Germany - Older General Information

Introduction

This document acts as an archive for Recent and Future Changes in the past.

General

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.

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.

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).

Openings

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.

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.

2019

The following lines opened on 15 December 2019

-	Flensburg Weiche Süd - Flensburg Friedensweg	Diversion of Hamburg - København services away from Puttgarden - Rødby
209.24	Berlin Bornholmer Straße - Schönhauser Allee	Diversion of RB24 until 9 July 2021
209.24	Berlin Frankfurter Allee - Ostkreuz (oben)	Initially by diverted RB24 but now used permanently by FEX airport trains
645.8/9	Frankfurt (Main) Stadion - Gateway Gardens - Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Regionalbahnhof	Brand new eastern exit line from the airport replacing existing line
former 12474	Düren - Euskirchen	Regular service instead of weekend-only service

The following line opened on 7 July 2019

376

Bad Bentheim – Neuenhaus

A free preview service ran on 6 July

2018

209.63	Templin Stadt - Joachimsthal (experimental service)	9 December (ceased December 2022)
227	Hoyerswerda – Horka (Abzw. Muckenhain) [- Görlitz] (after long-term closure for rebuilding)	9 December
351	Einbeck Salzderhelden – Einbeck Mitte	9 December
471	Mainz Hbf (Abzw Kaiserbrücke Ost) - Hochheim (Main) (Abzw Kostheim) (used by new service RE4 between Frankfurt and Mainz)	9 December
930	Neufahrn avoiding curve	9 December

2017

513	Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf (reopening after 2002 flood damage)	19 June
133	[Kiel Hbf -] Kiel Schulen am Langsee - Kiel-Oppendorf	4 September
200.9	Treptower Park - Warschauer Straße (S-Bahn Berlin)	10 December
459	Meinerzhagen - Brügge (Westf)	10 December
580	Erfurt - Ebensfeld, including connections to and from Coburg (Schnellfahrstrecke)	10 December

2016

225	Brieske – Hosena temporarily owing to closure of Ruhland - Hosena for engineering work	30 January (ended 24 September 2016)
482	[Alsdorf Poststrasse -] Eschweiler-St.Jöris - Stolberg (Rheinl.) Hbf	12 June
908	Gotteszell - Viechtach (originally trial service; now permanent)	12 September
541	Wünschendorf Nord - Gera-Zwötzen (0.5 km connection to allow closure of line via Gera-Liebschwitz)	25 October

2015

680	Heimbach (Nahe) – Baumholder	23 February (deferred from 14 December 2014 by lack of crew)
622	Frankenberg (Eder) - Korbach	14 September
209.23	Ferch-Lienewitz – Beelitz-Heilstätten (temporary diversion of Michendorf service)	13 December (ended 10 December 2016)
209.24	Berlin Grünau – Berlin-Schöneweide – Berlin Ostkreuz – Berlin Lichtenberg	13 December
230.5	Görlitz – Zgorzelec (Poland)	13 December
580	Erfurt-Linderbach – Gröbers [- Leipzig] / Halle-Ammendorf	13 December
720	Konstanz – Kreuzlingen Hafen (Switzerland)	13 December
858	Selb-Plößberg – Aš (Czech Republic)	13 December

2014

247	Dolni Poustevna ČD - Sebnitz	5 July
305	Uelzen W750 - Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)	15 April (regular service ceased March 2020)
482	Alsdorf Poststraße - Eschweiler-St.Jöris	15 June

2013

133	Kiel Hbf - Kiel Schulen am Langsee (one morning school train only)	30 August
459	Marienheide – Meinerzhagen	15 December
485	Lindern – Heinsberg (Rheinl.)	15 December
501	Leipzig Nord/Leipzig-Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf (tief) – Leipzig-Stötteritz/Leipzig-Connewitz	15 December
501.1	Leipzig Stötteritz – Leipzig Engelsdorf	15 December
710.41	Heilbronn Harmonie - Neckarsulm (tram-train)	15 December
976	[Ulm -] Senden - Weißenhorn	15 December

