Offenbach (Main) Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is the central station
for the German city of Offenbach am Main and is located on the Frankfurt–Bebra railway/South Main line between Frankfurt
and Hanau
on the south bank of the Main. It is also the starting point of the Rodgau Railway
, via Obertshausen
, Rodgau
and Ober-Roden to Dieburg
(originally to Reinheim
).
) of Frankfurt. Because of the development of the city around the line which was originally laid on the same level as the roads, the railway was put on an embankment between 1912 and 1926 so that the increasing road traffic could run under it. This forced the rail track field to be elevated. A new station building was out of the question because of the depressed economic conditions. The entrance building was radically restructured in the 1920s with a "conservative-traditionalist” appearance. The entrance building is listed as a monument under the Hessian Monument Protection Act. There is fountain by Bruno Schaefer called Vogelbrunnen ("bird fountain") on the platform between tracks 1 and 2.
’s Intercity-Express network in May 1996, but it now has few long-distance services. It has up to two Intercity
services each day. Otherwise there are only regional services to destinations in Hesse
and Bavaria
.
Even before that Offenbach Hauptbahnhof had been greatly reduced in its importance, because a line of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn
had been built through Offenbach. This runs in a tunnel under central Offenbach and bypasses the Hauptbahnhof. On its western side it partly uses the route of the former Frankfurt-Offenbach Local Railway
(Frankfurt-Offenbach Lokalbahn).
After Deutsche Bahn had stopped investing in the station building for some time, the ticket office was closed in January 2011, so that Offenbach Hauptbahnhof no longer has any rail staff.
The city of Offenbach has proposed that Offenbach (Main) Ost station
be declared the Hauptbahnhof because of its better transport connections. This would further reduce the significance of the current Hauptbahnhof.
(*) Only in the direction shown
Regional connections:
Central station
A central station usually designates the principal passenger railway station of cities which have multiple stations. The central station functions as the main transport hub for rail transport, normally with interchange with other modes of public transport...
for the German city of Offenbach am Main and is located on the Frankfurt–Bebra railway/South Main line between Frankfurt
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof
is the central station for Frankfurt am Main. In terms of railway traffic, it is the busiest railway station in Germany. With about 350,000 passengers per day the station is the second most frequented railway station in Germany and one of the most frequented in Europe.- Proto-history :In the late...
and Hanau
Hanau Hauptbahnhof
is the central station for Hanau, Germany and a major rail junction east of Frankfurt am Main.The first Hanau station was built on the Frankfurt-Hanau Railway at the location of the current Hanau West station, close to Hanau city centre....
on the south bank of the Main. It is also the starting point of the Rodgau Railway
Rodgau Railway
The Rodgau Railway is a railway line in south Germany that runs from Offenbach Hauptbahnhof via Rodgau to Rödermark-Ober-Roden with a secondary line branching off in Offenbach-Bieber to Dietzenbach.- Remaining level crossings :...
, via Obertshausen
Obertshausen
Obertshausen is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:-Location:Obertshausen is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district...
, Rodgau
Rodgau
Rodgau is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. It lies southeast of Frankfurt am Main in the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region and has the greatest population of any municipality in the Offenbach district...
and Ober-Roden to Dieburg
Dieburg
Dieburg is a town in southern Hessen, Germany. It was formerly the seat of the district of Dieburg, but is now part of the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg.-History:...
(originally to Reinheim
Reinheim
Reinheim is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 14 km southeast of Darmstadt.-Twin towns - Sister cities:...
).
History
The station was built from 1872 to 1873 during the construction of the Frankfurt–Bebra railway and was given an entrance building in Renaissance Revival style. It was commissioned by the Königliche Eisenbahndirektion (Royal Railway DivisionRailway divisions in Germany
In Germany and Austria, the running of railway services for a railway administration or the regional network of a large railway company was devolved to railway divisions, variously known as Eisenbahndirektionen , Bundesbahndirektionen or Reichsbahndirektionen ...
) of Frankfurt. Because of the development of the city around the line which was originally laid on the same level as the roads, the railway was put on an embankment between 1912 and 1926 so that the increasing road traffic could run under it. This forced the rail track field to be elevated. A new station building was out of the question because of the depressed economic conditions. The entrance building was radically restructured in the 1920s with a "conservative-traditionalist” appearance. The entrance building is listed as a monument under the Hessian Monument Protection Act. There is fountain by Bruno Schaefer called Vogelbrunnen ("bird fountain") on the platform between tracks 1 and 2.
