at 22:51 to Soltau and 23:50 to Buchholz, both also SSuO. This is so that these trains can be overtaken by an ''IC'' or ''ICE'' train leaving Hamburg-Harburg for Bremen at 57 minutes past the hour.<br />
<br />
===Bremen-Sebaldsbrück – Bremen Hbf (via Abzw. Vahr)===<br />
[380] (ERA-E 43A1 not shown; ERA-R 88B3 not shown; S+W ''9C2-9B2'') DE24/154<br />
<br />
Trains from the Hannover line to platforms 1, 2 or 3 on the Oldenburg side at Bremen Hbf have been known to use this spur which crosses from the north side of the line to the south side by passing under both the main Hannover and Osnabrück lines, but they may, alternatively, use crossovers at the approach to Bremen Hbf. The only trains from the Hannover line to arrive in platforms 1 - 3 are the two-hourly ''RE1'' services from Hannover Hbf to Norddeich Mole. These depart Bremen-Mahndorf at 31 minutes past each even hour.<br />
<br />
''RE1'' trains in the opposite direction normally use the flat junction at Hastedt but, if the departure signal at Bremen Hbf platforms 1, 2 or 3 shows speed restriction 4 (= 40 km/h), that may indicate use of this route. <br />
<br />
There is no passenger use of the connections between Bremen-Hemelingen and Bremen Hbf via Abzw. Vahr known to the compilers.<br />
<br />
===Bremen avoiding line: Ottersberg (Han.) (Abzw. Sagehorn) – Dreye (Abzw. Bremen-Gabelung)=== <br />
[120, 385] (ERA-E 43A1; ERA-R 88B3-88B2; S+W ''9D1-9C3'') DE24/155 <br />
<br />
Most trains between Hamburg and Osnabrück call at Bremen Hbf, but this route enables those that do not to avoid a lengthy detour.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE1031<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 06:11 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE1021<br />
| Ostseebad Binz / Stralsund Hbf / Hamburg-Altona – 16:10 Hamburg Hbf – Nürnberg Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| ICE1221<br />
| Ostseebad Binz / Hamburg-Altona – 16:10 Hamburg Hbf – Dortmund Hbf <br />
|- <br />
| D3<br />
| <br />
| ICE737<br />
| Lübeck Hbf – 18:08 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE1038<br />
| Köln Hbf – 07:04 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2310/2312<br />
| Köln Hbf – 10:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Westerland (Sylt) / Dagebüll Mole <br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE736<br />
| Köln Hbf – 11:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Lübeck Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE1020<br />
| Passau Hbf – 13:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE928 <br />
| Passau Hbf – 15:48 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| <br />
| ICE1228 <br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 15:48 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE1030<br />
| Köln Hbf – 16:56 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Not 23 March - 7 April 2024<br><br />
D2: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br><br />
D3: 16 July - 14 December 2024<br><br />
D4: 30 July - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
''Flixtrain'' services between Hamburg and Köln formerly used this route but these trains now all call at Bremen Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Lüneburg Westseite (West station)===<br />
[110] (ERA-E 43C1 not shown; ERA-R 89B3; S+W ''22C3'') DE24/156<br />
<br />
This is a separate station to the west of the main station. Connections to north and south link the ''Westseite'' station to the main Hamburg to Hannover line.<br />
<br />
The north-end connection is used by most Hamburg local trains (''RB31'') starting or terminating at Lüneburg. A few late evening and early morning trains run to and from the main station. Services using the ''Westseite'' are those shown as using platforms 6 or 7 in the [https://int.bahn.de/en DB journey planner].<br />
<br />
Both connections are used by the following service:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX <br />
| RB81607<br />
| Hamburg Hbf – 05:16 Bardowick – Hannover Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Westseite'' is also used to by all trains to and from Dannenberg Ost.<br />
<br />
===Osnabrück Schinkel and Löhner Curves: Osnabrück ob Bf – Wissingen (Bbf Lüstringen)===<br />
[385] (ERA-E 47B4; ERA-R 96C5; S+W ''40C3'') DE24/157<br />
<br />
This is a curve from the high level station at Osnabrück to the Hannover line. It is used all year round by the following services. It is also occasionally used by trains diverted away from the Münster to Rheine line or the main line through Bielefeld.<br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.<br />
<br />
[[File:Osnabrück.png|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE741<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 06:52 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE759<br />
| Köln Hbf / Münster (Westf) Hbf – 13:51 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1053<br />
| Aachen Hbf / Münster (Westf) Hbf – 17:53 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| ICE1050<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 10:56 Hannover Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| ICE756<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 14:56 Hannover Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| <br />
| ICE742<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof / Hannover Hbf – 20:43 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf) Hbf <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| FSuO<br />
| ICE740<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 22:43 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf) Hbf <br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Ahlten (Abzw. Lehrte West) – Aligse (Lehrte Nordgruppe, former Stw Lnf)===<br />
[360.6,360.7] (ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W ''122D4'') DE24/158<br />
<br />
This west to north curve is used by the hourly ''S6'' service between Hannover and Celle which runs non-stop between Hannover Karl-Wiechert-Allee and Aligse. Note that the ''S7'' service which alternates with the ''S6'' reverses at Lehrte and thus does not use this curve.<br />
<br />
===Lehrte (Abzw Lehrte West) – Misburg – Abzw Waldheim – Hannover Messe/Laatzen (Hannover Wülfel)===<br />
(ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W ''122D4-122D3'') DE24/159 <br />
<br />
This route forms the eastern part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover. It has no permanent services during this timetable period but is used, particularly during the early part of the year, by the following trains to avoid reversal at Hannover Hbf.<br />
<br />
Note that the same train can run at different times but with the same number, or at similar times with a different number and different origin or destination. Because of the complicated set of date ranges in the table, a check with the DB journey planner is recommended.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE876<br />
| Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – 07:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE998<br />
| 05:58 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE996<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 08:04 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
|<br />
| ICE996<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 08:09 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
|<br />
| ICE270<br />
| Basel Bad Bf (MO) / Karlsruhe Hbf – 09:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE774<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 09:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
|<br />
| ICE270<br />
| Basel Bad Bf (MO) / Karlsruhe Hbf – 09:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1136<br />
| 08:02 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE994<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 10:09 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE374<br />
| Basel SBB – 11:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE772<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 11:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE374<br />
| Basel SBB – 11:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1134<br />
| 10:02 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE992<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 12:09 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE372<br />
| Interlaken Ost – 13:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE770<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 13:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE372<br />
| Interlaken Ost – 13:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1036<br />
| 12:02 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE798<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 14:09 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE370<br />
| Basel SBB – 15:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE578<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE370<br />
| Basel SBB – 15:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1174<br />
| Basel SBB – 15:50 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| FSO<br />
| ICE1696<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:50 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE796<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 16:09 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz <br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE278<br />
| Interlaken Ost – 17:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE576<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 17:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE278<br />
| Interlaken Ost – 17:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1034<br />
| 16:02 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE794<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 18:09 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz <br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
|<br />
| ICE118<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 18:24 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE276<br />
| Basel SBB – 19:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE574<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 19:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE276<br />
| Basel SBB – 19:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1032<br />
| 18:02 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE792<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 20:09 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE274<br />
| Basel SBB – 21:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE572<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 21:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE274<br />
| Basel SBB – 21:33 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE790<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 22:10 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE292<br />
| Zürich HB – 23:09 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE570<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 23:32 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE292<br />
| Zürich HB – 23:32 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof <br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE571<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 05:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE275<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 05:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE275<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 05:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1033<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 06:11 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE573<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 07:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE277<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 07:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB <br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE277<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 07:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB <br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
|<br />
| ICE119<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 06:33 Berlin Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1035<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 08:11 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE791<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 08:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf <br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE575<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 09:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE279<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 09:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB <br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE279<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 09:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB <br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1037<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 10:11 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE793<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 10:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf <br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE577<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE371<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE371<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1039<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 12:11 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE795<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 12:43 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf <br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE579<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE373<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE373<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE797<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 14:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE375<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE771<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE375<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1131<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 16:11 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE799<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 16:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf <br />
|-<br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE377<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 17:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| D5<br />
| <br />
| ICE773<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 17:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE377<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 17:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| ICE1135<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 18:11 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE995<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 18:43 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D10<br />
| <br />
| ICE775 / 877<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 19:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE877<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 19:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE997<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 20:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1697<br />
| Berlin Südkreuz – 20:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe<br />
|-<br />
| D11<br />
| Daily/SuX<br />
| ICE879<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe<br />
|-<br />
| D12<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1219<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:09 Wolfsburg Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| <br />
| ICE879<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:39 Wolfsburg Hbf – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe<br />
|-<br />
| D13<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1219<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:39 Wolfsburg Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 10 December 2023 - 21 March 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 1-21 March; 7 June - 13 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 10 December 2023 - 29 February 2024<br />
<br />
D4: 1-21 March 2024<br />
<br />
D5: 7-21 January 2024<br />
<br />
D6: 10 December 2023 - 1 January 2024; 22 January - 29 February 2024<br />
<br />
D7: 16 July - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D8: 3 March - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D9: FSO 1-28 March; FO 5 April - 10 May, 17-31 May; FSO 7 June - 13 July 2024<br />
<br />
D10: 10 December 2023 - 1 January 2024 (as ''ICE877''); 7-21 January (as ''ICE775''); 22 January - 29 February 2024 (as ''ICE877'')<br />
<br />
D11: Daily 11-31 December 2023; SuX 2 January - 29 February 2024<br />
<br />
D12: 10-26 December 2023; 1 January, 28 January - 25 February 2024<br />
<br />
D13: 3-17 March 2024<br />
<br />
===Lehrte – Sehnde / Hämelerwald (Abzw Ramhorst) / Immensen-Arpke===<br />
[360.3] (ERA-E 48B4 partly shown; ERA-R 100A5; S+W ''122D4'') DE24/160<br />
<br />
East of Lehrte, the lines from Hildesheim and Braunschweig join with the line from Wolfsburg in a complex flying junction.<br />
<br />
Lehrte station is in two parts, with the south-side platforms 1 to 3 reached by different routes from those to the north-side platforms 11-14.<br />
<br />
====To/from Sehnde (Hildesheim line)====<br />
(''S3'': hourly with weekday peak extras)<br />
<br />
<u>Trains '''towards''' Hildesheim</u><br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram<br />
[[File:Lehrte to Hildesheim.png|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
Trains '''towards''' Hildesheim at 51 minutes past each hour from Lehrte depart from platform 11 on the north side of the main station island. They pass under the Wolfsburg line and then use a ladder crossing to the south side of the Braunschweig line to reach the west to south curve to the Hildesheim line. <br />
<br />
Additional peak-hour trains start from Lehrte platform 3 and run directly from the Wolfsburg line onto the Braunschweig line and then the curve to the Hildesheim line. These trains depart Lehrte at 06:30, 07:36 and hourly from 14:34 until 17:34, all SSuX.<br />
<br />
<u>Trains '''from''' Hildesheim</u><br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram<br />
[[File:Hildesheim to Lehrte.png|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
Trains '''from''' Hildesheim arriving at Lehrte at 05 minutes past each hour fly over the eastbound Braunschweig line, joining the westbound flyover from Braunschweig shortly before it crosses over the Wolfsburg line, then diverge to the north to run into platform 13.<br />
<br />
Peak-hour trains from Hildesheim that terminate at Lehrte platform 3 can either use the south side of the flying junction in the westbound direction, or use the flyover and the connection to the Wolfsburg line as used by trains from Braunschweig. These depart Hildesheim at 07:01, then hourly from 14:04 to 17:04, all SSuX.<br />
<br />
====To/from Hämelerwald (Braunschweig line)====<br />
(''RE60/RE70'': generally twice per hour; occasionally hourly, especially on weekend mornings)<br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram<br />
[[File:Lehrte to and from Braunschweig.png|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
Trains '''towards''' Braunschweig leave from platform 2 and head in a straight alignment onto the Braunschweig line, following this line's original route. <br />
<br />
Trains '''from''' Braunschweig diverge to the north at Abzw Ramhorst and fly over the Wolfsburg line about 500 m further north of the eastbound line, taking a connection onto the Wolfsburg line to arrive in platform 1.<br />
<br />
There are no trains between the Braunschweig line and the north-side platforms.<br />
<br />
====To/from Immensen-Arpke (Wolfsburg line)====<br />
(''RE30'': hourly with occasional extras)<br />
<br />
Local services arrive and depart from platforms 1 and 2 respectively, using the main line connection to the Wolfsburg route. There is also a flying junction from the Wolfsburg line to the high-numbered platforms, with the eastbound line passing under the main line. Regular ''IC/ICE'' services between Berlin and Amsterdam or the Ruhr also use the main line route, but it is likely that any train to or from the Hannover ring line (DE24/159) would use the flying junction as the ring line can only be accessed from the north side platforms. Alternatively, trains to and from the ring line could gain or leave the north side platforms by crossing from and to the main line just east of the station. '''Reports on which route is taken would be welcomed by the compilers'''.<br />
<br />
===Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (Abzw Siekweg) – Göttingen east side platforms===<br />
(ERA-E 48B2 not shown; S+W ''55A2-55B2'') DE24/161 <br />
<br />
This 2 km link (line 1803) leaves the Kassel ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' south of Göttingen and then crosses the Eichenberg line before joining the eastern platforms at Göttingen. It is normally used by northbound trains stopping at platform 4 at Göttingen. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram<br />
[[File:Gottingen1.jpg|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
Until 29 February 2024, all northbound ''ICE'' services from Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe are booked to call at Göttingen platform 4, so can be expected to use this connection.<br />
<br />
The following trains are booked to use platform 4 at Göttingen for most or all of the year, but may not always do so.<br />
<br />
A check with the DB journey planner is recommended.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| Note<br />
| <br />
| ICE272/570<br />
| Zürich HB / Stuttgart Hbf – 22:45 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1570<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf / Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 23:01 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Hannover Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''Note''': When this train departs Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe at 22:25 it does not use this connection as it calls at Göttingen platform 8.<br />
<br />
===Göttingen east side platforms – Friedland(Han) (Abzw Grone) [– Eichenberg]===<br />
(ERA-E 48B2 not shown; ERA-R 100A2; S+W ''55A2-55B2'') DE24/162<br />
<br />
This previously freight-only connection (line 1800) diverges south of Göttingen station from the line to Abzw Siekweg (DE24/161) and runs to the west of the main line to Eichenberg, joining it at Abzw Grone, 2.3 km from Göttingen.<br />
<br />
Trains to the Eichenberg line at Göttingen which depart from platforms 5 and 6 generally use this route, in the southbound direction only. <br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.<br />
[[File:Gottingen2.jpg|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Osnabrück Schinkel and Stahlwerks Curves: Osnabrück ob Bf – Osnabrück unt Bf===<br />
[385] (ERA-E 47B4; ERA-R 96C5; S+W ''40C3'') DE24/181<br />
<br />
These curves allow trains to run between the Münster and Rheine lines, passing through both the high-level and low-level platforms at Osnabrück. The route may be used by ''IC'' trains if the direct line between Münster (Westf) and Rheine is blocked. This is indicated by an extended journey time and local trains being replaced by buses. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.<br />
[[File:Osnabrück.png|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
===Osnabrück Münster Curve: Wissingen (Lüstringen Bbf) – Hasbergen (Osnabrück ob Bf Süd)===<br />
[375] (ERA-E 47B4; ERA-R 96C5; S+W ''40C3'') DE24/182<br />
<br />
This is an alternative route from the Hannover line to the Münster line at Osnabrück, instead of via the Löhner and Schinkel curves (DE24/157). Use of this route means that trains cannot call at Osnabrück Hbf. It was used between 18 and 27 October 2023.<br />
<br />
Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.<br />
[[File:Osnabrück.png|50px|thumb|none]]<br />
<br />
===<div id="HAN182"></div>Lehrte (Abzw Lehrte West) – Misburg – Abzw Waldheim – Hannover-Linden - Wunstorf===<br />
(ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W ''31D4-31B4'') DE24/183<br />
<br />
This is a ring line around the south side of Hannover. It is occasionally used by diverted ''IC'' trains between the Lehrte and Minden lines, this being indicated by omission of the usual stop at Hannover Hbf.<br />
<br />
===<div id="HAN183"></div>Hannover Hbf (Hannover Kurve) – Ahlem – Empelde===<br />
[360.5] (ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W ''122B2-122D3'') DE24/184<br />
<br />
This route forms part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover, with the curve to the Hameln line. The hourly ''S5'' trains between Hannover Hbf and Paderborn may be diverted this way if the route via Hannover-Linden is blocked. This has occurred a few times in recent years.<br />
<br />
===Northeim (Han) – Edesheim (Leine)===<br />
(ERA-E 48B2; ERA-R 100A2; S+W ''55B1'') DE24/185<br />
<br />
Connections between the old main line and the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' at Edesheim (Leine), north of Northeim (Han), are sometimes used by ''ICE'' trains during engineering work. Use of the old main line instead of the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' results in an extended journey time between Göttingen and Hannover, but it is not normally possible to tell from public information which connection is being used.<br />
<br />
===Nörten-Hardenberg – Northeim (Han)===<br />
(ERA-E 48B2 not shown; ERA-R 100A2; S+W ''55B1-55B2'') DE24/186<br />
<br />
Connections between the old main line and the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' at Nörten-Hardenberg, south of Northeim (Han), are sometimes used by ''ICE'' trains during engineering work. Use of the old main line instead of the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' results in an extended journey time between Göttingen and Hannover, but it is not normally possible to tell from public information which connection is being used.<br />
<br />
===Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)===<br />
[305] (ERA-E 48C5; ERA-R 89C2; S+W ''32C1'') DE24/187 <br />
<br />
The Stendal – Salzwedel – Uelzen – Bremen line crosses under the Hannover – Hamburg main line just south of Uelzen and curves north to serve the west side of Uelzen station. A direct curve (the ''Veerßer Kurve'') from the Stendal line to the east side of Uelzen station was opened in November 2013 giving a non-conflicting connection towards Hamburg. This was used by ''IRE'' services between Berlin and Hamburg but as these no longer run there are no permanently scheduled services booked to use the ''Veerßer Kurve''. <br />
<br />
Between 16 August and 14 December 2024 all ''EC/ICE'' trains between Berlin and Hamburg are diverted via Stendal and Uelzen so can be expected to use this curve '''in this direction only'''.<br />
<br />
===Bremen Hbf – Bremen-Oslebshausen via Bremen Rbf===<br />
[127] (ERA-E 43A1; ERA-R 88B3 S+W ''9B2-9A1'') DE24/188<br />
<br />
The route through Bremen Rbf (''Rangierbahnhof'' = marshalling yard) is rarely used by passenger trains. Its use can be discerned, at least for local ''RS1'' stopping trains, by the call at Bremen-Walle being omitted. Trains can either run via single Line 1410 to the east and north of Bremen Rbf, which runs close to the passenger lines but diverges onto a separate alignment towards the north end of the yard, or on double track Lines 1401/1422 which run on the far side of the yard from the passenger lines.<br />
<br />
===Hamburg-Harburg – Ashausen via Maschen Rbf===<br />
[110] (ERA-E 45C4; ERA-R 89A4; S+W ''120C1-D2'' (inset)) DE24/189<br />
<br />
This route round the back of Maschen Rbf is occasionally used for diverting trains between Hamburg, Winsen (Luhe) and Lüneburg when the main line through Maschen Pbf is unavailable. It is common with entry DE24/153 as far as Maschen Rbf Süd, although the route taken through Hamburg-Harburg to Meckelfeld may be different as trains may also use the goods lines through Hamburg-Harburg and the flyover to reach Maschen Rbf.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]<br />
<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55336Germany - Older General Information2024-03-11T13:34:59Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2005 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz Hbf - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (connection from Chemnitz Hbf replaced by tram-train connection from Chemnitz Technopark in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the ''Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands) <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof ''Neubaustrecke'' (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
| ''City-Bahn Chemnitz''<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath (experimental summer Sunday service)<br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal - Hranicna (Czech Rep)<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. Reopened 11 June 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55335Germany - Older General Information2024-03-11T13:31:00Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2015 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the ''Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands) <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof ''Neubaustrecke'' (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
| ''City-Bahn Chemnitz''<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath (experimental summer Sunday service)<br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal - Hranicna (Czech Rep)<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. Reopened 11 June 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55284Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:45:36Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2000 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the ''Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands) <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof ''Neubaustrecke'' (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
| ''City-Bahn Chemnitz''<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath (experimental summer Sunday service)<br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal - Hranicna (Czech Rep)<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55283Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:44:36Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2002 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the ''Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands) <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof ''Neubaustrecke'' (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
| ''City-Bahn Chemnitz''<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath experimental summer Sunday service <br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal DB - Hranicna ČD<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55282Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:42:31Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2004 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|''S-Bahn Berlin'' <br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the Berlin ''S-Bahn Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (tourist trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener DB - Nieuweschans NS <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath experimental summer Sunday service <br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal DB - Hranicna ČD<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55281Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:41:52Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2006 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Kassel tram-trains<br />
| Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof ''tief''/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg (''S-Bahn Berlin'') <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the Berlin ''S-Bahn Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (tourist trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener DB - Nieuweschans NS <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath experimental summer Sunday service <br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal DB - Hranicna ČD<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55280Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:38:09Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2018 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg [DE] - Mulhouse [FR] (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg (''S-Bahn Berlin'') <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the Berlin ''S-Bahn Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (tourist trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener DB - Nieuweschans NS <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath experimental summer Sunday service <br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal DB - Hranicna ČD<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55279Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:37:27Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2003 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service0<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg [DE] - Mulhouse [FR] (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg (''S-Bahn Berlin'') <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Berlin''<br />
| Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the Berlin ''S-Bahn Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (tourist trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener DB - Nieuweschans NS <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath experimental summer Sunday service <br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal DB - Hranicna ČD<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_Older_General_Information&diff=55278Germany - Older General Information2024-03-06T11:36:18Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Openings */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
This document acts as an archive for [[Germany - General Information#Recent and Future Changes|Recent and Future Changes]] in the past.<br />
<br />
===General===<br />
Following the unification of Germany in 1990, the two railway systems Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) and Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) were amalgamated as a government-owned company, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) on 1 January 1994.<br />
<br />
In order to improve its poor financial position, DB has ceased operating Inter-Regio, semi-fast long distance services, loss-making part of DB Reise and Touristik. They were replaced by Regional Express trains, worked by DB Regio and subsidised by the Länder.<br />
<br />
In the early 2000s DB was re-organised on a divisional basis, as a prelude to privatisation, but plans to float parts of DB, particularly the long-distance business, were shelved after the worldwide financial crisis of 2007. DB has acquired many interests abroad (for example, in UK alone: DB Cargo, Chiltern Railways and Arriva).<br />
<br />
===Openings===<br />
In the years following reunification, extensive work was undertaken to re-open lines across the former border between East and West Germany, and it is now extremely difficult to see where the border was. Most railways were rebuilt on their previous alignment, although the line from Stapelburg to Vienenburg was new, replacing that to Bad Harzburg. Unification resulted in major changes to the railway system in Berlin, as most lines that were severed by the wall were reinstated. An entirely new north-south main line was opened through the centre of Berlin, approximately on the course of the former Berlin Wall and serving the new Berlin Hbf, on the site of the former Lehrter Bf. Most former DR main lines have been entirely rebuilt and there have been several electrification schemes.<br />
<br />
During the 1980s DB started building high speed lines, the first being from Hannover to Würzburg and Mannheim to Stuttgart. The high speed line between Lehrte and Berlin-Spandau was completed in 1998 followed by those from Köln to Frankfurt am Main, including a new station at Frankfurt Flughafen, and between Nürnberg and Ingolstadt.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 209.63<br />
| Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service0<br />
| 9 December (ceased December 2022)<br />
|-<br />
| 227 <br />
| Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 351 <br />
| Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 471<br />
| Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service ''RE4'' between Frankfurt and Mainz)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 930 <br />
| Neufahrn avoiding curve<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 513 <br />
| Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)<br />
| 19 June<br />
|-<br />
| 133<br />
| [Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf<br />
| 4 September<br />
|-<br />
| 200.9 <br />
| Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (''S-Bahn Berlin'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 459 <br />
| Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580<br />
| Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (''Schnellfahrstrecke'')<br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 225 <br />
| Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work<br />
| 30 January (ended 24 September 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| [Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf <br />
| 12 June <br />
|-<br />
| 908<br />
| Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)<br />
| 12 September<br />
|-<br />
| 541<br />
| Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)<br />
| 25 October<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 680 <br />
| Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder <br />
| 23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)<br />
|-<br />
| 622<br />
| Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach <br />
| 14 September<br />
|-<br />
| 209.23 <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service) <br />
| 13 December (ended 10 December 2016)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24 <br />
| Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg <br />
| 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 230.5<br />
| Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 580 <br />
| Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|- <br />
| 720 <br />
| Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
| 858 <br />
| Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 247<br />
| Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz <br />
| 5 July<br />
|-<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| 15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)<br />
|-<br />
| 482<br />
| Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris <br />
| 15 June<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 133<br />
| Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)<br />
| 30 August<br />
|-<br />
| 459<br />
| Marienheide – Meinerzhagen<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 485<br />
| Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501<br />
| Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 501.1<br />
| Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 710.41<br />
| Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|-<br />
| 976<br />
| [Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 703<br />
| [Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 703<br />
| Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 790.6<br />
| Maichingen - Renningen <br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2011=====<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 751 <br />
| Laupheim West south curve<br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
| 209.35 <br />
| Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum<br />
| 24 October<br />
|-<br />
| 482 <br />
| [Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 650.1 <br />
| Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
| 439 <br />
| Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2010====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Sindelfingen - Maichingen<br />
| 14 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves<br />
| 31 July<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)<br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains. <br />
| 13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2009====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe<br />
| 14 June <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen<br />
| 15 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve<br />
| 4 October<br />
|-<br />
| ''S-Bahn Stuttgart''<br />
| Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2008====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| (Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf <br />
| 16 June <br />
|-<br />
| ''Usedomer Bäderbahn''<br />
| Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland) <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2007====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Bayreuth - Weidenberg<br />
| 8 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only) <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge <br />
| 16 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2006====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line) <br />
| 28 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Nürnberg - Ingolstadt ''Neubaustrecke'' <br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müllheim - Neuenburg [DE] - Mulhouse [FR] (Sunday-only service) <br />
| 9 July (daily since Dec 2012)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs) <br />
| 4 September (closed Dec 2013)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Traunreut - Hörpolding <br />
| 10 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2005====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade) <br />
| 15 January (replaced by tram-train connection at Chemnitz end in Jan 2022)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade) <br />
| 29 January<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow <br />
| 24 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse) <br />
| 27 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains) <br />
| 12 March (ceased 2014)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)<br />
| 30 April (ceased 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde <br />
| 12 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services) <br />
| 10 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark <br />
| 11 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad<br />
| 11 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2004====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve <br />
| 6 February<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg (''S-Bahn Berlin'') <br />
| 19 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)<br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only) <br />
| 10 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke <br />
| 13 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen <br />
| 22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler <br />
| 11 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen) <br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail<br />
| Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen) <br />
| 26 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen<br />
| 12 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg <br />
| 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2003====<br />
{| class="osstable3"| <br />
|<br />
| Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)<br />
| 13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gummersbach - Marienheide <br />
| 29 April<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin S-Bahn: Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf) <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Hüfingen - Bräunlingen <br />
| 30 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)<br />
| 13 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark <br />
| 5 October<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt) <br />
| 19 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof <br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd <br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2002====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Jülich - Linnich <br />
| 9 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the Berlin ''S-Bahn Innenring'' restoration) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (tourist trains) <br />
| 15 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Leer - Weener DB - Nieuweschans NS <br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (high-speed line) <br />
| 1 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben) <br />
| 13 August<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda <br />
| 13 December (closed 11 December 2011)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| (Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neumünster - Bad Segeberg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte<br />
| 13 December<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg<br />
| 13 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2001====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| <br />
| Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)<br />
| 24 March <br />
|-<br />
| ''Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum''<br />
| Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains) <br />
| 7 April (services since ceased)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 26 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)<br />
| 9 June<br />
|- <br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)<br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains <br />
| 10 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve<br />
| 10 June?<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)<br />
| 16 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains <br />
| 24 June<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie <br />
| 21 July<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Berlin S-Bahn''<br />
| Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (''Innenring'')<br />
| 17 September<br />
|-<br />
| ''Stuttgart S-Bahn''<br />
| Flughafen - Filderstadt <br />
| 29 September<br />
|-<br />
| Essen light rail<br />
| Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße<br />
| 30 September<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd <br />
| 3 November<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)<br />
| 18 November<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====2000====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
|<br />
| Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Düren - Distelrath experimental summer Sunday service <br />
| 28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Klingenthal DB - Hranicna ČD<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau <br />
| 28 May (no longer with regular service)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark) <br />
| 28 May (closed 2007)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck <br />
| 28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre<br />
| 28 May<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB<br />
| 2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| Mayen West - Kaisersesch<br />
| 6 August<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Closures===<br />
There were extensive cuts in the passenger network in West Germany during the 1970s and 1980s, mainly involving little-used rural lines. This has largely come to an end and some railways are reopening. The former DDR had a public transport system appropriate for a population where the level of car ownership was very low, and most vehicles were unsuitable for long journeys. As a result traffic has fallen away severely on many local lines, and large numbers have closed. Poor infrastructure has also forced closure, and some train services have been withdrawn at very short notice.<br />
<br />
The poorer, Eastern Länder cannot easily afford to support rail services. There have been particularly extensive closures in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (one of the least-populated parts of Germany) and Brandenburg.<br />
<br />
=====2018=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 September 2018:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| [Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2017=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2017:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 594 (part)<br />
| Buttstädt - Großheringen<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2016===== <br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 October 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 541<br />
| Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord<br />
| 4.7 km section of route replaced by a short link to the Gera - Saalfeld line near Wolfsgefärth, owing to the poor condition of a viaduct at Liebschwitz.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 25 September 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 225<br />
| Brieske - Hosena<br />
| Closed after temporary diversion of Ruhland - Hosena services for engineering work ended. A summer weekend service from Dresden via Kamenz still runs via this line.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 July 2016:<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.70<br />
| Pritzwalk West - Putlitz<br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The ''Wachtl-Bahn'' 900 mm gauge line from Kiefersfelden to Wachtl ceased operations at the end of the 2016 season as it did not pass an official inspection in 2017. There does not appear to be any sign of a resumption of service.<br />
<br />
The ''Teckelfahrten'' service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.<br />
<br />
=====2015=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23 (part) <br />
| Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin <br />
| Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016<br />
|-<br />
| 506 (part) <br />
| Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 26 September 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| R61 [WEG] <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach <br />
| Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 337 <br />
| Klostermansfeld - Wippra <br />
| A summer weekend service continues to operate<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 May 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 172 (part) <br />
| ''Mecklenburgische Südbahn'': Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow<br />
| A summer weekend service resumed in 2020 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236 (part) <br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf<br />
| A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. The line is due to reopen in December 2021<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 March 2015:<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 230 <br />
| Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)<br />
| The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2014=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 218 <br />
| Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)<br />
| 31 December<br />
|-<br />
| 517 <br />
| Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)<br />
| 14 December<br />
|-<br />
| 588 <br />
| Merseburg – Schafstädt<br />
| 14 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014<br />
<br />
=====2013=====<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 519 <br />
| Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)<br />
| 15 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2012=====<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 183 <br />
| Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord<br />
| 9 December<br />
|-<br />
| 539 <br />
| Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental<br />
| 9 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55267Germany - General Information2024-03-05T12:39:39Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ temporary bridge to be installed on Nordenham line</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. A temporary fixed bridge is to be installed as soon as possible; this will remain in service until the original movable bridge is either repaired or replaced. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line has connections to the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is also severely affected.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55264Germany - General Information2024-03-04T15:43:27Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ Zittau - Hagenwerder [- Görlitz] reopened after cable theft closure since November</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line serves the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is severely affected as well.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Austria_-_General_Information&diff=55262Austria - General Information2024-03-03T17:08:55Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Permanent closures */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Austria (Österreich)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Österreichische Bundesbahnen ([http://www.oebb.at ÖBB]).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German, which differs in certain respects from the version spoken in Germany. One notable difference which can often be seen in timetables is that the month of January is ''Jänner'' rather than standard German ''Januar''.<br />
<br />
== Currency ==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
== UIC code ==<br />
numeric 81; alpha A.<br />
<br />
== Timetable ==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
[https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
[https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp/#!P|HimSearch ÖBB Train radar]<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
Individual tables can be downloaded [https://www.oebb.at/en/fahrplan/fahrplanbilder.html here] - the route plan under ''Bahnnetz'' gives table numbers.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
ÖBB no longer publish a complete printed timetable, but do issue timetable booklets for each route (usually available only in the area in question). Table numbers can be found from the [https://www.oebb.at/en/fahrplan/fahrplanbilder.html downloadable timetable] under ''Bahnnetz''.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/informationen-und-mehr/baustellen-und-anrainer-information This page] provides a pictorial map for each month by Region giving the locations and dates of engineering work on the ÖBB network.<br />
<br />
In the summer months many sections of line can be closed, with bus replacement services operating, for several weeks: it pays to check [https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp the ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner] carefully.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner] can also be used to plan bus journeys. The Journey Planner provides a complete database of all means of public transport in Austria.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-AT | Eisenbahnatlas Österreich]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-AT | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Austria)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*An overall system map is provided at [https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/geschaeftspartner/schienennetz/dokumente-und-daten/netzkarten ÖBB Netzkarte].<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a number of on-line schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left hand side for a map showing the countries covered.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's maps of Austria [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/austria.html] and Vienna[https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/vienna_bratislava.html]. Both updated December 2022<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Austria|Maps and Plans - Austria]]<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
Infrastructure is owned and managed by a public authority, [http://www.oebb.at/infrastruktur/en/ ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG].<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
The [https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/en/partners/rail-network/network-statement Network Statement] page gives access to the latest network statements.<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
ÖBB is entirely standard gauge. Various Other Railways are narrow gauge, as noted below.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz. The electrification systems used by Other Railways are noted below. The following cross-border routes with Hungary are electrified at the Hungarian standard 25 kV 50 Hz:<br />
<br />
* between Ebenfurth and Deutschkreutz via Sopron (Ebenfurth station area can be switched between the two voltages); <br />
* between Neusiedl am See (exclusive) and Fertöszentmiklós (the electrification boundary is a few hundred metres south of Neusiedl station).<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right-hand running, but with a few exceptions. Most double track lines are signalled for reversible working. Many lines in the east of the country were left-hand running in the past, a hangover from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.<br />
<br />
The Wien - Graz line was left-hand running, but after Payerbach-Reichenau - Mürzzuschlag - Bruck a d Mur was converted to right-hand running at the December 2019 timetable change, only Bruck a d Mur - Graz - Leibnitz remains and ÖBB intends to convert this by the time the <i>Koralmbahn</i> opens in full. The only other line with left-hand running is Wien FJB - Tulln an der Donau - Absdorf-Hippersdorf, an isolated section of double track which will probably remain left-hand running.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The best source is the “''Eisenbahnatlas Österreich''”; see [[#Printed Maps]].<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
Many of these are government (regional or local) owned, rather than owned by private companies. Table numbers in the ''Fahrpläne Österreich'' are shown in brackets and can also be found from [https://www.oebb.at/de/fahrplan/fahrplanbilder.html the online timetable pages] under ''Bahnnetz''.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.gkb.at Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn]: Graz Hbf – Köflach and Wies-Eibiswald (550 not shown) <br />
<br />
*[https://www.montafonerbahn.at Montafonerbahn AG]: Bludenz – Schruns (420). Electrified 15 kV 16.7 Hz<br />
<br />
*[https://www.niederoesterreichbahnen.at/en Niederösterreich Bahnen] <br />
**St. Polten Hbf – Mariazell [https://www.mariazellerbahn.at ''Mariazellerbahn''] (115) (760mm gauge) Electrified at 6.6 kV 25 Hz. <br />
**Waidhofen an der Ybbs Bahnhof – Waidhofen an der Ybbs Pestalozzistraße [https://www.citybahn.at ''Citybahn Waidhofen''] (132) (760mm gauge) <br />
**Puchberg am Schneeberg – Hochschneeberg [https://www.schneebergbahn.at <i>Schneebergbahn</i>] (523) (Metre gauge, rack operated)<br />
**Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs [https://www.waldviertelbahn.at <i>Waldviertelbahn</i>] (801) (760mm gauge)<br />
**Gmünd NÖ – Litschau and Heidenreichstein [https://www.waldviertelbahn.at <i>Waldviertelbahn</i>] (802) (760mm gauge)<br />
**Krems an der Donau – Emmersdorf an der Donau <i>Wachaubahn</i> (811)<br />
**Retz – Drosendorf <i>Reblaus Express</i> (941)<br />
<br />
*[https://www.raaberbahn.at Raab-Oedenburg-Ebenfurter Eisenbahn AG]: An international railway in joint Austrian and Hungarian ownership, better-known by its Hungarian name, Győr-Sopron Ebenfurti Vasút (GySEV). Raab and Oedenburg are the German names for Győr and Sopron respectively. The line from Ebenfurth to Sopron is electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz and used by dual-frequency GySEV trains between Sopron and Wien Hbf. GySEV also owns the line between Sopron and Győr, which is entirely in Hungary and electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz. <br />
**[Wien Hbf –] Ebenfurth – Sopron [– Deutschkreutz] (512)<br />
**GySEV also operated the line from Neusiedl am See to Fertőszentmiklós (731) until December 2020 when ÖBB took over operation of this line, which is owned by Neusiedler Seebahn GmbH (NSB). This was in exchange for GySEV becoming the sole operator on Wien – Ebenfurth – Sopron instead of sharing operation with ÖBB.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.salzburg-ag.at/ Salzburg AG]:<br />
**St Wolfgang Schafbergbahnhof – Schafbergspitze [https://www.5schaetze.at/en/schafbergbahn.html <i>Schafbergbahn</i> (Salzkammergutbahn GmbH)] (173 ''not shown'') (metre gauge, rack operated) <br />
**Salzburg Hbf (platforms 11 and 12) – Lamprechtshausen [https://www.salzburg-ag.at/bus-bahn/regionalverkehr/salzburger-lokalbahn.html <i>Salzburger Lokalbahn</i>] (210). Electrified 1000 V dc. <br />
**Bürmoos – Trimmelkam – Ostermiething [https://www.salzburg-ag.at/bus-bahn/regionalverkehr/salzburger-lokalbahn.html <i>Salzburger Lokalbahn</i>] (210). Electrified 1000 V dc. <br />
**Zell am See – Krimml [https://www.pinzgauerlokalbahn.at/content/website_pinzgauerlokalbahn/en_uk.html <i>Pinzgauerbahn</i>] (230) (760 mm gauge) Partly out of use owing to flood damage - see '''Temporary closures''' below<br />
<br />
*[https://www.steiermarkbahn.at Steiermarkbahn (StB) (Steiermarkbahn und Bus GmbH)]:<br />
**Gleisdorf – Weiz Nord (531)<br />
**Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg (532) Electrified 1800 V dc. A daily service ran until 31 December 2020; a weekend-only service continues to run in summer, autumn and over the Christmas/New Year period.<br />
**Peggau-Deutschfelstritz – Übelbach (540) Electrified 15 kV 16.7 Hz <br />
**Unzmarkt – Tamsweg <i>Murtalbahn</i> (630) (760 mm gauge) <br />
**Mixnitz – St Erhard (760 mm gauge) Electrified 800 V dc. This line is owned by RHI Magnesita N.V., but managed by StB. Occasional special passenger trains operate.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.stern-verkehr.at Stern & Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H.]: <br />
**Linz Hbf – Peuerbach and Neumarkt-Kallham <i>LILO</i> (143) Electrified 800 V dc, operated by dual-system EMUs into Linz Hbf on 15 kV 16.7 Hz<br />
**Lambach – Vorchdorf-Eggenberg (160)<br />
**Vorchdorf-Eggenberg – Gmunden Bahnhof (161) (metre gauge) Electrified 800 V dc<br />
**Vöcklamarkt – Attersee (180) (metre gauge) Electrified 800 V dc<br />
<br />
*[https://www.ivb.at ''Stubaitalbahn'' (Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe AG)]: Innsbruck – Fulpmes (Metre gauge) Electrified 900 V dc. Operated by tram-style vehicles which work through on to the Innsbruck tram system at 750 V dc. <br />
<br />
*[https://westbahn.at ''Westbahn'' (Westbahn Management GmbH)]: Wien Westbahnhof – Salzburg Hbf – München Hbf / Innsbruck Hbf (100, 101). The first open access operator in Austria; runs a generally half-hourly semi-fast service between Wien and Salzburg, with certain trains extended to München and Innsbruck. From December 2023, one train pair is extended to Bregenz.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.wlb.at Wiener Lokalbahnen AG]: Wien Oper – Baden Josefsplatz Electrified, 800 V dc. A long-distance tramway ("inter-urban" in north American parlance), connected to the Wien tram system. Owned by Wiener Stadtwerke AG.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.zillertalbahn.at/page.cfm?vpath=bahn ''Zillertalbahn'' (Zillertaler Verkehrsbetriebe AG)]: Jenbach – Mayrhofen im Zillertal (310) (760 mm gauge).<br />
<br />
==Tourist Lines==<br />
Listing current at August 2022.<br />
<br />
Various lines listed under Other Railways, above, are wholly or largely tourist operations but are not repeated here. Some of the following lines are commercial operations but most are supported by preservation societies.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.abenteuer-erzberg.at/en ''Abenteuer Erzberg''] (900 mm gauge, underground mine railway) (note: can be reached by Erzbergbahn)<br />
*[https://www.achenseebahn.at Achenseebahn AG]: Jenbach – Achensee Seespitz (metre gauge, rack operated). <br />
*[http://www.mh6.at/de/ ''Eisenbahnclub Mh.6'']: Ober Grafendorf - Haag-Kleinsierning (760 mm gauge). A short section of the former line to Mank, reopened in 2021-22.<br />
*[https://www.erzbergbahn.at ''Erzbergbahn''] (Verein Erzbergbahn): Vordernberg Markt – Erzberg (Erzberg - Eisenerz out of service since 2010 because of storm damage)<br />
*[https://www.feistritztalbahn.at ''Feistritztalbahn''] (Feistritztalbahn Betriebsges.m.b.H.) : Birkfeld – Anger – [closed onwards at present to] - Weiz (760 mm gauge) <i>Operated in conjunction with [http://club-u44.at Club U44]</i>. See also Recent Changes, below.<br />
*[http://www.gurkthalbahn.at ''Gurkthalbahn'']: Treibach-Althofen – Pöckstein-Zwischenwässern (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://www.lokalbahnen.at/hoellentalbahn/ ''Höllentalbahn''] (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Lokalbahnen): Payerbach Lokalbahn – Hirschwang (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://www.nostalgiebahn.at/lendcanaltramway.html Klagenfurt museum tramway (''Lendcanaltramway Klagenfurt'')] (Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten): (metre gauge)<br />
*[http://www.liliputbahn.com/liliput.htm ''Liliput-Bahn''] (Liliputbahn Prater G.m.b.H.): Wien's historic 15 inch gauge line - ca. 3.9km circuit in Prater park. Also operate separate [http://www.liliputbahn.com/donaupark.htm ''Donaupark''] line.<br />
*[https://www.oegeg.at/normalspur/lokpark-ampflwang/museumsbahn ''Museumsbahn Ampflwang-Timelkam''] (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (ÖGEG)): Ampflwang – Timelkam <br />
*[http://www.lokalbahnverein.at/deutsch/index.php ''Museums-Lokalbahnverein Zwettl'']: Zwettl – Schwarzenau <br />
*[https://www.museumsbahn.at/ ''Museumsbahn Weinviertel'']: Bad Pirawarth – Sulz-Nexing<br />
*[https://museumstramway.at/ ''Museumstramway Mariazell-Erlaufsee'']: Mariazell – Erlaufsee <br />
*[https://www.pferdeeisenbahn.at ''Pferde-Eisenbahn''] (Pferdeeisenbahn Museum & Gaststätte, Rainbach i.M.): (1106mm gauge; short horse-drawn tramway)<br />
*[https://regiobahn.at/ausflugsfahrten/ Regiobahn]: [Wien Praterstern –] Korneuburg – Ernstbrunn <br />
*[https://www.rheinschauen.at/museum-baehnle/rheinbaehnle ''Rheinbähnle''] (Rhein-Schauen Museum und Rheinbähnle): Rheinmündung – Lustenau (750mm gauge, 750V dc) (see [https://www.rheinschauen.at/images/Streckenplan.jpg route map] – former maintenance railway of ''Internationale Rheinregulierung'')<br />
*[https://www.nostalgiebahn.at/rosentaler-dampfzuege.html ''Rosenthaler Dampfzüge''] (Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten): [Rosenbach –] Weizelsdorf – Ferlach <br />
*[https://kupferplatte.at/en ''Schaubergwerke Kupferplatte'']: Jochberg, Kitzbühel (600 mm gauge, underground mine railway)<br />
*[https://www.silberbergwerk.at/en ''Schwazer Silberbergwerk''] (Schwazer Silberbergwerk Besucherführung GmbH): Schwaz/Tirol (narrow gauge, underground mine railway - <i>Die Grubenbahn</i>) <br />
*[https://www.flascherlzug.at ''Stainzer Flascherlzug'']: Stainz – Preding-Wieselsdorf (760 mm gauge)<br />
*[http://www.steyrtalbahn.at ''Steyrtalbahn''] (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (ÖGEG)): Grünburg – Steyr Lokalbf (760 mm gauge)<br />
*[https://www.taurachbahn.eu ''Taurachbahn'']: Mauterndorf – St Andrä Andlwirt (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://waelderbaehnle.at ''Wälderbähnle''] (Bregenzerwaldbahn-Museumsbahn Betriebsges.m.b.H): Bezau – Schwarzenberg (760 mm gauge)<br />
*[https://www.lokalbahnen.at/bergstrecke/ ''Ybbstalbahn Bergstrecke''] (Niederösterreichische Lokalbahnen Betriebsges.m.b.H. (NÖLB)): Kienberg-Gaming – Lunz am See [- Göstling an der Ybbs] (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://www.landesbahn.at/ ''Zayatalbahn''] (Verein Neue Landesbahn): Mistelbach – Hohenau; the section between Prinzendorf and Neusiedl-St. Ulrich (7.5 km) is currently closed but intended to be reopened.<br />
*[https://www.landesbahn.at/schienentaxi/ ''Zayataler Schienentaxi''] (Verein Neue Landesbahn): Mistelbach Interspar – Asparn an der Zaya – Grafensulz. The line between Asparn and Grafensulz is also used by the ''Weinvierteldraisine'' - see below<br />
<br />
Rail cycling is possible on a number of lines:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.mostviertler-schienenradl.at ''Mostviertler Schienenradl'']: Lunz am See – Klein Großau (760 mm) (relocated from Ruprechtshofen – Wieselburg an der Erlauf in 2019. Now connects with ''Ybbstalbahn Bergstrecke'' - see above)<br />
*[https://www.draisinentour.at ''Sonnenland Draisinentour'']: Neckenmarkt-Horitschon – Oberpullendorf <br />
*[https://www.weinvierteldraisine.at ''Weinvierteldraisine'']: Ernstbrunn – Grafensulz – Asparn an der Zaya. The line between Grafensulz and Asparn an der Zaya is also used by the ''Zayataler Schienentaxi'' – see above)<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Wien has a third rail ''U-Bahn'' (much of which is above ground) and several sections of overhead-electrified ''U-Bahn'' tramway with metro characteristics. A track plan is available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/Map.php?Map=Wien Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
[https://www.stern-verkehr.at Gmunden], [https://www.holding-graz.at/en/mobility/ Graz], [https://www.ivb.at Innsbruck], [https://www.linzag.at/portal/de/home Linz], [https://www.wienerlinien.at/ Wien] (which extends via the Wiener Lokalbahnen into Baden). The Wien system was the largest European network outside Russia but has now been overtaken by Berlin. As of December 2023 Wien has 176.9 route km and Berlin 198.5<br />
<br />
Track plans for the systems of Gmunden, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Wien are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site]. <br />
<br />
See also [[Austria_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Austria - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
<br />
===Recent changes===<br />
<br />
====Openings====<br />
<br />
The following lines (re-)opened on 10 December 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 511<br />
| Münchendorf – Wampersdorf (''Pottendorfer Linie'')<br />
| New Ebreichsdorf bypass, replacing original route<br />
|-<br />
| 620<br />
| [Klagenfurt –] Grafenstein – Wolfsberg via the ''Koralmbahn''<br />
| Mainly brand new line with some reopened sections of existing and new route, closed since 2 April 2023<br />
|-<br />
| 620<br />
| Mittlern – Bleiburg – Wiederndorf-Aich<br />
| Reopened section of original line, forming a loop through Bleiburg, with new connection at the north end. Original line closed since 11 December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 13 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 401<br />
| Hard-Fussach (Abzw Lauterach West) – Wolfurt (Abzw Lauterach Süd)<br />
| Four SSuX peak-hour train pairs between Feldkirch or Dornbirn and Lustenau. On 12 December 2022 this was increased to six pairs and trains extended to St. Margrethen (CH).<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf – St Michael ob Bleiburg<br />
| A section of the future ''Koralmbahn'' replacing part of the existing ''Drautalbahn'' route, with temporary connection to the old line at its east end<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''in the "heritage/museum" sector:'''<br />
<br />
On 24 March 2023 the [https://www.landesbahn.at/ ''Verein Neue Landesbahn''] ran the first passenger train on the reopened ''Zayatalbahn'' from Mistelbach Lokalbahnhof as far as Bullendorf and on 30 September 2023 the first train will run to Prinzendorf. At the other end of the line, freight trains have run from Hohenau as far as Neusiedl-St. Urich since 1 July 2022. The society intends to open the remaining middle section of the line (7.5 km) which will allow trains to run throughout.<br />
<br />
Following a EUR 5 million investment by ''Land'' Tirol, the ''Achenseebahn'' metre-gauge rack line from Jenbach to Achensee reopened on 30 April 2022. The line had been at serious risk of closure and had not operated since the end of the 2019 season.<br />
<br />
A heritage operation run by [http://www.mh6.at/de/ ''Eisenbahnclub Mh.6''] commenced running on 7 August 2021 on a 1.3 km-long section of the 760 mm gauge Ober Grafendorf to Mank line, known as the ''Krumpe'', between St. Margarethen-Rammersdorf and Haag-Kleinsierning. From 7 May 2022 public services started running through on certain dates from the depot ''"Heizhaus"'' in Ober Grafendorf via Ober Grafendorf station to Haag-Kleinsierning.<br />
<br />
The ''Eisenbahnmuseum Strasshof'' has reopened the 8.8 km line between Bad Pirawarth and Sulz-Nexing (the former Sulz Museumsdorf station) as a heritage railway. Services run on Saturdays and Sundays during the season. The first day of service was 1 August 2021.<br />
<br />
Weizelsdorf to Rosenbach, which latterly had one very early morning train in one direction only, was closed in December 2016. It was purchased by ''Land'' Kärnten in 2020, and trains are now permitted to run through to and from ÖBB tracks at both ends. Occasional special trains started to operate from July 2021, and a motor-draisine operation known as [https://www.nostalgiebahn.at/carnica-draisinenexpress.html ''Carnica Draisinenexpress''] started to run between Ferlach, Weizelsdorf and Feistritz im Rosental in July 2023.<br />
<br />
====Permanent closures====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 512<br />
| Gramatneusiedl – Wampersdorf <br />
| The three evening ''REX'' services to Deutschkreutz that ran this way no longer run so the line reverts to being diversionary only<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 July 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 511<br />
| Münchendorf – Wampersdorf (''Pottendorfer Linie'')<br />
| Replaced by new Ebreichsdorf bypass line in December 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 2 April 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| Grafenstein – Mittlern (''Drautalbahn'')<br />
| Remaining section of old route, replaced by the ''Koralmbahn'' in December 2023. Closure includes temporary connection to ''Koralmbahn'', opened on 2 September 2020<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 12 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| [Bleiburg –] Bleiburg Stadt – St. Paul im Lavanttal - St. Paul (site of new station)<br />
| Replaced by a connection between Bleiburg Stadt and the ''Koralmbahn'' in December 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 January 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 532<br />
| Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg (''Steiermarkbahn'')<br />
| A weekend-only service continues to run in summer and autumn, also over the Christmas/New Year period<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 132<br />
| Waidhofen an der Ybbs Pestalozzistraße – Gstadt<br />
| A further cutback of the rump of the narrow-gauge ''Ybbstalbahn'', now known as the ''Citybahn''. The new terminus of Pestalozzistraße is a new station about 300 m beyond the existing Vogelsang station.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 August 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf – St Michael ob Bleiburg<br />
| Replaced by a section of the future ''Koralmbahn''<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 14 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 133<br />
| Sarmingstein – St Nikola-Struden<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 152<br />
| Haiding – Aschach an der Donau<br />
| Services are intended to resume over the Eferding – Aschach section. See '''Planned (re-)openings''' below.<br />
|-<br />
| 912<br />
| Gänserndorf/Obersdorf – Groß Schweinbarth – Bad Pirawarth <br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The Tauerntunnel (Böckstein to Mallnitz) on the Schwarzach St Veit to Villach line will be closed for engineering work from 18.11.2024 until 04.07.2025<br />
<br />
The ''Pinzgauer Lokalbahn'' between Zell am See and Krimml was seriously damaged by flooding on 16 July 2021 and the section between Niedernsill and Krimml is unusable. Trains continue to run to the normal timetable between Zell am See and Niedernsill, with bus replacement beyond there. Niedernsill to Mittersill was due to reopen on 12 December 2023; however further flooding on 29 August 2023 between Niedernsill and Uttendorf has delayed this reopening until May 2024. It was hoped to reopen to Krimml in December 2025, but this may now be in doubt.<br />
<br />
'''In the "heritage/museum" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The Weiz – Oberfeistritz – Birkfeld tourist line (''Feistritztalbahn'') was temporarily cut back from the beginning of 2020 to Krottendorfer Hauptstraße (about 1 km from Weiz) to allow construction of a new bypass road. Since then services have only operated on short sections south of Birkfeld. In the 2023 season, trains ran between Birkfeld and Anger. A date for further reopening is not known. When the line does reopen throughout, the ''Feistritztalbahn'' station will be on the east side of Weiz Bahnhof, rather than in the forecourt on the west side as previously.<br />
<br />
====Other changes====<br />
<br />
Electric services between Klagenfurt and Weizelsdorf commenced on 11 December 2022.<br />
<br />
The Gänserndorf to Marchegg line was electrified in 2020. From the December 2020 timetable change, one of the two ''S1'' services per hour from Wien Meidling to Gänserndorf has run through to Marchegg via this route, replacing the local shuttle service which was operated by a diesel railcar.<br />
<br />
Arnoldstein to Hermagor was electrified from the December 2019 timetable. <br />
<br />
Reutte in Tirol to the German border was electrified from the December 2019 timetable, and the 2 km from the border to Pfronten-Steinach was completed by the end of 2021.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes dating back to the year 2005 see [[Austria - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
===Projects under way or planned===<br />
<br />
====Planned (re-)openings====<br />
<br />
Information (in German) about ÖBB's major infrastructure projects an be found at their [https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/projekte-fuer-oesterreich/bahnstrecken website]. <br />
<br />
The major project to improve service between Wien, Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach and Tarvisio [IT], the [http://www.infra.oebb.at/suedstrecke <i>Südstrecke</i> project], was due for completion in 2026.<br />
<br />
<p style="margin-left: 21px"> However, the planned opening of the <i>Semmering-Basistunnel</i> between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag has been postponed to 2030 following an evaluation of geological, structural and technical issues connected with the Grassberg fault zone. The estimated cost has also increased from €3·5bn to €3·9bn. As at April 2022 about 23 km of the 27·3 km twin-tube tunnel has been bored, and 7 km lined with a concrete inner shell.<br><br />
<br />
Work continues on the <i>Koralmbahn</i> element, to link Klagenfurt and Graz. This section of line is expected to be open fully in December 2025, when the 32.8 km ''Koralmtunnel'' section is opened for traffic. The two tunnel bores were broken through in 2018 (south) and 2020 (north) respectively, and the first test train ran on 12 June 2023.</p><br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on quadrupling the main line between Linz and Wels. This will involve a deviation and a station at Linz airport. Completion is due in 2026 at which point there will be two 230 km/h fast lines and two 160 km/h slow lines between Linz and Wels, all equipped with ETCS Level 2 in-cab signalling.<br />
<br />
<p style="margin-left: 21px"> The current line from Oftering through Hörsching and Pasching stations will close. Hörsching station will not be replaced but there may be a new Pasching station on the new alignment. There will be a flyover in the vicinity of Marchtrenk station taking the slow lines over the fast lines. Marchtrenk station will be rebuilt slightly nearer to Wels. The Linzer Lokalbahn's parallel line will have to be relocated in the Leonding area. These works have fallen behind schedule, not least because of court cases challenging planning permission for the works, all now resolved. The works will now be completed in three stages:<br><br />
<br />
* December 2026 remodelling of west end of Linz Hbf complete.<br />
<br />
* Marchtrenk to Wels will be completed in December 2027 although the relocated Marchtrenk station is planned to open with the timetable change on 10 December 2023.<br />
<br />
* Linz to Marchtrenk including the airport station will not be finished until 2031.<br />
</p><br />
Work has started on rerouting and extending Wien ''U-Bahn'' Line U2 and transferring part to a new line U5. Details of the project (in German) are [https://www.wienerlinien.at/news/startschuss-fuer-u5-verlaengerung-bis-hernals#:~:text=Der%20Baustart%20f%C3%BCr%20die%202,Hernalser%20Hauptstra%C3%9Fe%20%E2%80%93%20zur%20Station%20Hernals here]. Line U2 will be extended from the existing Schottentor station via Pilgramgasse to Matzleinsdorfer Platz ''S-Bahn'' station by 2028, and to a new terminus at Wienerberg between 2032 and 2035. Line U5 will take over the existing section of Line U2 between Karlsplatz and Rathaus by 2026, including a one-stop extension to Frankhplatz. By 2035, the U5 will be extended to Hernals, where it will connect with the S45 ''Vorortelinie'' service.<br />
<br />
