Saxon-Franconian trunk line
Encyclopedia
Saxon-Franconian trunk line is a modern term for a double-track railway between the German cities of Dresden
to Nuremberg
. The line is 390 kilometres long and is currently electrified from Dresden to Reichenbach im Vogtland. The concept of the Saxon
-Franconia
n trunk line was developed in the transport policy debate in the 1990s during consideration of direct rail services connecting Dresden and Görlitz
with Karlsruhe
and Oberstdorf
. The term is not traditionally used in relation to the railway lines now described by it.
(Erzgebirgsvorland), running from Dresden to Zwickau parallel with the Ore Mountains
. Between Plauen
and Hof
it passes through the Vogtland
. The route then cuts through the Fichtelgebirge
range, the Franconian Jura
and Franconian Switzerland
.
See:
. On 31 May 1846, the route opened from Werdau rail triangle junction to Reichenbach
. While the section between Plauen
and the Bavaria
n border was opened on 20 November 1848, the intermediate section from Reichenbach to Plauen was not completed until the completion of the Göltzsch Viaduct
on 15 July 1851. On the Bavarian side, the Neuenmarkt–Hof section
was opened on 1 November 1848 as part of the Ludwig South-North Railway
and it was extended to the border to meet the Saxon-Bavarian railway from Plauen also on 20 November 1848. The line from Neuenmarkt to Bayreuth was opened by the Royal Bavarian State Railways
on 28 November 1853. It was the first Bavarian railway line to be built and leased to the state. The section from Bayreuth via Hersbruck to Nuremberg, the Pegnitz Valley Railway, was not opened throughout until 15 July 1877.
On the Saxon side the Albert Railway opened from Dresden to Tharandt on 18 June 1855. The line was opened from Tharandt to Freiberg on 11 of August 1862 after major difficulties were experienced with construction (ramps, tunnels and viaducts) and finances. In 1866, the Chemnitz–Flöha section was opened. In 1869 the last Saxon section of the line was completed from Freiberg to Chemnitz. Although the Pegnitz Valley Railway was not yet completed, the line
via Kulmbach
and Lichtenfels
provided a direct east-west link from Silesia
to the south and southwestern parts of the country.
In the following decades, the line was an important rail link for east–west traffic. Even in the years of the division of Europe
, the route retained some significance.
After the political changes in East Germany
, the route was examined for work that could be carried out quickly to expand trade between southern Germany and Saxony. Shortly after 1990 there was considerable political efforts to upgrade what was now called the Saxon-Franconian trunk line for higher speeds to make it more competitive for rail connections. The first stage of this work was included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan of 1992. The plan provided that by 1998 the line between Hof and Dresden would allow virtually continuous speeds of 160 km/h, reducing the travel time for this section to two and a half hours. On 1 February 1997, the Planungsgesellschaft Deutsche Einheit mbH ("German Unity Planning Company") contracted Deutsche Bahn
(DB) to upgrade the line. That same month, upgrading began of the section between Niederbobritzsch
and Freiberg
. In June work began on the St. Egidien
–Glauchau
, Reichenbach–Netzschkau
and Herlasgrün
–Jocketa
sections. In 1997 a total length of 24 km of the line was upgraded. The first completed section of the upgrade between Niederbobritzsch and Freiberg was handed over to the DB on 12 December 1997. The total planned cost for the upgrading of the line was estimated at this time to cost Deutsche Mark 2.8 billion (about € 1.4 billion). In 1998, DM 280 million was invested and 55 km was completed by late 1998.
The originally planned construction of a long tunnel (the "Vogtland tunnel") between Hof and Plauen has not been realised.
At the time of the timetable change of December 2006, DB operated four pairs of InterCity
trains a day on the line. At the change these were replaced by Interregio-Express
(IRE) trains operating as the Franken-Sachsen-Express, running eight times a day each way, which could be used with regional fares. These trains are operated by DB Regio
as part of DB’s long-distance services, using class 612
tilting-trains and reducing the Nuremberg–Dresden travel time by 40 minutes compared to the previous situation.
In the timetable change of December 2007, an hourly service was implemented between Dresden and Nuremberg; these services operate alternately by Marktredwitz
and via Bayreuth. According to the 2008/09 timetable, Regional-Express services take 4 hours and 20 minutes to run over the whole line via Marktredwitz. IRE services on the longer route via Bayreuth stop less frequently and therefore take the same total time.
In the first year of operation, 1.4 million passengers used the new rail service. Passengers on the Franken-Sachsen-Express increased by about 20 percent on working days in the first half of 2008 compared to the previous year, and by about 17 percent on weekends.
