Bonn tram
| Basic data | |
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| city |
Alfter , Bad Honnef , Bonn , Bornheim , Brühl , Hürth , Cologne , Königswinter , Sankt Augustin , Siegburg , Wesseling |
| Transport network | VRS |
| opening | 1975 |
| Lines | 9 (including 6 trams, 3 trams) |
| Route length | 125.36 km |
| Stations | 64 |
| use | |
| Gauge | Standard gauge (1435 mm) |
| Power system | 750 V = ( overhead line ) |
The Bonn Stadtbahn is part of the local public transport in the federal city of Bonn , in the surrounding Rhein-Sieg district and in the city of Cologne . The network includes light rail traffic in Bonn and the surrounding Rhein-Sieg district.
Depending on the time of day, four to six lines operate; the network is linked to that of the Cologne city railway through its two overland lines . Therefore, the two networks taken together are sometimes referred to as the Rhein-Sieg Stadtbahn . In addition to the Stadtbahn, there is a tram network in Bonn with three lines with which the Stadtbahn shares two sections. The tariffs of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS) apply .
The shared vehicle fleet of SWB Bus and Bahn and the electric railways of the city of Bonn and the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis (SSB) runs throughout the network . Vehicles from the Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB) are mainly used on the two overland routes to Cologne, while the SWB / SSB provide around a quarter of the routes on both routes.
The entire route network has a length of 125.36 kilometers, of which 95.84 kilometers are light rail and 29.52 kilometers tram, in the light rail network the underground section measures 8.72 kilometers. Of the 64 train stations, 12 are underground stations . The busiest line (66) carries around 56,000 passengers a day.
Lines
Light rail
The Bonn Stadtbahn has four continuously running lines, plus two lines with severely restricted traffic times:
| course | length | average | Stop distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Cologne-Niehl - Cologne main station - Wesseling - Rheinuferbahn - Tannenbusch - Bonn main station - main line - Bad Godesberg |
45.6 km 13.6 km in Bonn |
33.4 km / h 34.0 km / h in Bonn |
950 m 756 m in Bonn |
| 18th | Cologne-Thielenbruch - Cologne-Mülheim - Cologne main station - Brühl - Vorgebirgsbahn - Bornheim - Bonn main station | 48.4 km 4.8 km in Bonn |
33.4 km / h 38.0 km / h in Bonn |
1008 m 1200 m in Bonn |
| 63 | Tannenbusch - Rheinuferbahn - Bonn Hbf - Main line - Bad Godesberg condenses line 16 to 5/7/8 minute intervals |
12.3 km | 32.1 km / h | 724 m |
| 66 | Siegburg - Siegburger Bahn - Bonn Hbf - main line - Südbrücke - Ramersdorf - Siebengebirgsbahn - Königswinter - Bad Honnef Siegburg – Ramersdorf every 10 minutes, in rush hour to Königswinter |
30.0 km 15.0 km in Bonn |
31.0 km / h 31.0 km / h in Bonn |
833 m 789 m in Bonn |
| 67 | Siegburg - Siegburger Bahn - Bonn Hbf - Main line - Bad Godesberg in the morning (only on weekdays on school days) two journeys |
20.0 km 13.7 km in Bonn |
28.6 km / h 26.5 km / h in Bonn |
741 m 721 m in Bonn |
| 68 | Bornheim - Vorgebirgsbahn - Bonn Hbf - main line - Südbrücke - Ramersdorf four pairs of journeys on weekdays as a supplement to line 18 and direct connection to the federal district |
16.8 km 12.5 km in Bonn |
37.3 km / h 36.3 km / h in Bonn |
933 m 893 m in Bonn |
tram
In addition to the light rail, three tram lines have remained, with line 65 only being served by entry and exit journeys of line 61 and in school traffic. All lines have been operated with low-floor vehicles since 1994 and are gradually being expanded to be barrier-free . Some of them travel the same routes as the light rail lines. Because these lines mostly run on routes without their own routes, ie “swim along” with road traffic, there are major irregularities in the timetable almost every day during rush hour traffic.
| course | length | average | Stop distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Dottendorf - Bonn Hbf - Townhouse - Auerberg | 8.8 km | 16.5 km / h | 400 m |
| 62 | Dottendorf - Bonn main station - town house - Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz - Beuel - Siebengebirgsbahn - Ramersdorf - Oberkassel | 12.0 km | 22.5 km / h | 480 m |
| 65 | (Ramersdorf - Siebengebirgsbahn -) Beuel - Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz - Auerberg Only entry and exit journeys on line 61 and school traffic |
9.5 km | 22.8 km / h | 500 m |
The tram lines 61 and 62 run every ten minutes, between the town hall and Dottendorf there is a five-minute cycle through overlapping. During the rush hour in the morning between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and in the afternoon between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., line 61 between Heinrich-Hertz-Europakolleg and Bonn Hauptbahnhof is reduced to approximately five-minute intervals.
