Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services
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Introduction
This list is based on the timetable dated from 13 December 2009 to 11 December 2010, 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 (2007/2008 edition) is shown, in italic, in addition to the reference to M.G. Ball's European Railway Atlas.
Obscure services
Minden (Westf) – Hamm (via Goods Line)
[370,400] (25A1, 41C1-52B1) DE09/351
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. The goods lines are sometimes used by relief trains between Hannover and the Ruhr in order to overtake stopping services. They are also used 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.
Münster (Westf) avoiding line: Westbevern (Sudmühle) – Appelhülsen (Mecklenbeck)
(24B1, 134C1-134B2) DE09/352
This line enables trains to run between the Osnabrück and Recklinghausen lines without passing through Münster (Westf) Hbf. There is also a curve to the Hamm line, but that is not used by any passenger trains.
| E | FO | DZ1250 | Hamburg-Altona – 14:27 Osnabrück Hbf – Cerbere |
| E | SO | DZ1253 | 15:10 Cerbere – Hamburg-Altona |
| E | WO | AZ13317 | 13:43 Hamburg-Altona – Verona Porta Nuova |
| H | WO | AZ13328 | 19:08 Innsbruck Hbf – Hamburg-Altona |
Dortmund Hbf (Abzw Lütgendortmund) – Witten Hbf (Abzw Stockumer Straße)
[427,455] (34B3, 138D3) DE09/353
This east to south curve is used by trains running non-stop between Dortmund Hbf and Witten Hbf or Hagen Hbf. There are hourly services of ICE/IC trains to Hagen and RE trains to Witten.
Dortmund Aplerbeck Süd (Abzw Schwerte Heide) – Fröndenberg (Schwerte Ost)
[438] (35A1, 139C3) DE09/354
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 or Winterberg (Westf), approximately hourly, except RB29535 23:23 from Dortmund Hbf, which reverses at Schwerte (Ruhr).
Hagen-Vorhalle – Schwerte (Ruhr) (Abzw Hohensyburg)
(35A1, 139A4-139B4) DE09/355
This route allows trains to run between the Witten and Schwerte lines without reversing at Hagen Hbf. It is not normally used by passenger trains, but a special Ruhrtalbahn Zechenexpress service runs this way on the fourth Saturday of the month from March to October. See www.ruhrtalbahn.de.
| E | SO | 08:06 Bochum-Dahlhausen – Dortmund-Bövinghausen | |
| E | SO | 13:50 Zeche Nachtigall – Dortmund-Bövinghausen | |
| E | SO | 10:32 Dortmund-Bövinghausen - Zeche Nachtigall | |
| E | SO | 15:32 Dortmund-Bövinghausen - Bochum-Dahlhausen |
Düsseldorf-Rath – Oberhausen-Sterkrade (Oberhausen Hbf Obn) (via Duisburg-Wedau and Abzw Mathilde)
(33B1-33B3, 141A2 - 137A2) DE09/356
This freight route avoids Duisburg Hbf and Oberhausen Hbf. It is used by:
| ThFSO | CNL400 | Milano Centrale – 09s18 FSSuO Düsseldorf Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal |
Düsseldorf-Wehrhahn (Abzw. Düsseldorf-Rethel) – Düsseldorf-Rath Mitte (Abzw. Düsseldorf-Vogelsang) (via Düsseldorf-Dehrendorf Dnf and Düsseldorf-Dehrendorf Dn)
(33A1 not shown, 140D2) DE09/356A
This freight-only route (part of line 2410) drops down on the east side of the main line at Düsseldorf-Wehrhahn and passes under the main line to the west side, running parallel through Düsseldorf-Dehrendorf yard before flying over the main line on line 2401 to join the S-Bahn route towards Rath. It is used by:
| ThFSO | CNL400 | Milano Centrale – 09s18 FSSuO Düsseldorf Hbf – Amsterdam Centraal |
Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal – Kalkum
[450.1] (33A1, 140D2) DE09/357
The original Düsseldorf Flughafen station, now known as Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal, is at the end of a short branch off the main line from Düsseldorf to Duisburg. Since the new Düsseldorf Flughafen station opened on the main line on 28 May 2000, there has been no direct S-Bahn service between the old station and Duisburg. The only train now to use the west to north curve off the branch to Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal is
| SSuX | RE10154 | Dortmund Hbf – 03:24 Duisburg Hbf – Düsseldorf Hbf |
Düsseldorf Hbf (Abzw Düsseldorf-Berg) – Düsseldorf-Eller (Abzw Düsseldorf-Sturm)
(33B1 not shown, 141A4) DE09/358
The S-Bahn line between Düsseldorf Hbf and Düsseldorf-Eller crosses over the main line so that trains can access platforms on the west side of the Hauptbahnhof. This connection is off the east side of the main line, south of Düsseldorf Hbf. It is used by the trains via Hilden and Opladen listed under route DE09/359 below.
Hilden – Köln-Mülheim (via Opladen and Leverkusen-Morsbroich)
(33B1-36A3, 141B4-147C4) DE09/359
This is a freight route between Düsseldorf and Köln, which is also used by the following passenger trains:
| E | FO | AZ13321 | 17:35 Düsseldorf Hbf – Verona Porta Nuova |
| H | SO | AZ13314 | Salzburg Hbf – 22:39 München Ost – Düsseldorf Hbf |
Neuss avoiding line: Neuss am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal) – Meerbusch-Osterath (Abzw Weißenberg)
[495] (33A1, 141C3) DE09/360
This east to north curve is used by trains between Düsseldorf Hbf and Krefeld not calling at Neuss Hbf. These comprise the half-hourly (hourly at weekends) service between Düsseldorf Hbf and Kleve.
Neuss Pbf - Neuss am Kaiser (Abzw Erftkanal)
[415, 450.8, 481, 485] (33A1, 141C3) DE09/360A
Neuss station is in two parts, east and west, with separate approach tracks to each from the Düsseldorf, Grevenbroich and Köln lines. All S-Bahn trains, plus services RE4 (Aachen – Dortmund) and RE13 (Venlo – Hamm), use the west side. Other trains, including all of those to and from Krefeld, use the east side. Therefore, most trains between Düsseldorf and Neuss use the west side, the exceptions using the east side being RE38 trains to and from Grevenbroich, plus long-distance trains routed via Köln and Neuss:
| IC20211 | Hamburg-Altona – 03:02 Düsseldorf Hbf – Frankfurt am Main Hbf | ||
| SuO | IC1812 | Frankfurt am Main Hbf/16:29 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona | |
| SuO | IC1800 | 17:26 Köln Hbf – Hamburg-Altona |