, where the maximum train speed is 40 km/h. Studies indicate that a new 10 km-long railway line between Plauen and Hof would significantly reduce travel times.
The electrification of the section between Reichenbach and Nuremberg is the highest priority and would also allow for shorter travel times, as electric vehicles have significant advantages on the steeply graded track. In addition, DB’s ICE T
electric multiple units with tilting technology are available to operate over the line. In 2007, DB estimated the total cost of the required upgrade between Nuremberg and Reichenbach, including electrification, would be € 460 million.
In March 2007, the federal government announced that funding for electrification between Reichenbach and Hof would be increased from € 50 to 126 million. Work in this section began in 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2014. This work is required so that services between Leipzig and Plauen can operate through the new City-Tunnel in Leipzig, where no diesel vehicles will be allowed.
It is unclear when the remaining 170 km of line between Nuremberg and Hof will be electrified. In particular, the section in the upper Pegnitz valley has many engineering structures that would be difficult and expensive to electrify.
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
to Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
. The line is 390 kilometres long and is currently electrified from Dresden to Reichenbach im Vogtland. The concept of the Saxon
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
-Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
n trunk line was developed in the transport policy debate in the 1990s during consideration of direct rail services connecting Dresden and Görlitz
Görlitz
Görlitz is a town in Germany. It is the easternmost town in the country, located on the Lusatian Neisse River in the Bundesland of Saxony. It is opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was a part of Görlitz until 1945. Historically, Görlitz was in the region of Upper Lusatia...
with Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
and Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf
Oberstdorf is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in southwest Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps.At the center of Oberstdorf is a church whose tall spire serves as a landmark for navigating around town. The summits of the Nebelhorn and Fellhorn provide...
. The term is not traditionally used in relation to the railway lines now described by it.
Route
The route runs from Dresden to the southwest through the Ore Mountain ForelandOre Mountain Foreland
The Ore Mountain Foreland is a strip of countryside of about 200 m to high, in the German state of Saxony, that lies immediately north of the German Ore Mountains and runs mainly through the areas of Zwickauer Land, Zwickau, Chemnitzer Land, Chemnitz, Mittelsachsen and the country south of Dresden...
(Erzgebirgsvorland), running from Dresden to Zwickau parallel with the Ore Mountains
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
. Between Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
and Hof
Hof
Hof may refer to:In places:* Hof, Germany, a city in Bavaria, Germany** Hof , a district in Bavaria* Hof, Rhineland-Palatinate, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany* Hof, Iceland, a small village in Iceland...
it passes through the Vogtland
Vogtland
The term Vogtland refers to a region reaching across the German free states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and into the Czech Republic . The name of the region contains a reference to the former leadership by the Vögte of Weida, Gera and Plauen, which translates approximately to advocates or lord...
. The route then cuts through the Fichtelgebirge
Fichtelgebirge
The Fichtelgebirge is a mountain range in northeastern Bavaria, Germany. It extends from the valley of the Red Main River to the Czech border, a few foothills spilling over into the Czech Republic. It continues in a northeastern direction as the Ore Mountains, and in a southeastern direction as...
range, the Franconian Jura
Franconian Jura
The Franconian Jura is an upland in Bavaria, Germany. Located between two rivers, the Danube in the south and the Main in the north, its peaks reach elevations of up to .Large portions of the Franconian Jura are part of the Altmühl Valley Nature Park...
and Franconian Switzerland
Franconian Switzerland
The Little Switzerland is an upland in Upper Franconia, northern Bavaria and a popular tourist retreat. Located between the Pegnitz River in the east and the south, the Regnitz River in the west and the Main River in the north, its relief reaches 600 metres in height.The Franconian Switzerland is...
.
Dresden-Hof
 |
See:
Hof-Nuremberg
See:- Ludwig South-North RailwayLudwig South-North RailwayThe Ludwig South-North railway , built between 1843 and 1854, was the first railway line to be constructed by Royal Bavarian State Railways...
- Nuremberg–Cheb railway
- Regensburg–Hof railwayRegensburg–Hof railwayThe Regensburg–Hof railway is a main line railway about 180 km long which links the Upper Palatine regional capital of Regensburg via Schwandorf and Weiden in der Oberpfalz to Marktredwitz and Hof in Upper Franconia. Because the section from Regensburg to Wiesau runs parallel to the River...
- Bamberg–Hof railwayBamberg–Hof railwayThe Bamberg–Hof railway is a 127 kilometre-long main line that runs through Bavaria in southern Germany. The line runs from Bamberg via Lichetenfels, Kulmbach, Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg and Münchberg to Hof. The section from Hof to Neuenmarkt now forms part of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line.-History:The...
