Alster Northern Railway
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The Alster Northern Railway or ANB was a non-electrified, single-tracked branch line
in northern Germany. It linked the stations of Ochsenzoll in Hamburg-Langenhorn with Ulzburg Süd
in the district of Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein
.
The northern part of the route to Norderstedt Mitte is used today by AKN Railway on behalf to VGN Norderstedt
(HVV
Line A2) and is mostly double-tracked. Since 1996 the southern section is part of the Hamburg U-Bahn
network (Line U1). It is doubled throughout and electrified at 750 V DC
via a third rail
.
The description Alster Northern Railway (Alsternordbahn) is still commonly used for this route. The name originates from the river Alster
which flows into the river Elbe
in Hamburg
.
The Alster Northern Railway or ANB was a non-electrified, single-tracked branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
in northern Germany. It linked the stations of Ochsenzoll in Hamburg-Langenhorn with Ulzburg Süd
Henstedt-Ulzburg
Henstedt-Ulzburg is a municipality in the district of Segeberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-Geography:The municipality of Henstedt-Ulzburg is situated on the outskirts of Hamburg approx. 30 km north of Hamburg and 13 km north of Norderstedt. Currently it is the largest municipality in...
in the district of Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
.
The northern part of the route to Norderstedt Mitte is used today by AKN Railway on behalf to VGN Norderstedt
Norderstedt
Norderstedt is a city in Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region , the fifth largest city in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, belonging to the district Segeberg.- History :Norderstedt was created by the merger of four towns on 1 January 1970: the towns of Friedrichsgabe and...
(HVV
Hamburger Verkehrsverbund
The Hamburger Verkehrsverbund is a company coordinating the public transport in and around Hamburg, Germany. Its main objectives are to provide the user with a unified fare system, requiring only a single ticket for journeys with transfers between different operating companies, and to further...
Line A2) and is mostly double-tracked. Since 1996 the southern section is part of the Hamburg U-Bahn
Hamburg U-Bahn
The Hamburg U-Bahn is a rapid transit system serving the cities of Hamburg, Norderstedt and Ahrensburg in Germany. Although technically an underground, most of the system's track length is above ground. The network is interconnected with the city's S-Bahn system, which also has underground...
network (Line U1). It is doubled throughout and electrified at 750 V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
via a third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
.
The description Alster Northern Railway (Alsternordbahn) is still commonly used for this route. The name originates from the river Alster
Alster
The Alster is a right tributary of the River Elbe in Northern Germany. It has its source near Henstedt-Ulzburg, Schleswig-Holstein, flows roughly southwards and reaches the Elbe in Hamburg. In the centre of Hamburg the Alster has been dammed...
which flows into the river Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Sources
- Hans-Jürgen Kielmann: Die Alsternordbahn – Idee und Wirklichkeit. VVM, Hamburg 1980, ISBN 3-923999-07-0
- Gerd Wolff: Deutsche Klein- und Privatbahnen, Teil 1: Schleswig-Holstein/Hamburg. Zeunert, Gifhorn 1972, ISBN 3-921237-14-9