On 1 January 2024, Schiene OÖ GmbH took over operation of the Haiding – Aschach a d Donau line from ÖBB. This line was closed to passengers in December 2019 but is still used for freight. It is planned to electrify the 8 km section from Eferding to Aschach, which will enable the introduction of regular-interval ''S-Bahn'' services, operated by ''Linzer Lokalbahn'' ("LiLo"). This will give Aschach an infinitely better service than the extremely sparse service of one or two trains per day that it had latterly under ÖBB. <br />
<br />
In 2020 ÖBB announced plans to electrify the lines from St Pölten via Traisen to Hainfeld and Freiland. This includes reopening to passengers of the section from Schrambach to Freiland, where a new rail/bus interchange for services up the two valleys beyond Freiland to Türnitz and St Aegyd am Neuwalde/Kernhof will be constructed.<br />
<br />
A letter of intent was signed in March 2019 by the Ministry of Transport to extend the ''Salzburger Lokalbahn'' into the city centre (Mirabellplatz). Construction work is due to start in 2023.<br />
<br />
====Other projects====<br />
<br />
It was decided in February 2020 to electrify the privately operated 760 mm narrow gauge [http://www.pinzgauerlokalbahn.at/content/website_pinzgauerlokalbahn/en_uk.html <i>Pinzgaubahn</i>] (Zell am See – Krimml). This project has been delayed by the flood damage sustained by the line in July 2021 — see '''Temporary closures''' above.<br />
<br />
The plan to convert part of the ''Murtalbahn'' (Unzmarkt – Tamsweg) to standard gauge and electrify it has been abandoned. However the line will be reconstructed, with four realignments. Unzmarkt - Murau will be done in 2025-2028 and Murau - Tamsweg in 2028-2030.<br />
<br />
Electrification of the Graz-Köflacher Bahn (GKB) is planned: Wettmannstätten – Wies-Eibiswald by 2025/26, to support electric services on the ''Koralmbahn'', and by 2028 for the remainder.<br />
<br />
Following the abandonment of plans to convert part of the isolated Linz Urfahr – Rottenegg – Aigen-Schlägl line as far as Rohrbach to tram-train operation, it is now planned to retain the whole line and link it to Linz Hbf by a new heavy-rail ''S-Bahn'' line, although no progress has been made on this proposal.<br />
<br />
In 2020 ÖBB published plans to electrify 500 route-km of lines by 2030. Those not mentioned above are:<br />
<br />
Likely to go ahead:<br />
*112 Herzogenburg – Krems a d Donau<br />
<br />
*120 Pöchlarn – Scheibbs<br />
<br />
*130 St. Valentin – St. Nikola-Struden ''' scheduled to be completed for the December 2027 timetable '''<br />
<br />
*151 Neumarkt-Kallham – Abzweigung Mining (Braunau am Inn) ''' scheduled to be completed for the December 2027 timetable '''<br />
<br />
*190 Steindorf – Braunau am Inn (Simbach) ''' scheduled to be completed for the December 2025 timetable '''<br />
<br />
May go ahead:<br />
<br />
*530 Graz Ostbahnhof – Szentgotthárd (HU)<br />
<br />
Less likely to go ahead:<br />
*524 Wiener Neustadt – Loipersbach-Schattendorf [– Sopron (HU)]<br />
<br />
Freight only:<br />
*Zeltweg – Pöls<br />
<br />
====Threatened passenger lines====<br />
<br />
The 49.9 km Fehring to Hartberg section of the ''Thermenbahn'' to Friedberg, connecting through to Wiener Neustadt (KBS 520) is planned for closure to passengers by 2026 or 2027.<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Tourist railways up mountains are often of limited capacity, but subject to high demand, particularly at holiday periods and during the winter sports season. In such cases it may be necessary to wait some time before being able to board a train, so it is best to arrive at the railway as early in the day as possible. When booking a trip it is often necessary to reserve a seat on a specific train down the mountain. Once the railway’s capacity to bring people back down the mountain is fully booked, no more can ascend, unless they are staying at a summit hotel.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Austria}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Austria_-_General_Information&diff=55261Austria - General Information2024-03-03T17:02:22Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned (re-)openings */ Eferding - Aschach a d Donau to be electrified and reopened to passengers</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Austria (Österreich)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Österreichische Bundesbahnen ([http://www.oebb.at ÖBB]).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German, which differs in certain respects from the version spoken in Germany. One notable difference which can often be seen in timetables is that the month of January is ''Jänner'' rather than standard German ''Januar''.<br />
<br />
== Currency ==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
== UIC code ==<br />
numeric 81; alpha A.<br />
<br />
== Timetable ==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
[https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
[https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp/#!P|HimSearch ÖBB Train radar]<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
Individual tables can be downloaded [https://www.oebb.at/en/fahrplan/fahrplanbilder.html here] - the route plan under ''Bahnnetz'' gives table numbers.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
ÖBB no longer publish a complete printed timetable, but do issue timetable booklets for each route (usually available only in the area in question). Table numbers can be found from the [https://www.oebb.at/en/fahrplan/fahrplanbilder.html downloadable timetable] under ''Bahnnetz''.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/informationen-und-mehr/baustellen-und-anrainer-information This page] provides a pictorial map for each month by Region giving the locations and dates of engineering work on the ÖBB network.<br />
<br />
In the summer months many sections of line can be closed, with bus replacement services operating, for several weeks: it pays to check [https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp the ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner] carefully.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [https://fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp ÖBB 'Scotty' Journey Planner] can also be used to plan bus journeys. The Journey Planner provides a complete database of all means of public transport in Austria.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-AT | Eisenbahnatlas Österreich]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-AT | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Austria)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*An overall system map is provided at [https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/geschaeftspartner/schienennetz/dokumente-und-daten/netzkarten ÖBB Netzkarte].<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a number of on-line schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left hand side for a map showing the countries covered.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's maps of Austria [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/austria.html] and Vienna[https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/vienna_bratislava.html]. Both updated December 2022<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Austria|Maps and Plans - Austria]]<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
Infrastructure is owned and managed by a public authority, [http://www.oebb.at/infrastruktur/en/ ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG].<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
The [https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/en/partners/rail-network/network-statement Network Statement] page gives access to the latest network statements.<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
ÖBB is entirely standard gauge. Various Other Railways are narrow gauge, as noted below.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz. The electrification systems used by Other Railways are noted below. The following cross-border routes with Hungary are electrified at the Hungarian standard 25 kV 50 Hz:<br />
<br />
* between Ebenfurth and Deutschkreutz via Sopron (Ebenfurth station area can be switched between the two voltages); <br />
* between Neusiedl am See (exclusive) and Fertöszentmiklós (the electrification boundary is a few hundred metres south of Neusiedl station).<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right-hand running, but with a few exceptions. Most double track lines are signalled for reversible working. Many lines in the east of the country were left-hand running in the past, a hangover from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.<br />
<br />
The Wien - Graz line was left-hand running, but after Payerbach-Reichenau - Mürzzuschlag - Bruck a d Mur was converted to right-hand running at the December 2019 timetable change, only Bruck a d Mur - Graz - Leibnitz remains and ÖBB intends to convert this by the time the <i>Koralmbahn</i> opens in full. The only other line with left-hand running is Wien FJB - Tulln an der Donau - Absdorf-Hippersdorf, an isolated section of double track which will probably remain left-hand running.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The best source is the “''Eisenbahnatlas Österreich''”; see [[#Printed Maps]].<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
Many of these are government (regional or local) owned, rather than owned by private companies. Table numbers in the ''Fahrpläne Österreich'' are shown in brackets and can also be found from [https://www.oebb.at/de/fahrplan/fahrplanbilder.html the online timetable pages] under ''Bahnnetz''.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.gkb.at Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn]: Graz Hbf – Köflach and Wies-Eibiswald (550 not shown) <br />
<br />
*[https://www.montafonerbahn.at Montafonerbahn AG]: Bludenz – Schruns (420). Electrified 15 kV 16.7 Hz<br />
<br />
*[https://www.niederoesterreichbahnen.at/en Niederösterreich Bahnen] <br />
**St. Polten Hbf – Mariazell [https://www.mariazellerbahn.at ''Mariazellerbahn''] (115) (760mm gauge) Electrified at 6.6 kV 25 Hz. <br />
**Waidhofen an der Ybbs Bahnhof – Waidhofen an der Ybbs Pestalozzistraße [https://www.citybahn.at ''Citybahn Waidhofen''] (132) (760mm gauge) <br />
**Puchberg am Schneeberg – Hochschneeberg [https://www.schneebergbahn.at <i>Schneebergbahn</i>] (523) (Metre gauge, rack operated)<br />
**Gmünd NÖ – Groß Gerungs [https://www.waldviertelbahn.at <i>Waldviertelbahn</i>] (801) (760mm gauge)<br />
**Gmünd NÖ – Litschau and Heidenreichstein [https://www.waldviertelbahn.at <i>Waldviertelbahn</i>] (802) (760mm gauge)<br />
**Krems an der Donau – Emmersdorf an der Donau <i>Wachaubahn</i> (811)<br />
**Retz – Drosendorf <i>Reblaus Express</i> (941)<br />
<br />
*[https://www.raaberbahn.at Raab-Oedenburg-Ebenfurter Eisenbahn AG]: An international railway in joint Austrian and Hungarian ownership, better-known by its Hungarian name, Győr-Sopron Ebenfurti Vasút (GySEV). Raab and Oedenburg are the German names for Győr and Sopron respectively. The line from Ebenfurth to Sopron is electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz and used by dual-frequency GySEV trains between Sopron and Wien Hbf. GySEV also owns the line between Sopron and Győr, which is entirely in Hungary and electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz. <br />
**[Wien Hbf –] Ebenfurth – Sopron [– Deutschkreutz] (512)<br />
**GySEV also operated the line from Neusiedl am See to Fertőszentmiklós (731) until December 2020 when ÖBB took over operation of this line, which is owned by Neusiedler Seebahn GmbH (NSB). This was in exchange for GySEV becoming the sole operator on Wien – Ebenfurth – Sopron instead of sharing operation with ÖBB.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.salzburg-ag.at/ Salzburg AG]:<br />
**St Wolfgang Schafbergbahnhof – Schafbergspitze [https://www.5schaetze.at/en/schafbergbahn.html <i>Schafbergbahn</i> (Salzkammergutbahn GmbH)] (173 ''not shown'') (metre gauge, rack operated) <br />
**Salzburg Hbf (platforms 11 and 12) – Lamprechtshausen [https://www.salzburg-ag.at/bus-bahn/regionalverkehr/salzburger-lokalbahn.html <i>Salzburger Lokalbahn</i>] (210). Electrified 1000 V dc. <br />
**Bürmoos – Trimmelkam – Ostermiething [https://www.salzburg-ag.at/bus-bahn/regionalverkehr/salzburger-lokalbahn.html <i>Salzburger Lokalbahn</i>] (210). Electrified 1000 V dc. <br />
**Zell am See – Krimml [https://www.pinzgauerlokalbahn.at/content/website_pinzgauerlokalbahn/en_uk.html <i>Pinzgauerbahn</i>] (230) (760 mm gauge) Partly out of use owing to flood damage - see '''Temporary closures''' below<br />
<br />
*[https://www.steiermarkbahn.at Steiermarkbahn (StB) (Steiermarkbahn und Bus GmbH)]:<br />
**Gleisdorf – Weiz Nord (531)<br />
**Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg (532) Electrified 1800 V dc. A daily service ran until 31 December 2020; a weekend-only service continues to run in summer, autumn and over the Christmas/New Year period.<br />
**Peggau-Deutschfelstritz – Übelbach (540) Electrified 15 kV 16.7 Hz <br />
**Unzmarkt – Tamsweg <i>Murtalbahn</i> (630) (760 mm gauge) <br />
**Mixnitz – St Erhard (760 mm gauge) Electrified 800 V dc. This line is owned by RHI Magnesita N.V., but managed by StB. Occasional special passenger trains operate.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.stern-verkehr.at Stern & Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H.]: <br />
**Linz Hbf – Peuerbach and Neumarkt-Kallham <i>LILO</i> (143) Electrified 800 V dc, operated by dual-system EMUs into Linz Hbf on 15 kV 16.7 Hz<br />
**Lambach – Vorchdorf-Eggenberg (160)<br />
**Vorchdorf-Eggenberg – Gmunden Bahnhof (161) (metre gauge) Electrified 800 V dc<br />
**Vöcklamarkt – Attersee (180) (metre gauge) Electrified 800 V dc<br />
<br />
*[https://www.ivb.at ''Stubaitalbahn'' (Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe AG)]: Innsbruck – Fulpmes (Metre gauge) Electrified 900 V dc. Operated by tram-style vehicles which work through on to the Innsbruck tram system at 750 V dc. <br />
<br />
*[https://westbahn.at ''Westbahn'' (Westbahn Management GmbH)]: Wien Westbahnhof – Salzburg Hbf – München Hbf / Innsbruck Hbf (100, 101). The first open access operator in Austria; runs a generally half-hourly semi-fast service between Wien and Salzburg, with certain trains extended to München and Innsbruck. From December 2023, one train pair is extended to Bregenz.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.wlb.at Wiener Lokalbahnen AG]: Wien Oper – Baden Josefsplatz Electrified, 800 V dc. A long-distance tramway ("inter-urban" in north American parlance), connected to the Wien tram system. Owned by Wiener Stadtwerke AG.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.zillertalbahn.at/page.cfm?vpath=bahn ''Zillertalbahn'' (Zillertaler Verkehrsbetriebe AG)]: Jenbach – Mayrhofen im Zillertal (310) (760 mm gauge).<br />
<br />
==Tourist Lines==<br />
Listing current at August 2022.<br />
<br />
Various lines listed under Other Railways, above, are wholly or largely tourist operations but are not repeated here. Some of the following lines are commercial operations but most are supported by preservation societies.<br />
<br />
*[https://www.abenteuer-erzberg.at/en ''Abenteuer Erzberg''] (900 mm gauge, underground mine railway) (note: can be reached by Erzbergbahn)<br />
*[https://www.achenseebahn.at Achenseebahn AG]: Jenbach – Achensee Seespitz (metre gauge, rack operated). <br />
*[http://www.mh6.at/de/ ''Eisenbahnclub Mh.6'']: Ober Grafendorf - Haag-Kleinsierning (760 mm gauge). A short section of the former line to Mank, reopened in 2021-22.<br />
*[https://www.erzbergbahn.at ''Erzbergbahn''] (Verein Erzbergbahn): Vordernberg Markt – Erzberg (Erzberg - Eisenerz out of service since 2010 because of storm damage)<br />
*[https://www.feistritztalbahn.at ''Feistritztalbahn''] (Feistritztalbahn Betriebsges.m.b.H.) : Birkfeld – Anger – [closed onwards at present to] - Weiz (760 mm gauge) <i>Operated in conjunction with [http://club-u44.at Club U44]</i>. See also Recent Changes, below.<br />
*[http://www.gurkthalbahn.at ''Gurkthalbahn'']: Treibach-Althofen – Pöckstein-Zwischenwässern (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://www.lokalbahnen.at/hoellentalbahn/ ''Höllentalbahn''] (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Lokalbahnen): Payerbach Lokalbahn – Hirschwang (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://www.nostalgiebahn.at/lendcanaltramway.html Klagenfurt museum tramway (''Lendcanaltramway Klagenfurt'')] (Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten): (metre gauge)<br />
*[http://www.liliputbahn.com/liliput.htm ''Liliput-Bahn''] (Liliputbahn Prater G.m.b.H.): Wien's historic 15 inch gauge line - ca. 3.9km circuit in Prater park. Also operate separate [http://www.liliputbahn.com/donaupark.htm ''Donaupark''] line.<br />
*[https://www.oegeg.at/normalspur/lokpark-ampflwang/museumsbahn ''Museumsbahn Ampflwang-Timelkam''] (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (ÖGEG)): Ampflwang – Timelkam <br />
*[http://www.lokalbahnverein.at/deutsch/index.php ''Museums-Lokalbahnverein Zwettl'']: Zwettl – Schwarzenau <br />
*[https://www.museumsbahn.at/ ''Museumsbahn Weinviertel'']: Bad Pirawarth – Sulz-Nexing<br />
*[https://museumstramway.at/ ''Museumstramway Mariazell-Erlaufsee'']: Mariazell – Erlaufsee <br />
*[https://www.pferdeeisenbahn.at ''Pferde-Eisenbahn''] (Pferdeeisenbahn Museum & Gaststätte, Rainbach i.M.): (1106mm gauge; short horse-drawn tramway)<br />
*[https://regiobahn.at/ausflugsfahrten/ Regiobahn]: [Wien Praterstern –] Korneuburg – Ernstbrunn <br />
*[https://www.rheinschauen.at/museum-baehnle/rheinbaehnle ''Rheinbähnle''] (Rhein-Schauen Museum und Rheinbähnle): Rheinmündung – Lustenau (750mm gauge, 750V dc) (see [https://www.rheinschauen.at/images/Streckenplan.jpg route map] – former maintenance railway of ''Internationale Rheinregulierung'')<br />
*[https://www.nostalgiebahn.at/rosentaler-dampfzuege.html ''Rosenthaler Dampfzüge''] (Nostalgiebahnen in Kärnten): [Rosenbach –] Weizelsdorf – Ferlach <br />
*[https://kupferplatte.at/en ''Schaubergwerke Kupferplatte'']: Jochberg, Kitzbühel (600 mm gauge, underground mine railway)<br />
*[https://www.silberbergwerk.at/en ''Schwazer Silberbergwerk''] (Schwazer Silberbergwerk Besucherführung GmbH): Schwaz/Tirol (narrow gauge, underground mine railway - <i>Die Grubenbahn</i>) <br />
*[https://www.flascherlzug.at ''Stainzer Flascherlzug'']: Stainz – Preding-Wieselsdorf (760 mm gauge)<br />
*[http://www.steyrtalbahn.at ''Steyrtalbahn''] (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (ÖGEG)): Grünburg – Steyr Lokalbf (760 mm gauge)<br />
*[https://www.taurachbahn.eu ''Taurachbahn'']: Mauterndorf – St Andrä Andlwirt (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://waelderbaehnle.at ''Wälderbähnle''] (Bregenzerwaldbahn-Museumsbahn Betriebsges.m.b.H): Bezau – Schwarzenberg (760 mm gauge)<br />
*[https://www.lokalbahnen.at/bergstrecke/ ''Ybbstalbahn Bergstrecke''] (Niederösterreichische Lokalbahnen Betriebsges.m.b.H. (NÖLB)): Kienberg-Gaming – Lunz am See [- Göstling an der Ybbs] (760 mm gauge) <br />
*[https://www.landesbahn.at/ ''Zayatalbahn''] (Verein Neue Landesbahn): Mistelbach – Hohenau; the section between Prinzendorf and Neusiedl-St. Ulrich (7.5 km) is currently closed but intended to be reopened.<br />
*[https://www.landesbahn.at/schienentaxi/ ''Zayataler Schienentaxi''] (Verein Neue Landesbahn): Mistelbach Interspar – Asparn an der Zaya – Grafensulz. The line between Asparn and Grafensulz is also used by the ''Weinvierteldraisine'' - see below<br />
<br />
Rail cycling is possible on a number of lines:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.mostviertler-schienenradl.at ''Mostviertler Schienenradl'']: Lunz am See – Klein Großau (760 mm) (relocated from Ruprechtshofen – Wieselburg an der Erlauf in 2019. Now connects with ''Ybbstalbahn Bergstrecke'' - see above)<br />
*[https://www.draisinentour.at ''Sonnenland Draisinentour'']: Neckenmarkt-Horitschon – Oberpullendorf <br />
*[https://www.weinvierteldraisine.at ''Weinvierteldraisine'']: Ernstbrunn – Grafensulz – Asparn an der Zaya. The line between Grafensulz and Asparn an der Zaya is also used by the ''Zayataler Schienentaxi'' – see above)<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Wien has a third rail ''U-Bahn'' (much of which is above ground) and several sections of overhead-electrified ''U-Bahn'' tramway with metro characteristics. A track plan is available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/Map.php?Map=Wien Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
[https://www.stern-verkehr.at Gmunden], [https://www.holding-graz.at/en/mobility/ Graz], [https://www.ivb.at Innsbruck], [https://www.linzag.at/portal/de/home Linz], [https://www.wienerlinien.at/ Wien] (which extends via the Wiener Lokalbahnen into Baden). The Wien system was the largest European network outside Russia but has now been overtaken by Berlin. As of December 2023 Wien has 176.9 route km and Berlin 198.5<br />
<br />
Track plans for the systems of Gmunden, Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Wien are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site]. <br />
<br />
See also [[Austria_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Austria - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
<br />
===Recent changes===<br />
<br />
====Openings====<br />
<br />
The following lines (re-)opened on 10 December 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 511<br />
| Münchendorf – Wampersdorf (''Pottendorfer Linie'')<br />
| New Ebreichsdorf bypass, replacing original route<br />
|-<br />
| 620<br />
| [Klagenfurt –] Grafenstein – Wolfsberg via the ''Koralmbahn''<br />
| Mainly brand new line with some reopened sections of existing and new route, closed since 2 April 2023<br />
|-<br />
| 620<br />
| Mittlern – Bleiburg – Wiederndorf-Aich<br />
| Reopened section of original line, forming a loop through Bleiburg, with new connection at the north end. Original line closed since 11 December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 13 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 401<br />
| Hard-Fussach (Abzw Lauterach West) – Wolfurt (Abzw Lauterach Süd)<br />
| Four SSuX peak-hour train pairs between Feldkirch or Dornbirn and Lustenau. On 12 December 2022 this was increased to six pairs and trains extended to St. Margrethen (CH).<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf – St Michael ob Bleiburg<br />
| A section of the future ''Koralmbahn'' replacing part of the existing ''Drautalbahn'' route, with temporary connection to the old line at its east end<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''in the "heritage/museum" sector:'''<br />
<br />
On 24 March 2023 the [https://www.landesbahn.at/ ''Verein Neue Landesbahn''] ran the first passenger train on the reopened ''Zayatalbahn'' from Mistelbach Lokalbahnhof as far as Bullendorf and on 30 September 2023 the first train will run to Prinzendorf. At the other end of the line, freight trains have run from Hohenau as far as Neusiedl-St. Urich since 1 July 2022. The society intends to open the remaining middle section of the line (7.5 km) which will allow trains to run throughout.<br />
<br />
Following a EUR 5 million investment by ''Land'' Tirol, the ''Achenseebahn'' metre-gauge rack line from Jenbach to Achensee reopened on 30 April 2022. The line had been at serious risk of closure and had not operated since the end of the 2019 season.<br />
<br />
A heritage operation run by [http://www.mh6.at/de/ ''Eisenbahnclub Mh.6''] commenced running on 7 August 2021 on a 1.3 km-long section of the 760 mm gauge Ober Grafendorf to Mank line, known as the ''Krumpe'', between St. Margarethen-Rammersdorf and Haag-Kleinsierning. From 7 May 2022 public services started running through on certain dates from the depot ''"Heizhaus"'' in Ober Grafendorf via Ober Grafendorf station to Haag-Kleinsierning.<br />
<br />
The ''Eisenbahnmuseum Strasshof'' has reopened the 8.8 km line between Bad Pirawarth and Sulz-Nexing (the former Sulz Museumsdorf station) as a heritage railway. Services run on Saturdays and Sundays during the season. The first day of service was 1 August 2021.<br />
<br />
Weizelsdorf to Rosenbach, which latterly had one very early morning train in one direction only, was closed in December 2016. It was purchased by ''Land'' Kärnten in 2020, and trains are now permitted to run through to and from ÖBB tracks at both ends. Occasional special trains started to operate from July 2021, and a motor-draisine operation known as [https://www.nostalgiebahn.at/carnica-draisinenexpress.html ''Carnica Draisinenexpress''] started to run between Ferlach, Weizelsdorf and Feistritz im Rosental in July 2023.<br />
<br />
====Permanent closures====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 10 December 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 512<br />
| Gramatneusiedl – Wampersdorf <br />
| The three evening ''REX'' services to Deutschkreutz that ran this way no longer run so the line reverts to being diversionary only<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 July 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 511<br />
| Münchendorf – Wampersdorf (''Pottendorfer Linie'')<br />
| Replaced by new Ebreichsdorf bypass line in December 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 2 April 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| Grafenstein – Mittlern (''Drautalbahn'')<br />
| Remaining section of old route, replaced by the ''Koralmbahn'' in December 2023. Closure includes temporary connection to ''Koralmbahn'', opened on 2 September 2020<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 12 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| [Bleiburg –] Bleiburg Stadt – St. Paul im Lavanttal - St. Paul (site of new station)<br />
| Replaced by a connection between Bleiburg Stadt and the ''Koralmbahn'' in December 2023<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 1 January 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 532<br />
| Feldbach – Bad Gleichenberg (''Steiermarkbahn'')<br />
| A weekend-only service continues to run in summer and autumn, also over the Christmas/New Year period<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 132<br />
| Waidhofen an der Ybbs Pestalozzistraße – Gstadt<br />
| A further cutback of the rump of the narrow-gauge ''Ybbstalbahn'', now known as the ''Citybahn''. The new terminus of Pestalozzistraße is a new station about 300 m beyond the existing Vogelsang station.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 24 August 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 620<br />
| Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf – St Michael ob Bleiburg<br />
| Replaced by a section of the future ''Koralmbahn''<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines closed on 14 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 133<br />
| Sarmingstein – St Nikola-Struden<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| 152<br />
| Haiding – Aschach an der Donau<br />
| The Eferding – Aschach section '''may''' be taken over by the ''Linzer Lokalbahn'' and services restarted at some point<br />
|-<br />
| 912<br />
| Gänserndorf/Obersdorf – Groß Schweinbarth – Bad Pirawarth <br />
|<br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The Tauerntunnel (Böckstein to Mallnitz) on the Schwarzach St Veit to Villach line will be closed for engineering work from 18.11.2024 until 04.07.2025<br />
<br />
The ''Pinzgauer Lokalbahn'' between Zell am See and Krimml was seriously damaged by flooding on 16 July 2021 and the section between Niedernsill and Krimml is unusable. Trains continue to run to the normal timetable between Zell am See and Niedernsill, with bus replacement beyond there. Niedernsill to Mittersill was due to reopen on 12 December 2023; however further flooding on 29 August 2023 between Niedernsill and Uttendorf has delayed this reopening until May 2024. It was hoped to reopen to Krimml in December 2025, but this may now be in doubt.<br />
<br />
'''In the "heritage/museum" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The Weiz – Oberfeistritz – Birkfeld tourist line (''Feistritztalbahn'') was temporarily cut back from the beginning of 2020 to Krottendorfer Hauptstraße (about 1 km from Weiz) to allow construction of a new bypass road. Since then services have only operated on short sections south of Birkfeld. In the 2023 season, trains ran between Birkfeld and Anger. A date for further reopening is not known. When the line does reopen throughout, the ''Feistritztalbahn'' station will be on the east side of Weiz Bahnhof, rather than in the forecourt on the west side as previously.<br />
<br />
====Other changes====<br />
<br />
Electric services between Klagenfurt and Weizelsdorf commenced on 11 December 2022.<br />
<br />
The Gänserndorf to Marchegg line was electrified in 2020. From the December 2020 timetable change, one of the two ''S1'' services per hour from Wien Meidling to Gänserndorf has run through to Marchegg via this route, replacing the local shuttle service which was operated by a diesel railcar.<br />
<br />
Arnoldstein to Hermagor was electrified from the December 2019 timetable. <br />
<br />
Reutte in Tirol to the German border was electrified from the December 2019 timetable, and the 2 km from the border to Pfronten-Steinach was completed by the end of 2021.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes dating back to the year 2005 see [[Austria - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
===Projects under way or planned===<br />
<br />
====Planned (re-)openings====<br />
<br />
Information (in German) about ÖBB's major infrastructure projects an be found at their [https://infrastruktur.oebb.at/de/projekte-fuer-oesterreich/bahnstrecken website]. <br />
<br />
The major project to improve service between Wien, Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach and Tarvisio [IT], the [http://www.infra.oebb.at/suedstrecke <i>Südstrecke</i> project], was due for completion in 2026.<br />
<br />
<p style="margin-left: 21px"> However, the planned opening of the <i>Semmering-Basistunnel</i> between Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag has been postponed to 2030 following an evaluation of geological, structural and technical issues connected with the Grassberg fault zone. The estimated cost has also increased from €3·5bn to €3·9bn. As at April 2022 about 23 km of the 27·3 km twin-tube tunnel has been bored, and 7 km lined with a concrete inner shell.<br><br />
<br />
Work continues on the <i>Koralmbahn</i> element, to link Klagenfurt and Graz. This section of line is expected to be open fully in December 2025, when the 32.8 km ''Koralmtunnel'' section is opened for traffic. The two tunnel bores were broken through in 2018 (south) and 2020 (north) respectively, and the first test train ran on 12 June 2023.</p><br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on quadrupling the main line between Linz and Wels. This will involve a deviation and a station at Linz airport. Completion is due in 2026 at which point there will be two 230 km/h fast lines and two 160 km/h slow lines between Linz and Wels, all equipped with ETCS Level 2 in-cab signalling.<br />
<br />
<p style="margin-left: 21px"> The current line from Oftering through Hörsching and Pasching stations will close. Hörsching station will not be replaced but there may be a new Pasching station on the new alignment. There will be a flyover in the vicinity of Marchtrenk station taking the slow lines over the fast lines. Marchtrenk station will be rebuilt slightly nearer to Wels. The Linzer Lokalbahn's parallel line will have to be relocated in the Leonding area. These works have fallen behind schedule, not least because of court cases challenging planning permission for the works, all now resolved. The works will now be completed in three stages:<br><br />
<br />
* December 2026 remodelling of west end of Linz Hbf complete.<br />
<br />
* Marchtrenk to Wels will be completed in December 2027 although the relocated Marchtrenk station is planned to open with the timetable change on 10 December 2023.<br />
<br />
* Linz to Marchtrenk including the airport station will not be finished until 2031.<br />
</p><br />
Work has started on rerouting and extending Wien ''U-Bahn'' Line U2 and transferring part to a new line U5. Details of the project (in German) are [https://www.wienerlinien.at/news/startschuss-fuer-u5-verlaengerung-bis-hernals#:~:text=Der%20Baustart%20f%C3%BCr%20die%202,Hernalser%20Hauptstra%C3%9Fe%20%E2%80%93%20zur%20Station%20Hernals here]. Line U2 will be extended from the existing Schottentor station via Pilgramgasse to Matzleinsdorfer Platz ''S-Bahn'' station by 2028, and to a new terminus at Wienerberg between 2032 and 2035. Line U5 will take over the existing section of Line U2 between Karlsplatz and Rathaus by 2026, including a one-stop extension to Frankhplatz. By 2035, the U5 will be extended to Hernals, where it will connect with the S45 ''Vorortelinie'' service.<br />
<br />
On 1 January 2024, Schiene OÖ GmbH took over operation of the Haiding – Aschach a d Donau line from ÖBB. This line was closed to passengers in December 2019 but is still used for freight. It is planned to electrify the 8 km section from Eferding to Aschach, which will enable the introduction of regular-interval ''S-Bahn'' services, operated by ''Linzer Lokalbahn'' ("LiLo"). This will give Aschach an infinitely better service than the extremely sparse service of one or two trains per day that it had latterly under ÖBB. <br />
<br />
In 2020 ÖBB announced plans to electrify the lines from St Pölten via Traisen to Hainfeld and Freiland. This includes reopening to passengers of the section from Schrambach to Freiland, where a new rail/bus interchange for services up the two valleys beyond Freiland to Türnitz and St Aegyd am Neuwalde/Kernhof will be constructed.<br />
<br />
A letter of intent was signed in March 2019 by the Ministry of Transport to extend the ''Salzburger Lokalbahn'' into the city centre (Mirabellplatz). Construction work is due to start in 2023.<br />
<br />
====Other projects====<br />
<br />
It was decided in February 2020 to electrify the privately operated 760 mm narrow gauge [http://www.pinzgauerlokalbahn.at/content/website_pinzgauerlokalbahn/en_uk.html <i>Pinzgaubahn</i>] (Zell am See – Krimml). This project has been delayed by the flood damage sustained by the line in July 2021 — see '''Temporary closures''' above.<br />
<br />
The plan to convert part of the ''Murtalbahn'' (Unzmarkt – Tamsweg) to standard gauge and electrify it has been abandoned. However the line will be reconstructed, with four realignments. Unzmarkt - Murau will be done in 2025-2028 and Murau - Tamsweg in 2028-2030.<br />
<br />
Electrification of the Graz-Köflacher Bahn (GKB) is planned: Wettmannstätten – Wies-Eibiswald by 2025/26, to support electric services on the ''Koralmbahn'', and by 2028 for the remainder.<br />
<br />
Following the abandonment of plans to convert part of the isolated Linz Urfahr – Rottenegg – Aigen-Schlägl line as far as Rohrbach to tram-train operation, it is now planned to retain the whole line and link it to Linz Hbf by a new heavy-rail ''S-Bahn'' line, although no progress has been made on this proposal.<br />
<br />
In 2020 ÖBB published plans to electrify 500 route-km of lines by 2030. Those not mentioned above are:<br />
<br />
Likely to go ahead:<br />
*112 Herzogenburg – Krems a d Donau<br />
<br />
*120 Pöchlarn – Scheibbs<br />
<br />
*130 St. Valentin – St. Nikola-Struden ''' scheduled to be completed for the December 2027 timetable '''<br />
<br />
*151 Neumarkt-Kallham – Abzweigung Mining (Braunau am Inn) ''' scheduled to be completed for the December 2027 timetable '''<br />
<br />
*190 Steindorf – Braunau am Inn (Simbach) ''' scheduled to be completed for the December 2025 timetable '''<br />
<br />
May go ahead:<br />
<br />
*530 Graz Ostbahnhof – Szentgotthárd (HU)<br />
<br />
Less likely to go ahead:<br />
*524 Wiener Neustadt – Loipersbach-Schattendorf [– Sopron (HU)]<br />
<br />
Freight only:<br />
*Zeltweg – Pöls<br />
<br />
====Threatened passenger lines====<br />
<br />
The 49.9 km Fehring to Hartberg section of the ''Thermenbahn'' to Friedberg, connecting through to Wiener Neustadt (KBS 520) is planned for closure to passengers by 2026 or 2027.<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Tourist railways up mountains are often of limited capacity, but subject to high demand, particularly at holiday periods and during the winter sports season. In such cases it may be necessary to wait some time before being able to board a train, so it is best to arrive at the railway as early in the day as possible. When booking a trip it is often necessary to reserve a seat on a specific train down the mountain. Once the railway’s capacity to bring people back down the mountain is fully booked, no more can ascend, unless they are staying at a summit hotel.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Austria}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55260Germany - General Information2024-03-03T16:33:29Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Projected Developments */ 'Hunsrückquerbahn' being reactivated for frreight and possibly passenger traffic</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
The Langenlonsheim – Büchenbeuren ''Hunsrückquerbahn'', which has been without regular traffic for over 20 years, is in the process of being reactivated for freight traffic, which is expected to start running some time in 2025. It is intended at some point to start running passenger trains over the route as well.<br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line serves the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is severely affected as well.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 following the theft of signalling cables. The line is due to reopen on 4 March 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55257Germany - General Information2024-03-02T23:19:55Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned permanent closures (without replacement) */ Schönberg - Schleiz to close on 11.03.24</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will be 'provisionally closed' to all traffic on 11 March 2024.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line serves the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is severely affected as well.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 following the theft of signalling cables. The line is due to reopen on 4 March 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55254Germany - General Information2024-02-29T13:50:08Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned permanent closures (with replacement) */ Diebsteich S-Bahn closed until August '24</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regional Eisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will close to all traffic in the near future.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich until August 2024. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line serves the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is severely affected as well.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 following the theft of signalling cables. The line is due to reopen on 4 March 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55253Germany - General Information2024-02-29T13:23:26Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ Rahden - Uchte reopening date now known (09/05/24)</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regional Eisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will close to all traffic in the near future.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich for one year from 15 October 2022. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line serves the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is severely affected as well.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 following the theft of signalling cables. The line is due to reopen on 4 March 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repair, but the reopening was delayed because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required. The new date scheduled for reopening is 9 May 2024.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55252Germany - General Information2024-02-29T13:07:51Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Temporary closures */ add Hude – Brake [– Nordenham] owing to ship/bridge interface; Zittau - Hagenwerder reopens 4 March</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regional Eisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will close to all traffic in the near future.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich for one year from 15 October 2022. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
In the evening of 25 February 2024, a 110 metre-long cargo ship collided with the ''Huntebrücke'' near Elsfleth, on the Hude – Nordenham line. The bridge sustained "significant damage"; accordingly the line will be closed for an unknown period of at least several weeks and more likely longer than that. The NordWestBahn ''RS4'' service between Bremen and Nordenham is currently operating in two sections: Bremen – Hude and Brake (Unterweser) – Nordenham, with replacement buses operating between the two sections. As this line serves the rail-served ports of Brake and Nordenham, freight traffic is severely affected as well.<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 following the theft of signalling cables. The line is due to reopen on 4 March 2024.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen, belatedly, on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repairs. Unfortunately this reopening has been delayed until an unknown date because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55251Germany - General Information2024-02-29T12:31:32Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned permanent closures (with replacement) */ hide URL and incorporate into main text</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