- Schnabelwaid–Bayreuth railway
- Bayreuth–Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg railway
History
The modern Saxon-Franconian trunk line is formed from several sections. The first section was opened on 6 September 1845 as part of a branch line connecting the Saxon-Bavarian Railway at Werdau rail triangle junction to ZwickauZwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
. On 31 May 1846, the route opened from Werdau rail triangle junction to Reichenbach
Reichenbach
- In Germany :* Reichenbach , in the Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis district, Saxony* Reichenbach im Vogtland, in the Vogtlandkreis district, Saxony* Reichenbach am Heuberg, in the Tuttlingen district, Baden-Württemberg...
. While the section between Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
and the 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...
n border was opened on 20 November 1848, the intermediate section from Reichenbach to Plauen was not completed until the completion of the Göltzsch Viaduct
Göltzsch Viaduct
The Göltzsch Viaduct is a railway bridge in Germany. It is the largest brick-built bridge in the world, and for a time it was the tallest railway bridge in the world. It spans the valley of the Göltzsch River between Mylau and Netzschkau, around east of Reichenbach im Vogtland in the German Free...
on 15 July 1851. On the Bavarian side, the Neuenmarkt–Hof section
Bamberg–Hof railway
The Bamberg–Hof railway is a 127 kilometre-long main line that runs through Bavaria in southern Germany. The line runs from Bamberg via Lichetenfels, Kulmbach, Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg and Münchberg to Hof. The section from Hof to Neuenmarkt now forms part of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line.-History:The...
was opened on 1 November 1848 as part of the Ludwig South-North Railway
Ludwig South-North Railway
The Ludwig South-North railway , built between 1843 and 1854, was the first railway line to be constructed by Royal Bavarian State Railways...
and it was extended to the border to meet the Saxon-Bavarian railway from Plauen also on 20 November 1848. The line from Neuenmarkt to Bayreuth was opened by the Royal Bavarian State Railways
Royal Bavarian State Railways
As a nation-state, Germany did not come into being until the creation of the German Empire in 1871 from the various German-speaking states such as Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Baden and Württemberg. By then each of the major states had formed its own state railway and these continued to remain...
on 28 November 1853. It was the first Bavarian railway line to be built and leased to the state. The section from Bayreuth via Hersbruck to Nuremberg, the Pegnitz Valley Railway, was not opened throughout until 15 July 1877.
On the Saxon side the Albert Railway opened from Dresden to Tharandt on 18 June 1855. The line was opened from Tharandt to Freiberg on 11 of August 1862 after major difficulties were experienced with construction (ramps, tunnels and viaducts) and finances. In 1866, the Chemnitz–Flöha section was opened. In 1869 the last Saxon section of the line was completed from Freiberg to Chemnitz. Although the Pegnitz Valley Railway was not yet completed, the line
Bamberg–Hof railway
The Bamberg–Hof railway is a 127 kilometre-long main line that runs through Bavaria in southern Germany. The line runs from Bamberg via Lichetenfels, Kulmbach, Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg and Münchberg to Hof. The section from Hof to Neuenmarkt now forms part of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line.-History:The...
via Kulmbach
Kulmbach
Kulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its famous sausages, or Bratwürste.-Location:...
and Lichtenfels
Lichtenfels, Bavaria
Lichtenfels is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district of Lichtenfels. It is situated on the upper course of the river Main , approx. 15 km southeast of Coburg, and 30 km northeast of Bamberg, in an area called Gottesgarten am Obermain .Lichtenfels became as of middle of the 19...
provided a direct east-west link from Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
to the south and southwestern parts of the country.
In the following decades, the line was an important rail link for east–west traffic. Even in the years of the division of Europe
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, the route retained some significance.
After the political changes in East Germany
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 route was examined for work that could be carried out quickly to expand trade between southern Germany and Saxony. Shortly after 1990 there was considerable political efforts to upgrade what was now called the Saxon-Franconian trunk line for higher speeds to make it more competitive for rail connections. The first stage of this work was included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan of 1992. The plan provided that by 1998 the line between Hof and Dresden would allow virtually continuous speeds of 160 km/h, reducing the travel time for this section to two and a half hours. On 1 February 1997, the Planungsgesellschaft Deutsche Einheit mbH ("German Unity Planning Company") contracted 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...
