Germany (Baden-Württemberg) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

Introduction

This list is based on the timetable dated from 11 December 2022 to 9 December 2023, unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information.

Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "S+W", or in italic, refer to Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland by Schweers + Wall.

Obscure services

Mannheim-Waldhof – Mannheim Hbf (via Mannheim-Käfertal)

[655] (ERA-E 53C2-53C1; ERA-R 111A2-111B2; S+W 159A1-159A2) DE23/601

Most trains between Mannheim-Waldhof and Mannheim Hbf run via Mannheim-Luzenberg. However, several local trains run via Käfertal, far more than in recent years, some of which take a circular route via Käfertal and Luzenberg or v.v.:

	SSuX	S38767	Biblis – 06:39 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim
	SSuX	S38769	Biblis – 07:36 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf
	SSuX	S38771	Biblis – 08:38 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf
D1	SSuO	S38779	Biblis – 10:01 Mannheim-Käfertal – Mannheim Hbf
D1	SSuO	S38781	Biblis – 11:01 Mannheim-Käfertal – Mannheim Hbf
	SSuX	S38773	Biblis – 17:21 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf
D2	SSuX / Daily	S38775	Biblis – 18:28 Lampertheim / 18:36 Mannheim-Waldhof (when daily) – Mannheim Hbf
D1		S38775	18:44 Mannheim-Waldhof – Mannheim Hbf
	SSuX	S38777	Biblis – 19:31 Lampertheim – Mannheim Hbf – Groß Rohrheim
D1	SSuO	S38783	Biblis – 19:37 Mannheim-Waldhof – Mannheim Hbf
	SSuX	S38766	Worms Hbf – 05:11 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis
	SSuX	S38768	Groß Rohrheim – 06:12 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis
	SSuX	S38770	Mainz Hbf – 07:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis
D1		S38760	08:14 Mannheim Hbf – Mannheim-Waldhof
D1	SSuO	S38778	08:50 Mannheim Hbf – Mannheim-Waldhof
	SSuX	S38772	Groß Rohrheim – 16:12 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis
D2	SSuX / Daily	S38166	17:08 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis
D1	SSuO	S38776	Groß Rohrheim – 18:12 Mannheim Hbf – Biblis

D1: 14 April - 8 October 2023

D2: SSuX 12 December 2022 - 13 April 2023, daily 14 April - 8 December 2023

From 14 April until 9 October 2023, there is also an hourly shuttle service for most of the day between Mannheim-Waldhof and Mannheim-Käfertal only. These extra services are in connection with the 2023 German national garden show which is being held in north-east Mannheim.

A permanent hourly S-Bahn service is planned to run via this route from 2026, whereupon this entry will be removed.

The TGV and ICE trains between Frankfurt am Main and Paris via Saarbrücken also run via Mannheim-Käfertal, in order to avoid reversal at Mannheim Hbf.

In addition, the following two ICE services run this way and reverse at Mannheim Hbf.

	SX	ICE775	Berlin-Gesundbrunnen - 23:24 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf - Karlsruhe Hbf / Basel Bad Bf (MO)
	SO	ICE877	Berlin Ostbahnhof - 23:24 Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf - Karlsruhe Hbf

Appenweier – Legelshurst (Appenweier Kurve)

[719] (ERA-E 58B4; ERA-R 117C5; S+W 102C1) DE23/602

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

• TGV/ICE between Paris and Stuttgart
• TGV/ICE between Paris or Marseille and Frankfurt am Main via Karlsruhe.

Local trains between Kehl and Offenburg stopping at Appenweier use platform 9 on the south curve.

Ubstadt-Weiher (Abzw Ubstadt) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)

[771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W 161B1) DE23/603

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 trains non-stop between Heidelberg Hbf and Vaihingen (Enz) or Stuttgart Hbf.

Bruchsal (Abzw Bruchsal Nord) – Vaihingen (Enz) (Abzw Rollenberg)

[770, 771.Fv] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W 161B1) DE23/604

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.

Bruchsal – Bruchsal Tunnelstraße (Abzw Bruchsal Ost)

[771] (ERA-E 53C1; ERA-R 82A2; S+W 161A2-161B2) DE23/605

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).

All trains to and from the Bretten line now run to and from Bruchsal only and mainly arrive and depart from bay platform 6, which is adjacent to platform 1, so use the 'short curve'.

The only services to use platforms 4 or 5 in the direction of Bretten are the two-hourly RE17b trains to Mühlacker. These depart at 30 minutes past each odd hour between 09:30 and 21:30, with the exception of 11:30 where the departure is at 11:28 (RE19645). The xx:30 departures are expected to use the 'long curve' to avoid conflict with RE73 services to Karlsruhe which also depart at 30 minutes past each hour from platform 4. The off-pattern 11:28 departure was reported in March 2023 to have used the 'short curve' but in June 2023 to have used the 'long curve'.