Planning work has started to reopen the Berlin S-Bahn line from Spandau to Falkensee in the early 2030s.This section opened on August 14 1951 and closed when the Berlin wall was built. Spandau to Albrechtshof which crossed the border closed on August 12 1961. A shuttle was maintained from Albrechtshof to Falkensee but this last ran on October 9 1961. <br />
<br />
* 12.428 Spandau<br />
* 17.422 Albrechtshof<br />
* 18.320 Seegefeld<br />
* 20.373 Falkensee<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regional Eisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will close to all traffic in the near future.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich for one year from 15 October 2022. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10 km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13 km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027. See [http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw this DB pdf] about the project.<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 'until further notice' following the theft of signalling cables.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen, belatedly, on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repairs. Unfortunately this reopening has been delayed until an unknown date because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55244Germany - General Information2024-02-28T10:20:49Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Planned permanent closures (without replacement) */ add museum line Schönberg (Vogtl) - Schleiz West</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
In June 2023, Deutsche Regional Eisenbahn GmbH (DRE) announced that they were putting the line between Schönberg (Vogtl) and Schleiz West up for transfer to another infrastructure undertaking, and if there was no interest they would close the line. Given that there appear to have been no takers, the ''Förderverein Wisentatalbahn'' preservation group, which operates occasional services on the line with a ''Schienenbus'', have announced farewell trips on 9 and 10 March 2024, after which there will be no more services and the line will close to all traffic in the near future.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich for one year from 15 October 2022. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027 <br />
<br />
[ http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw is a direct link to a DB pdf about the project ]<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 'until further notice' following the theft of signalling cables.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen, belatedly, on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repairs. Unfortunately this reopening has been delayed until an unknown date because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_-_General_Information&diff=55237Germany - General Information2024-02-27T14:08:20Z<p>Ken Romford: /* 2024 */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Country Name==<br />
Germany (Deutschland)<br />
<br />
==National Railway System==<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG ([http://www.deutschebahn.com DB]). <br />
===National Railway Operator===<br />
Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG) is a company wholly owned by the German government. It functions through a large number of subsidiary companies. The principal ones responsible for railway operations in Germany are:<br />
<br />
* DB Fernverkehr AG: Long-distance (''IC/ICE'') passenger services, also operation of ''EC'' and most other international services within Germany.<br />
* DB Regio AG: Local and regional passenger services. DB Regio is split into regional divisions and also owns various subsidiary rail passenger companies, almost all of which bear DB branding.<br />
* DB Vertrieb GmbH: Retail sales and systems <br />
* DB Cargo Deutschland AG: Freight services<br />
* DB InfraGO AG: Infrastructure (since 27 December 2023 when it was formed by a merger or the former DB Netz and DB Station&Service entities)<br />
* DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung GmbH: Maintenance<br />
<br />
DBAG has many interests in other countries. Passenger rail and bus services in 14 European countries outside Germany are operated by its Arriva subsidiary, with headquarters in Sunderland, UK. <br />
<br />
Subsidiaries of DB Cargo AG in Germany include RBH Logistics GmbH and an 80% holding in Mitteldeutsche Eisenbahn (MEG). Outside Germany it has 100%-owned subsidiaries in several European countries under the DB Cargo name, and part-ownership of several railfreight firms such as Transfesa.<br />
<br />
===Other Operators===<br />
<br />
====Long-distance services====<br />
<br />
There has been only limited success with open-access long-distance passenger services in competition with DB. The following operators run trains within Germany or to neighbouring countries:<br />
<br />
* Flixtrain, a subsidiary of German long-distance coach operator Flixbus, runs various long-distance trains within Germany. PDF timetables and a route map are available [https://www.flixtrain.com/train-lines here]. Note that both flixtrain.com and flixtrain.de redirect to the Flixbus site so this link must be used. There are generally one or two trains each way on certain days only on each route. Timetables change frequently. Other than the core Stuttgart to Berlin and Hamburg to Köln services, routes and stations served are also subject to frequent changes, additions and withdrawals.<br />
<br />
* Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland runs the ''Harz-Berlin Express'' on summer weekends only between Berlin and Goslar/Thale Hbf, having taken over from Transdev in 2018.<br />
<br />
* [https://www.snalltaget.se/en Snälltåget] (a subsidiary of Transdev) operates overnight trains between Berlin, Malmö and Stockholm for most of the year. <br />
<br />
* [https://www.rdc-deutschland.de/rdc-deutschland RDC Deutschland] subsidiary BahnTouristikExpress operates a Hamburg-Lörrach overnight car-carrying service in the summer months, marketed as ''BTE AutoReiseZug'', and the seasonal weekend-only ''Alpen-Sylt Nachtexpress'' overnight service between Salzburg and Westerland (Sylt). RDC subsidiary RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH operates a car-carrying service between Niebüll and Westerland (Sylt) in competition with DB.<br />
<br />
* [https://urlaubs-express.de/?lang=en Urlaubs-Express] operates Motorail services in the winter from various cities in northern Germany to München and ski resorts in Austria, and in the summer to München, Lörrach, Innsbruck and Verona. Passengers without cars are also carried.<br />
<br />
* Thalys operates high-speed services between Paris, Brussel/Bruxelles and Köln, with occasional services extended to the Ruhr. They are now part of Eurostar Group which is mainly owned by the French and Belgian national railways SNCF and SNCB/NMBS. In 2024 Thalys services are expected to be rebranded as "Eurostar".<br />
<br />
====Local services====<br />
<br />
Local and regional services are tendered by regions (''Länder'') in lots comprising a particular area or network, usually for a period of between two and twelve years. As a result, over the years an increasing number of services have become operated by companies other than DB Regio, to the extent that DB Regio-operated trains are a rarity in quite a few areas.<br />
<br />
These non-DB companies are often owned by the ''Land'' concerned (for example HLB in Hessen and SWEG in Baden-Württemberg), or by the state railways of other countries (for example various companies are owned by Netinera, part of FS, the Italian state railway company), or they can be completely private companies, often foreign (for example National Express (UK), Go-Ahead (UK) or Transdev (France)).<br />
<br />
==Language==<br />
German. <br />
<br />
Upper and Lower Sorbian are Slavic languages spoken in the areas around Bautzen and Cottbus respectively. They appear alongside German on station nameboards in these areas.<br />
<br />
North Frisian is a minority language spoken in the north-west of Schleswig-Holstein. Station nameboards in this area are also bilingual.<br />
<br />
==Currency==<br />
Euro<br />
<br />
==UIC codes==<br />
* Deutsche Bahn AG: numeric 80, alpha DB. <br />
<br />
Other companies operating on DB InfraGO AG (formerly DB Netz) tracks in Germany also use numeric code 80 but each has its own individual alpha code.<br />
<br />
The former Deutsche Reichsbahn code was 50, but this will now be seen only on withdrawn or museum vehicles.<br />
<br />
==Timetable==<br />
===Journey Planner===<br />
*PC/laptop: [https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en DB Journey Planner]<br />
*Smartphone: [https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/db-navigator-app DB Navigator]<br />
<br />
===Actual Train Times===<br />
* [https://www.zugverfolgung.com/db-deutsche-bahn Zugverfolgung.com] Note that this site seems to offer tracking for Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well.<br />
* [https://bahn.expert/ BahnExpert] This site provides a real time view of departure information for the selected station<br />
* [https://dbf.finalrewind.org/ DBF] an unofficial site providing a real time view of departure information for trains within Germany<br />
<br />
===Downloadable Timetable===<br />
[http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe]<br />
<br />
If the table number is known, it can simply be inserted in the ''Kursbuchstreckennummer'' search box at top left.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, use one of the buttons in the left-hand column:<br />
<br />
* "Kursbuchtabellensuche". This button gives options to search by:<br />
** Bahnhof/Halt (Station/Halt)<br />
** Liniennummer (Line Number. Note this is '''not''' the table number, but the ''S-Bahn'' or ''RB/RE'' line number. These are duplicated across Germany, so a search for (e.g.) ''S2'' or ''RB40'' will produce results from many different areas, from which one can pick the desired route)<br />
** Kursbuchstreckennummer (Table number)<br />
** Zugnummer (Train number e.g. ''IC1234'')<br />
<br />
* "Interaktive Streckenkarte". This button produces a passenger network map. Scroll to the desired area, click on the table number next to a line and that line's timetable will be displayed.<br />
<br />
* "Tabellenübersichten". This button produces further options, including: <br />
** Regionaltabellen (In spite of its name, an almost-complete table list - but see note on omitted tables below) <br />
** Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen (Preserved railways - only a very few shown) <br />
<br />
The Schifffahrtstabellen (shipping services) and Bergbahnen (mountain railways) buttons do not link to any tables.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, some services provided by operators other than DB are not included in the electronic ''Kursbuch''. These are listed in the 'Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services' section under [https://egtre.info/wiki/Germany_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services#Regular_services_not_in_the_Kursbuch 'Regular Services Not in the ''Kursbuch'' ']. <br />
<br />
While ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services appear in many tables alongside regional services, there are many routes where ''IC/EC'' and ''ICE'' services operate but only the regional services are shown in the tables. For full timetables of long-distance services, the [https://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ European Rail Timetable] is recommended.<br />
<br />
===Printed Timetable===<br />
DB has not provided a hard-copy national timetable since 2007-08. A local book for the 2023 timetable in Nordrhein-Westfalen is available to order from the [https://www.vrs.de/fahren/liniennetz-und-fahrplaene/infomedien-bestellen/produktauswahl VRS website]. It is believed that Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein also still publish timetable books for services in their areas.<br />
<br />
===Engineering Information===<br />
[https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/ Engineering work information] in German only.<br />
<br />
A [https://bauinfos.deutschebahn.com/apps DB engineering works app] is available in both Android and iPhone versions but only in German.<br />
<br />
The APKPure [https://m.apkpure.com/db-bauarbeiten/de.bauarbeiten.bahn DB Bauarbeiten] app gives a number of options.<br />
<br />
===Bus Information===<br />
The [[#Journey Planner|Journey Planner]] (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.<br />
<br />
==Maps==<br />
<br />
===Printed Maps===<br />
*[[Printed Maps#SW-DE | Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland]] by Schweers + Wall.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-E | European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
*[[Printed Maps#ERA-R-DE | European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany)]] by M.G. Ball.<br />
* The DB ''Karte für den Personenverkehr Deutschland'', which showed all German railways on a sheet map at a scale of 1:1,200,000, has now been withdrawn.<br />
<br />
===Web-based Maps===<br />
*[http://www.sporenplan.nl/ Sporenplan] has a series of on-line maps and schematic track diagrams. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left-hand side, then on Germany on the map, then "Actuele tekeningen - simpel" for a map showing coverage of the current network. This is limited to most of the former West Germany with no coverage in the eastern ''Länder''.<br />
*Thorsten Büker's [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/germany.html Map of Germany] updated December 2022 Also enlargements for [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/berlin.html Berlin] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/hamburg.html Hamburg] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/dortmund_essen_duisburg_dusseldorf_cologne.html the Ruhr area] [https://websites.umich.edu/~yopopov/rrt/railroadmaps/frankfurt_mannheim_karlsruhe_stuttgart.html Frankfurt to Stuttgart]<br />
<br />
*[[Maps and Plans#Germany|Maps and Plans - Germany]]<br />
* The DB InfraGO Infrastructure Register has an [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web/schienennetz/netzzugang-und-regulierung/infrastrukturregister/interaktive_karte-11089022# interactive map] available.<br />
* DB Netze had a catalogue of railway maps available to order. It is not clear if this still exists on the new [https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO website].<br />
* The [https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/streckennetz DB website] has downloadable schematic maps of local services for all ''Länder''. It also has very general maps showing the ''ICE'' and ''IC/EC'' networks.<br />
<br />
==Ticketing==<br />
<br />
===''Deutschland-Ticket''===<br />
<br />
This is a season ticket for almost all urban, local and regional transport across Germany, priced at only €49 per calendar month. It is sold on a subscription basis and in digital format only. <br />
<br />
Tickets are not valid as a rule on long-distance services (''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''), but there are certain exceptions as shown in the validity conditions. They are valid on most of the narrow-gauge steam railways in eastern Germany that operate regular scheduled services, usually on payment of a supplement.<br />
<br />
A summary of the validity conditions is on the DB site in English [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket here]. Full validity details are on a pdf which is linked to from the DB German-language site [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/regio/deutschland-ticket here] under ''Wo, in welchen Zügen, gilt das Deutschland-Ticket in Deutschland?'' then under ''Geltungsbereich Deutschland-Ticket''.<br />
<br />
Normally a German, or Eurozone-based bank account is required to set up a direct debit for the subscription; however a few possibilities for international purchasers are known with the Hamburg transport authority's "HVV Switch" app where UK customers can use PayPal, or "MoPla Solutions" which allows payment by UK credit card.<br />
<br />
For occasional visits to Germany, the following offers may be more suitable.<br />
<br />
===Rover tickets===<br />
<br />
There are two main versions, the '''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket''' which covers the whole of Germany, and '''Länder-Tickets''' which cover each individual region (''Land'') of the country.<br />
<br />
All these tickets are valid from 09:00 on Mondays to Fridays, and from midnight at weekends and on public holidays, until 03:00 on the morning following the day of validity and are only valid on local train services (''IRE'', ''RE'', ''RB'' and ''S-Bahn'', not ''IC/EC'' or ''ICE''). <br />
<br />
The main difference between the two types of ticket, apart from the areas of validity, is that the ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' is not valid on local urban transport (buses, trams and ''U-Bahn'' services) whereas ''Länder-Tickets'' generally (but not always) are.<br />
<br />
The ''Quer-durchs-Land Ticket'' and most ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid for between one and five people, with a base fare being charged for the first person and a small additional amount added for each additional traveller. The number of passengers must be specified at the time of purchase and all their names written on the ticket. A few ''Lander-Tickets'' are sold either at a flat fare for up to five people or with only a single or multiple travellers option.<br />
<br />
Some ''Länder-Tickets'' are valid in more than one ''Land''; in particular Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen count as the one area, and a ticket for any one of these ''Länder'' is valid in all three. Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland also count as the one area, and the ''Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket'' is valid in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<br />
<br />
There are numerous options only available in certain ''Länder'' including all-day, evening-only, youth and First Class versions. Some ''Länder-Tickets'' and the ''Quer-Durchs-Land Ticket'' are valid on Intercity services in a few areas.<br />
<br />
Rover tickets are also available which include areas of other countries, including Groningen (NL), Alsace and Lorraine (FR) and Bohemia (''Böhmen'') (CZ).<br />
<br />
Validity details for each of these tickets can be checked on the DB website's [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional regional offers page].<br />
<br />
There are also tariff association (''Verkehrsverbund'') tickets available in most regions of Germany. These can cover just the area round a town, or an entire region such as Berlin and Brandenburg. These normally offer day tickets for various zonal combinations which may be better value than a ''Länder-Ticket'', or have no weekday start time restriction.<br />
<br />
===Point-to-point tickets===<br />
<br />
As with most European railways, dearer flexible and cheaper train-specific tickets are available.<br />
<br />
'''Flexible tickets''' are known as ''Flexpreis'' on long-distance (''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'') trains and as ''Normalpreis'' on local trains when priced by DB. They can be used on any train of the specified type on any permitted route between origin and destination. Break of journey is allowed. Tickets for ''ICE'' trains are dearer than those for ''IC/EC'' or purely local services. A ''Flexpreis'' ticket for a dearer train type can be used on cheaper train types if desired.<br />
<br />
''Notes'': <br />
<br />
1. ''Flexpreis'' tickets are no longer available from on-board staff. If you board an ''ICE'' or ''IC/EC'' train without a ticket, you must buy a ticket on the DB website or app within 10 minutes of departing from your boarding station or be liable for a considerable surcharge. <br><br />
2. ''Normalpreis'' tickets cannot be upgraded to be used on long-distance services except where there is disruption, when they may exceptionally be allowed to be used without extra payment.<br />
<br />
Local tickets entirely within city or ''Land'' tariff areas have different pricing structures and conditions. Often these tickets are zonal and time-limited, and valid on other local transport, but they may well be non-refundable and have no break of journey facility. <br />
<br />
'''Advance tickets''', known as ''Sparpreis'' and ''Super Sparpreis'', are available on any journey with at least one leg on a long-distance service. They are only valid on the booked long-distance train. Cheaper tickets are available to under-27s and over-65s.<br />
<br />
Full details of all DB tickets are on the DB website [https://www.bahn.de/angebot/spar-flexpreis ticketing page].<br />
<br />
===''BahnCards''===<br />
<br />
''BahnCards'' are annual discount railcards, sold on a subscription basis, which give either a 25% or 50% discount and in either First or Second Class versions. Cheaper Youth and Senior Cards are available, as are trial and occasional promotional versions. There is also a ''BahnCard100'' which gives one year's unlimited travel on almost all public transport throughout Germany.<br />
<br />
Full details are available on the [https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/bahncard DB website].<br />
<br />
===Flixtrain tickets===<br />
<br />
Flixtrain tickets must be booked from the [https://www.flixbus.de/ Flixbus website] or a Flixbus office, which can be found at major bus stations. DB tickets and Interrail/Eurail passes are not valid on Flixtrain services.<br />
<br />
==Infrastructure==<br />
===Infrastructure Authority===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en DB InfraGO AG], a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, is responsible for track and infrastructure. It replaced DB Netz AG on 27 December 2023, when it was created by a merger of the DB Netz AG and DB Station&Service organisations.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/home_node.html Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA)] is a government agency tasked with regulatory oversight of safety and some other matters, independent of DB.<br />
<br />
===Network Statement===<br />
[https://www.dbinfrago.com/web-en/rail-network/network_statement/Network-Statement-2024-12541132# DB InfraGO AG] ''> Network Statement 2024''<br />
<br />
===Gauge===<br />
Standard. <br />
<br />
There are various narrow-gauge private lines, including former DB/DR operated ones in the Harz (1000 mm gauge), Bad Doberan (''"Molli"'') (900 mm) and, all 750 mm, on the island of Rügen (''"Rasender Roland"''), at Oschatz (''Döllnitzbahn''), Radebeul (''Lößnitzgrundbahn''), Freital (''Weißeritztalbahn''), Cranzahl (''Fichtelbergbahn''), and Zittau. <br />
<br />
DB operates a metre gauge line on the island of Wangerooge. A number of tramway systems are metre gauge. <br />
<br />
The train ferry terminal at Sassnitz Fährhafen (Mukran) has 1524 mm gauge tracks to receive and despatch wagons from and to Klaipeda, in addition to the standard gauge tracks. <br />
<br />
The funicular section Obstfelderschmiede - Lichtenhain is 1800 mm gauge.<br />
<br />
===Electrification===<br />
15 kV 16.7 Hz ac. <br />
<br />
The Berlin ''S-Bahn'' is 800V dc third rail, and the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' is 1200V dc third rail. Obstfelderschmiede to Cursdorf is 500V dc overhead and Blankenburg (Harz) to Elbingerode and Kalkwerk Homberg, which has been freight-only since 2005, is 25kV 50Hz ac. (The line between Kalkwerk Homberg and Königshütte closed to all traffic in 2000 and is now lifted).<br />
<br />
The following cross-border lines have sections within Germany that use the other country's electrification system. Distances shown are the sections within Germany between the frontier and the electrification changeover point:<br />
<br />
Hengelo (NL) - Bad Bentheim: 8.1 km at 1500 V dc<br><br />
Arnhem/''Betuweroute'' (NL) - Emmerich: 5.6 km at 25 kV ac (see ''Note'' below)<br><br />
Welkenraedt/''LGV'' (BE) - Aachen Hbf: 7.4 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Węgliniec (PL) - Horka: 1.5 km at 3 kV dc<br><br />
Rzepin (PL) - Frankfurt (Oder): 1.7 km at 3 kV dc.<br><br />
It is planned to electrify the few hundred metres from the Polish border viaduct at Zgorzelec into Görlitz Hbf at 3 kV dc.<br />
<br />
''Note'': The line between Emmerich and the Netherlands border was 1500 V dc but has been converted to 25 kV ac for easier operation of ''Betuweroute'' freight traffic. This means that trains between Emmerich and Arnhem must be able to operate under three different electrification systems.<br />
<br />
===Rule of the road===<br />
Right. <br />
<br />
A few sections of line have left-hand running, as follows:<br />
<br />
* a short piece of the Aachen – Liège main line between the east end of the Busch Tunnel (Üst Aachen Süd) and the Belgian border;<br />
* between Nürnberg-Reichelsdorf and Nürnberg Hbf, on the non-''S-Bahn'' lines only, to facilitate reversal by trains running between the Treuchtlingen and Würzburg lines;<br />
* on the Hamburg ''S-Bahn'' between Altona and Holstenstraße, to assist reversal.<br />
<br />
===Distances===<br />
The Schweers + Wall ''Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland'' (11th Edn. ISBN 978-3-89494-149-9) is the best source of distance information.<br />
<br />
==Other Railways==<br />
See [[Germany - General Information - Other Railways|separate document]].<br />
<br />
==Tourist lines==<br />
Very few tourist lines run frequently - once or twice a month during the summer is quite common, although some operate only two or three times a year. In many cases these are weekend operations over private freight lines. Whilst many tourist trains are steam-worked, numerous preserved railbuses and diesel locomotives are also used.<br />
A German language site [http://www.eisenbahnwelt.com/deutschlandkarte.html Eisenbahn Vereinskarte Deutschland] comprises an interactive map of Germany showing most preserved railways.<br />
An [https://sinfin.net/railways/world/germany/touristde/index.html English language site] gives an overview map split by ''Länder'', with a list of many lines in alphabetical order in each ''Land'' section. Both give direct links to the various railways' homepages/timetables.<br />
The DB ''Kursbuch'' site gives timetables for a very small number of preserved lines in its [http://kursbuch.bahn.de/hafas/kbview.exe/d.?rt=1&dosearch=1&searchmode=tableplus&controlpattern=P.12ddd&table_nr=12&mainframe=utable&tocinfo=mus_tab Museums- und Nostalgiebahnen section].<br />
<br />
Timetables and other information about tourist lines are published annually in ''Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen'' (published by [https://www.eisenbahn-kurier.de/ Eisenbahn Kurier], EK-Verlag GmbH, Lörracher Str. 16, 79115 Freiburg, tel +49 761 703100). <br />
Owing to the very large number of tourist lines in Germany, no one source appears to give a comprehensive list of every operation, so it is suggested that each of the above sources is consulted.<br />
<br />
A special category are ''Parkeisenbahnen'', which are complex miniature railways where operations closely follow the prototype. A comprehensive list of these is given in [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkeisenbahn Wikipedia].<br />
<br />
Rail cycling (''Draisinenfahrten'') is possible on a number of lines; see the [https://www.draisinenfahrten.de/ IG Draisinenfahrten website] for details of a few of them.<br />
<br />
==Metro==<br />
Berlin, Hamburg, München, Nürnberg. A number of other cities have partially underground or interurban tram networks, known as ''U-Bahn'' or ''Stadtbahn'', including Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Gelsenkirchen, Hannover, Köln, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr) and Stuttgart. Some cities have "Tram-Train" networks with vehicles that run on both the urban tram network and the suburban rail network, including Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe and Kassel.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all metro and tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site].<br />
<br />
== Trams/LRT-Systems ==<br />
Augsburg, Bad Schandau, Berlin, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Brandenburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Darmstadt, Dessau, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt an der Oder, Freiburg (Breisgau), Gelsenkirchen, Gera, Görlitz, Gotha, Halberstadt, Halle (Saale), Hannover, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Jena, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Köln, Krefeld, Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Magdeburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Mülheim (Ruhr), München, Naumburg (Saale), Nordhausen, Nürnberg, Oberhausen, Plauen, Potsdam, Rostock, Rüdersdorf, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, Strausberg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Woltersdorf, Würzburg, Zwickau. Many neighbouring systems are interlinked. It is possible to travel entirely by tram, changing cars and gauge several times, all the way from Benrath (south of Düsseldorf) to Witten (east of Bochum). This is reputed to be the longest possible journey by tram anywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
Track plans for all tram systems in Germany are available on the [https://www.gleisplanweb.eu/ Gleisplanweb site] or on the [https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/germany.htm UrbanRail] site. <br />
<br />
See also [[Germany_-_Tram_services_over_obscure_routes|Germany - Tram services over obscure routes]]<br />
<br />
==Recent and Future Changes==<br />
===General===<br />
<br />
The funding of local public transport, including railways, is controlled by the ''Länder'' (regions) and in some areas responsibility has been devolved to the ''Kreise'' (districts). Western ''Länder'' are generally supportive of rail and many lines have been re-opened in the last couple of decades. However in the eastern ''Länder'' many lines have been closed as a result of depopulation and increasing car ownership since reunification, and lack of funds to support such a dense network of local services. <br />
<br />
The rate of closures has slowed considerably in recent years, and the federal government is making funds available to the ''Länder'' for re-opening schemes. While there have been numerous lengthy lists published of closed lines which are possible candidates for re-opening, only those proposals which are likely to be progressed with are mentioned below.<br />
<br />
===Recent Changes===<br />
====Openings====<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 January 2024<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 428<br />
| Recklinghausen Süd – Herne-Rottbruch [– Bochum-Riemke]<br />
| New ''RE41'' service direct from Recklinghausen Hbf to Bochum Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 4 September 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| RB TES<br />
| Erkner – Fangschleuse Tesla Süd <br />
| Shuttle service on Mondays to Fridays to serve Tesla electric car factory<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 June 2023<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 236<br />
| Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) – Seifhennersdorf <br />
| Rail service reinstated after 8-year 'temporary closure'<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Wiehltalbahn'' from Gummersbach-Dieringhausen to Waldbröl reopened as far as Wiehl on 26 March 2023. It had been closed since summer 2020 because of fire damage to a bridge over the Wiehl river at Bielstein. It is unclear when or if a further reopening can be expected.<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 11 December 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209<br />
| Genshagener Heide Ost – Abzw Birkengrund Süd <br />
| Used by extended ''FEX/RB32'' services to Ludwigsfelde<br />
|-<br />
| 209.32 Nord<br />
| Grünauer Kreuz West – Grünauer Kreuz Süd <br />
| Used by ''RB24'' and new ''RB32'' to BER T5 (note ''RB32'' operates in two separate sections)<br />
|-<br />
| 209.33 <br />
| Lienewitz Lia – Beelitz Bea <br />
| Reinstated bridge over the Berlin – Bad Belzig line<br />
|-<br />
| 690<br />
| Koblenz-Mosel Gbf – Koblenz Lützel (Koblenz avoiding curve)<br />
| Used by one ''RB12'' Trier – Köln train pair daily, only until the direct line via Gerolstein reopens (probably late 2024 at the earliest)<br />
|-<br />
| 750.1<br />
| Ulm Hbf – Wendlingen Rübholz – Wendlingen Abzw W64 (''NBS'') <br />
| New high-speed line, initially with connecting curve to Wendlingen (Neckar)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 1 November 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 351<br />
| Einbeck Mitte – Einbeck BBS/PS-Speicher <br />
| Sparse weekday-only service over this section, experimental for three years<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 24 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393 <br />
| Sande – Abzw Weißer Floh [– Schortens-Heidmühle] <br />
| Brand new alignment well to the east of previous one<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 12 June 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 333 (PKP)<br />
| Guben – Guben Grenze [– Gubin (PL)] <br />
| Initially weekend-only service; daily from December 2022<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 21 May 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz – Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Limited summer service to connect with Ystad and Bornholm ferries<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 30 January 2022<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 524<br />
| Chemnitz Technopark – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)<br />
| New tram-train connection onto reconstructed Chemnitz – Aue line<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Museums-Eisenbahn Minden'' resumed operation over the long-closed section between Preußisch Oldendorf and Bad Holzhausen on their line to Böhmte on 26 May 2022.<br />
<br />
=====2021=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 20 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Hagen-Vorhalle<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Witten lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Dortmund<br />
|- <br />
| 440<br />
| Hagen-Kabel – Westhofen (Westf)<br />
| Curve between Siegen and Unna lines used by new ''IC34'' services to/from Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 12 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.35<br />
| Bad Saarow Klinikum – Bad Saarow-Pieskow<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| Augsburg Tramway<br />
| Haunstetten West – Königsbrunn Zentrum<br />
| Line 3, southern extension <br />
|- <br />
| Stuttgart LRT<br />
| Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen – Flughafen/Messe Ost<br />
| Line U6, south-eastern extension<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 December 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Karlsruhe LRT<br />
| Kombilösung cross-city tram tunnels<br />
| Lines 1, 2 and S2 diverted into the tunnel on 11 December followed by AVG lines S1/11, S4, S5/51, S7 and S8 on 12 December<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 29 November 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 627, 646<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Abzw Mainzer Landstraße<br />
| New exit line to the north of Frankfurt Außenbahnhof<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 8 August 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Sauldorf – Stockach<br />
| Summer Sundays only. Reopening delayed by flood damage<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 18 July 2021<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 732<br />
| Mengen – Sauldorf<br />
| Summer Sundays only <br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector''':<br />
<br />
The ''Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn'' (''"Pingelheini"'') service resumed from Leeste (b. Bremen) as far as Stuhr, 4.5 km from Kirchhuchting, on 22 August 2021. The line had been closed west of Leeste since the end of the 2015 season to allow construction of an extension of Bremen tram route no. 8. A resumption of the ''Pingelheini'' service as far as Bremen-Kirchhuchting is expected at some point. Once the tram service starts it is expected that trams and ''Pingelheini'' trains will share the tracks.<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 13 December 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 203.Sued<br />
| Abzw Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord - Abzw Hennersdorf West<br />
| Used by new peak-hour trains between Berlin and Finsterwalde<br />
|-<br />
| 450.28<br />
| Mettmann Stadtwald - Abzw Wuppertal-Dornap<br />
| Partly new-build line connecting with the Velbert – Wuppertal line<br />
|-<br />
| 970<br />
| Lindau-Aeschach - Lindau-Reutin (Lindau avoiding line)<br />
| Served by new electric München – Zürich services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 31 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 207<br />
| Abzw Selchow - Abzw Selchow Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2. In regular use from 13 December <br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Abzw Bohnsdorf West - Abzw Bohnsdorf Süd<br />
| In connection with the opening of Flughafen BER T1-2<br />
|-<br />
| 207, 209.9/14/22<br />
| Abzw Glasower Damm Ost - line 6151 - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 - Abzw Bohnsdorf Nord <br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 26 October 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 200.9<br />
| Flughafen BER Terminal 5 (Schönefeld) - Flughafen BER Terminal 1-2 (''S-Bahn'')<br />
| <br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 11 September 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 450.9<br />
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord – Recklinghausen Hbf<br />
| Without intermediate stations which are not due to open until 2024<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 21 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| former 172; 174<br />
| Parchim - Karow (Meckl.) - Plau am See ''and'' Inselstadt Malchow - Karow<br />
| Scheduled summer weekend services<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 16 May 2020<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 424<br />
| [Moers –] Rheinkamp – Kamp-Lintfort Süd<br />
| Temporary weekend-only service until 4 October for NRW Garden Festival<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following lines opened on 15 December 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| -<br />
| Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg<br />
| Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee<br />
| Diversion of ''RB24'' until 9 July 2021<br />
|-<br />
| 209.24<br />
| Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)<br />
| Initially by diverted ''RB24'' but now used permanently by ''FEX'' airport trains<br />
|-<br />
| 645.8/9<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof<br />
| Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line<br />
|-<br />
| former 12474<br />
| Düren - Euskirchen<br />
| Regular service instead of weekend-only service<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line opened on 7 July 2019<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3" <br />
| 376<br />
| Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus <br />
| A free preview service ran on 6 July <br />
|}<br />
<br />
====Permanent Closures====<br />
<br />
Note that in most cases the lines remain available for empty stock, freight, diversionary or charter services.<br />
<br />
=====2023=====<br />
The following line closed on 7 August 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| Ruhrbahn Tram route 104 (part)<br />
| Mülheim (Ruhr) Wertgasse – Oppspring<br />
| Also depot journeys from Berliner Platz to Wertgasse<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 15 April 2023<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.2<br />
| Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park (Westfalenhalle) – Dortmund-Lütgendortmund Flm – Bochum-Langendreer<br />
| ''RE11'' services reverted to running via Dortmund Hbf and Hamm<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2022=====<br />
The following lines closed on 11 December 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 209.23<br />
| Abzw Lienewitz Lia – Seddin Bla<br />
| Replaced by new ''RB33'' Potsdam – Jüterbog service<br />
|-<br />
| 209.63 <br />
| Joachimsthal – Templin Stadt<br />