(DB) to upgrade the line. That same month, upgrading began of the section between Niederbobritzsch
Bobritzsch
Bobritzsch is a municipality in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany.Bobritzsch is located in the district of Central Saxony in Saxony, some 28 km southwest of Dresden, 15 km west of Dippoldiswalde, 9 km northwest of Frauenstein, 10 km east of Brand-Erbisdorf and about 8 km east of...
and Freiberg
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
. In June work began on the St. Egidien
Sankt Egidien
Sankt Egidien is a municipality in the district of Zwickau in Saxony in Germany....
–Glauchau
Glauchau
Glauchau is a town in Germany, in Saxony, on the right bank of the Mulde, 7 miles north of Zwickau and 17 miles west of Chemnitz by rail. It is part of the Zwickau district....
, Reichenbach–Netzschkau
Netzschkau
Netzschkau is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 6 km southeast of Greiz, and 21 km southwest of Zwickau....
and Herlasgrün
Pöhl
Pöhl is a municipality in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany....
–Jocketa
Pöhl
Pöhl is a municipality in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany....
sections. In 1997 a total length of 24 km of the line was upgraded. The first completed section of the upgrade between Niederbobritzsch and Freiberg was handed over to the DB on 12 December 1997. The total planned cost for the upgrading of the line was estimated at this time to cost Deutsche Mark 2.8 billion (about € 1.4 billion). In 1998, DM 280 million was invested and 55 km was completed by late 1998.
The originally planned construction of a long tunnel (the "Vogtland tunnel") between Hof and Plauen has not been realised.
Franken-Sachsen-Express
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...
trains a day on the line. At the change these were replaced by Interregio-Express
Interregio-Express
The Interregio-Express is a local public transport railway service operated by the Deutsche Bahn which is only available in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin as well as in Switzerland...
(IRE) trains operating as the Franken-Sachsen-Express, running eight times a day each way, which could be used with regional fares. These trains are operated by DB Regio
DB Regio
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates short and medium distance passenger train services in Germany, and operates light and heavy rail infrastructure in the United Kingdom.-Germany:...
as part of DB’s long-distance services, using class 612
DBAG Class 612
The DBAG Class 612 is a two car, diesel multiple unit operated by the Deutsche Bahn for fast regional rail services on unelectrified lines.-General Information:...
tilting-trains and reducing the Nuremberg–Dresden travel time by 40 minutes compared to the previous situation.
In the timetable change of December 2007, an hourly service was implemented between Dresden and Nuremberg; these services operate alternately by Marktredwitz
Marktredwitz
Marktredwitz is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 22 km west of Cheb, 50 km east of Bayreuth and 50 km south of Hof/Saale.The town celebrated the Horticultural Show 2006 in cooperation with Cheb....
and via Bayreuth. According to the 2008/09 timetable, Regional-Express services take 4 hours and 20 minutes to run over the whole line via Marktredwitz. IRE services on the longer route via Bayreuth stop less frequently and therefore take the same total time.
In the first year of operation, 1.4 million passengers used the new rail service. Passengers on the Franken-Sachsen-Express increased by about 20 percent on working days in the first half of 2008 compared to the previous year, and by about 17 percent on weekends.
Development
The further development of services is mainly dependent on further upgrades, particularly the upgrading of the track in Chemnitz stationChemnitz Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of Chemnitz in Germany.-Station building :The station has a combination of terminating and through platforms. Platform tracks 1 to 9 terminate and tracks 10 to14 continue to the west of Chemnitz towards Zwickau, Nuremberg and Göttingen. Tracks 11 to 14 are reached by a passenger...
, where the maximum train speed is 40 km/h. Studies indicate that a new 10 km-long railway line between Plauen and Hof would significantly reduce travel times.
The electrification of the section between Reichenbach and Nuremberg is the highest priority and would also allow for shorter travel times, as electric vehicles have significant advantages on the steeply graded track. In addition, DB’s ICE T
ICE T
DBAG Class 411 and Class 415 are German tilting high-speed electric multiple-unit trains in service with Deutsche Bahn , commonly known as ICE T.- Development :...
electric multiple units with tilting technology are available to operate over the line. In 2007, DB estimated the total cost of the required upgrade between Nuremberg and Reichenbach, including electrification, would be € 460 million.
In March 2007, the federal government announced that funding for electrification between Reichenbach and Hof would be increased from € 50 to 126 million. Work in this section began in 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2014. This work is required so that services between Leipzig and Plauen can operate through the new City-Tunnel in Leipzig, where no diesel vehicles will be allowed.
It is unclear when the remaining 170 km of line between Nuremberg and Hof will be electrified. In particular, the section in the upper Pegnitz valley has many engineering structures that would be difficult and expensive to electrify.