business
From Monday to Friday, the tram and light rail lines run every thirty minutes from 4.30 a.m., every ten minutes from 5.30 a.m. (with the exception of line 63 and the Bad Honnef – Ramersdorf / Königswinter branch) until about 8 p.m., then every 15 or 30 minutes until about midnight (tram) or 2.00 (light rail). Line 16 runs between 5.00 and 9.00 and between 15.00 and 18.00 every ten minutes, otherwise every twenty minutes. Line 63 now only runs every twenty minutes, only at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. it is compressed to a ten-minute cycle. In addition, since December 2013, on the nights of Friday / Saturday and Saturday / Sunday, line 66 has been operating continuous night-time traffic every hour between Siegburg and Bonn main station with connection to the night buses.
history
In the mid-1960s, there were rail lines in Bonn that belonged to five different companies. In addition to the railway lines of the Federal Railroad (DB) and the Cologne-Bonn Railway (KBE), there were three tram companies:
- The railways of the city of Bonn (SWB) operated an inner-city tram network that had been heavily thinned out in the 1950s and was partially replaced by the Bonn trolleybus .
- The electric railways of the districts of Bonn-Stadt, Bonn-Land and the Siegkreis (SSB) operated two overland tram routes from Bonn via Beuel to Siegburg and Bad Honnef .
- The Bonn – Godesberg – Mehlem tram (BGM) operated a tram route from Bonn through the government district via Bad Godesberg to Mehlem .
Especially for a city with a population of just 140,000 at the time, this variety seemed inexpedient. In addition to the growing competition from car traffic, the federal government and the seat of the German parliament ( German Bundestag ) were added as a special factor , which was just setting up to stay in its "provisional" federal capital for a longer period and was striving to become a "federal village" modern capital. Since, according to the understanding of modernity at the time, a tram did not belong in the cityscape, the federal government was prepared to provide considerable sums for its removal.
In 1967, the Bonn city council decided on a new transport concept that included the construction of an underground train between Bonn and Bad Godesberg. In October of the same year the first ramming took place in the presence of Federal Ministers Strauss and Leber . The concept envisaged a mixed operation of tram trains of the SSB and projected three-part aluminum express railcars of the KBE on the basis of the "Silver Arrow". The latter were never built, but shortly afterwards the DB class 420 was developed based on similar parameters . At the end of the 1960s, KBE got into serious financial difficulties and could only be saved from collapse with the support of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , which made its expansion plans invalid.
Instead, the KBE railway lines were to be used in accordance with the “Stadtbahnerlass” of February 23, 1970 to create continuous connections to the Cologne tram network. The requirements to allow vehicles under railway law, to drive through the narrow Cologne tram tunnels , the limited loads of the Cologne Rhine bridges and the significantly lower costs ultimately led to the development of the light rail car B instead of the light rail car A provided by the state .
Finally, an overall concept “City Transport Federal Capital Bonn” was developed, which the city council passed on June 15, 1972. A north-south axis A, an east-west axis B and an additional route C were planned for the light rail. Axis A was fully implemented by 1986, axis B remained limited to the eastern part, there is still a gap in the west. The C-axis corresponds to line 61, which is to remain a tram route served by low-floor cars over the long term.
After light rail vehicles had been used on the Siegburger Bahn since 1974, light rail operations officially began in Bonn with the opening of the main line on March 22, 1975.
stretch
The routes of the Bonn light rail are former road and railway lines that were either converted above ground for the urban rail system or have been replaced by tunnel sections. The only route that had no predecessor is the route over the south bridge .
The division of the individual routes is not always clear. The division selected here separates the routes at the points where several lines meet or separate.
Trunk line
The main line of the network can be described as the eight-kilometer stretch between the Hauptbahnhof underground station and the city hall , which is at least partially served by almost all light rail lines. Part of the route runs in a tunnel opened in 1975, which replaced the line 3 in Adenauerallee, which was closed in 1949, and the above-ground route of the Bonn – Godesberg – Mehlem (BGM) tram in Kaiserstraße until 1975 .
Since in the area of the connection between Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee and Friedrich-Ebert-Allee, a reconstruction of the road surface was initially only planned and was only implemented years later (2008-2010), a later extension of the tunnel from 1975 by about 500 meters in the direction of the Ollenhauerstraße stop became necessary. For this purpose, an operating track under the southern area of the Heussallee stop, previously used for the change of direction, could also be used. With the completion of the new ramp, this route renovation could be put into operation in 2010.
The urban railway tunnel in Bad Godesberg was completed and opened in 1994. This tunnel was intended to replace the single-track through-road above ground, which until then led via Plittersdorfer Straße to the terminus at Rheinallee. The Wurzerstraße stop on Godesberger Allee was included in the concept of the new tunnel and the ramp was created between this and the Hochkreuz stop .
The new double-track line was a representative acting Metro Station Bad Godesberg Station provides direct access to the pedestrian zone (Alte Bahnhofstrasse) in Bad Godesberg center , to the residential area (where previously ended the old track at the Rheinallee) and to the train station Bad Godesberg . This is followed by their provisional terminus with the Stadthalle underground station .
Rheinuferbahn
The Rheinuferbahn of the Cologne-Bonn Railways was converted for light rail operation from 1975 onwards, which was technically and legally new territory at the time, but has since been taken a lot further under the name of the Karlsruhe Model . In Cologne and Bonn, however, the adjustments were made equally to the wheel tire profiles and to the superstructure, in particular due to movable frogs.
