Saalfeld station
Encyclopedia
Saalfeld station is the station of the city of Saalfeld in the southeast of the German state of Thuringia
. It is an Intercity-Express (ICE) stop on the Berlin
–Munich
route and is classified by Deutsche Bahn
as a category 3 station
.
was opened from Naumburg
via Jena
to Saalfeld, giving the city a further rail connection to the north-east. The Franconian Forest Railway
was opened via the Rennsteig
to Lichtenfels
in 1885. This was the second line from Berlin to Munich after the Saxon-Bavarian Railway and was, in fact, a faster route. After it was finished the importance of Saalfeld station grew sharply. It was the last major station before a climb of almost 400 metres through the Franconian Forest
.
Other lines were opened to Saalfeld: the Arnstadt–Saalfeld line from Erfurt
in 1895, the Schwarza Valley Railway from Katzhütte
and the Köditzberg–Königsee line from Königsee
in 1900, the line from Hof
1907 and the Sonneberg–Probstzella railway from Sonnenberg in 1913. During the Second World War, the strategically important station was destroyed in air strikes. The division of Germany reduced its importance, since traffic between East Germany and Bavaria
was reduced. However, Interzone trains crossed at Saalfeld, as the Franconian Forest Railway, along with the more easterly line via Hof, were the only rail links between East Germany and Bavaria. The second track was dismantled in 1946 between Saaleck junction near Naumburg
and Probstzella
as reparations
to the Soviet Union
.
After German reunification
, the importance of the station was restored. In 1994/1995 the Saal Railway and Franconian Forest Railway were electrified and the second track were restored. Today it is the only direct ICE route between Berlin and Munich, while the importance of the second line via Hof has declined. In the following years, the station was upgraded to support modern long-distance traffic and received, among other things, three new and fully accessible platforms. The entrance building was renovated and extended.
The completion of the Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed line will lead to Saalfeld—along with Jena
and the Bavarian station of Lichtenfels
—losing their ICE stops in favour of Erfurt. There are also plans to restore the six kilometre-long Hell Valley Railway
over the former inner German border, which would connect Saalfeld and Hof again.
The marshalling yard to the east of the passenger station is closed.
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. It is an Intercity-Express (ICE) stop on the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
–Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
route and is classified by 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...
as a category 3 station
German railway station categories
About 5,400 railway stations in Germany that are owned and operated by the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary DB Station&Service are assigned into seven categories, denoting the service level available at the station....
.
History
The railway reached Saalfeld on 20 December 1871 with the opening of the Gera–Saalfeld line from the north-east. The station was also built at that time. It was from the outset planned as a railway junction and was built on land that was then undeveloped to the east of Saalfeld, opposite the old town, with a large area set aside for operations. In 1874 the Saal RailwaySaal Railway
The Saal Railway is a 153 kilometre-long double-track main line in the German state of Thuringia. It connects the Thuringian Railway at Großheringen with the Franconian Forest Railway at at Saalfeld and is part of the north-south main line, Munich–Nuremberg–Halle / Leipzig–Berlin...
was opened from Naumburg
Naumburg
Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
via Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
to Saalfeld, giving the city a further rail connection to the north-east. The Franconian Forest Railway
Franconian Forest Railway
The Franconian Forest Railway , route no. KBS 840, is an 88 kilometre long, electrified, double-tracked main line from Lichtenfels via Kronach to Saalfeld. It is part of the Munich–Nuremberg–Bamberg–Jena–Halle/Leipzig–Berlin trunk route...
was opened via the Rennsteig
Rennsteig
The Rennsteig is a ridge walk as well as an historical boundary path in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Highland and Franconian Forest in central Germany....
to Lichtenfels
Lichtenfels
Lichtenfels is German placename and surname:Germany:There are two towns named Lichtenfels in Germany* Lichtenfels, Hesse* Lichtenfels, Bavaria ** Lichtenfels station** 1...
in 1885. This was the second line from Berlin to Munich after the Saxon-Bavarian Railway and was, in fact, a faster route. After it was finished the importance of Saalfeld station grew sharply. It was the last major station before a climb of almost 400 metres through the Franconian Forest
Frankenwald
thumb|View to DöbrabergThe Franconian Forest is a mid-altitude mountain range in Northern Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the district of Upper Franconia and forms the geological connection between the Fichtelgebirge and the Thuringian Forest...
.
Other lines were opened to Saalfeld: the Arnstadt–Saalfeld line from Erfurt
Erfurt Hauptbahnhof
is 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...
in 1895, the Schwarza Valley Railway from Katzhütte
Katzhütte
Katzhütte is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany.-History:Today’s borders of the place were formed by the consolidation of Katzhütte and Oelze to a big municipality in 1950. At the moment of its founding there were about 3800 inhabitants. After the...
and the Köditzberg–Königsee line from Königsee
Königsee
Königsee is a town in the district of Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 12 km east of Ilmenau, and 35 km south of Erfurt....
in 1900, the line from Hof
Hof Hauptbahnhof
Hof Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Hof in southern Germany and is situated at the intersection of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line and the Munich–Regensburg–Leipzig–Berlin line...