| Experimental service reinstatement ended<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 31 August 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf – Puttgarden <br> (including the curves to Fehmarn-Burg)<br />
| Closed for complete reconstruction, mainly on a new alignment, in connection with the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel project<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 27 March 2022<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 393<br />
| Sande - Abzw Weißer Floh [- Schortens-Heidmühle]<br />
| Replaced by new double-track alignment to the east<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2020=====<br />
<br />
The following lines closed to regular services on 31 October 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 207, 209.14<br />
| Berlin Grünauer Kreuz Nord - Grünauer Kreuz Süd<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RE7'' trains continued until 12 December 2020.<br />
|-<br />
| 209.22<br />
| Berlin-Grünau - Abzw Selchow<br />
| Almost all services diverted via Flughafen BER Terminals 1-2. A residual late-night service of a few ''RB22'' trains continues to run on Monday nights only.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 13 June 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 415.1<br />
| Düsseldorf Flughafen - Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal<br />
| The one very early morning train diverted to run direct to Düsseldorf Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in March 2020<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 305<br />
| Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)<br />
| Berlin – Hamburg ''IRE'' services 'temporarily' withdrawn as a Covid-related service reduction but withdrawal made permanent in October 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=====2019=====<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 14 December 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 140<br />
| Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line<br />
| Hamburg - København ''IC'' services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining ''RB'' services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed in September 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 190<br />
| Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen<br />
| Berlin - Malmö overnight services ceased to operate via the Sassnitz - Trelleborg train ferry after the end of the 2019 season. Note that a limited summer daytime service over this route commenced in 2021.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The following line closed on 18 March 2019<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 447<br />
| Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang<br />
| The final day of service was 30 November 2019, when three farewell round trips operated. The service otherwise was by replacement bus from 18 March until 14 December 2019, the official closure date.<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
In July 2019 the Ruhrtalbahn announced an end to their operations on the Hagen - Hattingen route as a result of severe mechanical problems with their <i>Schienenbus</i>. Operations resumed in 2021 under the auspices of the ''Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum'', but only as far as Wengern-Ost, leaving the section between there and Hagen-Vorhalle without regular services.<br />
<br />
The ''Niederlausitzer Museumseisenbahn'' closed their line from Finsterwalde to Crinitz after a final day of service on 30th December 2018. This is because there was substantial work required on the line, which the society were not in a position to fund. The society announced its dissolution in 2021 so services will definitely not resume and it was reported in 2022 that the line may be converted into a cycle path.<br />
<br />
===Future Changes===<br />
<br />
====Forthcoming Openings====<br />
<br />
=====2024=====<br />
<br />
The Gunzenhausen to Nördlingen ''Hesselbergbahn'' is to be reopened between Gunzenhausen and Wassertrüdingen in December 2024.<br />
<br />
The first stage of the Berlin ''S-Bahn'' line linking the ''Innenring'' with Berlin Hbf (Invalidenstraße) by an east to south curve from Wedding has been severely delayed and is not now due to open until December 2024. It will initially run between Hauptbahnhof and Gesundbrunnen only, under the designation ''S15''. A west to south curve from Westhafen to Invalidenstraße is expected to open later, and plans are to extend the line to Potsdamer Platz in Stage 2 and Yorckstraße in Stage 3, thus creating a second north-south ''S-Bahn'' line (to be known as ''S21'') through central Berlin. Opening of the entire line is not expected until 2037.<br />
<br />
An extension of the Stolberg (Rheinland) Hbf to Stolberg Altstadt passenger service to Breinig is not now due to open until December 2024. Progress was delayed by the need to lower the trackbed under a bridge at Stolberg Altstadt to provide safe clearance for the overhead wires, and by serious damage sustained to the existing line in the July 2021 floods. A further extension to Walheim, on the Belgian border, is planned to be opened 'by 2032'.<br />
<br />
=====2025=====<br />
<br />
The reopening of Calw - Weil der Stadt has been put back by at least one year every year since 2018. It is now due to open in June 2025, some six-and-a-half years after originally planned. Reasons for the delays include legal action, which has been dismissed, and the decision to build a new section of line in tunnel to shorten the route between Ostelsheim and Weil der Stadt. The line will be known as the ''Hermann-Hesse-Bahn'' and run through to Renningen, sharing tracks with the ''S6'' from Weil der Stadt.<br />
<br />
The new high-speed line (''NBS'') between Ulm and Stuttgart opened on 11 December 2022 between Ulm and Wendlingen. The remaining section between Wendlingen and Stuttgart Hbf is not due to open until 2025, when the new low-level Stuttgart Hbf opens. <br />
<br />
The ''Weststrecke'' in Trier between Ehrang and Igel via Trier West is now scheduled to open to passengers in full in December 2025.<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of main line tracks (closed 1952) alongside the S-Bahn on the ''Dresdner Bahn'' from Berlin Südkreuz to Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) is underway. Services on the line are due to commence in December 2025. This will speed up trains between Berlin and Dresden and also allow a fast service to Berlin-Brandenburg airport via a new north-to-east curve at Glasower Damm. This is expected to mean the end of regular passenger services over the curves from Genshagener Heide Mitte to Großbeeren Süd.<br />
<br />
Work started in January 2024 on the reactivation of the ''Horlofftalbahn'' between Wölfersheim-Södel and Hungen, with scheduled services planned to commence in December 2025.<br />
<br />
The ''Land'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has published an invitation to tender which includes reinstatement of passenger services between Hagenow Stadt and Zarrentin (23.9 km) from December 2025. This line lost its passenger trains in May 2000.<br />
<br />
The reopening to regular services of the Kiel to Schönberger Strand branch, which is currently only a tourist line beyond Kiel-Oppendorf, has been heavily delayed and is not now due to happen until December 2025 at the earliest.<br />
<br />
=====2026=====<br />
<br />
The ''Bentheimer Eisenbahn'' from Bad Bentheim to Coevorden (NL), which was reopened in 2019 as far as Neuenhaus, is to be reopened through to Coevorden (NL). An invitation to tender has been issued for a start date in either June or December 2026.<br />
<br />
Reopening to passengers of the WLE Münster (Westf) Hbf to Neubeckum line as far as Sendenhorst is now planned for December 2026.<br />
<br />
A temporary weekend- and holiday-only passenger service ran in summer 2020 from Duisburg and Moers to Kamp-Lintfort Süd in connection with a garden festival, thus reintroducing trains to the former colliery branch from Rheinkamp. Full passenger services are planned for 2026, via a new south to west curve at Rheinkamp. The branch will be extended to a new Kamp-Lintfort station, beyond the former mine area.<br />
<br />
=====2027=====<br />
<br />
Stuttgart ''S-Bahn'' line ''S2'' is to be extended by 4 km by reopening the route between Filderstadt and Neuhausen auf den Fildern, which was closed to passengers in 1955, and completely in 1983. Financing was approved in late 2022 with construction to start in mid-2023 and opening targeted for May 2027.<br />
<br />
''Land'' Brandenburg plans to reopen the Priort - Wustermark Rbf Wot south to east curve to be used by a new Potsdam to Berlin service, by 2027.<br />
<br />
The TWE (Teutoburger Wald-Eisenbahn) is to be reopened in December 2027 between Harsewinkel, Gütersloh and Verl (Bz Detmold).<br />
<br />
=====2028=====<br />
<br />
The Barth - Zingst - Prerow <i>Darßbahn</i> is to be reopened. Tripartite funding, split between the federal government, <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been agreed for the reconstruction of the ''Meiningenbrücke'' road/rail bridge just north of Bresewitz, which will allow reopening of the entire line to Prerow by 2028.<br />
<br />
The reopening of Homburg (Saar) to Zweibrücken was planned for 2026, but cost pressures have forced a deferral until 2028.<br />
<br />
An extension of Kassel ''RegioTram'' route ''RT5'' from Melsungen to Melsungen Süd is now planned to come into service in 2028, some five years later than originally planned. The station at Melsungen Süd will be on a short spur just off the main line.<br />
<br />
=====2029=====<br />
<br />
The ''Vögelfluglinie'' railway between [Lübeck -] Bad Schwartau and the island of Fehmarn is being completely rebuilt. It will be a double-track electrified railway, mostly on a new alignment which will in part run alongside the A1 ''Autobahn''. The existing line from Lübeck to Puttgarden closed north of Neustadt (Holst.) Gbf on 31 August 2022. On reopening in 2029 it will form part of a new high-speed line to København via the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which will include the world's longest immersed tube tunnel. Neustadt (Holst.) will be served by a link from Haffkrug on the new line to the existing line via Sierksdorf, which will become a branch line. The old route from Ratekau to Haffkrug through Timmendorfer Strand will be abandoned, as will the sections north of Neustadt, through Lensahn and Oldenburg (Holst.) and from Fehmarn-Burg to the previous terminus at Puttgarden. Most stations on the old route will have replacements on the new route, but they will be at some distance from the towns they are intended to serve, especially at Timmendorfer Strand. The railway on the Danish side is also being reconstructed.<br />
<br />
Preliminary work has started on the reconstruction of the 4.5 km Berlin ''S-Bahn'' branch from Jungfernheide to Gartenfeld. Known as the ''Siemensbahn'', as it served the large factory of that firm, it closed in 1980. With the closure of the factory in 2018, a research campus and large residential development is being built on the site. Reopening of the line is planned for Autumn 2029. A study is underway for a possible new-build extension to Hakenfelde.<br />
<br />
====Projected Developments====<br />
<br />
The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn is rebuilding the line from Berlin-Wilhelmsruh to Wilhelmsruher Damm, therefore reopening the ''Heidekrautbahn'' between Bornholmer Straße and Schönwalde (Barnim) to passenger service for trains from Berlin-Gesundbrunnen to Basdorf and beyond. This was planned for December 2024 but a current date is unknown. The existing line via Berlin-Karow will be retained. A possible reopening between Wensickendorf and Zehlendorf is being considered.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the line from Wittgensdorf to Limbach-Oberfrohna is planned as Stage 4 of the ''Chemnitzer Modell'' tram-train system. <br />
<br />
It is planned to reopen the first 2.9 km of the Wrist - Itzehoe line as far as Kellinghusen. Financing was supposedly agreed in December 2019 after years of procrastination, but opening has been deferred until 2027 at the earliest, mainly, it is reported, because of flood protection issues in Kellinghusen.<br />
<br />
Reopening of approximately 3 km of the Rendsburg - Husum line as far as a new station at Rendsburg-Seemühlen is planned, with two new intermediate halts. Hybrid battery/electric Stadler Flirt units are intended to be used. <br />
<br />
Dombühl - Dinkelsbühl was planned for reopening to passengers in December 2019, but this has been deferred and possibly shelved altogether.<br />
<br />
Reopening of the northern section of the Gessertshausen - Markt Wald ''Staudenbahn'' as far as Langenneufnach is planned, but a date for this is not known. In September 2023, the ''Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm'' took over the line. This may reinvigorate the reopening process, which had slowed down virtually to a standstill in recent years.<br />
<br />
In Hessen, early planning for the ''Lumdatalbahn'' (Lollar – Mainzlar – Londorf) has been completed and the line is registered for inclusion in a federal package which supports such projects by financing up to 90% of the necessary work. Planning work is also underway for a 3 km line from Neu-Isenburg Bf – Neu-Isenburg Stadtzentrum (town centre). Studies are underway for other lines in Hessen which are considered to have potential for reopening, including:<br />
<br />
* Kirchhain - Nieder-Gemünden (''mittelhessische Ohmtalbahn'')<br />
* Darmstadt - Groß-Zimmern<br />
* Wiesbaden - Diez (in Rheinland-Pfalz) (''Aartalbahn'')<br />
<br />
The District (''Landkreis'') of Tübingen is planning to convert some lines in their area to a tram-train system known as ''Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb''. This involves construction of a new line known as the ''Gomaringer Spange'' between Nehren, on the Tübingen - Balingen line, and Reutlingen. This will partially re-use the formation of the Reutlingen West to Gomaringen branch. Other plans include the reopening of the Albstadt-Ebingen to Albstadt-Onstmettingen and Engstingen to Reutlingen lines, and the introduction of a regular passenger service between Hechingen and Burladingen on the line to Gammertingen. Tramway-style lines into Tübingen town centre and through Reutlingen are also planned.<br />
<br />
A new ''S-Bahn'' line between Fürth Hbf and Eltersdorf via Fürth-Steinach is planned but construction has been delayed by legal challenges. The new ''S-Bahn'' lines will be brought into use where they run parallel to the main lines, but the original line between Fürth-Stadeln and Königsmühle will remain a two-track bottleneck until the ''S-Bahn'' deviation to the east via Steinach is eventually opened.<br />
<br />
The [https://www.warnetalbahn-gmbh.de/ Warnetalbahn GmbH], which operates the museum line between Salzgitter-Bad and Börßum, took a lease in December 2019 of the section of KBS 592 between Rottleberode and Stolberg (Harz), with the intention to run freight (timber) trains and occasional tourist passenger services. The branch from Berga-Kelbra, which latterly only had weekend services, closed to passengers in December 2011 and has been completely out of service north of the gypsum works at Rottleberode since then. Unfortunately because of the condition of a bridge over the river Thyra at Rottleberode, the reintroduction of regular services to Stolberg has been postponed indefinitely, although occasional excursion trains have run to Stolberg since December 2022.<br />
<br />
DB InfraGO (the former DB Netz) is planning to upgrade the Landshut (Bay) – Plattling line with four new passing loops and two extended ones. A short section of the line will be doubled and line-speed improvements are planned. These improvements will allow a half-hourly service on the ''RE3'' "Donau-Isar Express" service between Passau and München. Also planned is a single-track curve to the west of Plattling, linking the Landshut and Regensburg lines, but this may only be intended for use by freight, primarily traffic to and from the large BMW factory at Dingolfing.<br />
<br />
A west-to-south curve is planned to link the Lübeck - Bad Kleinen line with the main line to Schwerin, avoiding Bad Kleinen. This would allow direct trains to run between Lübeck and Schwerin. This is currently in the planning/financing phase and no start or end date has yet been announced.<br />
<br />
Plans to re-open the line between Salzgitter-Lebenstedt and Salzgitter-Fredenberg appeared to have been abandoned, but in March 2021 it was announced by the local traffic authority (''Regionalverband'' Braunschweig) that further consideration is being given to this proposal.<br />
<br />
In early 2023, the new public transport authority for the Köln/Aachen areas, known as go.Rheinland, announced its [https://gremien.go-rheinland.de/sdnetrim/UGhVM0hpd2NXNFdFcExjZddwJOQxPXtwIit_aPKvntXYgxObOLrtiODPqq0fjojy/Anlage_1_zur_Ds.-Nr._go.Rheinland-28-2023_-_Zielnetze.pdf plans] for the networks of 2032 and 2040. By 2032 the following lines are planned to be reopened to passengers:<br />
<br />
* Alsdorf-Kellersberg – Aldenhoven-Siersdorf<br />
* Linnich – Hückelhoven-Baal<br />
* Erkelenz – Baal – Ratheim<br />
* Stolberg-Breinig – Walheim – Eupen (BE).<br />
<br />
By 2040 further reopenings are planned:<br />
<br />
* Ratheim – Wassenberg<br />
* Dalheim – Roermond (NL)<br />
* Köln-Mülheim – Opladen via Morsbroich<br />
* Köln Frankfurter Straße – Köln Süd via the Südbrücke<br />
* Gummersbach-Dieringhausen – Waldbröl (although a study in 2023 rejected potential reopening of this line as too costly given the likely demand and poor journey time to Köln).<br />
<br />
DB announced in 2021 that it intends to reopen 20 lines to passenger traffic. These are at various stages of the planning/implementation process and some may not be proceeded with. Those not mentioned individually above are:<br />
<br />
* Buchholz (Nordheide) - Hamburg-Harburg via Jesteburg<br />
* Gnadau - Barby - Güterglück over the ''Elbbrücke'' (part of the ''Kanonenbahn'')<br />
* Oberhausen - Spellen (''Walsumbahn'')<br />
* Duisburg Hbf - Düsseldorf-Rath (''Ratinger Weststrecke'')<br />
* Blankenstein - Marxgrün (''Höllentalbahn'')<br />
* Eisfeld - Coburg (''Werratalbahn'')<br />
* Ludwigsburg - Markgröningen<br />
* Breisach - Colmar (F)<br />
* München northern ring line (''Münchener Güternordring'').<br />
<br />
In August 2023, the ''Länder'' of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg launched their [https://www.regierung-mv.de/Aktuell/?id=194115&processor=processor.sa.pressemitteilung review] into the development and potential reopening of all or part of the so-called ''Karower Kreuz'' network radiating from Karow (Meckl). This covers the north-south Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow – Güstrow route which has sparse services south of Meyenburg and is closed north of there apart from summer weekend services between Karow and Plau am See, and the east-west ''Mecklenburger Südbahn'' (Parchim – Waren (Müritz)) which only has summer weekend services between Parchim and Inselstadt Malchow.<br />
<br />
The Prime Minister and Transport Minister of <i>Land</i> Mecklenburg-Vorpommern restated in early 2020 their commitment to the rebuilding of Ducherow – Świnoujście/Swinemünde (Poland) but as this project would involve complete reconstruction of the bridge at Karnin between the mainland and the island of Usedom, this would appear to be a long-term aspiration.<br />
<br />
The ''Potsdamer Stammbahn'' (Zehlendorf to Griebnitzsee) is projected to reopen, to give a more direct route between Berlin and Potsdam for regional trains. The main line tracks from Schöneberg to Zehlendorf through Rathaus Steglitz will also be reinstated, along with a possible curve to the ''Innenring'' at Schöneberg. This may not occur until the early 2030s. <br />
<br />
Other projects in the [https://www.i2030.de/ i2030 scheme] for rail development in Berlin and Brandenburg include:<br />
<br />
* Extension of the ''S2'' from Blankenfelde to Rangsdorf along the ''Dresdner Bahn'', in conjunction with the rebuilding of the long-distance lines north of Blankenfelde<br />
* Extension of the ''S21'' from Teltow Stadt over a new-build line to Stahnsdorf<br />
* Extension of the ''S5'' from Spandau to Nauen, parallel to the existing line, with a possible branch over part of the Johannesstift freight line to Falkenseer Chaussee<br />
* Extension of the ''S75'' along the ''Außenring'' to Karow<br />
* Extension of the ''S25'' between Hennigsdorf and Velten (Mark).<br />
<br />
Reinstatement of regional tracks between Schönholz and Hennigsdorf to give a more direct route to the Wittstock line was considered but has been discounted on cost grounds. However capacity improvements between Velten (Mark) and Neuruppin are still going ahead.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (without replacement)====<br />
<br />
There was some doubt about the future of services after December 2022 on the sparsely-served section north of Kyritz Am Bürgerpark of the Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk line (KBS 209.73) and on the Pritzwalk West – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg line (KBS 209.74). However, in late September 2022 it was announced that these two lines will continue until at least 2025 while the ''Länder'' of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern jointly conduct an investigation into the entire (Berlin –) Neustadt (Dosse) – Pritzwalk – Meyenburg – Karow (Meckl.) – Güstrow route. <br />
<br />
Some ''Länder'' were previously reviewing their funding of relatively lightly-used lines:<br />
<br />
''Land'' Bayern was reportedly examining withdrawing funding from lines that have fewer than 1,000 passengers per day but no action to close any line has been taken so it would appear that this review is dormant. <br />
<br />
''Land'' Thüringen was reviewing services on lines which have fewer than 500 passengers per weekday but again no closure action has been taken on any line.<br />
<br />
====Planned permanent closures (with replacement)====<br />
<br />
The main-line terminus station at Hamburg-Altona is due to close with a replacement through station being built roughly on the site of the current Diebsteich ''S-Bahn'' station. The low-level ''S-Bahn'' station at Altona will remain, although with a change of name to "Mitte Altona". ''S-Bahn'' services are not serving Diebsteich for one year from 15 October 2022. According to the [https://bahnprojekt-hamburg-altona.de/ project website] the planned opening date of the new Altona main-line station is 2027.<br />
<br />
There have been numerous deviations of railways to allow open-cast mining. There will be a significant re-routing of the Görlitz to Cottbus line, with the the closure of around 10km of the existing line between Weißwasser and Rietschen, to be replaced by a 13km-long deviation to the east. Work is due to start in March 2024 with the line opening in June 2027 <br />
<br />
[ http://tinyurl.com/murj3vbw is a direct link to a DB pdf about the project ]<br />
<br />
====Temporary closures====<br />
<br />
The section of the Eisenach – Wernshausen – Meiningen line (KBS 575) between Eisenach and Förtha (Kr Eisenach) will be closed between 25 March and 11 October 2024.<br />
<br />
The section of the Zittau – Görlitz line (KBS 220) between Zittau and Hagenwerder was closed on 23 November 2023 'until further notice' following the theft of signalling cables.<br />
<br />
Following the serious floods of mid-July 2021 in western Germany, many stretches of line in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz sustained considerable damage and needed major repairs. All sections of line have now reopened apart from the following. Projected reopening dates are shown where known.<br />
<br />
{| class="osstable3"<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf – Eschweiler Talbahnhof<br />
| 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 475 ''Erfttalbahn''<br />
| Euskirchen – Bad Münstereifel<br />
| August 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 482 (part)<br />
| Stolberg Rathaus – Stolberg Altstadt [– Breinig]<br />
| Existing line together with extension to Breinig due to open on 15 December 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 434 ''Volmetalbahn'' (part)<br />
| Rummenohl – Lüdenscheid-Brügge – Lüdenscheid<br />
| 8 April 2024<br />
|-<br />
| 474 ''Eifelstrecke'' (central section)<br />
| Gerolstein – Kall<br />
| End of 2024(?)<br />
|-<br />
| 477 ''Ahrtalbahn'' (western end)<br />
| Walporzheim – Ahrbrück<br />
| Eight bridges over the river Ahr and most of the track are being replaced. This is expected to take until December 2025 [and the line is also being electrified].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
The ''Zellertalbahn'' between Monsheim, Langmeil (Pfalz) and Münchweiler (Alsenz) (KBS 662.1) has been closed since 2018 because of the condition of the track. Services were due to resume, belatedly, on 1 April 2024, but this date now seems unlikely. Previously, trains ran on summer Sundays only; however a more frequent service of Saturdays, Sundays and summer Wednesdays is planned.<br />
<br />
The cross-border line between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn (PL) closed on 13 December 2020, originally for two years while the bridge over the river Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure. It is not now due to reopen until September 2024.<br />
<br />
A replacement for the ''Lindaunisbrücke'' combined road-rail bascule bridge over the Schlei sea inlet between Rieseby and Süderbrarup on the Kiel – Flensburg line is being built. The new 126 metre-long bascule bridge will be some 13 metres to the east of the old bridge, which has been closed since 11 December 2023. From then the line has terminated at temporary platforms either side of the inlet, known as Rieseby Schleibrücke Süd and Boren-Lindaunis Schleibrücke Nord, with passengers having to walk over a newly-built footbridge between them, a distance of 264 metres. The new bridge and alignment are expected to come into service in late 2025.<br />
<br />
The section of KBS 437 between Unna and Fröndenberg is closed while the embankment is repaired after at least 140 badger tunnels were found to have undermined the whole line. In November 2023 it was announced that it would take until 'the end of the decade' to reinstate the line. ''RB54'' services are replaced by buses until then. <br />
<br />
The line between Ihrhove and Nieuweschans closed after a ship hit and destroyed the main span of the bridge over the River Ems on 3 December 2015. DB has reconstructed the bridge, and the line is expected to reopen fully on 15 December 2024. The train service on the German section west of the bridge, between Nieuweschans and Weener, resumed on 30 October 2016. Once the bridge has reopened a direct Bremen – Groningen service is planned, to be known as the "Wunderline". Initially a journey time of 2h30 is foreseen, reducing to 2h15 with line improvements. These include double-tracking the sections between the Dutch border and Ihrhove and between Stickhausen-Velde and Augustfehn.<br />
<br />
The two-platform terminus station at Söllingen (b. Karlsruhe) AVG closed in September 2022 for complete rebuilding and modernisation. The AVG line from Karlsruhe (line 9496) now terminates at the previous station, Söllingen Reetzstraße. The replacement station and line is expected to open at some time in 2024. The station on the main Karlsruhe - Pforzheim line (4200) is unaffected, apart from the Karlsruhe-bound platform having been replaced by a temporary structure.<br />
<br />
'''In the "tourist/museum line" sector:'''<br />
<br />
The line between Rahden and Uchte was due to reopen, belatedly, on 13 August 2023 after having closed at short notice in June 2021 because of urgently needed track repairs. Unfortunately this reopening has been delayed until an unknown date because of the amount of vegetation clearance and subsequent checking of track that has been required.<br />
<br />
The ''Oleftalbahn'' between Kall and Hellenthal sustained severe damage in the July 2021 floods and a date for its reopening is not known.<br />
<br />
The [https://museumsbahn-losheim.de/ ''Museums-Eisenbahn-Club Losheim''] was closed suddenly in April 2017 by the authorities because of the condition of the track. Following this closure, trains only ran between "Großer Wald" (west of Losheim) and Dellborner Mühle but as at summer 2023, no trains are running at all until further notice.<br />
<br />
===Older Changes===<br />
For details of older changes see [[Germany - Older General Information]].<br />
<br />
==Special notes==<br />
<br />
Train services in Germany are divided into a number of distinct categories:<br />
* ''S'' (''S-Bahn''): Regular interval local trains in urban and suburban areas, often using segregated tracks, particularly in city centres.<br />
* ''RB'' (''Regionalbahn''): Basic local services, usually calling at all stations except where a parallel ''S-Bahn'' route exists. <br />
* ''RE'' (''RegionalExpress''): Regular interval local or semi-fast trains calling at fewer stations than ''RB'' services. <br />
* ''IRE'' (''Inter-Regional Express''): Long-distance semi-fast trains. This designation is quite rarely used; it currently appears only in Baden-Württemberg.<br />
* ''IC'' (''InterCity''): Long-distance expresses, making limited stops. 'Traditional' loco-hauled ''IC'' trains are now fairly rare with many former ''IC'' services having been converted to ''ICE'' operation and many of those that remain being operated with double-deck ''IC2'' rolling stock.<br />
* ''EC'' (''EuroCity''): Similar to ''IC'', but for international journeys, often using non-German rolling stock. <br />
* ''RJ'' / ''RJX'' (''Railjet'' / ''Railjet Xpress''): High-speed Austrian Railways (ÖBB) trains to and from München via Salzburg.<br />
* ''ICE'' (''InterCity Express'') & ''ICE Sprinter'': High-speed, long-distance electric trains worked with dedicated ''ICE'' trainsets. These are the only trains to operate on certain stretches of high-speed line (''Schnellfahrstrecken'') such as between Frankfurt (Main) and Köln and between Hannover and Würzburg.<br />
* ''ECE'' (''EuroCity Express''): Trains between München and Zürich are designated ''ECE'' and are operated by Swiss Railways (SBB) high-speed trainsets.<br />
* ''EST'' (''Eurostar''): High-speed trains on the Köln – Brussels – Paris route, managed by the French and Belgian railways, rebranded from ''Thalys'' in October 2023. Not to be confused with the Paris/Brussels – London services through the Channel Tunnel, although they have been part of the same group since 2021.<br />
* ''NJ'' (''Nightjet''): Almost all of the remaining sleeper trains to and from Germany are operated by ÖBB (Austrian Railways) and branded as "Nightjet", the exceptions being non-ÖBB operated services such as those to Stockholm (operated by SJ) or Zagreb (operated by HZ) which retain the designation ''EN'' (''EuroNight'').<br />
* ''D-Zug'': This designation is derived from ''Durchgang'', the German for corridor. Its use for regular passenger trains is now very rare — the only remaining instances in Germany are on the "Sylt Shuttle Plus" services between Westerland (Sylt), Niebüll and Bredstedt, and the Snälltåget-operated Berlin – Malmö – Stockholm overnight services. It may still be used for an excursion or other special passenger train.<br />
<br />
A few services operate only during school term time, or are extensively altered during school holidays. The dates of holidays vary from ''Land'' to ''Land''.<br />
<br />
A brief Guide to [[Germany - Railway Terminology|German railway terminology]] is available.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
[[Category:General Information]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Hessen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55236Germany (Hessen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-02-27T14:03:27Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Groß Gerau – Groß Gerau-Dornberg */ use in March 2024</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services==<br />
Routes are ordered geographically. In the Frankfurt area, routes in and out of the Hauptbahnhof are considered first and then the various avoiding lines. In both cases, routes are ordered clockwise round the city, from Frankfurt am Main Süd to Frankfurt am Main West.<br />
<br />
'''Note''' During the complete closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Mannheim via Biblis) between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, local and long-distance services in the entire area between Frankfurt, Mainz, Darmstadt and Mannheim are severely affected. This site will attempt to incorporate these alterations into the appropriate entries as much as possible.<br />
<br />
===Eichenberg avoiding line: Friedland (Han) (Abzw Eichenberg Nordkopf) – Arenshausen (Abzw Eichenberg Ostkopf)===<br />
[540.1] (ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 100A1; S+W ''55B3'') DE24/501<br />
<br />
This north to east curve links the Göttingen and Nordhausen lines and is used by through trains between Göttingen, Leinefelde and Glauchau (Sachs), generally every two hours. Note that between Göttingen and Leinefelde, these trains stop only at Heilbad Heiligenstadt.<br />
<br />
===Bad Sooden-Allendorf (Abzw Eschwege-Wehre) – Wehretal-Reichensachsen (Abzw Eschwege-Stegmühle) ===<br />
(ERA-E 48B1; ERA-R 107A5; S+W ''55B4'') DE24/502<br />
<br />
Since the reopening of Eschwege Stadtbahnhof in 2009, all local trains between Eichenberg and Bebra reverse there, leaving and returning to the main line at a triangular junction at Eschwege West. Daytime expresses normally use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'', so the only passenger trains to use the main line, bypassing Eschwege, regularly are overnight ones. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:03/01:32 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ473<br />
| Hannover Hbf – 00:05 Göttingen - Zürich HB <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1081<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 01:13 Göttingen – München Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| D3<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1271<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:18 (MO) Göttingen – Chur <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D4<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1970<br />
| Rastatt – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D5<br />
| SuO/MSuO<br />
| ICE4<br />
| Zürich HB – 00:57 (MO) Fulda – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
|<br />
| ICE1080<br />
| München Hbf – 01:19 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|- <br />
| D6<br />
| <br />
| ICE990<br />
| München Hbf – 01:45/01:48/02:28 Bad Hersfeld – Hamburg-Altona <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:36 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D7<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:43 Würzburg Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| NJ470 <br />
| Zürich HB – 02:31 Hanau Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: Dep. Göttingen 01:32 10 December 2023 - 9 March 2024, 29 March - 8 August; 30 August - 14 December 2024; dep. Göttingen 00:03 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 10 - 28 March 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 21 July - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: 18, 25 August 2024<br />
<br />
D5: MSuO 1 - 21 January, SuO 1 September - 8 December 2024 (one day later from Fulda)<br />
<br />
D6: SuO 10 - 26 December 2023, 28 January - 25 February, 2 March - 12 June 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:45 following day); daily 14 June- 14 July (dep Bad Hersfeld 01:48 following day); SuO 21 - 8 December 2024 (dep Bad Hersfeld 02:28 following day)<br />
<br />
D7: 9 - 29 August 2024<br />
<br />
D8: 11 December 2023 - 27 March 2024, 1 April - 16 May, 30 August - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
[https://urlaubs-express.de/ ''Urlaubs Express''] trains to and from Hamburg are likely to use this route.<br />
<br />
===Bebra avoiding line: Ludwigsau-Friedlos (Abzw Blankenheim) – Ronshausen (Abzw Faßdorf)===<br />
[no table] (ERA-E 54B5; ERA-R 107A4; S+W ''67 inset'') DE24/503<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains between Fulda and Eisenach to avoid reversal at Bebra. It is used at least hourly by ''ICE'' services between Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig, which run non-stop between Fulda or Bad Hersfeld and Eisenach.<br />
<br />
===Gießen avoiding line: Dutenhofen – Großen Linden (Gießen Bergwald Stw Gs)===<br />
[445] (ERA-E 53C4; ERA-R 106A3; S+W ''65A4'') DE24/504<br />
<br />
This west to south curve enables trains to run between Wetzlar and Friedberg (Hess) without reversing at Gießen. It is used by ''IC'' trains every two hours between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and destinations via Siegen and also by:<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24531<br />
| Siegen – 05:47 Wetzlar – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| HLB RE24530<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 18:00 Bad Nauheim – Siegen<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Fulda area===<br />
[615] (ERA-E 54B4 not shown; ERA-R 107A3; S+W ''78C1'') DE24/505<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) (Fulda-Bronnzell) – Fulda via flyover====<br />
<br />
The flyover south of Fulda station allows trains northbound from Flieden access to the low-numbered platforms at Fulda without crossing the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' on the level. It is used by most ''RE50'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf '''terminating''' at Fulda which run hourly. <br />
<br />
Southbound ''RE50'' services to Frankfurt am Main Hbf starting from Fulda platform 1 use the same track as inbound terminating services via the flyover and rise as if heading that way, but then drop down to run underneath the flyover parallel with the southbound main line. Some travellers may also consider this to be a separate route.<br />
<br />
====Neuhof (Kr Fulda) via southbound platform loop====<br />
<br />
Local hourly stopping services from Fulda towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf must use the loop of the main line to call at Platform 3 as there is no platform on the southbound main line. This loop line is on a separate alignment well to the west of the main line.<br />
<br />
===Flieden – Sterbfritz (Elm Bbf)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A4-54B4; ERA-R 107A2; S+W ''78C1-78C2'') DE24/506<br />
<br />
This is part of the former main line between München and Hamburg. Daytime expresses now use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and diversion of Gemünden local trains to Schlüchtern, instead of Fulda, has left the route with regular passenger trains only during the night, plus occasional diversions.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ491<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 22:59 Göttingen – Wien Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC634<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 05:44 Würzburg Hbf – Bremen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1689<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 01:13 Göttingen - München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1688<br />
| München Hbf - 01:20 Würzburg Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ490<br />
| Wien Hbf – 02:35 Würzburg Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Nordseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3 not shown; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/507<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between the Maintal and Fulda lines. There are two spurs linking the Maintal line to Hanau Hbf Nordseite (Fulda line). The southerly one is for eastbound trains via platform 7 only. The other is reversible and links with platforms 2 to 7. Most local trains via Maintal Ost terminating or starting at Hanau Hbf normally use the reversible connection and platform 5. Trains from beyond Hanau that use platform 6 may use this connection if they call at Maintal Ost or run non-stop to Frankfurt am Main Süd.<br />
<br />
Most ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Offenbach (Main), but some are routed via Maintal. The following are scheduled to run via Maintal Ost and Hanau Hbf Nordseite. (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1658<br />
| Erfurt Hbf – 06:44 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE791<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:24 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE793<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8 <br />
| SSuO <br />
| ICE1285/1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:15/15:16 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE795<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:25 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE797<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof - 17:24 Hanau Hbf - Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:29 Hanau Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1699<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 18:47 Fulda – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|- <br />