The section on Bonn's urban area to Buschdorf, which was owned by the Stadtwerke, was re-licensed as a tram route. From August 1978, the trains of the Stadtbahn line 16 ran on the Rheinuferbahn, which were led into the trunk line tunnel, passed the main train station, which was still under construction, and went on to Bad Godesberg.
On April 10, 1979, the line between Bonn West and the property line was re-licensed as a tram. After the completion of the main station, line 3 was extended to Tannenbusch Mitte . As far as Buschdorf, the platforms were converted in the mid-1980s for stepless entry.
Today, the section between the main train station and Tannenbusch is served three times by lines 16 and 63 within 20 minutes.
South bridge
| South bridge | |
|---|---|
The route through the Rheinaue served in 1979 when the first section was opened to open up the Federal Garden Show . Two years later, the route was extended over the south bridge to Ramersdorf , where it was linked to the Siebengebirgsbahn.
During the Federal Horticultural Show, lines S and 8 ran on the route, later only line S.
When the transport association was founded in 1987, line S was renamed 66 . It has been served every ten minutes since 1994. During rush hour, the 66 is reinforced by some trips on the 68 line.
Route
After the Olof-Palme-Allee stop, the route crosses the south-north lane of the B 9 and descends in a long arc into a tunnel. The tunnel ramp was built over in 1989 with the Maritim Hotel (see picture on the left).
After the underground stop at Robert-Schuman-Platz , the light rail system is now back on the surface on the median of the A 562 . After the Rheinaue stop, the Rhine is crossed on the Konrad-Adenauer-Brücke .
At the Bonn-Beuel Süd junction , the route disappears again into the tunnel. To the south-east of the autobahn she crosses another track of the Siebengebirgsbahn before she meets her in the Ramersdorf underground station .
Stations
The underground stations of the Bonn light rail were largely designed by the architect Alexander Freiherr von Branca and carried out until 1975. Their dominant signal colors (green, yellow, blue, orange etc.), their rounded corners and their structure in interchangeable modules in the style forms typical of the 1970s are particularly significant. With a few exceptions, the tunnel stations were given side platforms.
Robert Schuman Square
The stop Robert-Schuman-Platz is below the same place that is not contrary to the popular belief of the deceased in Bonn composer Robert Schuman n , but according to the French statesman Robert Schuman is named. The underground stop is designed in the color orange-red in the same style as the stops on the main route and has elevators that ensure accessibility .
When it opened in 1981, the tunnel stop, then known as Heinemannstrasse and initially only provisionally built, was under fallow land.Today the area is built on, among other things, by the Federal Environment Ministry , the Federal Institute for Vocational Training , the second headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Transport , the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices and the Federal Railroad Fund. The stop received its current name in 1987.
Rheinaue
The Rheinaue stop is in the median of the A 562 above the Rheinaue landscape park . When it opened, it served as the final stop for special traffic to the 1979 Federal Horticultural Show .
After major events it is so frequented that queues are set up at the entrances with jostling bars and passengers are only allowed to go to the platform by counting them. To make the life-threatening shortcut over the autobahn more difficult, the fences between the footpath to the south bridge and the autobahn were raised a few years ago in the vicinity of the stop .
The stop was extensively renovated from September 2019 to April 2020 and was closed during this time.
Ramersdorf
The Ramersdorf stop is designed as an underground, three-track junction station. The line coming from the south bridge continues on two tracks to Oberkassel, while the directional tracks of the Siebengebirgsbahn in the direction of Beuel separate from each other. The south-facing track crosses the route from the south bridge in the tunnel and passes its own platform before it joins the continuous tracks at the southern end of the stop. The track to the north, on the other hand, branches off to the north of the stop to Beuel, so that up to this day light rail vehicles and low-floor trams share a platform edge, which makes barrier-free expansion impossible.
The stop was opened on September 5, 1981 after a long construction period. As early as September 10th, the stop was so badly damaged by a railcar fire that only a single-track emergency operation was possible for another year.
Siegburg Railway
The Siegburg Railway from Bonn to Siegburg has significantly increased in importance with the opening of the Siegburg / Bonn train station on the Cologne – Frankfurt ICE line , as it now connects the districts of Bonn on the right bank of the Rhine with the second long-distance train station in the Bonn / Siegburg area. Line 66 runs every ten minutes on weekdays, every 15 minutes in the evenings and on weekends.
The route goes back to the Kleinbahn Bonn – Siegburg, which opened in 1911 and which was re-licensed as a tram in 1960 in order to save costs. The originally single-track line between Vilich and Siegburg was expanded to double-track in 1953 to Hangelar. The second track was extended to Sankt Augustin Mülldorf in 1967 and has been using the new Siegbrücke since 1980. In Bonn the route ended for a long time on the ramp of the Rhine bridge , from 1952 on at Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz . During the construction of the Stadtbahn, the Stadthaus stop was turned from 1975 onwards . Since 1979, the line has been run as the S tram line in the trunk line tunnel and on to Rheinaue. In Siegburg, the line was completely rebuilt from 1998: the now fully double-track line has ended in the basement of the newly built ICE station since 2000.
