Bingerbrück–Rüdesheim train ferry
Encyclopedia
The Bingerbrück–Rüdesheim train ferry was operated as a train ferry
from 1862 to 1900 across the Rhine between Bingerbrück
now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate
and Rüdesheim now in the state of Hesse
.
On 15 December 1859 was the Rhenish Railway Company
put the final section of its Left Rhine railway from Cologne
to Bingerbrück into operation. A few months later, on 26 May 1860, the Rhine-Nahe Railway Company (Rhein-Nahe Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) completed the Nahe Valley Railway from Bingerbrück to Neunkirchen
in the Saarland
. Both rail lines could be used to supply the demand for coal in the Middle
and Upper Rhine
. The supply of the Wiesbaden
and Frankfurt
area by rail was only possible by a roundabout route via the Rhine-Main Railway
to Mainz
and Darmstadt
. In 1862 the Nassau Rhine Railway (Nassauische Rheinbahn, now part of the East Rhine line) was opened between Rudesheim and Oberlahnstein
, providing a more direct route to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt.
To encourage the transport of coal by rail and to compete more effectively with river barges, the Rhine-Nahe Railway and the Nassau State Railway
(which now owned the Nassau Rhine line) decided to set up a ferry for freight wagons between Bingerbrück and Rüdesheim. The freight ferry was put into operation on 1 September 1862. A passenger ferry opened on 5 November 1861 on the Bingerbrück–Bingen
–Rüdesheim route.
Originally it was operated with two paddle steamer
s (Bingerbrück and Rüdesheim) attached alongside coupled pontoons carrying the freight wagons over the Rhine. The freight wagons were loaded and unloaded via tracks on moveable ramps. Passengers used steam ships and ferries operating on a different route (see above).
The movement of wagons did not end until 1900. The passenger ferry was operated by Prussian State Railways
until July 1907. After that passengers were able to use the tram to Bingen and the Bingen–Rüdesheim ferry. Later freight traffic could use the Hindenburg Bridge built from 1913 to 1915, but destroyed in 1945 and never rebuilt.
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
from 1862 to 1900 across the Rhine between Bingerbrück
Bingerbrück
Bingerbrück is a Stadtteil of Bingen am Rhein, on the opposite side of the river Nahe from the old town of Bingen. It was self-administering until 1969.- Binger Mäuseturm :...
now in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
and Rüdesheim now in the state of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
.
On 15 December 1859 was the Rhenish Railway Company
Rhenish Railway Company
The Rhenish Railway Company was along with the Cologne-Minden Railway Company and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Foundation :The...
put the final section of its Left Rhine railway from Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
to Bingerbrück into operation. A few months later, on 26 May 1860, the Rhine-Nahe Railway Company (Rhein-Nahe Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) completed the Nahe Valley Railway from Bingerbrück to Neunkirchen
Neunkirchen, Saarland
Neunkirchen is a town and a municipality in Saarland, Germany. It is the largest town in, and the seat of the district of Neunkirchen. It is situated on the river Blies, approx. 20 km northeast of Saarbrücken. With about 50,000 inhabitants, Neunkirchen is Saarland's 2nd largest city...
in the Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
. Both rail lines could be used to supply the demand for coal in the Middle
Middle Rhine
Between Bingen and Bonn, Germany, the Rhine River flows as the Middle Rhine through the Rhine Gorge, a formation created by erosion, which happened at about the same rate as an uplift in the region, leaving the river at about its original level, and the surrounding lands raised...
and Upper Rhine
Upper Rhine
The Upper Rhine is the section of the Rhine in the Upper Rhine Plain between Basel, Switzerland and Bingen, Germany. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometers 170 to 529 ....
. The supply of the Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
area by rail was only possible by a roundabout route via the Rhine-Main Railway
Rhine-Main Railway
The Rhine-Main Railway , is a railway line in southern Germany from Mainz via Darmstadt to Aschaffenburg. It was built by Hessische Ludwigsbahn and opened on 1 August 1858 and is one of the oldest railways in Germany...
to Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
and Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
. In 1862 the Nassau Rhine Railway (Nassauische Rheinbahn, now part of the East Rhine line) was opened between Rudesheim and Oberlahnstein
Oberlahnstein
Oberlahnstein is a part of the city of Lahnstein in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It lies on the right bank of the Rhine, at the confluence of the Lahn 4 m. above Koblenz, on the Right Rhine railway from Cologne to Frankfurt-on-Main...
, providing a more direct route to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt.
To encourage the transport of coal by rail and to compete more effectively with river barges, the Rhine-Nahe Railway and the Nassau State Railway
Nassau State Railway
The Nassau State Railway took over the privately built railway lines on the Rhine and Lahn rivers in the Duchy of Nassau from the Nassau Rhine and Lahn Railway Company in 1861 and extended them further...
(which now owned the Nassau Rhine line) decided to set up a ferry for freight wagons between Bingerbrück and Rüdesheim. The freight ferry was put into operation on 1 September 1862. A passenger ferry opened on 5 November 1861 on the Bingerbrück–Bingen
Bingen
Bingen may refer to:* Bingen am Rhein, Germany* Bingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany* Bingen, Washington, United States* Bingen Hauptbahnhof...
–Rüdesheim route.
Originally it was operated with two paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s (Bingerbrück and Rüdesheim) attached alongside coupled pontoons carrying the freight wagons over the Rhine. The freight wagons were loaded and unloaded via tracks on moveable ramps. Passengers used steam ships and ferries operating on a different route (see above).
The movement of wagons did not end until 1900. The passenger ferry was operated by Prussian State Railways
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
until July 1907. After that passengers were able to use the tram to Bingen and the Bingen–Rüdesheim ferry. Later freight traffic could use the Hindenburg Bridge built from 1913 to 1915, but destroyed in 1945 and never rebuilt.