| D9<br />
| <br />
| ICE273<br />
| Berlin Gesundbrunnen – 21:34 Hanau Hbf – Basel SBB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470<br />
| Zürich HB – 02:14 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE1590<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 08:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE992<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 10:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE798<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 12:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE796<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 14:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE794<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 16:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D10<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Berlin Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
|<br />
| ICE776<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Hbf – 17:15 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE792<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf - 18:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd - Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| <br />
| ICE1690<br />
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – 20:20 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Berlin Ostbahnhof<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Hanau West (Weiche 403/404) – Hanau Hbf (Südseite)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4 not shown; S+W ''153D2'') DE24/508<br />
<br />
This route is used by ''RB'' trains between Aschaffenburg and Frankfurt am Main via the Maintal line.<br />
<br />
===Offenbach (Main) Hbf - Offenbach (Main) Ost===<br />
[645.8-9] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''153B2'') DE24/509<br />
<br />
This 1.7km connecting line links the main Frankfurt - Hanau line at Offenbach Hbf with the ''S-Bahn'' line at Offenbach Ost. Early on Monday mornings certain ''S8'' trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Offenbach Ost run to and from Frankfurt am Main Hbf (high level) via Frankfurt am Main Süd and this line. <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Hbf: 00:39, 01:12 and 01:39, all MO <br />
<br />
From Offenbach (Main) Ost: 23:58 SuO; 00:28 and 01:01, both MO<br />
<br />
Note that these trains do not run between 16 June and 15 July 2024.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf===<br />
Trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Stadion, Neu Isenburg or Frankfurt am Main Süd may use two routes over the River Main, crossing the Niederräder Brücke or the Main-Neckar-Brücke, about 2 km further upstream. The line over the Niederräder Brücke gives access to platforms 1a through 8 on the south side (via Abzw Gutleuthof), platforms 15 through 24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof and the ''S-Bahn'' underground station. The Main-Neckar-Brücke gives access to platforms 4 through 13, but following construction of a new spur it may be possible for trains to run to platforms 1 to 3 as well. Platforms 4 through 8 are accessible from both bridges.<br />
<br />
Trains via Frankfurt am Main Süd and Neu Isenburg mainly use the Main-Neckar-Brücke and those via Frankfurt am Main Stadion mainly the Niederräder Brücke. There is little difference in journey time between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and the Hauptbahnhof via either bridge. However, there is a significant difference between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Hauptbahnhof, with trains via Niederräder Brücke being scheduled at least 10 minutes, rather than 6 or 7 minutes for the Main-Neckar-Brücke route.<br />
<br />
Many long-distance trains reverse at Frankfurt and, in the lists below, trains using a route inward are shown before those using it outward.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Süd==== <br />
[615, 615.1, 640] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151D3'') DE23/511<br />
<br />
Most trains run via Main-Neckar-Brücke. The following trains are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke and Abzw Forsthaus: List to follow<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| FO<br />
| IC2022<br />
| Nürnberg Hbf – 14:04 Aschaffenburg Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1285<br />
| Hamburg-Altona - 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1683<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 15:16 Hanau Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1594<br />
| 16:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FSSuX<br />
| ICE1951<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Erfurt Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE1733<br />
| 16:15 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| D8<br />
| SX<br />
| ICE776<br />
| 17:01 Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Hannover Hbf / Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
Local trains taking longer than ten minutes between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Süd can be expected to run via Frankfurt Niederrad.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)==== <br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151C3-151C4'') DE23/512<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Neu Isenburg, other than ''S-Bahn'', run via Main-Neckar-Brücke, but the following are scheduled via Niederräder Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC2286<br />
| Rottweil / Horb – 08:47 Darmstadt Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D9<br />
| SO<br />
| ICE1571<br />
| 07:02 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D<br />
| MO / FSSuX<br />
| IC1995<br />
| 16:51 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
''IC1995'' and ''IC2286'' run in connection with trade fairs.---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Stadion==== <br />
[471, 472, 655, 655.1] (ERA-E 57C2-57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B4'') DE24/513<br />
<br />
Most trains (and particularly ''RE'' and ''RB'' ones) run via Niederräder Brücke. Most ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use platforms 15–24 on the north side of the Hauptbahnhof. Most ''S-Bahn'' S7 services and many ''IC'' and ''ICE'' trains run via Abzw Gutleuthof and use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
The following trains are scheduled via Main-Neckar Brücke: (List to follow)<br />
<br />
<!---*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Mannheim Hbf hourly 05:50 to 21:50<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Frankfurt am Main Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof hourly 07:10 to 22:10<br />
*''ICE'' trains from Mannheim Hbf to Frankfurt am Main Hbf hourly 06:32 to 22:32, every two hours 06:41 to 20:41 and every two hours 07:16 to 19:16, but not when the 19:16 terminates at Frankfurt am Main Hbf <br />
<br />
Timings from Mannheim may vary by a few minutes, because of engineering work.<br />
<br />
The following trains are also scheduled to use this route:<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE698<br />
| München Hbf – 02:29 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE672<br />
| Wiesbaden Hbf – 05:32 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| MO<br />
| ICE696<br />
| Karlsruhe Hbf – 05:28 Mannheim Hbf – Berlin-Gesundbrunnen / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE27<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 12:01 Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof – Wien Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC459<br />
| Zürich HB – 23:42 Mannheim Hbf – Praha hl.n<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE887/1087<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 00:13 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE699<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 02:25 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – München Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| EC458<br />
| Praha hl.n – 04:00 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE826<br />
| 05:40 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Essen Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1097<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 09:34 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| ICE1554<br />
| Dresden Hbf – 20:56 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Wiesbaden Hbf / Saarbrücken Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Höchst====<br />
[466, 627, 646] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B3-122B2 not shown; S+W ''151C3-151B3'' partly shown) DE24/514<br />
<br />
Most trains, other than ''S-Bahn'', between Frankfurt-Höchst and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße. <br />
<br />
Most of those to and from Koblenz and Wiesbaden use the connection between Abzw Mainzer Landstraße and platforms 15–24 on the north side of Frankfurt am Main Hbf. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the ''Außenbahnhof'', came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
Most trains to and from Limburg (Lahn) run via Abzw Gutleuthof to use platforms 1–8 on the south side of the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
Generally only ''S-Bahn'' services to and from the low-level station at Frankfurt (Main) Hbf use the route via Frankfurt-Griesheim.<br />
<br />
====Frankfurt am Main Hbf - Frankfurt-Rödelheim (via Abzw Mainzer Landstraße)====<br />
[637] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-152D2'') DE24/515<br />
<br />
This route is used by the through trains between Brandoberndorf, Grävenwiesbach and Frankfurt am Main Hbf, all of which arrive and depart at the north side platforms. These run on Mondays to Fridays, peak hours only. ''S-Bahn'' trains between Frankfurt-Rödelheim and Frankfurt am Main Hbf run via Frankfurt West. A new westbound alignment to the north of the carriage sidings at Frankfurt (Main) Außenbahnhof, including a flyover over the western exit lines from the Außenbahnhof, came into use on 29 November 2021. The previously bidirectional single line is now used only for trains heading towards Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Süd (Abstellbahnhof) – Frankfurt-Louisa===<br />
[650, 650.2] (ERA-E 57C2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151D3-151C4'') DE24/521<br />
<br />
This east to south curve provides a link between Frankfurt am Main Süd and the Darmstadt line. There is a frequent ''S-Bahn'' service over tracks parallel to this route. List to follow.<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ471 / IC60471<br />
| Hamburg-Altona / Hannover Hbf – 04:32 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D8 <br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1079<br />
| Hamburg-Harburg / Hamburg-Altona – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Stuttgart Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1956<br />
| Leipzig Hbf – 17:55 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf <br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| ICE1085<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 19:45 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Karlsruhe Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| NJ470 / IC60470<br />
| Zürich HB – 01:53 Darmstadt Hbf – Hannover Hbf / Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D8<br />
| FO<br />
| ICE1694 / ICE1737<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SuO<br />
| IC1174<br />
| Basel SBB – 13:46 Darmstadt Hbf – Berlin-Südkreuz / Berlin-Gesundbrunnen<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Neu Isenburg (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[471, 650] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151C4'') DE23/522<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Neu Isenburg if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE1223<br />
| 06:47 Darmstadt Hbf - Düsseldorf Hbf (continues to München via Kassel)<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Stadion – Frankfurt am Main Süd (via Abzw Forsthaus)===<br />
[640] (ERA-E 57B2-57C2; ERA-R 122B2-122B3; S+W ''151B4-151D3'') DE24/523<br />
<br />
This route is used by trains between Frankfurt am Main Stadion and Frankfurt am Main Süd if not booked to call at Frankfurt am Main Hbf. It is used by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach and on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RB59'' services between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen and Hanau Hbf. <!---CHECK FOR ANY USE BY ICEs---><br />
<br />
See route DE24/521 (above) for details of trains that run via Frankfurt-Louisa, instead of the direct route via line 3650.<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Abzw Breckenheim) - Wiesbaden Hbf (Wiesbaden-Wäschbach)===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151B1 - 151D1'') DE23/524<br />
<br />
This branch off the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' is used by ''ICE'' trains between Köln and Wiesbaden Hbf. Owing to the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' (Frankfurt – Biblis – Mannheim) during the second half of the year, many more trains than usual are using this connection. List to follow:<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| Köln Hbf - 06:54 Limburg Süd - Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SX<br />
| ICE713<br />
| Köln Hbf - 18:20 Limburg Süd - Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE712<br />
| Mainz Hbf - 06:22 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
|<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE710<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf - 16:45 Wiesbaden Hbf - Köln Hbf / Köln Messe/Deutz<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
===Wiesbaden avoiding line: Wiesbaden-Biebrich - Wiesbaden Ost=== <br />
[466] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122B1; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/525<br />
<br />
This line allows trains to run between Frankfurt am Main and the ''Rechte Rheinstrecke'' (via Rüdesheim) without reversal at Wiesbaden Hbf. It is used by Monday to Friday ''RE'' peak trains between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Eltville or Rudesheim which do not call at Wiesbaden Hbf. The north and southbound routes differ significantly south of Wiesbaden Ost.<br />
<br />
From Mainz-Kastel: 08:35, 16:35, 18:35 all SSuX<br />
<br />
From Wiesbaden-Biebrich: 07:15, 09:15, 17:15 all SSuX<br />
<br />
Note that Table 466 shows an hourly service towards Eltville in the morning and evening peaks, but the journey planner only shows three trains in either direction.<br />
<br />
===Mainz-Bischofsheim (Abzw Kostheim Ost) – Mainz-Kastel (Abzw Kostheim)===<br />
<br />
[645.8-9, 651] (ERA-E 57A1-57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151D2-151C2'') DE24/526<br />
<br />
This connection across the Main splits in two parts at Abzw Kostheim Ost just north of the river. The two main tracks fly over the Höchst line and turn west to touch it briefly (Abzw Kostheim) before turning north to become route DE24/527 to the Kaiserbrücke over the Rhein. There is also a single-track south-to-west curve (line 3531) that avoids the flyover and diverges from the Höchst line to the south at Abzw Kostheim. This is used by trains from Mainz-Kastel to Bischofsheim, but all trains from Bischofsheim use the main track until Abzw Kostheim. The eastbound main track from Abzw Kostheim to Abzw Kostheim Ost is only used by trains coming from the Mainz Kaiserbrücke via route DE24/527.<br />
<br />
===Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) – Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57A2; ERA-R 122C1; S+W ''151C2'') DE24/527 <br />
<br />
This route allows trains from the north bank of the River Main to access the ''Kaiserbrücke'' over the River Rhein to Mainz, so trains can run between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Frankfurt-Höchst. This line can also be used to allow trains to run between Mainz-Bischofsheim and Mainz-Mombach without passing through Mainz Hbf. <br />
<br />
The line is used by ''RE4'' services, generally every two hours with peak extras, between Frankfurt am Main Hbf and Mainz Hbf via Hochheim (Main). <br />
<br />
===Kelsterbach – Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152C3-152D3'') DE24/528<br />
<br />
This is part of the original main line and is used by trains between Mainz Hbf and the Frankfurt area via Kelsterbach, which stop at neither of the stations at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29243<br />
| Kirchheimbolanden – 06:56 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| RE29205<br />
| Alzey – 07:41 Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt am Main Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt am Main Stadion===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2 not shown; ERA-R 122B2 not shown; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/529<br />
<br />
Where the new line from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regionalbahnhof converges with the old main line via Kelsterbach west of Frankfurt am Main Stadion, two routes are possible. Trains to and from the ''S-Bahn'' tunnel route under the city centre cross the Kelsterbach line on a flyover. There is also a single track connection directly to the line from Kelsterbach which is used by certain ''RE'' trains '''to''' the Hauptbahnhof high-level station. <br />
<br />
It is used additionally by the hourly ''RB58'' services between Rüsselsheim Opelwerk and Laufach via Hanau, also on Mondays to Fridays by the two-hourly ''RE59'' services between Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbf and Hanau Hbf. These trains run via platforms 4 and 5 at Frankfurt am Main Stadion, where ''RE59'' makes a call, and Frankfurt am Main Süd, avoiding Frankfurt am Main Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Raunheim (Abzw Mönchwald) – Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf (Abzw Mönchhof)===<br />
[471] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''152B4'') DE24/530 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This spur connects the old main line from Mainz Hbf to the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' from Köln. It is used by trains calling at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf. There is a generally hourly ''ICE'' service for most of the day. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf – Zeppelinheim===<br />
[655.1] (ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''152D3'') DE24/531 <!---CHECK FOR RIEDBAHN ALTERATIONS---><br />
<br />
This grade-separated south to west curve is from Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf to the line to Mannheim via Biblis. It is used by trains running direct between Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf and Mannheim. These are ''ICE'' services at least hourly. Services will be altered during the closure of the ''Riedbahn'' via Biblis between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024; details to follow.<br />
<br />
===Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Stockschneise) – Darmstadt Nord – Darmstadt-Kranichstein===<br />
(ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W 154C2) DE24/532<br />
<br />
This west to east route connects the Mainz and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. Between Darmstadt Nord and Darmstadt-Kranichstein it has its own alignment, different from the one used by local passenger trains. The [https://bahnwelt.de/ Darmstadt-Kranichstein railway museum] sometimes runs a shuttle service between Groß-Gerau and Kranichstein during its annual ''Bahnwelttage'' event in May.<br />
<br />
The route is also occasionally used for diversion of ''RB75'' trains between Mainz and Aschaffenburg.<br />
<br />
===Arheilgen – Darmstadt-Nord===<br />
[641] (ERA-E 57B1; ERA-R 122C2-122C3; S+W ''154C2'') DE24/533<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Frankfurt am Main and Aschaffenburg lines north of Darmstadt Hbf. It is used by through trains between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf and Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach via Darmstadt Nord, generally hourly. <br />
<br />
===Darmstadt Hbf – Weiterstadt (Abzw Darmstadt Bergschneise ''and'' Abzw Weiterstadt Stockschneise)===<br />
[651] (ERA-E 57B1 partly shown; S+W ''154C3-154C2'') DE24/534<br />
<br />
Darmstadt Hbf is connected to the line towards Mainz by three geographically separate tracks, of which two constitute a widely separated double track flying junction and the third is reversible.<br />
<br />
The Darmstadt to Mainz track diverges from the main track towards Frankfurt (line 3605) north of Darmstadt Hbf, at about the the place where it passes over the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line. It then makes a 135° curve to the left and joins the Aschaffenburg – Mainz line from the north at Abzw Stockschneise. It was formerly numbered as line 3537 but is now numbered as 3530 as the Mainz-bound track of the double-track Darmstadt to Mainz line. The Mainz to Darmstadt track of line 3530 diverges to the south at Abzw Stockschneise directly to the Hauptbahnhof, where it eventually becomes platform 9.<br />
<br />
Between these two tracks, there is a reversible track (line 3541) which splits from the Mainz - Aschaffenburg line on the flat at Abzw Bergschneise, 1 km east of Abzw Stockschneise. At Darmstadt Hbf it arrives between the tracks from/to Darmstadt Nord, which eventually become platforms 7 and 8.<br />
<br />
Trains from Mainz use the short curve of line 3530. Trains towards Mainz from platforms 8 and 9 (which are most of them) can only use the reversible Bergschneise route as line 3605 and therefore the Stockschneise route cannot be reached from these platforms. <br />
<br />
Only two services at 06:12 and 08:12 (both SSuX) depart from platform 7 and so can use either route. The Stockschneise route is longer but allows higher speeds. Reports in the last couple of years have confirmed that both trains took the Stockschneise route and therefore the 'long curve'. Which route is used can be seen from the position of the scissors crossover points just north of the platforms – left for the Bergschneise route, right for the Stockschneise route.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Hanau avoiding line: Großkrotzenburg - Hanau Nord (Rauschwald)=== <br />
(ERA-E 54A3; ERA-R 122B4; S+W ''151D2'') DE24/541 <!---APPARENTLY IN PASSENGER USE IN 2024; CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This line is used occasionally, particularly by overnight trains, to allow trains to run between the Aschaffenburg and Fulda or Friedberg lines without reversal at Hanau Hbf. List to follow.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt am Main West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Louisa (Main-Neckar Brücke)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B3; S+W ''151C3'') DE24/542<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south, but particularly via Darmstadt, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. Use of this route is indicated by trains calling at Frankfurt am Main West instead of the Hauptbahnhof.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt West (Galluswarte) – Frankfurt-Niederrad / Frankfurt Griesheim=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C3-151B3'') DE24/543<br />
<br />
This line provides a link between Frankfurt West and lines to the south via Niederräder Brücke or to the west via Griesheim, for trains not required to call at the Hauptbahnhof. <br />
<br />
This route is sometimes also used by ''IC'' trains when there is engineering working in the Hauptbahnhof area. However, as most ''IC'' trains via Frankfurt West also run via Darmstadt, use of route DE24/542 is more likely.<br />
<br />
===Frankfurt am Main Hbf avoiding line: Frankfurt-Niederrad – Frankfurt-Höchst=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122B2; S+W ''151C4-152C2'') DE24/544 <---CHECK FOR ANY FV USE IN 2024---><br />
<br />
There are two possible routes between Niederräder Brücke and Frankfurt-Höchst – a south to east curve to the ''S-Bahn'' line via Frankfurt-Griesheim and a south to north link to the main line at Abzw. Mainzer Landstraße.<br />
<br />
On various dates the following overnight services are booked to run via Niederräder Brücke and Höchst; however it is unclear which of the two routes they will take in between these points. Whether trains will run via one or other of these routes can be confirmed by their omitting calls at both Mainz Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf.<br />
<br />
<!---{| class="ostable"<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ420<br />
| Innsbruck Hbf – 03:47 Frankfurt am Main Süd – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D12<br />
| Daily / MWFX<br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 23:46 Koblenz Hbf – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|}---><br />
<br />
<br />
===Limburg Süd (Caltex) - Kelsterbach (Brunnenschneise)=== <br />
(ERA-E 57B2; ERA-R 122C2-122B2; S+W ''152B3'') DE24/544<br />
<br />
This north to east curve allows trains to run between the Köln - Frankfurt ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' and the old main line between Mainz and Frankfurt. Use by passenger trains is extremely rare and further diversions are unlikely soon, but are indicated by a stop at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbf being omitted.<br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau – Groß Gerau-Dornberg===<br />
[660] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/545 <!---APPARENTLY IN USE IN EARLY 2024 WHEN RIEDBAHN IS OPEN - CHECK FOR TRAINS---><br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Mainz to Darmstadt line with the Frankfurt am Main to Mannheim ''Riedbahn''.<br />
<br />
''IC'' and ''EC'' trains between Mainz and Mannheim not calling at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen normally run via Worms, but are sometimes diverted via this curve. Relief ''IC'' trains may also run this way, and it has been used at short notice when there is an operating or infrastructure problem on the Worms route. If local trains via Worms are replaced by buses, it is likely that ''IC'' and ''EC'' trains will use this route. <br />
<br />
Between 11 and 24 March 2024, ''IC/EC/ICE'' trains between Mainz Hbf and Mannheim Hbf are diverted this way, not calling at Worms Hbf.<br />
<br />
<!---TRAINS RUNNING THIS WAY DURING RIEDBAHN CLOSURE??---><br />
<br />
===Groß Gerau-Dornberg – Klein Gerau (Abzw Klein Gerau Eichmühle)===<br />
[655] (ERA-E 47B1; ERA-R 122C2; S+W ''154A2'') DE24/546<br />
<br />
This is the east to south curve at Groß Gerau. Occasionally, ''RE70'' services between Mannheim Hbf and Frankfurt are diverted to/from Frankfurt am Main Süd via this curve, reversing at Darmstadt Hbf, with a public call there.<br />
<br />
Note that during the total closure of the ''Riedbahn'' between 2 and 22 January and between 16 July and 14 December 2024, it will not be possible to divert any trains via this route.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Nordrhein-Westfalen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55231Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-02-26T16:30:46Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Hagen-Vorhalle */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines with regular use==<br />
<br />
===Dortmund Hbf (Abzw Lütgendortmund) – Witten Hbf (Abzw Stockumer Straße)===<br />
[427, 440] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138D3'') DE24/351<br />
<br />
This east to south curve is used by trains running non-stop between Dortmund Hbf and Witten Hbf or Hagen Hbf. There are ''IC/ICE'' services to and from Hagen, generally hourly, and regular ''RE4'' and ''RE34'' trains to and from Witten.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund Aplerbeck Süd (Abzw Schwerte Heide) – Fröndenberg (Schwerte Ost)===<br />
[435, 438] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98B3; S+W ''139C3'') DE24/352<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Dortmund and Brilon Wald lines east of Schwerte (Ruhr). It is used by through trains between Dortmund Hbf and Bestwig, Brilon Wald, Brilon Stadt or Willingen, approximately hourly, except for trains at 21:23, 22:23 and 23:23 from Dortmund Hbf, also 00:23 SSuO and 01:23 SSuO, which reverse at Schwerte (Ruhr). <br />
<br />
===Recklinghausen Süd – Bochum-Riemke (Herne-Rottbruch)===<br />
[428] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138B1-B2'') DE24/353<br />
<br />
This line links the line from Recklinghausen Hbf to Gelsenkirchen with the Gelsenkirchen to Bochum ''Gluckauf-Bahn'' by crossing over the Gelsenkirchen – Herne – Dortmund line.<br />
<br />
From 7 January 2024 it is used by a new hourly ''RE41'' service between Haltern am See and Bochum Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Hagen-Vorhalle===<br />
[440] (ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3-98B3; S+W ''139B4'') DE24/354 <br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Siegen and Witten lines avoiding Hagen Hbf. It is used by ''RE34'' services between Dillenburg or Siegen and Dortmund, which run non-stop between Hohenlimburg and Witten Hbf. These run generally hourly.<br />
<br />
It is also used by a series of ''IC34'' trains between Frankfurt (Main) and Dortmund Hbf or Münster (Westf) Hbf. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| IC2328<br />
| Siegen Hbf – 06:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| IC2326<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf (SSuX) / Siegen Hbf (SO) – 08:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2324<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf (SuX) / Siegen Hbf (SuO) – 10:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2320<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2228<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 16:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2226<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 18:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2224<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 20:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| IC2223<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 05:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| IC2225<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 07:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2229<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 11:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2323<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 15:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2325<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 17:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2327<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 19:14 Witten Hbf – Siegen Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Note that until at least the end of 2026, local tickets (including the ''Deutschland-Ticket'' and the NRW ''SchönerTagTicket'') are valid on ''IC'' trains between Dillenburg and Dortmund. This is an attempt to ease the traffic chaos that has followed the closure of the nearby A45 ''Autobahn'' viaduct at Rahmede.<br />
<br />
===Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Westhofen (Westf))=== <br />
[440] (ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3-98B3; S+W ''139B4'') DE24/355 <br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Siegen and Schwerte lines avoiding Hagen Hbf. It is used by the following ''IC'' services. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2322<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 12:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Norddeich Mole<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2228<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 16:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2227<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 09:30 Schwerte (Ruhr) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2321<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 13:30 Schwerte (Ruhr) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Bochum Hbf (Abzw Prinz von Preußen) – Abzw Dortmund-Dorstfeld – Dortmund Signal Iduna Park (Abzw Schnettkerbrücke)===<br />
(ERA-E 46B5-46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138C3-139A3'') DE24/356<br />
<br />
These connections link Bochum Hbf with Dortmund Signal Iduna Park via the goods lines which run parallel to the main Bochum to Dortmund line, thus avoiding Dortmund Hbf. <br />
<br />
Eastbound services depart from Bochum Hbf platform 5, which means that they must run via the main Bochum to Dortmund line and gain the goods lines via a connection from Bochum-Langendreer to Langendreer Ost. Westbound services arrive at Platform 2, which means that they must run via the freight lines all the way to Abzw Bochum Prinz von Preußen, thence by a single-track connection to platform 2. <br />
<br />
Since 15 April 2023, ''RE11'' services have reverted to running via Kamen so these connections are no longer in daily use.<br />
<br />
The line is used by football specials which run between Duisburg and Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park when Borussia Dortmund are playing at home.<br />
<br />
===Neuss avoiding line: Neuss Am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal) – Meerbusch-Osterath (Abzw Weißenberg)===<br />
[495] (ERA-E 46A4; ERA-R 97A1; S+W ''140C3'') DE24/357<br />
<br />
This east to north curve is used by trains between Düsseldorf Hbf and Krefeld not calling at Neuss Hbf. These are the half-hourly (hourly at weekends) services between Düsseldorf Hbf and Kleve.<br />
<br />
===Holzheim b. Neuss / Neuss Süd (Neuss Nordkanal) – Neuss Hbf – Neuss Am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal)===<br />
[450.8/11/28, 485, 488] (ERA-E 46A3 not shown; ERA-R 97A1; S+W ''140C3-140C4'') DE24/358<br />
<br />
Neuss Hbf is in two parts, the eastern platforms 1-4 and the western platforms 5-8, with separate approach tracks to each from the Düsseldorf, Grevenbroich and Köln lines. All ''S-Bahn'' trains use the west side, with ''S11'' services to and from Köln Hbf using the long curve (line 2531) to Neuss Nordkanal. All ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use the east side with the exception of ''RE4'' and ''RE13'' via Mönchengladbach, which must use the west side.<br />
<br />
===Köln Südbrücke===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 42A5-B4; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A3-148D2'') DE24/359<br />
<br />
The Südbrücke provides an alternative route across the Rhein to the Hohenzollernbrücke at Köln Hbf. It has north and south-facing connections to the main lines on both sides of the river. It is mainly used by freight.<br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Troisdorf (via Köln-Bonntor and Gremberg Rbf)''': This north-west to south-east route enables trains via Troisdorf, but not Köln/Bonn Flughafen, to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. Between Abzw Steinstraße (where the line from Südbrücke joins) and Troisdorf, trains from Südbrücke that do not use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' will use the goods line to the west of the high-speed line, rather than the local passenger line to the east of it. <br />
<br />
The following services run this way. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| 06:01 Köln Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| FSSuO<br />
| ICE155<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 15:15 Köln-Ehrenfeld – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE14<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:30 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| ICE254<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:53 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| various days<br />
| NJ424<br />
| Berlin Hbf (tief) – 06:29/06:30 Bonn-Beuel – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 11-29 December 2023; 22 January - 15 July 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 6-19 January, 2 November - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 2 September - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: MWO 8-17 January, 19-21 February; MWFO 22 March - 5 April, 13 May - 12 June; Daily 1 November - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
All services that do not run to or from Köln Hbf also use the curve between Köln West and Köln-Ehrenfeld (DE24/360).<br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Troisdorf (via Köln-Bonntor and Köln-Kalk Süd)''': This alternative north-west to south-east route enables trains via Köln/Bonn Flughafen to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. <br />
<br />
This route must also be used by any services diverted via the Südbrücke calling at, or running through the two platform tracks at Porz (Rhein) as it is then impossible to travel via Gremberg Rbf. <br />
<br />
It was used in April 2023 by diverted ''RE8'' and ''RB27'' (Mönchengladbach Hbf – Koblenz Hbf) services in the direction of Koblenz Hbf only, and by ''RE9'' (Siegen Hbf – Aachen Hbf) services in the direction of Aachen Hbf only. <br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Köln-Mulheim (via Köln-Bonntor and Köln-Kalk)''': This north-west to north-east route enables trains via Leverkusen Mitte or Solingen Hbf to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. When the line through Köln Messe/Deutz is blocked, trains may be diverted this way.<br />
<br />
'''Troisdorf – Hürth-Kalscheuren (Köln Eifeltor) (via Köln-Kalk and Köln Bonntor)''': This south-east to south-west route sees very occasional use by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
'''Köln-Mülheim – Hürth-Kalscheuren (Köln Eifeltor) (via Köln-Kalk and Köln Bonntor)''': This north-east to south-west route sees very occasional use by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
===Köln-Ehrenfeld – Köln West===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2-146A3'') DE24/360 <br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Aachen and Koblenz lines west of Köln Hbf. It is used to enable trains which have been diverted over the Südbrücke (DE24/359) to reach the Aachen line when they are unable to run via Köln Hbf. This can often be discerned by these services calling at Köln-Ehrenfeld instead of Köln Hbf.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| FSSuO<br />
| ICE155<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 15:15 Köln-Ehrenfeld – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE14<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:30 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE254<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:53 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| various days<br />
| NJ424<br />
| Berlin Hbf (tief) – 06:29/06:30 Bonn-Beuel – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 6-19 January, 2 November - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 2 September - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: MWO 8-17 January, 19-21 February; MWFO 22 March - 5 April, 13 May - 12 June; Daily 1 November - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
===Horrem===<br />
[481] (ERA-E 52C5; ERA-R 104C4; S+W ''63A2'') DE24/360<br />
<br />
There is a triangular junction at Horrem station. Bedburg trains terminating and starting at Horrem use platform 10 on the north to west curve. These run hourly, Mondays to Fridays. Trains between Bedburg and Köln Hbf use platform 19 on the north to east curve. These run hourly every day.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Buke – Langeland (Altenbeken Kurve)===<br />
[360.5, 430] (ERA-E 48A2; ERA-R 99B3; S+W ''53C1'') DE24/371<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains to run between the Warburg and Hameln lines without reversing at Altenbeken. It is used when the classic line from Hannover via Göttingen is unavailable.<br />
<br />
===Münster (Westf) avoiding line: Südmühle – Münster Kanal – Münster-Lechtenberg===<br />
[385, 410] (ERA-E 47B3; ERA-R 96B3; S+W ''134C1-134C2'') DE24/372<br />
<br />
This line passes to the east of Münster and enables trains between the Osnabück and Hamm lines to avoid the Hauptbahnhof. It is used occasionally by diverted ''IC/ICE'' services between Hamburg and Köln.<br />
<br />
===Minden (Westf) – Hamm (via Goods Line)===<br />
[370, 400] (ERA-E 48A4-47B2 not shown; ERA-R 99B5-96B3 not shown; S+W ''41C1-52B1'') DE24/373<br />
<br />
Hamm to Minden is the longest quadruple line in Germany. Between Bielefeld and Gütersloh the goods lines fly over the passenger lines, and between Heessen and Ahlen they dive under. For the latter a newish platform 6 had been built on the eastbound goods line at Ahlen so anything calling at it must use the diveunder but there was nothing shown in Hafas in January 2024 as doing so. The goods lines are sometimes used by relief trains between Hannover and the Ruhr in order to overtake stopping services, plus when engineering work is taking place on the main line which may be indicated by stopping trains being advertised not to call at certain stations. Numerous crossovers allow trains to switch between the passenger and goods lines, so the full length of the goods lines is rarely used by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