Siebengebirgsbahn
The Siebengebirgsbahn runs from Beuel parallel to the Rhine at the foot of the Siebengebirge via Königswinter to Bad Honnef . The northern section to Oberkassel is used by tram line 62 . In Ramersdorf, the tram line 66 runs into the Siebengebirgsbahn, which it travels alone south of Oberkassel. Line 62 is served on weekdays every ten minutes, line 66 every twenty minutes. In rush hour traffic, line 66 between Ramersdorf and Königswinter Clemens-August-Straße is compressed to a ten-minute cycle.
Like the Siegburger Bahn , the Siebengebirgsbahn goes back to a small electric train that was built a few years before the First World War, but unlike it, it was used less for commuter than for excursions. At times, the KBE offered continuous tickets from Cologne to the Siebengebirge. The Siebengebirgsbahn benefited from this cooperation especially in times of growing competition from car traffic. In order to reduce costs, the route was re-licensed as a tram in 1960. The entire route was long served by tram line H , which became line 64 in 1987 . The expansion of federal highway 42 led to a changed route in the Oberdollendorf area; the Ramersdorf stop was moved underground around 1980. In the fall of 1991, the line was expanded so that it was completely accessible with light rail vehicles. After four and a half months of rail replacement service, line 66 was extended to Bad Honnef. The 64 was withdrawn to Oberkassel and also switched to light rail vehicles. In 1994, the 64 was completely discontinued and the 62 was instead extended beyond its previous endpoint at Beuel Bahnhof . The single-track route between Königswinter and Bad Honnef has only been signal-covered since June 1994, before it was operated with staff protection .
Foothill railway
The foothills of the Cologne-Bonn Railways were switched to light rail operations from October 1985; first the section to Schwadorf, followed a year later by the next section to Cologne. Since then, line 18 has ended at the southern end of Bonn Central Station. But it drove through on the northern side to Cologne-Mülheim, and later to Cologne-Chorweiler. With the separation of the high and low-floor network in Cologne, line 18 again serves the branch to Cologne-Mülheim, which had in the meantime been extended to Thielenbruch. On weekdays, the number 18 leaves every 20 minutes. On weekends it runs every half hour between Brühl and Bonn. Since 2019 there has also been hourly night service on line 18 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Tram routes
In addition to the northern section of the Siebengebirgsbahn , which has already been dealt with, there are two tram routes in Bonn that have remained relatively unaffected by the expansion of the light rail network.
Auerberg
The route from the town hall to Auerberg includes the oldest section of the former tram network that is still used today. Since June 30, 1906, there has been almost uninterrupted tram operation between Wilhelmstrasse and the depot at today's A 565 .
As early as 1908, the line to Graurheindorf was extended. Part of the route to Graurheindorf, namely the 300 meter long section along Werftstrasse, was given up in 1994. The area of the former turning loop at the port is now used for road traffic. Instead of this section of the route, since August 19, 1994, the tram has been running on a newly built, 1.35 km long route to Auerberg , the construction of which took 26.6 million Deutschmarks to complete.
The rails here are bordered by turf and rest on concrete and a rubber layer. The route has been used by line 1 since it opened , which was renamed 61 in 1987 and still operates there today.
Route
Near the town house branches off the track with a double track triangle on the running in the Oxford Street Siegburger web. It follows Wilhelmstrasse to Wilhelmsplatz, where it turns into Kölnstrasse . At Chlodwigplatz, she leaves Kölnstraße and turns into a public transport lane in the middle of Kaiser-Karl-Ring. At the next intersection, the route bends again at right angles and now follows Graurheindorfer Straße on its own track in the median. The Graurheindorfer Straße changes into the Herseler Straße when you cross the suburb of Graurheindorf below the A 565.
Until 1994 the route turned at the Werftstrasse junction to Graurheindorfer Hafen, today the route turns in the opposite direction and passes through the valley of the Rheindorfer Bach , on the other side of which is the An der Josefshöhe stop . There the route turns into Pariser Straße, which it follows to the center of Auerberg, where it ends at the intersection with Kopenhagener Straße.
Dottendorf
The route to Dottendorf largely corresponds to the tram to Kessenich, which opened in 1909 and which was extended to Dottendorf in 1915. Today it is the last tram route that runs almost entirely in the street. Only in Reuterstraße has its own track structure at around 150 meters. When it opened it was used by line 4 , after the opening of the railway underpass at the main station in 1936 by line 2 . After the war, the line was initially part of line 1 , and since the wave of closures in the 1950s, it has been used by the two remaining tram lines 1 and 2, which were renamed 61 and 62 in 1987 .
Route
At the town hall, the line branches off from the Siegburger Bahn and follows Thomas-Mann-Straße.At the main train station, it turns into the street Am Hauptbahnhof, which runs parallel to the train station, before it crosses the Left Rhine route in a tight S-curve south of the main train station . After the southern underpass, the route runs through Prinz-Albert-Straße, turns into Königstraße and then onto Bonner Talweg. The route follows the Bonner Talweg to Reuterstraße, which it follows for about 150 meters in the median before turning into Hausdorffstraße. The last two kilometers through Kessenich and Dottendorf run in Hausdorffstraße before the route ends in a turning loop at Quirinusplatz .