2012

703	[Müllheim(Baden) -] Neuenburg(Baden) - Mulhouse (France) (full service in lieu of the former seasonal service)	9 December
703	Bad Bellingen - Efringen-Kirchen via new Katzenberg tunnel	9 December
790.6	Maichingen - Renningen	9 December

2011

751	Laupheim West south curve	12 June
209.35	Bad Saarow - Bad Saarow Klinikum	24 October
482	[Herzogenrath -] Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf-Mariadorf - Alsdorf-Poststraße	11 December
650.1	Darmstadt-Eberstadt - Pfungstadt	11 December
439	Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt	11 December

2010

	Sindelfingen - Maichingen	14 June
	Burg (Fehmarn) station and the associated north and south curves	31 July
	Gemünd - Schleiden - Hellenthal (tourist trains)	1 August
	Olbernhau-Grünthal - Neuhausen now available for special trains.	13 November (Line closed to all traffic in December 2023)
	(Leipzig -) Weißig [Abzw. Leckwitz] - Böhla [Abzw. Kottewitz] (- Dresden) connection	12 December

2009

	(Stolberg Hbf -) Eschweiler-Weisweiler - Langerwehe	14 June
	Ueckermünde - Ueckermünde Stadthafen	15 August
	Arnsdorf (Dresden) avoiding curve	4 October
S-Bahn Stuttgart	Plochingen - Kirchheim (Teck)	13 December
	Eschwege West - Eschwege Niederhone new station - Eschwege	13 December

2008

	(Schorndorf -) Rudersberg Nord - Rudersberg-Oberndorf	16 June
Usedomer Bäderbahn	Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum (Poland)
	Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport	12 December
	Pöppendorf - Travemünde Skandinavienkai (new alignment)	14 December

2007

	Bayreuth - Weidenberg	8 January
	(Trier -) Perl [DE] - Apach [FR] (weekend only)	10 June
	Bremen Vegesack - Bremen Farge	16 December

2006

Kassel tram-trains	Helsa - Hessisch-Lichtenau (on former DB line)	28 January
	Berlin Hauptbahnhof/Lehrter Bahnhof tief/low level together with new 9 km north-south tunnel	28 May
	Nürnberg - Ingolstadt Neubaustrecke	28 May
	Müllheim - Neuenburg - Mulhouse (France) (Sunday-only service)	9 July (daily since Dec 2012)
	Pockau-Lengefeld - Marienberg (Sachs)	4 September (closed Dec 2013)
	Traunreut - Hörpolding	10 December

2005

	Chemnitz Hbf - Burkhardtsdorf - Thalheim - Aue (following upgrade)	15 January (connection from Chemnitz Hbf replaced by tram-train connection from Chemnitz Technopark in Jan 2022)
	Flöha - Olbernhau-Grünthal (after upgrade)	29 January
	Berlin S-Bahn: Lichterfelde - Teltow	24 February
	Neuruppin - Wittstock (Dosse)	27 February
	Dannenberg Ost - Lüchow (weekend trains)	12 March (ceased 2014)
	Frankenberg - Battenberg (Summer Saturdays)	30 April (ceased 2007)
	Osnabrück - Dissen-Bad Rothenfelde	12 June
	Heilbronn Pfühlpark - Öhringen (resumption of DB interregional services)	10 December
	Merkstein - Alsdorf-Annapark	11 December
	Ilmenau - Ilmenau-Bad	11 December

2004

	Wemmetsweiler avoiding curve	6 February
S-Bahn Berlin	Berlin-Zoologischer Garten - Charlottenburg	19 April
	Kall - Gemünd (- Hellenthal) (museum trains)	10 May
	Düren - Zülpich - Euskirchen (Summer Sundays only)	10 May
	Köln/Bonn airport loop off Neubaustrecke	13 June
	Großbothen - Döbeln - Nossen	22 August (Döbeln - Nossen closed Dec 2015)
	Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler	11 September
	Schelklingen - Oberheutal - Münsingen - Gomadingen (- Kleinengstingen)	13 September
Karlsruhe light rail	Heilbronn-Harmonie - Pfühlpark (- Öhringen)	26 November
	Herzogenrath - Merkstein (- Alsdorf)	12 December
	Chemnitz - Niederwiesa - Frankenberg - Hainichen	12 December
	Immendingen - Hintschingen - Leipferdingen - Zollhaus-Blumberg	12 December