===Hamm (Westf) avoiding line: Nordbögge (Hamm Rbf Hso) – Welver (Abzw Hamm Gallberg)===<br />
[415] (ERA-E 47B2; ERA-R 98C5; S+W ''134B4'') DE24/374<br />
<br />
This curve (line 2921) links the lines from south and west of Hamm with the line to Soest and enables trains to run between the Dortmund area and Soest without reversing at Hamm (Westf) Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Hamm (Westf) (Hamm Rbf Hde) – Horstmar – Recklinghausen Ost (Abzw Recklinghausen Blumenthal) [– Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord]===<br />
[415, 450.9] (ERA-E 47B2-46B5; ERA-R 98C5-97C5; S+W ''52B1-51B2'') DE24/375<br />
<br />
This east-west freight line runs to the north of the Ruhr conurbation. Trains between Hamm and Dortmund may be diverted via Abzw Horstmar and Lünen Preußen when the main line via Kamen is blocked. <br />
<br />
Trains between Hamm and Gelsenkirchen may be diverted via Recklinghausen Ost and Wanne-Eickel. Trains not stopping between Hamm Hbf and Bottrop Hbf or Oberhausen Hbf are likely to run via Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord.<br />
<br />
''S9'' services now run between Recklinghausen Hbf and Gladbeck West; therefore the western end of this line between Abzw Recklinghausen Blumenthal and Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord is a normal passenger line.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund-Mengede (Dortmund-Nette) – Dortmund-Deusen – Dortmund-Kirchderne===<br />
[411, 416] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4-98B4; S+W ''139A1-139B2'') DE24/376<br />
<br />
This freight line round the north side of Dortmund links the lines to Wanne-Eickel and Münster. It may be used by trains diverted away from Dortmund Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund-Mengede (Dortmund-Nette) – Dortmund-Deusen – Dortmund-Kurl (Dortmund-Scharnhorst)===<br />
[411, 416] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4-98B4; S+W ''139A1-139B2'') DE24/377<br />
<br />
This freight line round the north side of Dortmund links the lines to Wanne-Eickel and Hamm. It may be used by trains diverted away from Dortmund Hbf. It is common with the previous entry between Abzw Nette and Dortmund-Obereving.<br />
<br />
It was used in May 2023 by the hourly ''RE3'' trains from Hamm (Westf) Hbf to Düsseldorf Hbf, in that direction only, which ran non-stop from Dortmund-Kurl to Dortmund-Mengede, omitting Dortmund Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Herne (Herne-Rottbruch Hgn) – Gelsenkirchen Zoo (Wanne Unser Fritz) via Abzw Crange===<br />
[426] (ERA-E 46xx; ERA-R 98xx; S+W ''138B2'') DE24/378<br />
<br />
This line links Herne with the line via Gelsenkirchen Zoo to Dorsten via Gladbeck Ost and to Bottrop Süd, avoiding Wanne-Eickel Hbf. The hourly ''RB43'' Dorsten - Dortmund services are diverted this way between 10 December 2023 and 19 April 2024, not calling at Wanne-Eickel Hbf. <br />
<br />
===Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf-Eller=== <br />
[415] (ERA-E 46A5-46A3; ERA-R 97B4-97B1; S+W ''141A4-137A2'') DE24/379<br />
<br />
This line, together with Hilden – Opladen, forms a freight route between Köln and Oberhausen, only limited sections of which are used by passenger trains. From Oberhausen West trains may run to a variety of places, including the Emmerich line, Bottrop Hbf, Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck and Essen-Bergeborbeck. The following routes, among others, are possible.<br />
<br />
The following trains run non-stop between the stations indicated, with a timing point at Düsseldorf-Eller, so may use some of the routes listed below; however from the information available to the compilers, it is not clear which actual route will be taken: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| IC2005<br />
| Emden Hbf – 08:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE731<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 10:38 Recklinghausen Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2009<br />
| Emden Hbf – 10:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf then (SO) to Konstanz <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2201<br />
| Bremerhaven Hbf – 12:25 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE2203<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 14:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2305<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 15:45 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE605<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 17:11 Bottrop Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE607<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 18:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE2209<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 21:00 Recklinghausen Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThFSO<br />
| IC2208<br />
| 05:39 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE606<br />
| 06:57 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2306<br />
| 08:00 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE604<br />
| 09:38 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2202<br />
| 11:44 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2200<br />
| 13:41 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThSX<br />
| IC2004<br />
| Konstanz (FSuO) – 15:45 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| ThO<br />
| IC2014<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SO<br />
| IC2006<br />
| Konstanz – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Dortmund Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Herne (unadvertised stop))<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE1030<br />
| 16:06 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2002<br />
| 17:35 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE730<br />
| 19:38 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 23 March - 6 April 2024<br />
<br />
'''Essen-Bergeborbeck – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Gelsenkirchen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Bottrop Hbf – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Hamm, Dortmund, Recklinghausen or Münster, running via DE24/385, and Duisburg Hbf, omitting calls in the Ruhr up to Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Duisburg Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Essen-Bergeborbeck – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Gelsenkirchen Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting both Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West - Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Wanne-Eickel Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Gelsenkirchen Hbf, Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Bottrop Hbf – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains running via DE24/385, not stopping until Düsseldorf Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf-Eller'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf, Duisburg Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf.<br />
<br />
The following trains run non-stop between Köln Hbf and Arnhem Centraal, with a timing point at Düsseldorf-Eller so can be expected to run this way.<br />
<br />
{| class= "ostable"<br />
| D1 <br />
| <br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 20:08 Arnhem Centraal – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ403/IC60403<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 22:02 Arnhem Centraal – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ402/IC60402<br />
| Zürich HB – 05:56 Köln Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 23 March - 6 April 2024 (7 April from Köln)<br />
<br />
'''Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf Hbf via Düsseldorf-Eller Mitte'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains when the approach to Düsseldorf Hbf from the north is not available.<br />
<br />
===Bottrop Hbf/Oberhausen Hbf – Oberhausen West – Moers (Meerbeck) ''and'' Trompet - Krefeld-Uerdingen=== <br />
[415, 490] (ERA-E 46B5-46A4; ERA-R 97B4-97A4; S+W ''137A2-136C4'') DE24/380<br />
<br />
This route which crosses the Rhein by the Haus-Knipp-Brücke avoids the Duisburg area and is only occasionally used for passenger trains. At its eastern end it has connections towards Bottrop Hbf and Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Meerbusch-Osterath (Krefeld-Lohbruch) – Krefeld-Linn===<br />
(ERA-E 46A4; ERA-R 97A2; S+W ''140C1'') DE24/381<br />
<br />
This part of the line from Neuss to Duisburg, avoiding Krefeld Hbf, does not have a regular passenger service. During engineering work, services running non-stop from Köln Hbf to Duisburg Hbf may either run via this curve and Neuss or via Hilden (DE24/382). Trains starting or terminating in Köln Hbf may use either route but ones coming up the Rhein valley from Koblenz without sufficient time to reverse in Köln Hbf are more likely to use DE24/382.<br />
<br />
It was also used in 2023 by diverted RE42 Mönchengladbach Hbf - Duisburg Hbf trains and will again by limited services on the nights of 19/20 & 24/25 January 2024 as confirmed by no calls at Viersen or Krefeld Hbf. Some but not all of the 2023 RE42 diversions also ran through the yard at Neuss.<br />
<br />
===Witten Hbf – Hagen-Vorhalle===<br />
(ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3; S+W ''138D4-143A1'') DE24/382<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Witten Hbf and Hagen-Vorhalle. Passenger trains normally use the line via Wetter (Ruhr) to the east of the Ruhr river but may occasionally be diverted via the freight line west of the river. This occurs on the weekend of 1 & 2 March 2024, when all ''RB40'' Hagen – Essen and ''RE34'' Siegen – Dortmund services '''in that direction''' are diverted this way with ''RB40'' omitting calls at Wetter (Ruhr) and Witten Hbf and ''RE34'' omitting Witten Hbf (presumably passing Witten Hbf on a non-platform road). In the other direction only a very few late-night services are diverted.<br />
<br />
===Hagen-Vorhalle – Abzw Hohensyburg – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Westhofen (Westf))===<br />
(ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3; S+W ''139A4-139B4'') DE24/383<br />
<br />
This connection links both the Ruhr east and west-bank lines (DE24/382) with the Hagen to Hamm (Westf) line, avoiding Hagen Hbf. It was formerly used by winter ski trains between Dortmund and Winterberg (Westf), but these have not run since 2019.<br />
<br />
===Siegen avoiding line: Siegen-Weidenau – Wilnsdorf-Rudersdorf (Siegen Ost Gbf)===<br />
[440, 445] (S+W ''64C2'') DE24/384<br />
<br />
This connection links the Hagen and Gießen lines, avoiding Siegen Hbf. It is heavily used by freight trains, but only has a passenger service when trains are diverted away from Siegen Hbf.<br />
<br />
If the 2-hourly ''IC'' services between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Siegen Hbf and Dortmund Hbf or Münster (Westf) Hbf (in either direction) are running late, they have been known to omit Siegen Hbf and use this connection, calling only at Siegen-Weidenau, which is now a booked stop on these services.<br />
<br />
===Düsseldorf Flughafen (Abzw Düsseldorf-Unterrath Karthauser Weg) – Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal (Abzw Düsseldorf Flughafen W884)===<br />
[415.1, 416] S+W ''141A2'' DE24/385<br />
<br />
This north to west curve enables trains from the north to reach the terminus station at Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal, which is normally only served by ''S-Bahn'' trains from the south. Since July 2020 the one very early morning train that used this line has not run, but when there is engineering work this curve is occasionally used by ''RE'' services diverted away from Düsseldorf Hbf to turn round.<br />
<br />
===Hilden – Opladen===<br />
[415] (ERA-E 46B3-47A1; ERA-R 97B1-104A2; S+W ''141B4-147C2'') DE24/386 <br />
<br />
This freight line forms part of an alternative route between Düsseldorf and Köln. It is frequently used for diversions of ''RE'' and long-distance services. The following services run this way on the dates shown:<br />
<br />
{| class= "ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| ThFSO<br />
| IC2208<br />
| 05:39 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ402/IC60402<br />
| Zürich HB – 05:56 Köln Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE606<br />
| 06:57 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2306<br />
| 08:00 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| <br />
| IC/ICE604<br />
| 09:38 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf / Emden Außenhafen<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2202<br />
| 11:44 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| TThSX<br />
| IC2206<br />
| 12:41 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThSX<br />
| IC2004<br />
| Konstanz (FSuO) – 15:45 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| ThO<br />
| IC2014<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SO<br />
| IC2006<br />
| Konstanz – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE1030<br />
| 16:06 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2002<br />
| 17:35 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE730<br />
| 19:38 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| IC2005<br />
| Emden Hbf – 08:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE731<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 10:38 Recklinghausen Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2009<br />
| Emden Hbf – 10:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf / Konstanz (SO)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2201<br />
| Bremerhaven Hbf – 12:25 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE2203<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 14:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2305<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 15:45 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE605<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 17:11 Bottrop Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE607<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 18:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1 <br />
| <br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 20:08 Arnhem Centraal – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE2209<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 21:00 Recklinghausen Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE844<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 22:09 Düsseldorf Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ403/IC60403<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 22:02 Arnhem Centraal – Zürich HB<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 24 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 24 March - 6 April 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 19 October - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
''Note'': Runds as ''IC604'' until 29 February, then as ''ICE604'' from 1 March 2024<br />
<br />
===Köln-Ehrenfeld – Köln-Nippes===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2'') DE24/387<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the Aachen and Neuss lines west of Köln Hbf. It is used by services between Aachen and Düsseldorf if they are unable to run via Köln Hbf. <br />
<br />
===Köln-Mülheim (Abzw Berliner Straße) – Köln Messe/Deutz===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5 not shown; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146C2-146C3'') DE24/388<br />
<br />
There is an alternative route between Köln-Mülheim and Köln Messe/Deutz, east of the S-Bahn tracks at Köln-Mülheim, then flying over most of the layout to the high-level platforms at Köln Messe/Deutz. <br />
<br />
===Köln Frankfurter Straße (Abzw Vingst) – Köln-Kalk Nord – Köln-Mülheim===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1-104B1; S+W ''146C4-146C2'') DE24/389 <br />
<br />
This is an alternative route route between Porz-Wahn and Köln-Mülheim which is more direct than that via Köln Messe/Deutz. It has occasionally been used by ''IC/ICE'' services not calling at Köln Messe/Deutz low-level platforms 11/12 but no use of this route has been identified in the current timetable.<br />
<br />
===Köln-Longerich – Köln West===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2-146A3'') DE24/390<br />
<br />
This north-south line links the Neuss and Koblenz routes to the west of Köln Hbf. It has occasionally been used by diverted ''RE5'' services between Duisburg Hbf and Koblenz Hbf, running via Neuss Hbf and avoiding Düsseldorf Hbf and Köln Hbf. With this diversion, trains also used the Krefeld eastern avoider (DE24/381).<br />
<br />
''IC/ICE'' trains may also be diverted over this line, running non-stop between Düsseldorf Hbf and Köln Süd, not calling at Köln Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Köln Hbf (Köln-Hansaring) – Hürth-Kalscheuren via goods lines===<br />
(ERA-E 42xx; ERA-R 104xx; S+W ''147A3-148B2'') DE24/391<br />
<br />
Between Köln West and Hürth-Kalscheuren a pair of goods lines run to the east of the passenger lines, with a single-track connection diving under the northbound passenger line between Köln-Hansaring and Köln West Abzw Ws, where it joins the goods lines which have come from Köln-Nippes and Köln-Ehrenfeld. The goods lines may be used in part by trains running via the Südbrücke to or from north or south (DE24/359).<br />
<br />
===Viersen (Viersen Helenabrunn) – Wickrath (Rheydt Gbf) (Mönchengladbach avoiding line)===<br />
[485, 490] (S+W ''50C4'') DE24/392<br />
<br />
This line avoiding Mönchengladbach Hbf links the line from Krefeld and Venlo with the Aachen line. It is used if there are engineering works in the area of Mönchengladbach Hbf.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Nordrhein-Westfalen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55225Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-02-24T19:03:31Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Witten Hbf – Hagen-Vorhalle */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines with regular use==<br />
<br />
===Dortmund Hbf (Abzw Lütgendortmund) – Witten Hbf (Abzw Stockumer Straße)===<br />
[427, 440] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138D3'') DE24/351<br />
<br />
This east to south curve is used by trains running non-stop between Dortmund Hbf and Witten Hbf or Hagen Hbf. There are ''IC/ICE'' services to and from Hagen, generally hourly, and regular ''RE4'' and ''RE34'' trains to and from Witten.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund Aplerbeck Süd (Abzw Schwerte Heide) – Fröndenberg (Schwerte Ost)===<br />
[435, 438] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98B3; S+W ''139C3'') DE24/352<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Dortmund and Brilon Wald lines east of Schwerte (Ruhr). It is used by through trains between Dortmund Hbf and Bestwig, Brilon Wald, Brilon Stadt or Willingen, approximately hourly, except for trains at 21:23, 22:23 and 23:23 from Dortmund Hbf, also 00:23 SSuO and 01:23 SSuO, which reverse at Schwerte (Ruhr). <br />
<br />
===Recklinghausen Süd – Bochum-Riemke (Herne-Rottbruch)===<br />
[428] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138B1-B2'') DE24/353<br />
<br />
This line links the line from Recklinghausen Hbf to Gelsenkirchen with the Gelsenkirchen to Bochum ''Gluckauf-Bahn'' by crossing over the Gelsenkirchen – Herne – Dortmund line.<br />
<br />
From 7 January 2024 it is used by a new hourly ''RE41'' service between Haltern am See and Bochum Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Hagen-Vorhalle===<br />
[440] (ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3-98B3; S+W ''139B4'') DE24/354 <br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Siegen and Witten lines avoiding Hagen Hbf. It is used by ''RE34'' services between Dillenburg or Siegen and Dortmund, which run non-stop between Hohenlimburg and Witten Hbf. These run generally hourly. It is also used by a series of ''IC34'' trains between Frankfurt (Main) and Dortmund Hbf or Münster (Westf) Hbf. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| IC2328<br />
| Siegen Hbf – 06:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| IC2326<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf (SSuX) / Siegen Hbf (SO) – 08:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2324<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf (SuX) / Siegen Hbf (SuO) – 10:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2320<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2228<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 16:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2226<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 18:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2224<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 20:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| IC2223<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 05:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| IC2225<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 07:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2229<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 11:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2323<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 15:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2325<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 17:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2327<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 19:14 Witten Hbf – Siegen Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Note that until at least the end of 2026, local tickets (including the ''Deutschland-Ticket'' and the NRW ''SchönerTagTicket'') are valid on ''IC'' trains between Dillenburg and Dortmund. This is an attempt to ease the traffic chaos that has followed the closure of the nearby A45 ''Autobahn'' viaduct at Rahmede.<br />
<br />
===Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Westhofen (Westf))=== <br />
[440] (ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3-98B3; S+W ''139B4'') DE24/355 <br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Siegen and Schwerte lines avoiding Hagen Hbf. It is used by the following ''IC'' services. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2322<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 12:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Norddeich Mole<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2228<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 16:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2227<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 09:30 Schwerte (Ruhr) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2321<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 13:30 Schwerte (Ruhr) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Bochum Hbf (Abzw Prinz von Preußen) – Abzw Dortmund-Dorstfeld – Dortmund Signal Iduna Park (Abzw Schnettkerbrücke)===<br />
(ERA-E 46B5-46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138C3-139A3'') DE24/356<br />
<br />
These connections link Bochum Hbf with Dortmund Signal Iduna Park via the goods lines which run parallel to the main Bochum to Dortmund line, thus avoiding Dortmund Hbf. <br />
<br />
Eastbound services depart from Bochum Hbf platform 5, which means that they must run via the main Bochum to Dortmund line and gain the goods lines via a connection from Bochum-Langendreer to Langendreer Ost. Westbound services arrive at Platform 2, which means that they must run via the freight lines all the way to Abzw Bochum Prinz von Preußen, thence by a single-track connection to platform 2. <br />
<br />
Since 15 April 2023, ''RE11'' services have reverted to running via Kamen so these connections are no longer in daily use.<br />
<br />
The line is used by football specials which run between Duisburg and Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park when Borussia Dortmund are playing at home.<br />
<br />
===Neuss avoiding line: Neuss Am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal) – Meerbusch-Osterath (Abzw Weißenberg)===<br />
[495] (ERA-E 46A4; ERA-R 97A1; S+W ''140C3'') DE24/357<br />
<br />
This east to north curve is used by trains between Düsseldorf Hbf and Krefeld not calling at Neuss Hbf. These are the half-hourly (hourly at weekends) services between Düsseldorf Hbf and Kleve.<br />
<br />
===Holzheim b. Neuss / Neuss Süd (Neuss Nordkanal) – Neuss Hbf – Neuss Am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal)===<br />
[450.8/11/28, 485, 488] (ERA-E 46A3 not shown; ERA-R 97A1; S+W ''140C3-140C4'') DE24/358<br />
<br />
Neuss Hbf is in two parts, the eastern platforms 1-4 and the western platforms 5-8, with separate approach tracks to each from the Düsseldorf, Grevenbroich and Köln lines. All ''S-Bahn'' trains use the west side, with ''S11'' services to and from Köln Hbf using the long curve (line 2531) to Neuss Nordkanal. All ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use the east side with the exception of ''RE4'' and ''RE13'' via Mönchengladbach, which must use the west side.<br />
<br />
===Köln Südbrücke===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 42A5-B4; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A3-148D2'') DE24/359<br />
<br />
The Südbrücke provides an alternative route across the Rhein to the Hohenzollernbrücke at Köln Hbf. It has north and south-facing connections to the main lines on both sides of the river. It is mainly used by freight.<br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Troisdorf (via Köln-Bonntor and Gremberg Rbf)''': This north-west to south-east route enables trains via Troisdorf, but not Köln/Bonn Flughafen, to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. Between Abzw Steinstraße (where the line from Südbrücke joins) and Troisdorf, trains from Südbrücke that do not use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' will use the goods line to the west of the high-speed line, rather than the local passenger line to the east of it. <br />
<br />
The following services run this way. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| 06:01 Köln Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| FSSuO<br />
| ICE155<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 15:15 Köln-Ehrenfeld – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE14<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:30 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| ICE254<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:53 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| various days<br />
| NJ424<br />
| Berlin Hbf (tief) – 06:29/06:30 Bonn-Beuel – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 11-29 December 2023; 22 January - 15 July 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 6-19 January, 2 November - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 2 September - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: MWO 8-17 January, 19-21 February; MWFO 22 March - 5 April, 13 May - 12 June; Daily 1 November - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
All services that do not run to or from Köln Hbf also use the curve between Köln West and Köln-Ehrenfeld (DE24/360).<br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Troisdorf (via Köln-Bonntor and Köln-Kalk Süd)''': This alternative north-west to south-east route enables trains via Köln/Bonn Flughafen to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. <br />
<br />
This route must also be used by any services diverted via the Südbrücke calling at, or running through the two platform tracks at Porz (Rhein) as it is then impossible to travel via Gremberg Rbf. <br />
<br />
It was used in April 2023 by diverted ''RE8'' and ''RB27'' (Mönchengladbach Hbf – Koblenz Hbf) services in the direction of Koblenz Hbf only, and by ''RE9'' (Siegen Hbf – Aachen Hbf) services in the direction of Aachen Hbf only. <br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Köln-Mulheim (via Köln-Bonntor and Köln-Kalk)''': This north-west to north-east route enables trains via Leverkusen Mitte or Solingen Hbf to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. When the line through Köln Messe/Deutz is blocked, trains may be diverted this way.<br />
<br />
'''Troisdorf – Hürth-Kalscheuren (Köln Eifeltor) (via Köln-Kalk and Köln Bonntor)''': This south-east to south-west route sees very occasional use by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
'''Köln-Mülheim – Hürth-Kalscheuren (Köln Eifeltor) (via Köln-Kalk and Köln Bonntor)''': This north-east to south-west route sees very occasional use by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
===Köln-Ehrenfeld – Köln West===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2-146A3'') DE24/360 <br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Aachen and Koblenz lines west of Köln Hbf. It is used to enable trains which have been diverted over the Südbrücke (DE24/359) to reach the Aachen line when they are unable to run via Köln Hbf. This can often be discerned by these services calling at Köln-Ehrenfeld instead of Köln Hbf.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| FSSuO<br />
| ICE155<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 15:15 Köln-Ehrenfeld – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE14<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:30 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE254<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:53 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| various days<br />
| NJ424<br />
| Berlin Hbf (tief) – 06:29/06:30 Bonn-Beuel – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 6-19 January, 2 November - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 2 September - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: MWO 8-17 January, 19-21 February; MWFO 22 March - 5 April, 13 May - 12 June; Daily 1 November - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
===Horrem===<br />
[481] (ERA-E 52C5; ERA-R 104C4; S+W ''63A2'') DE24/360<br />
<br />
There is a triangular junction at Horrem station. Bedburg trains terminating and starting at Horrem use platform 10 on the north to west curve. These run hourly, Mondays to Fridays. Trains between Bedburg and Köln Hbf use platform 19 on the north to east curve. These run hourly every day.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Buke – Langeland (Altenbeken Kurve)===<br />
[360.5, 430] (ERA-E 48A2; ERA-R 99B3; S+W ''53C1'') DE24/371<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains to run between the Warburg and Hameln lines without reversing at Altenbeken. It is used when the classic line from Hannover via Göttingen is unavailable.<br />
<br />
===Münster (Westf) avoiding line: Südmühle – Münster Kanal – Münster-Lechtenberg===<br />
[385, 410] (ERA-E 47B3; ERA-R 96B3; S+W ''134C1-134C2'') DE24/372<br />
<br />
This line passes to the east of Münster and enables trains between the Osnabück and Hamm lines to avoid the Hauptbahnhof. It is used occasionally by diverted ''IC/ICE'' services between Hamburg and Köln.<br />
<br />
===Minden (Westf) – Hamm (via Goods Line)===<br />
[370, 400] (ERA-E 48A4-47B2 not shown; ERA-R 99B5-96B3 not shown; S+W ''41C1-52B1'') DE24/373<br />
<br />
Hamm to Minden is the longest quadruple line in Germany. Between Bielefeld and Gütersloh the goods lines fly over the passenger lines, and between Heessen and Ahlen they dive under. For the latter a newish platform 6 had been built on the eastbound goods line at Ahlen so anything calling at it must use the diveunder but there was nothing shown in Hafas in January 2024 as doing so. The goods lines are sometimes used by relief trains between Hannover and the Ruhr in order to overtake stopping services, plus when engineering work is taking place on the main line which may be indicated by stopping trains being advertised not to call at certain stations. Numerous crossovers allow trains to switch between the passenger and goods lines, so the full length of the goods lines is rarely used by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
===Hamm (Westf) avoiding line: Nordbögge (Hamm Rbf Hso) – Welver (Abzw Hamm Gallberg)===<br />
[415] (ERA-E 47B2; ERA-R 98C5; S+W ''134B4'') DE24/374<br />
<br />
This curve (line 2921) links the lines from south and west of Hamm with the line to Soest and enables trains to run between the Dortmund area and Soest without reversing at Hamm (Westf) Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Hamm (Westf) (Hamm Rbf Hde) – Horstmar – Recklinghausen Ost (Abzw Recklinghausen Blumenthal) [– Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord]===<br />
[415, 450.9] (ERA-E 47B2-46B5; ERA-R 98C5-97C5; S+W ''52B1-51B2'') DE24/375<br />
<br />
This east-west freight line runs to the north of the Ruhr conurbation. Trains between Hamm and Dortmund may be diverted via Abzw Horstmar and Lünen Preußen when the main line via Kamen is blocked. <br />
<br />
Trains between Hamm and Gelsenkirchen may be diverted via Recklinghausen Ost and Wanne-Eickel. Trains not stopping between Hamm Hbf and Bottrop Hbf or Oberhausen Hbf are likely to run via Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord.<br />
<br />
''S9'' services now run between Recklinghausen Hbf and Gladbeck West; therefore the western end of this line between Abzw Recklinghausen Blumenthal and Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord is a normal passenger line.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund-Mengede (Dortmund-Nette) – Dortmund-Deusen – Dortmund-Kirchderne===<br />
[411, 416] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4-98B4; S+W ''139A1-139B2'') DE24/376<br />
<br />
This freight line round the north side of Dortmund links the lines to Wanne-Eickel and Münster. It may be used by trains diverted away from Dortmund Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund-Mengede (Dortmund-Nette) – Dortmund-Deusen – Dortmund-Kurl (Dortmund-Scharnhorst)===<br />
[411, 416] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4-98B4; S+W ''139A1-139B2'') DE24/377<br />
<br />
This freight line round the north side of Dortmund links the lines to Wanne-Eickel and Hamm. It may be used by trains diverted away from Dortmund Hbf. It is common with the previous entry between Abzw Nette and Dortmund-Obereving.<br />
<br />
It was used in May 2023 by the hourly ''RE3'' trains from Hamm (Westf) Hbf to Düsseldorf Hbf, in that direction only, which ran non-stop from Dortmund-Kurl to Dortmund-Mengede, omitting Dortmund Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Herne (Herne-Rottbruch Hgn) – Gelsenkirchen Zoo (Wanne Unser Fritz) via Abzw Crange===<br />
[426] (ERA-E 46xx; ERA-R 98xx; S+W ''138B2'') DE24/378<br />
<br />
This line links Herne with the line via Gelsenkirchen Zoo to Dorsten via Gladbeck Ost and to Bottrop Süd, avoiding Wanne-Eickel Hbf. The hourly ''RB43'' Dorsten - Dortmund services are diverted this way between 10 December 2023 and 19 April 2024, not calling at Wanne-Eickel Hbf. <br />
<br />
===Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf-Eller=== <br />
[415] (ERA-E 46A5-46A3; ERA-R 97B4-97B1; S+W ''141A4-137A2'') DE24/379<br />
<br />
This line, together with Hilden – Opladen, forms a freight route between Köln and Oberhausen, only limited sections of which are used by passenger trains. From Oberhausen West trains may run to a variety of places, including the Emmerich line, Bottrop Hbf, Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck and Essen-Bergeborbeck. The following routes, among others, are possible.<br />
<br />
The following trains run non-stop between the stations indicated, with a timing point at Düsseldorf-Eller, so may use some of the routes listed below; however from the information available to the compilers, it is not clear which actual route will be taken: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| IC2005<br />
| Emden Hbf – 08:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE731<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 10:38 Recklinghausen Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2009<br />
| Emden Hbf – 10:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf then (SO) to Konstanz <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2201<br />
| Bremerhaven Hbf – 12:25 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE2203<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 14:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2305<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 15:45 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE605<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 17:11 Bottrop Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE607<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 18:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE2209<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 21:00 Recklinghausen Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThFSO<br />
| IC2208<br />
| 05:39 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE606<br />
| 06:57 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2306<br />
| 08:00 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE604<br />
| 09:38 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2202<br />
| 11:44 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2200<br />
| 13:41 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThSX<br />
| IC2004<br />
| Konstanz (FSuO) – 15:45 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| ThO<br />
| IC2014<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SO<br />
| IC2006<br />
| Konstanz – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Dortmund Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Herne (unadvertised stop))<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE1030<br />
| 16:06 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2002<br />
| 17:35 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE730<br />
| 19:38 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 23 March - 6 April 2024<br />
<br />
'''Essen-Bergeborbeck – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Gelsenkirchen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Bottrop Hbf – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Hamm, Dortmund, Recklinghausen or Münster, running via DE24/385, and Duisburg Hbf, omitting calls in the Ruhr up to Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Duisburg Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Essen-Bergeborbeck – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Gelsenkirchen Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting both Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West - Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Wanne-Eickel Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Gelsenkirchen Hbf, Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Bottrop Hbf – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains running via DE24/385, not stopping until Düsseldorf Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf-Eller'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf, Duisburg Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf.<br />
<br />
The following trains run non-stop between Köln Hbf and Arnhem Centraal, with a timing point at Düsseldorf-Eller so can be expected to run this way.<br />
<br />
{| class= "ostable"<br />
| D1 <br />
| <br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 20:08 Arnhem Centraal – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ403/IC60403<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 22:02 Arnhem Centraal – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ402/IC60402<br />
| Zürich HB – 05:56 Köln Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 23 March - 6 April 2024 (7 April from Köln)<br />
<br />
'''Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf Hbf via Düsseldorf-Eller Mitte'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains when the approach to Düsseldorf Hbf from the north is not available.<br />
<br />
===Bottrop Hbf/Oberhausen Hbf – Oberhausen West – Moers (Meerbeck) ''and'' Trompet - Krefeld-Uerdingen=== <br />
[415, 490] (ERA-E 46B5-46A4; ERA-R 97B4-97A4; S+W ''137A2-136C4'') DE24/380<br />
<br />
This route which crosses the Rhein by the Haus-Knipp-Brücke avoids the Duisburg area and is only occasionally used for passenger trains. At its eastern end it has connections towards Bottrop Hbf and Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Meerbusch-Osterath (Krefeld-Lohbruch) – Krefeld-Linn===<br />
(ERA-E 46A4; ERA-R 97A2; S+W ''140C1'') DE24/381<br />
<br />
This part of the line from Neuss to Duisburg, avoiding Krefeld Hbf, does not have a regular passenger service. During engineering work, services running non-stop from Köln Hbf to Duisburg Hbf may either run via this curve and Neuss or via Hilden (DE24/382). Trains starting or terminating in Köln Hbf may use either route but ones coming up the Rhein valley from Koblenz without sufficient time to reverse in Köln Hbf are more likely to use DE24/382.<br />
<br />
It was also used in 2023 by diverted RE42 Mönchengladbach Hbf - Duisburg Hbf trains and will again by limited services on the nights of 19/20 & 24/25 January 2024 as confirmed by no calls at Viersen or Krefeld Hbf. Some but not all of the 2023 RE42 diversions also ran through the yard at Neuss.<br />