Planning
The Bonn light rail network shows clear gaps. Considerable parts of the city are only accessible by bus routes, some of which are heavily congested. The local transport plan 2003-2007 of the city of Bonn provides for two new construction projects as well as several route extensions and activation of existing freight tracks for passenger traffic. For financial and urban planning reasons, the tram network is only to be expanded slightly, while the other new routes are intended for operation with low-floor trams.
Clock compression
From 2023, it is planned to increase line 67, which runs between Siegburg, via Bonn Hbf to Bad Godesberg, to a ten-minute cycle. That would mean relief for line 66 between Siegburg and Bonn. A consolidation is long overdue, however, as the number of passengers between Siegburg and Bonn is increasing and line 66 is reaching the end of its capacity. With a ten-minute cycle on line 67, twelve instead of six trains per hour and direction would run between Siegburg and Bonn. Line 67 would then replace line 63 between Heussallee and Bad Godesberg. This would mean that twelve instead of nine trains per hour would run between Bonn and Bad Godesberg.
In order to better connect Hersel and Tannenbusch to the former government district, line 63 is also to be compressed to a ten-minute cycle and extended to Hersel, but only to the Heussallee stop in the direction of Godesberg. There is already a turning track at the Heussallee station; at the Hersel stop, one or a corresponding switch would have to be built. In addition, the Hersel stop is also to be made barrier-free.
Line 18 is also to be compressed to ten-minute intervals during rush hour between Cologne and Bonn. This has been required for a long time, but has not yet been possible due to the single-track sections on the line. The route would have to be expanded over several sections. A second variant would be to extend line 68 in the direction of Cologne.
22 new high-floor wagons are to be procured in order to accomplish all these cycle densities.
Friesdorf (Dottendorf – Friesdorf tram extension)
The Dottendorfer tram route is to be extended from Quirinusplatz via Bernkasteler Strasse and Ürziger Strasse through Friesdorf and linked to the Stadtbahn route at Hochkreuz . This route is to replace parts of the heavily frequented bus route 612 and better connect the districts of Friesdorf, Dottendorf and Kessenich to the centers of Bonn and Bad Godesberg.
Hardtberg ("Westbahn" tram line)
In the west of Bonn, in particular, Endeich and the Hardtberg district are poorly developed by local public transport: there is a well-developed bus network on several parallel, sometimes congestion-prone traffic axes, where articulated bus lines run to the center at frequent intervals. However, there is only a connection to the rail network at the S-Bahn stations Bonn-Duisdorf and Bonn Helmholtzstraße of the Voreifelbahn on the edge of the city district, which are less centrally located. In addition, the S-Bahn is already busy during rush hour and is more used to develop the region.
Hersel (tram extension Auerberg – Buschdorf – Hersel)
The terminus at Copenhagener Strasse in Auerberg is only about 600 meters from a freight track on the former route of the Rheinuferbahn , which branches off the current route in Hersel and connects to some industrial companies in the north of Bonn. This offers the opportunity to extend the tram network by around three kilometers with less than one kilometer of the new line. The new route would provide better access to Buschdorf , which was previously only touched, and would create a connection to the tram line 16 in Hersel, which could noticeably shorten travel times on some routes.
Kohlkaul (Beuel – Kohlkaul tram line)
A single-track line, the Kleinbahn Beuel – Großenbusch , branches off from the Beuel train station and runs today via Pützchen to Kohlkaul to the end point Hangelar / B 56. This route is currently served by the Rhein-Sieg-Eisenbahn , which also offers passenger transport with a railbus during Pützchen's market .
The route is to be expanded for operation with low-floor trams and connected to the existing tram network with an underpass under the right Rhine route . According to a statement from the city administration in March 2018, the project will be pursued, but implementation “can only be expected in the very long term”. One of the main reasons for this is that the state will probably not complete the new public transport requirement plan before 2020. Other public transport projects in Bonn are also given priority according to the Council decision.
Mehlem (Godesberg / Stadthalle – Mehlem tram extension)
After the closure of the southern part of the Bonn – Godesberg – Mehlem (BGM) tram, this section was replaced by buses. It was always planned to extend the light rail to Mehlem later, although the previous route was out of the question. During the construction of the Godesberg urban railway tunnel, preliminary work was done for a ramp at the Stadthalle stop . The route is to be led above ground through Zanderstraße / Max-Planck-Straße and then cross under the Pennenfeld Sports Park in a short tunnel. The route should continue through the Ellesdorfer Strasse / An der Nesselburg / Meckenheimer Strasse road before it reaches its end at the Meckenheimer Strasse / Hagenstrasse intersection at the foot of the Rodderberg . These plans have been put on hold.
Niederkassel (Beuel – Niederkassel tram line)
Another project is the tram route from Beuel through Niederkassel to Cologne-Zündorf . The line would create a third light rail connection between Bonn and Cologne and reconnect the city of Niederkassel, which is currently completely cut off from passenger rail traffic.
