Kreuztal station
Encyclopedia
Kreuztal station is the main station in the in the town of Kreuztal
Kreuztal
Kreuztal is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location:Kreuztal is a town in the low mountains of the northern Siegerland and lies at the western edge of the Rothaargebirge about 10 km north of Siegen....

 in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

.

History

The construction of a rail ;ink to Kreuztal was under discussion in the 1840s. The route most discussed at that time was a line from Cologne via the Agger valley (a route eventually used by the Siegburg–Olpe railway
Siegburg–Olpe railway
The Siegburg–Olpe railway or Agger Valley Railway is a single-tracked, non-electrified branch line in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Part of a direct link from Cologne, only the section from Overath to Dieringhausen is still in operation...

) and continuing east through the Wittgensteiner Land to Treysa along the route of the later Rothaar Railway
Rothaar Railway
The Rothaar Railway is a 48 km long German branch line running from Kreuztal on the Ruhr–Sieg line to Bad Berleburg via Erndtebrück with a through connexion to Siegen...

 and the Upper Lahn Valley Railway. In 1861 the Ruhr–Sieg railway was opened between Siegen
Siegen station
Siegen station is the main station of the town of Siegen, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is in close to the modern centre of Siegen, which includes the bus station and the Sieg Carré and City Galerie shopping centres.-History :...

 and Hagen
Hagen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections....

 through Kreuztal (then spelt Creuzthal). In 1884 the first section of the Rothaar Railway was opened to Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location: The map shows Hilchenbach's location in Siegen-Wittgenstein district. It is about 15 km northeast of Siegen...

. This led to Kreuztal gradually becoming a transport hub. Although the construction of the only missing section of the original planned east-west line between Olpe and Kreuztal was still planned in 1913, the Prussia
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...

n Parliament decided not to build it due to the outbreak of the First World War.

Between 1860 to 1865 the station was built on a large meadow in Kreuztal, which then had approximately 200 residents. The industrial Ferndorf valley, including the Müsen mining district, was of paramount importance. On 6 August 1861, when the last section of the Ruhr–Sieg line was opened, there was already restaurant facilities in the station building. The main station building was a three-storey building with gables facing Bahnhofstraße (“station street”). On the ground floor it had two waiting rooms with a bar area and two offices, one for the station master and the other for ticketing and baggage handling. Upstairs was accommodation for the station master and the chief signalman. With the opening of the Rothaar branch line to Hilchenbach in 1884 and its continuation to Erndtebrück
Erndtebrück
Erndtebrück is a municipality in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location:Erndtebrück situated on the river Eder in the Rothaargebirge, approx...

 and Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...

 in 1888/89, an extension to the station complex was required. The station building was enlarged with an annex on the south side. This was followed by further renovations and additions.

The first bomb attack on the station Kreuztal occurred towards the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, on 22 February 1945, and mostly destroyed the track work in the passenger station. In another attack on 18 March 1945 the shunting yard was almost completely destroyed. In 1947 the destroyed part of the facade of the reception building was replaced by a rectangular building with a hipped roof and strongly articulated.

After a fire in 2002, when large parts of the building was burned completely, the reception building was no longer useable. At the end of 2004 the city of Kreuztal acquired the station for the symbolic price of one Euro. After extensive construction work costing a total of € 2.1 million, of which about a quarter was contributed by North Rhine-Westphalia, the station re-opened in February 2008 as the Kulturbahnhof (“culture station”) Kreuztal.

Today the station has three platform tracks, each of which are accessible by lifts. The public toilets are accessible from the platforms. The lobby with its art exhibition space and the kiosk on the ground floor are also accessible by wheelchair. The lobby is equipped with an induction audio system. Deaf people can participate in cultural events through this system. The announcements of Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...

 on the platform and in the lobby are connected with the audio system. The station is fully accessible for the disabled.

Regional transport

Kreuztal station is served by buses to many destinations, including Freudenberg
Freudenberg, Westphalia
Freudenberg is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The town lies on the German-Dutch holiday road called the Orange Route, joining towns, cities and regions associated with the House of Orange.- Location :...

, Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location: The map shows Hilchenbach's location in Siegen-Wittgenstein district. It is about 15 km northeast of Siegen...

, Junkernhees, Littfeld and Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...

. In it served by the following rail services:
Line Name Route
Ruhr-Sieg-Express Essen
Essen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Essen in western Germany. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway.It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn...

 – Bochum
Bochum Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bochum in western Germany. In its current incarnation, it was built from 1955 to 1957 and is one of the most notable 1950s railway stations in Germany....

 – Witten
Witten Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the town of Witten in western Germany. It is situated southwest of the town.In 1849 the station was opened as Witten West by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. At the end of the 19th century the whole station was reconstructed, the new station building was was...

 – Hagen
Hagen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections....

 – Letmathe – (Finnentrop – Kreuztal – Siegen
Siegen station
Siegen station is the main station of the town of Siegen, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is in close to the modern centre of Siegen, which includes the bus station and the Sieg Carré and City Galerie shopping centres.-History :...

) / Iserlohn
Ruhr-Sieg-bahn Hagen – Letmathe – (Finnentrop – Kreuztal – Siegen) / Iserlohn
Rothaarbahn
Rothaar Railway
The Rothaar Railway is a 48 km long German branch line running from Kreuztal on the Ruhr–Sieg line to Bad Berleburg via Erndtebrück with a through connexion to Siegen...

Siegen – Kreuztal – Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location: The map shows Hilchenbach's location in Siegen-Wittgenstein district. It is about 15 km northeast of Siegen...

 – Erndtebrück
Erndtebrück
Erndtebrück is a municipality in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location:Erndtebrück situated on the river Eder in the Rothaargebirge, approx...

 – Bad Berleburg
Bad Berleburg
Bad Berleburg is a town, in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of Germany's largest towns by land area. It is located approx...


Culture station

During the renovation of the station building in 2007 and 2008 it was rebuilt as a Kulturbahnhof ("culture station”) with offices, shops, a dining area and two art studios. Two well-known artists from the region, Annette Besgen and Ulrich Langenbach have their studios there with an area of 100 square metres. In a small gallery in the foyer with a total area of 40 square metres of exhibition space, three to four exhibitions from all areas of fine art are held each year under the motto "scene change" (szenenwechsel).
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