2003

	Bad Schussenried - Bad Schussenried Kloster (summer Sunday trains)	13 April (service ceased 6 October 2003)
	Gummersbach - Marienheide	29 April
S-Bahn Berlin	Schönhauser Allee - Bornholmer Straße (new alignment)	16 June
	Flughafen Leipzig-Halle - Gröbers (- Halle (Saale) Hbf)	30 June
	Hüfingen - Bräunlingen	30 June
	Seligenstadt (bei Würzburg) - Prosselsheim - Volkach-Astheim (museum trains)	13 September
	Bad Wildbad Bf - Bad Wildbad Kurpark	5 October
	Schifferstadt avoiding line (Ludwigshafen - Neustadt)	19 November
	New Egge tunnel (Altenbeken - Kassel)	14 December
	Offenbach Ost - Offenbach-Bieber - Rödermark-Ober Roden/Dietzenbach Bahnhof	14 December
	Brilon Wald - Korbach Süd	14 December

2002

	Jülich - Linnich	9 June
S-Bahn Berlin	Westhafen - Wedding - Gesundbrunnen (completing the Innenring restoration)	15 June
	Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz) (museum trains)	15 June
	Leer - Weener - Nieuweschans (Netherlands)	16 June
	Köln - Montabaur - Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof Neubaustrecke (high-speed line)	1 August
	Cottbus - Cottbus-Willmersdorf - Peitz Ost (- Guben)	13 August
City-Bahn Chemnitz	Altchemnitz - Stollberg (after conversion to electric light rail)	13 December
	(Gotha -) Crawinkel - Gräfenroda	13 December (closed 11 December 2011)
	(Leipzig Hbf -) Neuwiederitzsch-Leipziger Messe - Flughafen Leipzig-Halle	13 December
	Eisfeld - Rauenstein (Thür) - Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf	13 December
	Neumünster - Bad Segeberg	13 December
	Pforzheim - Bad Wildbad Bf (- Bad Wildbad Kurpark) (after electrification)	13 December
	Rottenbach - Obstfelderschmiede - Katzhütte	13 December
	Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Lauscha - Ernstthal - Neuhaus am Rennweg	13 December

2001

	Dresden Klotzsche - Grenzstraße - Dresden Flughafen (new line)	24 March
Bayerisches Eisenbahnmuseum	Nördlingen - Dinkelsbühl (museum trains)	7 April (services since ceased)
	Monsheim - Marnheim - Langmeil (Pfalz): summer weekend trains	26 May
	Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Altstadt (formerly Stolberg-Hammer)	9 June
	Berlin: Abzw Eichgestell - Wuhlheide Rbf - Biesdorfer Kreuz	10 June
	Kassel trams: Kaufungen-Papierfabrik - Helsa (on former DB line)	10 June
	Ramsen - Eiswoog (Rheinland-Pfalz): summer weekend trains	10 June
	Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg avoiding curve	10 June?
	Kaisersesch - Daun - Gerolstein: summer weekend trains (ceased 2014)	16 June
	Bremerhaven-Speckenbüttel - Bederkesa: summer Sunday tourist trains	24 June
	Karlsruhe light rail: Heilbronn Hbf - Heilbronn Stadtmitte - Harmonie	21 July
Berlin S-Bahn	Gesundbrunnen - Bornholmer Straße - Pankow	17 September
Berlin S-Bahn	Gesundbrunnen - Schönhauser Allee (Innenring)	17 September
Stuttgart S-Bahn	Flughafen - Filderstadt	29 September
Essen light rail	Altenessen Bf - Gelsenkirchen-Fischerstraße	30 September
	Berlin: Biesdorfer Kreuz Nord - Biesdorfer Kreuz Süd	3 November
	Gronau (Westfalen) DB - Glanerbrug NS (- Enschede NS)	18 November