The 18-kilometer route should begin at Beueler Bahnhof or Konrad-Adenauer-Platz and then leave the city via Niederkasseler Strasse. The Sieg is crossed on the existing road bridge. In Niederkassel, the freight tracks on which the “ rhubarb sledge ” already drove will then be partially used . In Zündorf, a connection to the Cologne light rail network is to be established. 21 stops are planned for the route.
Planning is made more difficult by the fact that the Cologne low-floor tram car K4000 is 35 centimeters wider than the Bonn low-floor tram car R1.1 and the car floors are also at different heights. Therefore, a barrier-free mixed operation would not be possible without further ado. In addition to the establishment of a new tram line from Beuel to a transfer point to Zündorf, the extension of Cologne's light rail line 7 to Bonn appears to be the most likely solution. Since there are no financial subsidies from the federal and state governments available for the KVB in the medium term due to the enormous financial needs of the north-south light rail , construction has initially been postponed to the distant future.
In May 2016, a feasibility study was commissioned to investigate a light rail connection from Bonn via Niederkassel either to Cologne-Zündorf or (via a Rhine bridge) to Cologne- Godorf and also to include an extension option to Troisdorf. The study was presented in May 2017 and proves the fundamental technical feasibility of the project. As a next step, the district administration plans to have a cost-benefit analysis carried out.
vehicles
The light rail Cologne / Bonn was the first application of light rail vehicles B . Initially two prototypes ran in Cologne and one in Bonn. Between 1973 and 1993 the SWB / SSB acquired a total of 75 B-cars in three generations. 13 units, including the prototype, were sold to Dortmund in 2003 and replaced by 15 Bombardier Flexity Swift (K5000) light rail vehicles . The K5000 are only used on lines 16, 18, 63 and 67, as the sliding steps required for lines 66 and 68 are missing. In addition, the K5000 are only used on line 68 to Bonn main station in the evenings and on weekends.
The B-cars run on all light rail lines. Normally, the light rail cars are used exclusively in double traction ; if there are insufficient vehicles, single cars rarely run on lines 67 and 68. The first generation cars (first to third series) will not be used on lines 16 and 18 as planned; they will only be used there if there are insufficient vehicles.
Tram vehicles
Since the routes to Dottendorf and Graurheindorf (Auerberg) are not very suitable for switching to light rail operations, SWB followed the development of low-floor technology with great interest. In addition to Düsseldorf and Mannheim, one of the prototypes of the low-floor light rail 2000 designed by the VÖV was received in 1991 . In particular, the ambitious technology with self-steering single-wheel single running gear (EEF) was not convincing. The Mannheim prototype derailed at the depot.
Instead, a total of 24 Siemens / Düwag R1.1 ( NGT6 ) low-floor trams with conventional drive bogies and single-axle running gear in the central section were purchased in 1994 , which have served all tram lines since then. As with most light rail vehicles, the trams were equipped with new orange LED display panels and customer information systems, so that the arrival at the next stations and the final stop can now also be read inside the vehicle.
In December 2019, 26 new low-floor trams were ordered, which will completely replace the previous vehicles. The new vehicles will be equipped with air conditioning and WiFi. As before, they are bi-directional vehicles with four doors on each side and eight-axle vehicles with all-wheel drive. The cars were ordered from Skoda and are part of the ForCity Smart series. These will be delivered from mid-2022 . The total order volume is more than 100 million euros. There is also the option to order 12 more vehicles and the corresponding extension of the spare parts supply contract.
First generation B cars (first to third series)
| Company numbers | |
|---|---|
| 7451-7467 | SWB |
| 7571-7578 | SSB |
| 7651-7654 | SWB |
| 7751-7760 | SWB |
The first generation of B-cars in Bonn corresponds to the 7351 prototype, except for details . The vehicles were delivered in four lots between 1974 and 1977 and were given corresponding company numbers, the first two digits of which correspond to the year of construction. They differ from the later generations in the two-part windscreen, the single-line destination display and the individual doors at the ends of the car, which were shut down in the 1990s and are only used by drivers. In the mid-1990s, the interiors were made lighter by changing the lighting, and the center bars on the doors in the middle of the vehicle were removed to provide sufficient entry width for prams and wheelchairs. Like all light rail vehicles, the first generation has automatic stop announcements, but an optical passenger information system has not yet been installed, but this will change with the second position.
After initial teething problems, the vehicles proved to be very reliable, which is also shown by the fact that there was a bidding competition around the 13 vehicles that were retired in 2003, in which the Dortmund public utilities finally prevailed against competition from Manchester , among others . The original plan was to retire the remaining first-generation vehicles in 2007 or 2008. In the meantime, the SWB has decided to subject the existing fleet to a major conversion (“vehicle upgrading program”). The front is changed, new doors are installed and the interior is upgraded with a new design. Passenger information systems with TFT displays, matrix displays and upholstered seats are also installed. The rear derailleur control previously used will also be removed and replaced by a DC power controller, which has the side effect that the cars can then be coupled to the B100C, built in 1993, in addition to themselves. Initially, the 7456, 7459 and 7578 cars were modernized as prototypes. This was followed by the 7573 and 7463 cars. The 7653, 7465, 7466 and 7572 cars are currently being converted. The conversion cars are expected to operate on the network for another 25 years. (See also section Second B-wagons )
The vehicles have the type designation B100S , which means that they are vehicles with a rear derailleur approved for 100 km / h. However, the vehicles are quite capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km / h, which was often exploited in the early days. Today these speeds can only be reached on the Rheinuferbahn (line 16), where these vehicles are rarely used.