<br />
===Witten Hbf – Hagen-Vorhalle===<br />
(ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3; S+W ''138D4-143A1'') DE24/382<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Witten Hbf and Hagen-Vorhalle. Passenger trains normally use the line via Wetter (Ruhr) to the east of the Ruhr river but may occasionally be diverted via the freight line west of the river. This occurs on the weekend of 1 & 2 March 2024, when all ''RB40'' Hagen – Essen and ''RE34'' Siegen – Dortmund services '''in that direction''' are diverted this way with ''RB40'' omitting calls at Wetter (Ruhr) and Witten Hbf and ''RE34'' omitting Witten Hbf (presumably passing Witten Hbf on a non-platform road). In the other direction only a very few late-night services are diverted.<br />
<br />
===Hagen-Vorhalle – Abzw Hohensyburg – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Westhofen (Westf))===<br />
(ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3; S+W ''139A4-139B4'') DE24/383<br />
<br />
This connection links both the Ruhr east and west-bank lines (DE24/382) with the Hagen to Hamm (Westf) line, avoiding Hagen Hbf. It was formerly used by winter ski trains between Dortmund and Winterberg (Westf), but these have not run since 2019.<br />
<br />
===Siegen avoiding line: Siegen-Weidenau – Wilnsdorf-Rudersdorf (Siegen Ost Gbf)===<br />
[440, 445] (S+W ''64C2'') DE24/384<br />
<br />
This connection links the Hagen and Gießen lines, avoiding Siegen Hbf. It is heavily used by freight trains, but only has a passenger service when trains are diverted away from Siegen Hbf.<br />
<br />
If the 2-hourly ''IC'' services between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Siegen Hbf and Dortmund Hbf or Münster (Westf) Hbf (in either direction) are running late, they have been known to omit Siegen Hbf and use this connection, calling only at Siegen-Weidenau, which is now a booked stop on these services.<br />
<br />
===Düsseldorf Flughafen (Abzw Düsseldorf-Unterrath Karthauser Weg) – Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal (Abzw Düsseldorf Flughafen W884)===<br />
[415.1, 416] S+W ''141A2'' DE24/385<br />
<br />
This north to west curve enables trains from the north to reach the terminus station at Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal, which is normally only served by ''S-Bahn'' trains from the south. Since July 2020 the one very early morning train that used this line has not run, but when there is engineering work this curve is occasionally used by ''RE'' services diverted away from Düsseldorf Hbf to turn round.<br />
<br />
===Hilden – Opladen===<br />
[415] (ERA-E 46B3-47A1; ERA-R 97B1-104A2; S+W ''141B4-147C2'') DE24/386 <br />
<br />
This freight line forms part of an alternative route between Düsseldorf and Köln. It is frequently used for diversions of ''RE'' and long-distance services. The following services run this way on the dates shown:<br />
<br />
{| class= "ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| ThFSO<br />
| IC2208<br />
| 05:39 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ402/IC60402<br />
| Zürich HB – 05:56 Köln Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE606<br />
| 06:57 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2306<br />
| 08:00 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| <br />
| IC/ICE604<br />
| 09:38 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf / Emden Außenhafen<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2202<br />
| 11:44 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| TThSX<br />
| IC2206<br />
| 12:41 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThSX<br />
| IC2004<br />
| Konstanz (FSuO) – 15:45 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| ThO<br />
| IC2014<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SO<br />
| IC2006<br />
| Konstanz – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE1030<br />
| 16:06 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2002<br />
| 17:35 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE730<br />
| 19:38 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| IC2005<br />
| Emden Hbf – 08:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE731<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 10:38 Recklinghausen Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2009<br />
| Emden Hbf – 10:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf / Konstanz (SO)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2201<br />
| Bremerhaven Hbf – 12:25 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE2203<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 14:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2305<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 15:45 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE605<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 17:11 Bottrop Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE607<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 18:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1 <br />
| <br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 20:08 Arnhem Centraal – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE2209<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 21:00 Recklinghausen Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE844<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 22:09 Düsseldorf Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ403/IC60403<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 22:02 Arnhem Centraal – Zürich HB<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 24 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 24 March - 6 April 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 19 October - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
''Note'': Runds as ''IC604'' until 29 February, then as ''ICE604'' from 1 March 2024<br />
<br />
===Köln-Ehrenfeld – Köln-Nippes===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2'') DE24/387<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the Aachen and Neuss lines west of Köln Hbf. It is used by services between Aachen and Düsseldorf if they are unable to run via Köln Hbf. <br />
<br />
===Köln-Mülheim (Abzw Berliner Straße) – Köln Messe/Deutz===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5 not shown; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146C2-146C3'') DE24/388<br />
<br />
There is an alternative route between Köln-Mülheim and Köln Messe/Deutz, east of the S-Bahn tracks at Köln-Mülheim, then flying over most of the layout to the high-level platforms at Köln Messe/Deutz. <br />
<br />
===Köln Frankfurter Straße (Abzw Vingst) – Köln-Kalk Nord – Köln-Mülheim===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1-104B1; S+W ''146C4-146C2'') DE24/389 <br />
<br />
This is an alternative route route between Porz-Wahn and Köln-Mülheim which is more direct than that via Köln Messe/Deutz. It has occasionally been used by ''IC/ICE'' services not calling at Köln Messe/Deutz low-level platforms 11/12 but no use of this route has been identified in the current timetable.<br />
<br />
===Köln-Longerich – Köln West===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2-146A3'') DE24/390<br />
<br />
This north-south line links the Neuss and Koblenz routes to the west of Köln Hbf. It has occasionally been used by diverted ''RE5'' services between Duisburg Hbf and Koblenz Hbf, running via Neuss Hbf and avoiding Düsseldorf Hbf and Köln Hbf. With this diversion, trains also used the Krefeld eastern avoider (DE24/381).<br />
<br />
''IC/ICE'' trains may also be diverted over this line, running non-stop between Düsseldorf Hbf and Köln Süd, not calling at Köln Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Köln Hbf (Köln-Hansaring) – Hürth-Kalscheuren via goods lines===<br />
(ERA-E 42xx; ERA-R 104xx; S+W ''147A3-148B2'') DE24/391<br />
<br />
Between Köln West and Hürth-Kalscheuren a pair of goods lines run to the east of the passenger lines, with a single-track connection diving under the northbound passenger line between Köln-Hansaring and Köln West Abzw Ws, where it joins the goods lines which have come from Köln-Nippes and Köln-Ehrenfeld. The goods lines may be used in part by trains running via the Südbrücke to or from north or south (DE24/359).<br />
<br />
===Viersen (Viersen Helenabrunn) – Wickrath (Rheydt Gbf) (Mönchengladbach avoiding line)===<br />
[485, 490] (S+W ''50C4'') DE24/392<br />
<br />
This line avoiding Mönchengladbach Hbf links the line from Krefeld and Venlo with the Aachen line. It is used if there are engineering works in the area of Mönchengladbach Hbf.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romfordhttps://www.egtre.info/w/index.php?title=Germany_(Nordrhein-Westfalen)_-_Lines_with_Obscure_or_Sparse_passenger_services&diff=55224Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services2024-02-24T18:53:12Z<p>Ken Romford: /* Witten Hbf – Hagen-Vorhalle */ use of left-bank route on 1/2 March 2024</p>
<hr />
<div>==Introduction==<br />
{{Germany Introduction}}<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines with regular use==<br />
<br />
===Dortmund Hbf (Abzw Lütgendortmund) – Witten Hbf (Abzw Stockumer Straße)===<br />
[427, 440] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138D3'') DE24/351<br />
<br />
This east to south curve is used by trains running non-stop between Dortmund Hbf and Witten Hbf or Hagen Hbf. There are ''IC/ICE'' services to and from Hagen, generally hourly, and regular ''RE4'' and ''RE34'' trains to and from Witten.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund Aplerbeck Süd (Abzw Schwerte Heide) – Fröndenberg (Schwerte Ost)===<br />
[435, 438] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98B3; S+W ''139C3'') DE24/352<br />
<br />
This north to east curve connects the Dortmund and Brilon Wald lines east of Schwerte (Ruhr). It is used by through trains between Dortmund Hbf and Bestwig, Brilon Wald, Brilon Stadt or Willingen, approximately hourly, except for trains at 21:23, 22:23 and 23:23 from Dortmund Hbf, also 00:23 SSuO and 01:23 SSuO, which reverse at Schwerte (Ruhr). <br />
<br />
===Recklinghausen Süd – Bochum-Riemke (Herne-Rottbruch)===<br />
[428] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138B1-B2'') DE24/353<br />
<br />
This line links the line from Recklinghausen Hbf to Gelsenkirchen with the Gelsenkirchen to Bochum ''Gluckauf-Bahn'' by crossing over the Gelsenkirchen – Herne – Dortmund line.<br />
<br />
From 7 January 2024 it is used by a new hourly ''RE41'' service between Haltern am See and Bochum Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Hagen-Vorhalle===<br />
[440] (ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3-98B3; S+W ''139B4'') DE24/354 <br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Siegen and Witten lines avoiding Hagen Hbf. It is used by ''RE34'' services between Dillenburg or Siegen and Dortmund, which run non-stop between Hohenlimburg and Witten Hbf. These run generally hourly. It is also used by a series of ''IC34'' trains between Frankfurt (Main) and Dortmund Hbf or Münster (Westf) Hbf. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable" <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| IC2328<br />
| Siegen Hbf – 06:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| IC2326<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf (SSuX) / Siegen Hbf (SO) – 08:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2324<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf (SuX) / Siegen Hbf (SuO) – 10:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2320<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2228<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 16:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2226<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 18:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2224<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 20:23 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SSuX<br />
| IC2223<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 05:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| SuX<br />
| IC2225<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 07:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf <br />
<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2229<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 11:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2323<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 15:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2325<br />
| Dortmund Hbf – 17:14 Witten Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2327<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 19:14 Witten Hbf – Siegen Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
Note that until at least the end of 2026, local tickets (including the ''Deutschland-Ticket'' and the NRW ''SchönerTagTicket'') are valid on ''IC'' trains between Dillenburg and Dortmund. This is an attempt to ease the traffic chaos that has followed the closure of the nearby A45 ''Autobahn'' viaduct at Rahmede.<br />
<br />
===Hohenlimburg (Hagen-Kabel) – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Westhofen (Westf))=== <br />
[440] (ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3-98B3; S+W ''139B4'') DE24/355 <br />
<br />
This curve allows trains to run between the Siegen and Schwerte lines avoiding Hagen Hbf. It is used by the following ''IC'' services. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2322<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 12:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Norddeich Mole<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2228<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 16:13 Iserlohn-Letmathe – Münster (Westf) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2227<br />
| Münster (Westf) Hbf – 09:30 Schwerte (Ruhr) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|- <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| IC2321<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 13:30 Schwerte (Ruhr) – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Bochum Hbf (Abzw Prinz von Preußen) – Abzw Dortmund-Dorstfeld – Dortmund Signal Iduna Park (Abzw Schnettkerbrücke)===<br />
(ERA-E 46B5-46C5; ERA-R 98A4; S+W ''138C3-139A3'') DE24/356<br />
<br />
These connections link Bochum Hbf with Dortmund Signal Iduna Park via the goods lines which run parallel to the main Bochum to Dortmund line, thus avoiding Dortmund Hbf. <br />
<br />
Eastbound services depart from Bochum Hbf platform 5, which means that they must run via the main Bochum to Dortmund line and gain the goods lines via a connection from Bochum-Langendreer to Langendreer Ost. Westbound services arrive at Platform 2, which means that they must run via the freight lines all the way to Abzw Bochum Prinz von Preußen, thence by a single-track connection to platform 2. <br />
<br />
Since 15 April 2023, ''RE11'' services have reverted to running via Kamen so these connections are no longer in daily use.<br />
<br />
The line is used by football specials which run between Duisburg and Dortmund Signal Iduna-Park when Borussia Dortmund are playing at home.<br />
<br />
===Neuss avoiding line: Neuss Am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal) – Meerbusch-Osterath (Abzw Weißenberg)===<br />
[495] (ERA-E 46A4; ERA-R 97A1; S+W ''140C3'') DE24/357<br />
<br />
This east to north curve is used by trains between Düsseldorf Hbf and Krefeld not calling at Neuss Hbf. These are the half-hourly (hourly at weekends) services between Düsseldorf Hbf and Kleve.<br />
<br />
===Holzheim b. Neuss / Neuss Süd (Neuss Nordkanal) – Neuss Hbf – Neuss Am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal)===<br />
[450.8/11/28, 485, 488] (ERA-E 46A3 not shown; ERA-R 97A1; S+W ''140C3-140C4'') DE24/358<br />
<br />
Neuss Hbf is in two parts, the eastern platforms 1-4 and the western platforms 5-8, with separate approach tracks to each from the Düsseldorf, Grevenbroich and Köln lines. All ''S-Bahn'' trains use the west side, with ''S11'' services to and from Köln Hbf using the long curve (line 2531) to Neuss Nordkanal. All ''RE'' and ''RB'' trains use the east side with the exception of ''RE4'' and ''RE13'' via Mönchengladbach, which must use the west side.<br />
<br />
===Köln Südbrücke===<br />
[472] (ERA-E 42A5-B4; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A3-148D2'') DE24/359<br />
<br />
The Südbrücke provides an alternative route across the Rhein to the Hohenzollernbrücke at Köln Hbf. It has north and south-facing connections to the main lines on both sides of the river. It is mainly used by freight.<br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Troisdorf (via Köln-Bonntor and Gremberg Rbf)''': This north-west to south-east route enables trains via Troisdorf, but not Köln/Bonn Flughafen, to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. Between Abzw Steinstraße (where the line from Südbrücke joins) and Troisdorf, trains from Südbrücke that do not use the ''Schnellfahrstrecke'' will use the goods line to the west of the high-speed line, rather than the local passenger line to the east of it. <br />
<br />
The following services run this way. <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuX<br />
| ICE711<br />
| 06:01 Köln Hbf – Stuttgart Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| FSSuO<br />
| ICE155<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 15:15 Köln-Ehrenfeld – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE14<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:30 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| ICE254<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:53 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D4<br />
| various days<br />
| NJ424<br />
| Berlin Hbf (tief) – 06:29/06:30 Bonn-Beuel – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 11-29 December 2023; 22 January - 15 July 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 6-19 January, 2 November - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 2 September - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D4: MWO 8-17 January, 19-21 February; MWFO 22 March - 5 April, 13 May - 12 June; Daily 1 November - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
All services that do not run to or from Köln Hbf also use the curve between Köln West and Köln-Ehrenfeld (DE24/360).<br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Troisdorf (via Köln-Bonntor and Köln-Kalk Süd)''': This alternative north-west to south-east route enables trains via Köln/Bonn Flughafen to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. <br />
<br />
This route must also be used by any services diverted via the Südbrücke calling at, or running through the two platform tracks at Porz (Rhein) as it is then impossible to travel via Gremberg Rbf. <br />
<br />
It was used in April 2023 by diverted ''RE8'' and ''RB27'' (Mönchengladbach Hbf – Koblenz Hbf) services in the direction of Koblenz Hbf only, and by ''RE9'' (Siegen Hbf – Aachen Hbf) services in the direction of Aachen Hbf only. <br />
<br />
'''Köln Süd – Köln-Mulheim (via Köln-Bonntor and Köln-Kalk)''': This north-west to north-east route enables trains via Leverkusen Mitte or Solingen Hbf to arrive and depart at the west end of Köln Hbf. When the line through Köln Messe/Deutz is blocked, trains may be diverted this way.<br />
<br />
'''Troisdorf – Hürth-Kalscheuren (Köln Eifeltor) (via Köln-Kalk and Köln Bonntor)''': This south-east to south-west route sees very occasional use by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
'''Köln-Mülheim – Hürth-Kalscheuren (Köln Eifeltor) (via Köln-Kalk and Köln Bonntor)''': This north-east to south-west route sees very occasional use by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
===Köln-Ehrenfeld – Köln West===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2-146A3'') DE24/360 <br />
<br />
This west to south curve links the Aachen and Koblenz lines west of Köln Hbf. It is used to enable trains which have been diverted over the Südbrücke (DE24/359) to reach the Aachen line when they are unable to run via Köln Hbf. This can often be discerned by these services calling at Köln-Ehrenfeld instead of Köln Hbf.<br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| FSSuO<br />
| ICE155<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 15:15 Köln-Ehrenfeld – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE14<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 14:30 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE254<br />
| Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – 17:53 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
| various days<br />
| NJ424<br />
| Berlin Hbf (tief) – 06:29/06:30 Bonn-Beuel – Bruxelles-Midi<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 6-19 January, 2 November - 8 December 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 2 September - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
D3: MWO 8-17 January, 19-21 February; MWFO 22 March - 5 April, 13 May - 12 June; Daily 1 November - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
===Horrem===<br />
[481] (ERA-E 52C5; ERA-R 104C4; S+W ''63A2'') DE24/360<br />
<br />
There is a triangular junction at Horrem station. Bedburg trains terminating and starting at Horrem use platform 10 on the north to west curve. These run hourly, Mondays to Fridays. Trains between Bedburg and Köln Hbf use platform 19 on the north to east curve. These run hourly every day.<br />
<br />
==Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions==<br />
<br />
===Buke – Langeland (Altenbeken Kurve)===<br />
[360.5, 430] (ERA-E 48A2; ERA-R 99B3; S+W ''53C1'') DE24/371<br />
<br />
This south to east curve enables trains to run between the Warburg and Hameln lines without reversing at Altenbeken. It is used when the classic line from Hannover via Göttingen is unavailable.<br />
<br />
===Münster (Westf) avoiding line: Südmühle – Münster Kanal – Münster-Lechtenberg===<br />
[385, 410] (ERA-E 47B3; ERA-R 96B3; S+W ''134C1-134C2'') DE24/372<br />
<br />
This line passes to the east of Münster and enables trains between the Osnabück and Hamm lines to avoid the Hauptbahnhof. It is used occasionally by diverted ''IC/ICE'' services between Hamburg and Köln.<br />
<br />
===Minden (Westf) – Hamm (via Goods Line)===<br />
[370, 400] (ERA-E 48A4-47B2 not shown; ERA-R 99B5-96B3 not shown; S+W ''41C1-52B1'') DE24/373<br />
<br />
Hamm to Minden is the longest quadruple line in Germany. Between Bielefeld and Gütersloh the goods lines fly over the passenger lines, and between Heessen and Ahlen they dive under. For the latter a newish platform 6 had been built on the eastbound goods line at Ahlen so anything calling at it must use the diveunder but there was nothing shown in Hafas in January 2024 as doing so. The goods lines are sometimes used by relief trains between Hannover and the Ruhr in order to overtake stopping services, plus when engineering work is taking place on the main line which may be indicated by stopping trains being advertised not to call at certain stations. Numerous crossovers allow trains to switch between the passenger and goods lines, so the full length of the goods lines is rarely used by diverted passenger trains.<br />
<br />
===Hamm (Westf) avoiding line: Nordbögge (Hamm Rbf Hso) – Welver (Abzw Hamm Gallberg)===<br />
[415] (ERA-E 47B2; ERA-R 98C5; S+W ''134B4'') DE24/374<br />
<br />
This curve (line 2921) links the lines from south and west of Hamm with the line to Soest and enables trains to run between the Dortmund area and Soest without reversing at Hamm (Westf) Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Hamm (Westf) (Hamm Rbf Hde) – Horstmar – Recklinghausen Ost (Abzw Recklinghausen Blumenthal) [– Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord]===<br />
[415, 450.9] (ERA-E 47B2-46B5; ERA-R 98C5-97C5; S+W ''52B1-51B2'') DE24/375<br />
<br />
This east-west freight line runs to the north of the Ruhr conurbation. Trains between Hamm and Dortmund may be diverted via Abzw Horstmar and Lünen Preußen when the main line via Kamen is blocked. <br />
<br />
Trains between Hamm and Gelsenkirchen may be diverted via Recklinghausen Ost and Wanne-Eickel. Trains not stopping between Hamm Hbf and Bottrop Hbf or Oberhausen Hbf are likely to run via Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord.<br />
<br />
''S9'' services now run between Recklinghausen Hbf and Gladbeck West; therefore the western end of this line between Abzw Recklinghausen Blumenthal and Gelsenkirchen-Buer Nord is a normal passenger line.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund-Mengede (Dortmund-Nette) – Dortmund-Deusen – Dortmund-Kirchderne===<br />
[411, 416] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4-98B4; S+W ''139A1-139B2'') DE24/376<br />
<br />
This freight line round the north side of Dortmund links the lines to Wanne-Eickel and Münster. It may be used by trains diverted away from Dortmund Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Dortmund-Mengede (Dortmund-Nette) – Dortmund-Deusen – Dortmund-Kurl (Dortmund-Scharnhorst)===<br />
[411, 416] (ERA-E 46C5; ERA-R 98A4-98B4; S+W ''139A1-139B2'') DE24/377<br />
<br />
This freight line round the north side of Dortmund links the lines to Wanne-Eickel and Hamm. It may be used by trains diverted away from Dortmund Hbf. It is common with the previous entry between Abzw Nette and Dortmund-Obereving.<br />
<br />
It was used in May 2023 by the hourly ''RE3'' trains from Hamm (Westf) Hbf to Düsseldorf Hbf, in that direction only, which ran non-stop from Dortmund-Kurl to Dortmund-Mengede, omitting Dortmund Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Herne (Herne-Rottbruch Hgn) – Gelsenkirchen Zoo (Wanne Unser Fritz) via Abzw Crange===<br />
[426] (ERA-E 46xx; ERA-R 98xx; S+W ''138B2'') DE24/378<br />
<br />
This line links Herne with the line via Gelsenkirchen Zoo to Dorsten via Gladbeck Ost and to Bottrop Süd, avoiding Wanne-Eickel Hbf. The hourly ''RB43'' Dorsten - Dortmund services are diverted this way between 10 December 2023 and 19 April 2024, not calling at Wanne-Eickel Hbf. <br />
<br />
===Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf-Eller=== <br />
[415] (ERA-E 46A5-46A3; ERA-R 97B4-97B1; S+W ''141A4-137A2'') DE24/379<br />
<br />
This line, together with Hilden – Opladen, forms a freight route between Köln and Oberhausen, only limited sections of which are used by passenger trains. From Oberhausen West trains may run to a variety of places, including the Emmerich line, Bottrop Hbf, Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck and Essen-Bergeborbeck. The following routes, among others, are possible.<br />
<br />
The following trains run non-stop between the stations indicated, with a timing point at Düsseldorf-Eller, so may use some of the routes listed below; however from the information available to the compilers, it is not clear which actual route will be taken: <br />
<br />
{| class="ostable"<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| IC2005<br />
| Emden Hbf – 08:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE731<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 10:38 Recklinghausen Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2009<br />
| Emden Hbf – 10:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf then (SO) to Konstanz <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2201<br />
| Bremerhaven Hbf – 12:25 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE2203<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 14:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2305<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 15:45 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE605<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 17:11 Bottrop Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE607<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 18:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE2209<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 21:00 Recklinghausen Hbf – non-stop to Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThFSO<br />
| IC2208<br />
| 05:39 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE606<br />
| 06:57 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2306<br />
| 08:00 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| ICE604<br />
| 09:38 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2202<br />
| 11:44 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2200<br />
| 13:41 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThSX<br />
| IC2004<br />
| Konstanz (FSuO) – 15:45 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| ThO<br />
| IC2014<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SO<br />
| IC2006<br />
| Konstanz – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Dortmund Hbf (non-stop Köln Hbf – Herne (unadvertised stop))<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE1030<br />
| 16:06 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona (non-stop to Recklinghausen Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2002<br />
| 17:35 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE730<br />
| 19:38 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona (non-stop to Münster (Westf) Hbf)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 23 March - 6 April 2024<br />
<br />
'''Essen-Bergeborbeck – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Gelsenkirchen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Bottrop Hbf – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Hamm, Dortmund, Recklinghausen or Münster, running via DE24/385, and Duisburg Hbf, omitting calls in the Ruhr up to Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg Hbf'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Duisburg Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Essen-Bergeborbeck – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Gelsenkirchen Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting both Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West - Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between Wanne-Eickel Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Gelsenkirchen Hbf, Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Bottrop Hbf – Essen Prosper-Levin – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains running via DE24/385, not stopping until Düsseldorf Hbf.<br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf and Duisburg Hbf. <br />
<br />
'''Oberhausen-Sterkrade – Oberhausen West – Duisburg-Wedau – Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf-Eller'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains between the Emmerich line and Düsseldorf Hbf, omitting Oberhausen Hbf, Duisburg Hbf and Düsseldorf Hbf.<br />
<br />
The following trains run non-stop between Köln Hbf and Arnhem Centraal, with a timing point at Düsseldorf-Eller so can be expected to run this way.<br />
<br />
{| class= "ostable"<br />
| D1 <br />
| <br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 20:08 Arnhem Centraal – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ403/IC60403<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 22:02 Arnhem Centraal – Zürich HB<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ402/IC60402<br />
| Zürich HB – 05:56 Köln Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 23 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 23 March - 6 April 2024 (7 April from Köln)<br />
<br />
'''Düsseldorf-Rath – Düsseldorf Hbf via Düsseldorf-Eller Mitte'''<br />
<br />
Used by diverted trains when the approach to Düsseldorf Hbf from the north is not available.<br />
<br />
===Bottrop Hbf/Oberhausen Hbf – Oberhausen West – Moers (Meerbeck) ''and'' Trompet - Krefeld-Uerdingen=== <br />
[415, 490] (ERA-E 46B5-46A4; ERA-R 97B4-97A4; S+W ''137A2-136C4'') DE24/380<br />
<br />
This route which crosses the Rhein by the Haus-Knipp-Brücke avoids the Duisburg area and is only occasionally used for passenger trains. At its eastern end it has connections towards Bottrop Hbf and Oberhausen Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Meerbusch-Osterath (Krefeld-Lohbruch) – Krefeld-Linn===<br />
(ERA-E 46A4; ERA-R 97A2; S+W ''140C1'') DE24/381<br />
<br />
This part of the line from Neuss to Duisburg, avoiding Krefeld Hbf, does not have a regular passenger service. During engineering work, services running non-stop from Köln Hbf to Duisburg Hbf may either run via this curve and Neuss or via Hilden (DE24/382). Trains starting or terminating in Köln Hbf may use either route but ones coming up the Rhein valley from Koblenz without sufficient time to reverse in Köln Hbf are more likely to use DE24/382.<br />
<br />
It was also used in 2023 by diverted RE42 Mönchengladbach Hbf - Duisburg Hbf trains and will again by limited services on the nights of 19/20 & 24/25 January 2024 as confirmed by no calls at Viersen or Krefeld Hbf. Some but not all of the 2023 RE42 diversions also ran through the yard at Neuss.<br />
<br />
===Witten Hbf – Hagen-Vorhalle===<br />
(ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3; S+W ''138D4-143A1'') DE24/382<br />
<br />
There are two routes between Witten Hbf and Hagen-Vorhalle. Passenger trains normally use the line via Wetter (Ruhr) to the east of the Ruhr river but may occasionally be diverted via the freight line west of the river. This occurs on the weekend of 1 & 2 March 2024, when ''RB40'' Hagen – Essen and ''RE34'' Siegen – Dortmund services are diverted this way with ''RB40'' omitting calls at Wetter (Ruhr) and Witten Hbf and ''RE34'' omitting Witten Hbf (presumably passing Witten Hbf on a non-platform road).<br />
<br />
===Hagen-Vorhalle – Abzw Hohensyburg – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Westhofen (Westf))===<br />
(ERA-E 46C4; ERA-R 98A3; S+W ''139A4-139B4'') DE24/383<br />
<br />
This connection links both the Ruhr east and west-bank lines (DE24/382) with the Hagen to Hamm (Westf) line, avoiding Hagen Hbf. It was formerly used by winter ski trains between Dortmund and Winterberg (Westf), but these have not run since 2019.<br />
<br />
===Siegen avoiding line: Siegen-Weidenau – Wilnsdorf-Rudersdorf (Siegen Ost Gbf)===<br />
[440, 445] (S+W ''64C2'') DE24/384<br />
<br />
This connection links the Hagen and Gießen lines, avoiding Siegen Hbf. It is heavily used by freight trains, but only has a passenger service when trains are diverted away from Siegen Hbf.<br />
<br />
If the 2-hourly ''IC'' services between Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Siegen Hbf and Dortmund Hbf or Münster (Westf) Hbf (in either direction) are running late, they have been known to omit Siegen Hbf and use this connection, calling only at Siegen-Weidenau, which is now a booked stop on these services.<br />
<br />
===Düsseldorf Flughafen (Abzw Düsseldorf-Unterrath Karthauser Weg) – Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal (Abzw Düsseldorf Flughafen W884)===<br />
[415.1, 416] S+W ''141A2'' DE24/385<br />
<br />
This north to west curve enables trains from the north to reach the terminus station at Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal, which is normally only served by ''S-Bahn'' trains from the south. Since July 2020 the one very early morning train that used this line has not run, but when there is engineering work this curve is occasionally used by ''RE'' services diverted away from Düsseldorf Hbf to turn round.<br />
<br />
===Hilden – Opladen===<br />
[415] (ERA-E 46B3-47A1; ERA-R 97B1-104A2; S+W ''141B4-147C2'') DE24/386 <br />
<br />
This freight line forms part of an alternative route between Düsseldorf and Köln. It is frequently used for diversions of ''RE'' and long-distance services. The following services run this way on the dates shown:<br />
<br />
{| class= "ostable"<br />
| D1<br />
| ThFSO<br />
| IC2208<br />
| 05:39 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| NJ402/IC60402<br />
| Zürich HB – 05:56 Köln Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE606<br />
| 06:57 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2306<br />
| 08:00 Köln Hbf – Emden Außenhafen<br />
|-<br />
| ''Note''<br />
| <br />
| IC/ICE604<br />
| 09:38 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf / Emden Außenhafen<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2202<br />
| 11:44 Köln Hbf – Bremerhaven Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| TThSX<br />
| IC2206<br />
| 12:41 Köln Hbf – Norddeich Mole<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| ThSX<br />
| IC2004<br />
| Konstanz (FSuO) – 15:45 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| ThO<br />
| IC2014<br />
| Stuttgart Hbf – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| SO<br />
| IC2006<br />
| Konstanz – 15:46 Köln Hbf – Dortmund Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE1030<br />
| 16:06 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2002<br />
| 17:35 Köln Hbf – Emden Hbf <br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE730<br />
| 19:38 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
| <br />
| IC2005<br />
| Emden Hbf – 08:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE731<br />
| Hamburg-Altona – 10:38 Recklinghausen Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2009<br />
| Emden Hbf – 10:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf / Konstanz (SO)<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| IC2201<br />
| Bremerhaven Hbf – 12:25 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE2203<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 14:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| SSuO<br />
| IC2305<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 15:45 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE605<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 17:11 Bottrop Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
|<br />
| ICE607<br />
| Emden Außenhafen – 18:32 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1 <br />
| <br />
| NJ421<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 20:08 Arnhem Centraal – Innsbruck Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D2<br />
|<br />
| ICE2209<br />
| Norddeich Mole – 21:00 Recklinghausen Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D3<br />
|<br />
| ICE844<br />
| Berlin Ostbahnhof – 22:09 Düsseldorf Hbf – Köln Hbf<br />
|-<br />
| D1<br />
| <br />
| NJ403/IC60403<br />
| Amsterdam Centraal – 22:02 Arnhem Centraal – Zürich HB<br />
|}<br />
<br />
D1: 24 March - 7 April 2024<br />
<br />
D2: 24 March - 6 April 2024<br />
<br />
D3: 19 October - 14 December 2024<br />
<br />
''Note'': Runds as ''IC604'' until 29 February, then as ''ICE604'' from 1 March 2024<br />
<br />
===Köln-Ehrenfeld – Köln-Nippes===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2'') DE24/387<br />
<br />
This west to north curve links the Aachen and Neuss lines west of Köln Hbf. It is used by services between Aachen and Düsseldorf if they are unable to run via Köln Hbf. <br />
<br />
===Köln-Mülheim (Abzw Berliner Straße) – Köln Messe/Deutz===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5 not shown; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146C2-146C3'') DE24/388<br />
<br />
There is an alternative route between Köln-Mülheim and Köln Messe/Deutz, east of the S-Bahn tracks at Köln-Mülheim, then flying over most of the layout to the high-level platforms at Köln Messe/Deutz. <br />
<br />
===Köln Frankfurter Straße (Abzw Vingst) – Köln-Kalk Nord – Köln-Mülheim===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1-104B1; S+W ''146C4-146C2'') DE24/389 <br />
<br />
This is an alternative route route between Porz-Wahn and Köln-Mülheim which is more direct than that via Köln Messe/Deutz. It has occasionally been used by ''IC/ICE'' services not calling at Köln Messe/Deutz low-level platforms 11/12 but no use of this route has been identified in the current timetable.<br />
<br />
===Köln-Longerich – Köln West===<br />
(ERA-E 42A5; ERA-R 104A1; S+W ''146A2-146A3'') DE24/390<br />
<br />
This north-south line links the Neuss and Koblenz routes to the west of Köln Hbf. It has occasionally been used by diverted ''RE5'' services between Duisburg Hbf and Koblenz Hbf, running via Neuss Hbf and avoiding Düsseldorf Hbf and Köln Hbf. With this diversion, trains also used the Krefeld eastern avoider (DE24/381).<br />
<br />
''IC/ICE'' trains may also be diverted over this line, running non-stop between Düsseldorf Hbf and Köln Süd, not calling at Köln Hbf.<br />
<br />
===Köln Hbf (Köln-Hansaring) – Hürth-Kalscheuren via goods lines===<br />
(ERA-E 42xx; ERA-R 104xx; S+W ''147A3-148B2'') DE24/391<br />
<br />
Between Köln West and Hürth-Kalscheuren a pair of goods lines run to the east of the passenger lines, with a single-track connection diving under the northbound passenger line between Köln-Hansaring and Köln West Abzw Ws, where it joins the goods lines which have come from Köln-Nippes and Köln-Ehrenfeld. The goods lines may be used in part by trains running via the Südbrücke to or from north or south (DE24/359).<br />
<br />
===Viersen (Viersen Helenabrunn) – Wickrath (Rheydt Gbf) (Mönchengladbach avoiding line)===<br />
[485, 490] (S+W ''50C4'') DE24/392<br />
<br />
This line avoiding Mönchengladbach Hbf links the line from Krefeld and Venlo with the Aachen line. It is used if there are engineering works in the area of Mönchengladbach Hbf.<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
{{Navbox Germany}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services]]</div>Ken Romford