Celle–Wittingen Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The Celle–Wittingen Light Railway was founded on 21 June 1902 by the Prussian state
, the town of Celle
and 33 municipalities. On 15 August 1904 it opened the 51 km long, standard gauge line from Celle Stadt (Nord) via Beedenbostel
and Hankensbüttel
to Wittingen
West (now the Celle–Wittingen railway
). This line was also called the Lachte Valley Railway (Lachtetalbahn) because part of it ran along the river Lachte
. The journey time on the Celle–Wittingen line in 1906 was about 2 hours and 20 minutes. In 1908 the station at Wittingen West was moved to the east side of the state station in order to enable a common station to be created with the Kleinbahn Wittingen-Oebisfelde, opened in 1909, and the Kleinbahn Bismark-Gardelegen-Wittingen, later the Altmärkische Kleinbahn AG. The new route made the construction of embankments and a bridge over the state railway necessary.
From 22 July 1912 the 'Salt Railway' (Salzbahn), a 7 km long branch, ran from Beedenbostel in a northerly direction via Mariaglück to Habighorst, where potash and salt works had been established in two separate locations. But by 1924 Mariaglück had become the terminus for trains on the branch.
The Celle-Wittingen Light Railway had reached an agreement before 1914 to run operations jointly with the Celle-Garßen-Bergen Light Railway
. From 1910 this company called itself the Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway
GmbH.
On 8 November 1940 the Celle-Wittingen Light Railway became a public transport railway.
From 23 February 1940 it was renamed the Celle-Wittingen Railway (Eisenbahn Celle-Wittingen AG). On 27 March 1944 this firm took over the Kleinbahn Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster GmbH, with which it was already linked as part of the operating group of Celle Light Railways (Celler Kleinbahnen) and was renamed again into the Celle Railways (Celler Eisenbahnen AG).
On 10 July 1944 it was merged into the East Hanoverian Railways (Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen or OHE) along with several other railway companies.
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, the town of Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
and 33 municipalities. On 15 August 1904 it opened the 51 km long, standard gauge line from Celle Stadt (Nord) via Beedenbostel
Beedenbostel
Beedenbostel is a municipality in the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
and Hankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel
Hankensbüttel is a municipality in the Samtgemeinde Hankensbüttel in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km south of Uelzen, and 30 km north of Gifhorn.-History:...
to Wittingen
Wittingen
Wittingen is a town in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 30 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 30 km southeast of Uelzen.- Division of the town :Wittingen consists of 27 districts:- Demographic data :...
West (now the Celle–Wittingen railway
Celle–Wittingen railway
The Celle–Wittingen railway is a line belonging to the East Hanoverian Railways . Because its western portion runs along the River Lachte, it is also known as the Lachte Valley Railway ....
). This line was also called the Lachte Valley Railway (Lachtetalbahn) because part of it ran along the river Lachte
Lachte
The Lachte is a roughly long right-hand tributary of the River Aller in the Südheide Nature Park in the north German state of Lower Saxony.- Course :The Lachte rises in the northern part of the district of Gifhorn southwest of Sprakensehl...
. The journey time on the Celle–Wittingen line in 1906 was about 2 hours and 20 minutes. In 1908 the station at Wittingen West was moved to the east side of the state station in order to enable a common station to be created with the Kleinbahn Wittingen-Oebisfelde, opened in 1909, and the Kleinbahn Bismark-Gardelegen-Wittingen, later the Altmärkische Kleinbahn AG. The new route made the construction of embankments and a bridge over the state railway necessary.
From 22 July 1912 the 'Salt Railway' (Salzbahn), a 7 km long branch, ran from Beedenbostel in a northerly direction via Mariaglück to Habighorst, where potash and salt works had been established in two separate locations. But by 1924 Mariaglück had become the terminus for trains on the branch.
The Celle-Wittingen Light Railway had reached an agreement before 1914 to run operations jointly with the Celle-Garßen-Bergen Light Railway
Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway
The Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway was until 1908 a publicly-owned company run by the district of Celle in North Germany and was originally named the Garßen–Bergen Light Railway ....
. From 1910 this company called itself the Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway
Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway
The Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster Light Railway was until 1908 a publicly-owned company run by the district of Celle in North Germany and was originally named the Garßen–Bergen Light Railway ....
GmbH.
On 8 November 1940 the Celle-Wittingen Light Railway became a public transport railway.
From 23 February 1940 it was renamed the Celle-Wittingen Railway (Eisenbahn Celle-Wittingen AG). On 27 March 1944 this firm took over the Kleinbahn Celle-Soltau, Celle-Munster GmbH, with which it was already linked as part of the operating group of Celle Light Railways (Celler Kleinbahnen) and was renamed again into the Celle Railways (Celler Eisenbahnen AG).
On 10 July 1944 it was merged into the East Hanoverian Railways (Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen or OHE) along with several other railway companies.
Sources
- Klaus-Peter Sebastian (Herausgeber): Die Geschichte der Kleinbahnen im Isenhagener Land; Der OHE-Bahnbetrieb im Landkreis Gifhorn. Landkreis Gifhorn, Museumsverein Gifhorn e. V. und Heimatverein Brome e. V., Gifhorn 2001, ISBN 3-929632-50-0
- Hans Wolfgang Rogl: Die Osthannoverschen Eisenbahnen. alba-Verlag, Düsseldorf 1996, ISBN 3-87094-232-0