Second generation B car (fourth series)
| Company numbers | |
|---|---|
| 8371-8378 | SSB |
| 8451-8456 | SWB |
| 8471 | SSB |
At the beginning of the 1980s, the need for light rail vehicles increased due to the conversion of the Vorgebirgsbahn to the suburban railway and the extension of the S line (now 66). In terms of drive technology, largely unchanged, it is still the B100S type , but the vehicles have been given a revised car body. The individual doors at the ends of the car were omitted and were slammed into an enlarged driver's cab. The windshield is now one-piece and curved, the train destination displays have been enlarged.
Like the vehicles of the first generation, the second generation also received modified interior lighting in the mid-1990s. Another modernization program was running in which the cars were retrofitted with automatic stop announcements, matrix displays, double screens and video surveillance. The floor is also being renewed.
Third generation B car (fifth series)
| Company numbers | |
|---|---|
| 9351-9364 | SWB |
| 9371-9376 | SSB |
With the Schiene '94 program , line 66 was extended and the cycles on all lines were compressed. The additional vehicle requirement was covered by ordering a further 20 B-cars. Outwardly, they do not differ from the second generation, but there are clear differences in the "inner values": The drive is no longer controlled by a switching mechanism, but by means of thyristors that are built into a chopper, from which the type designation B100C is derived. The vehicles accelerate significantly more than their predecessors.
The interior has also been significantly revised: the brighter lighting was retrofitted on the older B-cars soon after delivery. In addition, instead of the dark green synthetic leather upholstery, there are anatomically shaped seats with a light green fabric cover. Further innovations in the interior are the yellow handrails and the floor with a glitter effect.
A number of vehicles were equipped with double screens in the late 1990s, which originally featured special passenger television. Following the bankruptcy of several operators, the screens are now mainly used to display the next stop and for self-promotion. From 2003, the third generation vehicles were retrofitted with automatic stop announcements, as they have been a matter of course in buses and low-floor trams for years. They also received video surveillance.
K5000
| Company numbers | |
|---|---|
| 0360-0374 | SWB |
In 2003, Bombardier Flexity Swift (K5000) light rail vehicles were purchased to replace the aging first-generation B-cars . Both technically and in terms of interior design, the vehicles correspond to the series procured by KVB . The 03 series are the first light rail vehicles in Bonn to have only folding steps , but not sliding steps , which means that entry from street level and flat platforms is no longer possible because the lowest step is too high. For this reason, the vehicles cannot currently be used on route 66, some of which still have very low platforms. On line 68, use is only possible on the “short-term” Bornheim - Bonn main station in the evenings and on weekends, as the Ramersdorf stop is still equipped with low platforms. In the summer of 2013, the previous display boards were replaced by orange LED display boards.
The approval for the EBO routes was u. a. Due to the lack of a third fire extinguisher, it was only issued during World Youth Day 2005 , which is why the cars could only be used on route 63 for the first year and a half after commissioning.
Second placed B-car
| Company numbers | |
|---|---|
| 7456 + 7459 + 7463 +
7465 + 7466 + 7651 + 7652 + 7653 + 7752 + 7753 + 7754 + 7756 +7759 |
SWB |
| 7572 + 7573 + 7574 *
7576 + 7578 |
SSB |
In order to save costs for the purchase of new vehicles and since, according to the statements of those responsible, no adequate new vehicles are currently available on the market, 25 B-wagons have been "seconded" since 2011 by employees of Stadtwerke Bonn. The vehicles are completely gutted and equipped with new technology and a new interior. The first two vehicles, road numbers 7456 and 7459, were put into operation in December 2012, 7578 in September 2013, 7573 in June 2014. Car 7463 was presented in September 2014 at InnoTrans . The cars with the road number 7653 (third series car), 7465 (fourth series car) and 7572 (fifth series car) are currently being converted.
* - Numbers in italics: Vehicles are currently still being converted.
The system of company numbers
The system of company numbers for vehicles in Bonn, which has been in effect since 1969 for newly acquired vehicles, is somewhat unusual. Most other transport companies have a numbering system, which is sorted according to vehicle type (e.g. the neighboring city of Cologne ) or number in the order in which they are put into operation, but this is complicated for larger companies.
In contrast, the vehicle type can not be identified immediately from the Bonn company numbers , but the age of the vehicles: SWB buses and trains have a four-digit company number. The first two digits indicate the year of commissioning, while the last two digits are consecutively numbered for this year. But there are gaps again: The numbers from 01 to 50 are reserved for buses, the numbers from 51 to 70 for SWB cars, the numbers from 71 to 80 for SSB cars, the numbers from 81 were used for work vehicles, (8191-95)
Examples: The light rail vehicle with the number 7753 is the third light rail vehicle put into operation in 1977. The car with the number 8372 is not the 22nd light rail car from 1983, but the second, as only the SSB received vehicles that year.