Significance
The station was temporarily connected to Deutsche BahnDeutsche 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...
’s Intercity-Express network in May 1996, but it now has few long-distance services. It has up to two Intercity
Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)
Intercity is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the ICE. Intercity services are loco-hauled express services, usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany, and routes generally operate with a two-hour frequency, with multiple routes giving a more...
services each day. Otherwise there are only regional services to destinations in 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...
and Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
.
Even before that Offenbach Hauptbahnhof had been greatly reduced in its importance, because a line of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn
Rhine-Main S-Bahn
The Rhine-Main S-Bahn system is an integrated rapid transit and commuter transport system for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, which includes the cities Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main, Hanau and Darmstadt...
had been built through Offenbach. This runs in a tunnel under central Offenbach and bypasses the Hauptbahnhof. On its western side it partly uses the route of the former Frankfurt-Offenbach Local Railway
Frankfurt-Offenbach Local Railway
The Frankfurt-Offenbach local railway was a former railway in the Frankfurt am Main area, which developed from the state-owned Frankfurt-Offenbach Railway . The line opened in 1848 and was one of the oldest railways in Germany...
(Frankfurt-Offenbach Lokalbahn).
After Deutsche Bahn had stopped investing in the station building for some time, the ticket office was closed in January 2011, so that Offenbach Hauptbahnhof no longer has any rail staff.
The city of Offenbach has proposed that Offenbach (Main) Ost station
Offenbach (Main) Ost station
Offenbach Ost station is the second most important station after Offenbach Hauptbahnhof of Offenbach am Main in the German state of Hesse. Today it is served exclusively by the Rhine-Main S-Bahn...
be declared the Hauptbahnhof because of its better transport connections. This would further reduce the significance of the current Hauptbahnhof.
Services
IC connections:- Frankfurt (Main) HbfFrankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhofis the central station for Frankfurt am Main. In terms of railway traffic, it is the busiest railway station in Germany. With about 350,000 passengers per day the station is the second most frequented railway station in Germany and one of the most frequented in Europe.- Proto-history :In the late...
– Offenbach (Main) Hbf – Hanau HbfHanau Hauptbahnhofis the central station for Hanau, Germany and a major rail junction east of Frankfurt am Main.The first Hanau station was built on the Frankfurt-Hanau Railway at the location of the current Hanau West station, close to Hanau city centre....
– Fulda – BebraBebra stationBebra station is a railway station on the German passenger and freight rail network in the northern Hesse town of Bebra. It is a railway junction as well as an intercity stop on the Dortmund–Berlin–Stralsund route. The station was opened in 1846 and quickly became a major transport hub... - Dresden HbfDresden Hauptbahnhofis one of two main inter-city transit hubs in the German city of Dresden. Designed by Ernst Giese and Paul Weidner, it was built between 1892 and 1897 at the southern border of the inner city and was important in the growth and development of the city....
– Leipzig HbfLeipzig Hauptbahnhofis, at 83,460 m², Europe's largest railway station when measured by floor area. It has 24 platforms housed in six iron trainsheds; a multi-level concourse with towering stone arches; and a 293 metre-long facade...
– Halle (Saale) HbfHalle (Saale) HauptbahnhofHalle Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in the city of Halle in southern part of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt...
– WeimarWeimar stationWeimar station is the main station in the city of Weimar in the German state of Thuringia, located on the Thuringian Railway. It is an Intercity-Express stop on the line between Frankfurt am Main and Dresden. Weimar station is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 2 station. It is officially...
– Erfurt HbfErfurt Hauptbahnhofis the central railway station of Erfurt in Germany. It is an important junctions of the German railways and is served by numerous local and long-distance rail services. Immediately north of the station, is Erfurt's city center. It had approximately 12.5 million passengers in 2006, that is an...
– Fulda – Hanau Hbf – Offenbach (Main) Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf*
(*) Only in the direction shown
Regional connections:
- SE 50: Wächtersbach – Gelnhausen – Langenselbold – Hanau Hbf – Offenbach (Main) Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
- RE 50: (Bebra –) Fulda – Wächtersbach – Gelnhausen – Hanau Hbf – Offenbach (Main) Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
- RE 55: (Nürnberg Hbf –) Würzburg Hbf – Aschaffenburg Hbf – Hanau Hbf – Offenbach (Main) Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
- RE 64: (Erbach (Odenw) –) Groß-Umstadt Wiebelsbach – Babenhausen (Hess) – Seligenstadt (Hess) – Hanau Hbf – Offenbach (Main) Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf