Germany (Niedersachsen and Bremen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

Introduction

This list is based on the timetable in force from 13 December 2015 until 10 December 2016, unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information.

In the heading to each entry the map reference for the line in the Schweers+Wall Eisenbahn Atlas (2011 edition) is shown, in italic, in addition to the reference to M.G. Ball's European Railway Atlas.

Obscure services

Saline – Westen

(16A3, 9B3) DE16/151

This is a branch off the line from Westanleger to Wangerooge. Passenger trains run to/from Westen when required by pre-booked parties staying at the Youth Hostel or other accommodation there. During the summer season, excursions run between Wangerooge and Westen: see DB's Wangerooge website and search ("Suche") for "Westen" during the season.

Bremen-Sebaldsbrück – Bremen Hbf (via Abzw. Vahr)

[380] (16B1 not shown, 9C2-9B2) DE16/152

Trains from the Hannover line to platforms 1, 2 or 3 at Bremen Hbf may use this spur, which crosses from the north side of the line to the south side by passing under both the main Hannover line and the Osnabrück line. They may, alternatively, use crossovers at the approach to Bremen Hbf. The route via Abzw. Vahr has been used by RE trains from Hannover to Bremen and also by IC trains from Hannover to Oldenburg. 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. There is no passenger use of the connections between Bremen-Hemelingen and Bremen Hbf via Abzw. Vahr known to the compilers.

Bremen avoiding line: Sagehorn – Dreye (Abzw. Bremen-Gabelung)

[120, 385] (16B1, 9D1-9C3) DE16/153

Most trains between Hamburg and Osnabrück call at Bremen Hbf, but this route enables those that do not to avoid a lengthy detour.

	FSSuX	ICE1099	Hamburg-Altona – 06:12 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf
	FO	IC2401	Hamburg-Altona – 11:22 Hamburg Harburg – Köln Hbf
	FO	HKX1805	Hamburg-Altona – 13:01 Hamburg Harburg – Frankfurt am Main Hbf
E	SO	IC2405	Stralsund Hbf – 15:12 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf
	SuO	IC2417	Stralsund Hbf/Rostock Hbf – 15:04 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf
	SSuX	IC2195	Hamburg-Altona - 16:10 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf
	SuO	IC2197	Flensburg – 16:12 Hamburg-Harburg – Köln Hbf
	ThSSuO	HKX1807	Hamburg-Altona – 17:01 Hamburg Harburg – Köln Hbf/Frankfurt am Main Hbf
	FSSuX	ICE1098	Köln Hbf – 07:03 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona
	FO	HKX1800	Köln Hbf – 09:14 Osnabrück Hbf – Hamburg-Altona
	ThSSuO	HKX1802	Frankfurt am Main Hbf/Köln Hbf – 13:15 Osnabrück Hbf – Hamburg-Altona
	FO	IC2404	Aachen Hbf – 17:26 Diepholz – Hamburg-Altona/Stralsund Hbf
	SX	IC2196	Köln Hbf – 17:02 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

Kirchweyhe – Kirchweyhe BTE

(16B1 not shown, 20B4) DE16/154

This south to west curve provides the only usable connection between DB and the Bremen-Thedinghauser Eisenbahn. BTE runs a excursions, mostly during the summer, from Leeste to destinations on the DB network. See www.pingelheini.de.

Lüneburg Westseite {West station}

[110] (18A2 not shown, 22C3) DE16/155

This is a separate station, west of the main line, which is used by Hamburg local trains starting or terminating at Lüneburg. It is also used by all trains to and from Dannenberg Ost.

Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)

[305] (18A1, 32C1; not shown in either) DE16/156

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 new direct curve (the Veerßer Kurve) from the Stendal line to the east side of Uelzen station, giving a non-conflicting connection towards Hamburg, was opened in November 2013.

Most trains between Stendal and Uelzen use the original line to and from the west side of Uelzen station. However, IRE services from Berlin to Hamburg (introduced on 15 April 2014) use the Veerßer Kurve in this direction only to call at platform 102 on the east side of the station.

Osnabrück Schinkel and Löhner Curves: Osnabrück ob Bf – Wissingen (Bbf Lüstringen)

[385] (25A2, 40C3) DE16/157

This is a curve from the high level station at Osnabrück to the Hannover line.

	SuX	IC2241	Münster (Westf) – 06:04 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
	SuO	IC2343	Münster (Westf) - 08:04 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
	ThFO	IC1922	Köln Hbf – 15:56 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
		IC2242	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:35 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf)
	SuO	IC2240	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 23:35 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf)

Ahlten (Abzw. Lehrte West) – Aligse (Lehrte Nordgruppe, former Stw Lnf)

[360.6.7] (26B2, 122D4-122C4) DE16/158

This west <=> north curve is used by trains between Hannover and Burgdorf which run non-stop between Hannover Karl-Wiechert-Allee and Aligse. There is an hourly S-Bahn service between Hannover and Celle by this route.

Lehrte (Abzw Lehrte West) – Misburg – Abzw Waldheim – Hannover Messe/Laatzen (Hannover Wülfel)

[349] (26B2, 122D4) DE16/159

This line forms the eastern part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover. It is used by the following trains to avoid reversal at Hannover Hbf.

D1		EN452	Moskva Belorusskaja - 21:57 Berlin Hbf - Paris Est
	SSuX	ICE1091	Berlin Südkreuz – 05:45/06:18 Berlin-Spandau – München Hbf
	SX	ICE1093	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 17:48/18:17 Berlin-Spandau – Stuttgart Hbf/München Hbf
D2		EN453	Paris Est – 00:59 Frankfurt am Main Süd - Moskva Belorusskaja
	FSSuX	ICE1092	Karlsruhe Hbf – 06:14 Frankfurt am Main Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
	FO	IC1970	Heidelberg Hbf - 15:50 Göttingen - Stralsund Hbf/Ostseebad Binz
D	FO	IC1086	München Hbf – 17:50 Göttingen – Berlin Südkreuz
D	FSuO	ICE904	München Hbf – 17:50 Göttingen – Berlin Hbf

D1: Runs via this route when departure from Berlin is on 25 & 26 March, 20 & 21 May, 18, 19, 25 & 26 November.

D2: Runs via this route when departure from Paris is on 26 & 27 March, 21 & 22 May, 19, 20, 26 & 27 November.

Lehrte – Sehnde

[360.3] (26B2, 122D4) DE16/160

East of Lehrte, the lines from Braunschweig and Hildesheim join with the line from Gifhorn in a complex flying junction. Trains from Lehrte towards Braunchweig or Hildesheim dive under the Gifhorn line and follow the original alignment of the Braunschweig line. Tains towards Lehrte diverge to the north and fly over the Gifhorn line about ½ km further north.

As an exception to this, any train from Hildesheim that terminates at Lehrte platform 3 will use the south side of the flying junction in the inbound direction.

Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (Abzw Siekweg) – Göttingen east side platforms

(40B3 not shown, 55A2-55B2) DE16/161

This 2km 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.

	SSuX	ICE272	Zürich HB – 22:43 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Hamburg-Altona
	SuO	ICE992	München Hbf – 23:56 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Hamburg-Altona

Wilhelmshaven docks branches

(16A3 not shown, 19C1) DE16/162

In summer 2014 tourist trains, marketed as the "Sande Express", ran on eight days to two destinations in Wilhelmshaven docks. These were:

• [Sande -] Abzw. Schortens Weisser Floh - line 1552 - Wilhelmshaven Olweiche - INEOS Vinyls ( referred to as Bohnenburg in promotional literature) and
• [Sande -] Line 1550 - Wilhelmshaven Jadeallee (which is immediately south of the Hauptbahnhof)

The trains started from the Wilhelmshaven Touristik & Freizeit premises on the south side of the Ems-Jade-Kanal. See the Wilhelmshaven Touristik & Freizeit website for details of further operations.