2000

	Dresden: Neucoswig - Radebeul-Naundorf	28 May
	Düren - Distelrath (experimental summer Sunday service)	28 May (daily permanent service since Dec 2019)
	Klingenthal - Hranicna (Czech Rep)	28 May
	Kremmen - Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor	28 May
	Langenhagen - Hannover Flughafen	28 May
	Magdeburg-Sudenburg - Magdeburg-Buckau	28 May (no longer with regular service)
	Neuruppin Rheinsberger Tor - Herzberg (Mark)	28 May (closed 2007)
	Röderau - Zeithain Bogendreieck	28 May (entire line from Falkenberg (Elster) closed to local services in 2004 but still used for diversions)
	Züssow - Wolgast Hafen - Wolgaster Fähre	28 May
	Niebüll DB - Tønder DSB	2 July (summer service; daily since 2003)
	Mayen West - Kaisersesch	6 August

Closures

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.

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.

2019

The following line closed on 14 December 2019

140

Fehmarn-Burg avoiding line

Hamburg - København IC services ceased running via Puttgarden - Rødby; the remaining RB services to Puttgarden all reverse at Fehmarn-Burg.

The following line closed in September 2019

190

Sassnitz-Mukran Abzw Borchtitz - Sassnitz-Mukran Fährhafen

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.

The following line closed on 18 March 2019

447

Duisburg Hbf - Duisburg Entenfang

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.

In the "tourist/museum line" sector:

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 Schienenbus. 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.

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.

2018

The following line closed on 15 September 2018:

524

[Chemnitz Hbf –] Chemnitz Süd – Chemnitz-Reichenhain (Abzw Chemnitz Süd Strab)

Line closed for conversion to tram-train route but this connection closed to passengers completely.

2017

The following line closed on 10 December 2017:

594 (part)

Buttstädt - Großheringen

2016

The following line closed on 24 October 2016:

541

Gera Süd (Abzw. Gera Debschwitz) - Wünschendorf Nord

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.

The following line closed on 25 September 2016:

225

Brieske - Hosena

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.

The following line closed on 31 July 2016:

209.70

Pritzwalk West - Putlitz

In the "tourist/museum line" sector:

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.

The Teckelfahrten service from Hagen to Ennepetal ceased operation at the end of the 2016 season.

2015

The following lines closed on 13 December 2015:

209.23 (part)	Ferch-Lienewitz – Seddin	Trains temporarily diverted to Beelitz-Heilstätten until December 2016
506 (part)	Döbeln Hbf – Roßwein – Nossen – Meißen Triebischtal

The following line closed on 26 September 2015:

R61 [WEG]

Hemmingen – Heimerdingen – Weissach

Hemmingen – Heimerdingen reopened on 12 September 2018 after track renewals.

The following line closed to regular services on 12 April 2015:

337

Klostermansfeld - Wippra

A summer weekend service continues to operate

The following line closed on 1 May 2015:

172 (part)

Mecklenburgische Südbahn: Parchim - Inselstadt Malchow

A summer weekend service resumed in 2020

The following line closed on 13 March 2015:

236 (part)

Varnsdorf Pivovar Kocour (CZ) - Seifhennersdorf

A rail replacement bus operates and is shown in the timetable. Reopened 11 June 2023

The following line closed on 1 March 2015:

230

Görlitz - Zgorzelec (Poland)

The Dresden - Wrocław service was withdrawn owing to a reduction in funding for Przewozy Regionalne. Services were reintroduced from 13 December 2015.

2014

218	Pratau – Bad Schmiedeberg Kurzentrum (A summer weekend service operated until 2019)	31 December
517	Cranzahl – Vejprty (Czech Republic) (A summer weekend service continues to operate)	14 December
588	Merseburg – Schafstädt	14 December

The København - Basel/Amsterdam/Praha overnight service was withdrawn on 1 November 2014

2013

519

Pockau-Lengefeld – Marienberg (Sachs.)

15 December

2012

183	Rostock Hbf – Rostock Seehafen Nord	9 December
539	Adorf (Vogtl.) – Zwotental	9 December