1907 and the Sonneberg–Probstzella railway from Sonnenberg in 1913. During the Second World War, the strategically important station was destroyed in air strikes. The division of Germany reduced its importance, since traffic between East Germany 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...
was reduced. However, Interzone trains crossed at Saalfeld, as the Franconian Forest Railway, along with the more easterly line via Hof, were the only rail links between East Germany and Bavaria. The second track was dismantled in 1946 between Saaleck junction near Naumburg
Naumburg
Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
and Probstzella
Probstzella station
- External links :...
as reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, the importance of the station was restored. In 1994/1995 the Saal Railway and Franconian Forest Railway were electrified and the second track were restored. Today it is the only direct ICE route between Berlin and Munich, while the importance of the second line via Hof has declined. In the following years, the station was upgraded to support modern long-distance traffic and received, among other things, three new and fully accessible platforms. The entrance building was renovated and extended.
The completion of the Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed line will lead to Saalfeld—along with Jena
Jena Paradies station
Jena Paradies station is the main railway station of the city of Jena in the German state of Thuringia. It is on the Saal Railway and is served by Intercity-Express trains on the Berlin–Munich route and regional trains to and from Naumburg, Saalfeld and Pößneck...
and the Bavarian station of Lichtenfels
Lichtenfels station
Lichtenfels station is in the town of Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia in the German state of Bavaria. It is a regional rail hub and an ICE stop on the Hamburg–Berlin Munich route and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a station of category 3.-Location :...
—losing their ICE stops in favour of Erfurt. There are also plans to restore the six kilometre-long Hell Valley Railway
Triptis–Marxgrün railway
The Triptis–Marxgrün railway is a branch line in Germany that runs through the states of Thuringia and Bavaria, and which was originally built and operated by the Prussian state railways. It ran from Triptis via Ziegenrück, Bad Lobenstein and Blankenstein to Marxgrün. The only section still in...
over the former inner German border, which would connect Saalfeld and Hof again.
The marshalling yard to the east of the passenger station is closed.
Operations
The following services stop at the station:- ICEs on the HamburgHamburg Hauptbahnhofis the Hauptbahnhof for the German city of Hamburg. It was opened in 1906 to replace 4 terminal stations. Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is operated by DB Station&Service...
–BerlinBerlin Hauptbahnhof' , is the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. It began full operation two days after a ceremonial opening on 26 May 2006. It is located on the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof, and until it opened as a main line station, it was a stop on the Berlin S-Bahn suburban railway temporarily...
–LeipzigLeipzig 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...
–JenaJena Paradies stationJena Paradies station is the main railway station of the city of Jena in the German state of Thuringia. It is on the Saal Railway and is served by Intercity-Express trains on the Berlin–Munich route and regional trains to and from Naumburg, Saalfeld and Pößneck...
–Saalfeld–NurembergNürnberg HauptbahnhofNuremberg Central Station is the main railway station for the city of Nuremberg in Germany. It is the largest station in north Bavaria and belongs to the 20 stations in the highest category of importance allocated by DB Station&Service....
–MunichMünchen HauptbahnhofMunich Central Station is the main railway station of the city of Munich in Germany. It is one of the three long distance train stations in Munich, the others being München-Pasing and München Ost. The station sees about 350,000 passengers a day, which puts it on par with other large stations in...
route - Regional-Express (RE) 2: Saalfeld–ErfurtErfurt 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...
(Arnstadt–Saalfeld line) - RE 4: Saalfeld–GeraGera Hauptbahnhofis the main station of the Thuringian town of Gera. Gera is one of the largest cities in Germany with no long-distance rail connections and no electrified lines. The station is a significant regional transport hub...
(Gera–Saalfeld line) - RE Saalfeld–BayreuthBayreuth Hauptbahnhofis the central railway station in the German city of Bayreuth.Railway lines run north to Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg, and from there to Bamberg and over the Schiefe Ebene to Hof, east to Weidenberg, southeast to Weiden and south to Schnabelwaid with connexions to Nuremberg on the Pegnitz Valley Railway...
(Franconian Forest RailwayFranconian Forest RailwayThe Franconian Forest Railway , route no. KBS 840, is an 88 kilometre long, electrified, double-tracked main line from Lichtenfels via Kronach to Saalfeld. It is part of the Munich–Nuremberg–Bamberg–Jena–Halle/Leipzig–Berlin trunk route...
) - RegionalbahnRegionalBahnThe Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
(RB) 19: Saalfeld–NaumburgNaumburgNaumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
(Saal RailwaySaal RailwayThe Saal Railway is a 153 kilometre-long double-track main line in the German state of Thuringia. It connects the Thuringian Railway at Großheringen with the Franconian Forest Railway at at Saalfeld and is part of the north-south main line, Munich–Nuremberg–Halle / Leipzig–Berlin...
) - RB 23: Arnstadt–Saalfeld
- RB 32: Saalfeld–BlankensteinBlankensteinBlankenstein is a municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany.Blankenstein is also a quarter of the city Hattingen....
(Hockeroda–Blankenstein line) - RB 33: Saalfeld–Gera
- RB Saalfeld–LichtenfelsLichtenfels stationLichtenfels station is in the town of Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia in the German state of Bavaria. It is a regional rail hub and an ICE stop on the Hamburg–Berlin Munich route and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a station of category 3.-Location :...
–BambergBambergBamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...