In the other direction RE17b trains use platform 2b and therefore the 'short curve'.

Enzberg (Abzw Mühlacker Süd) – Ötisheim (Abzw Mühlacker Nord)

[772] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B3; S+W 94A2) DE23/606

This west to north curve links the Pforzheim and Bretten lines, avoiding Mühlacker, and is used on Sundays and public holidays from 30 April to mid-October by trains between Pforzheim Hbf and Maulbronn Stadt/Kloster shown in Kursbuch Table 772.

• From Pforzheim Hbf: 10:32, 13:32, 16:32
• From Maulbronn West: 11:08, 16:08, 17:08

Leopoldshafen Frankfurter Straße – KIT-Campus Nord

[710.1 not shown] (ERA-E 58C5 not shown; ERA-R 82A1; S+W 160C2) DE23/607

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 KVV timetable, downloadable as a PDF, note C states that entry to the establishment is permitted only with an official identification card.

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.

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.

Details are on the KIT website, under "Wissenswertes/Anfahrt mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln. The only information given about timings is that the last return train is at 19:29.

Laupheim Stadt avoiding line: Laupheim West – Schemmerberg

[751] (ERA-E 59B3; ERA-R 119A4; S+W 105A3) DE23/608

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.

Ettlingen West – Ettlingen Erbprinz

[710.1] (ERA-E 58C5; ERA-R 82B1; S+W 161B4) DE23/609

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. Note that despite the morning departure not appearing on the departure sheets for Karlsruhe Hbf, it is confirmed as running from the Hbf as shown in the DB journey planner.

Note	SuO	S85699 / S FEX	Odenheim – Karlsruhe Hbf – 09:38 Ettlingen West – Bad Herrenalb
Note	SuO	S FEX / S85698	Bad Herrenalb – 17:16 Ettlingen Stadt – Karlsruhe Hbf – Menzingen (Baden)

Note: These trains run as S FEX between Karlsruhe Hbf and Bad Herrenalb and as S31/S32 between Karlsruhe Hbf and Odenheim / Menzingen respectively.

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.

Schlatt (Hohenz.) (Walkenmühle) – Hechingen Landesbahn

[768] (ERA-E 59A4; ERA-R 118B4; S+W 104A2) DE23/610

Trains to and from Gammertingen use the DB station at Hechingen except for:

	SSuX	HzL86309	06:59 Hechingen Landesbahn - Gammertingen
	SSuX	HzL86344	Sigmaringen - 20:46 Schlatt - Hechingen Landesbahn

Schliengen – Haltingen

[702] (ERA-E 58A2-58B2; ERA-R 117B2; S+W 110A2-110A3) DE23/611

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.

Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions

Diversions in the Stuttgart area are particularly likely while Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof is being rebuilt.

Vaihingen (Enz) (Langes Feld) – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen

[750, 770] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown; ERA-R 111A4; S+W 168B1-168B2) DE23/631

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. This occurs on the weekend of 25 and 26 March and between 9 June and 28 July 2023 by the two-hourly IC services between Karlsruhe and Nürnberg (and v.v.) which run this way to Esslingen (Neckar) and reverse there, then travelling via the curve to Stuttgart Abzw Nürnberger Straße (DE23/633) to gain the line towards Crailsheim.

Note that the eastbound and westbound lines are quite widely separated at the Zazenhausen end.

Ludwigsburg – Stuttgart-Zazenhausen via Kornwestheim Rbf

[790.11] (ERA-E 61C3 not shown); ERA-R 111A4; S+W 168B1-168B2) DE23/632

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.

Stuttgart Nürnberger Straße – Stuttgart-Untertürkheim

[750, 785, 786] (ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4-111B4; S+W 168C2-168C3) DE23/633

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 is used on the weekend of 25 and 26 March and between 9 June and 28 July 2023 by the two-hourly IC services between Karlsruhe and Nürnberg (and v.v.) which run via Stuttgart Langes Feld – Zazenhausen (DE23/631) to Esslingen (Neckar) and reverse there to travel via this curve towards Crailsheim.

Stuttgart-Feuerbach (Abzw Stuttgart Nord Rbf) – Stuttgart-Vaihingen (Stuttgart Hbf Em Nord)

(ERA-E 61C3; ERA-R 111A4; S+W 168B2) DE23/634

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 extensive "Stuttgart-21" engineering works and although confirmed as running in mid-August 2022, it was later cancelled for various reasons including staff and rolling-stock shortages.

Beimerstetten (Ulm Hbf Em Nord) – Ulm Rbf

[750] (ERA-E 59B4; ERA-R 119B4; S+W 163C2-163D2) DE23/635

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.