However, this system does not apply to the newest cars of the K 5000 series with the company numbers 0360 to 0374. The Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe purchased 59 vehicles of this type with the Cologne company numbers 5101 to 5159. At the time of the acquisition, the two companies were planning to merge soon , the vehicles in Bonn followed the Cologne numbering with the two last digits. In the case of the first two positions, however, the year of acquisition was retained. Thus, the 15 vehicles from Bonn received the company numbers 0360 to 0374, although they were the only light rail vehicles in 2003 and all 15 vehicles belong to the SWB.
The merger plans were not pursued any further later, but the renumbering of the vehicles is refrained from as the effort would be too great.
Given the size of the company, it is very unlikely that more than 50 new buses will be purchased in a year, this system is sufficient in terms of the numbers required.
Another exception were the MB Citaro buses , which were taken over from the Hamburger Hochbahn (HHA) in 2000 . They do not have the procurement year (00) as numbers, but the year of manufacture 19 97 .
The disadvantage is that only the initiated know what kind of vehicle it is when the company number is given. After all, Bonn's tram and light rail traffic is operated with three different types of vehicle, and there are even more with buses.
Track equipment
Stadtwerke Bonn's lines are operated according to BOStrab. For this purpose, signals and route block devices as well as train control are used to support the driver and to enable a maximum speed of sections of up to 100 km / h .
Signal boxes
The main interlocking of the Stadtwerke is the "NVB-Stellwerk", a relay interlocking of the SpDrSU type in the network control center on Thomas-Mann-Straße. This will be replaced in sections by electronic interlockings by 2018. The first electronic interlocking for the sections of the Vorgebirgs- and Rheinuferbahn north of Bonn-West has been in operation since October 2015. This is connected to the HGK interlockings Hersel (DrS2) and Roisdorf (SICAS), which are remotely controlled from the network control center of the HGK in Hürth-Kendenich.
Additional signal boxes are located at the Wurzerstraße, Sankt Augustin Mülldorf, Ramersdorf and Rhöndorf stops. In addition, individual points on sections that are not secured by signaling and the depots are monitored by small local interlockings.
A special feature is the southern section of the Siebengebirgsbahn. Between the branching out from the federal highway 42 and the southern end of the route, the safety-related outdoor facilities are either installed at such a height that contact with the Rhine flood is unlikely, or they are completely watertight.
Signal system
The SWB and SSB use a modified H / V signal system on their route sections that are separated from road traffic. Like the EBO system, this knows the signal aspects Hp0 = Halt, Hp1 = Fahrtand for main signals Hp2 = Langsamfahrt. The distant signal images are corresponding, however distant signals are only set up where they are useful for recognizing the signal image in the braking distance. The following route sections are equipped with it:
- Vorgebirgsbahn: transition to HGK - Bonn main station (complete)
- Rheinuferbahn: transition to HGK - Bonn main station (complete)
- Siegburger Bahn: Siegburg - (excl.) Sankt Augustin monastery and town house - Bonn main station
- Main route: Bonn main station - junction to the south bridge and Hochkreuz - turning point Stadthalle
- Siebengebirgsbahn: (excl.) Küdinghoven - Longenburg and Königswinter Monument - Bad Honnef
- Südbrücke: trunk line - Ramersdorf (complete)
In addition, some points in the route network are equipped with tram signals, which, due to their mast sign, also have main signal properties, but where you still have to drive on sight. These are, for example, the Copenhagener Straße stop, Hangelar Ost in the platform changeover and in the depots. A special feature is the combination of a tram signal showing the journey and a blue indicator light, which corresponds to a completely secured driveway in the Dransdorf depot, which can then be driven at top speed.
The technically secured level crossings are either integrated into the interlockings as a function of Hp or equipped with monitoring signals.
In road traffic, the railcar drivers comply with the StVO. Junction points are then set depending on the train routing. At the intersections with other road users, traffic lights regulate the driving permission.
In the tunnel areas of the Bonn light rail, the lighting is switched off by default. There is therefore the special feature that as soon as the lights are switched on, driving on sight with a maximum of 40 km / h is arranged. The activated tunnel lighting counts as its own signal Lf 8.
Train control
All signals with a mast label are equipped with a magnetic travel lock. This triggers emergency braking when a signal indicating stop is passed. The travel lock is ineffective at signals in the driving position. Speed limits are also equipped with these travel locks. In the case of speed limits, two sensors that have to be driven over beforehand must be passed within the then applicable speed limit in order to bypass the travel lock and not be forced to brake.
Overhead line
The trains are supplied via the overhead contact line, which is designed as an overhead contact line on most routes. The nominal voltage of the contact wire is 750 V DC.
literature
- Dieter Höltge: Trams and light rail vehicles in Germany, Volume 5, Bergisches and Siegerland from Wuppertal to Bonn . EK-Verlag, Freiburg 1996, ISBN 3-88255-333-2 .
- Karl-Heinz Nauroth: Trams in Bonn . Kenning Verlag, Nordhorn 1989, ISBN 3-9800952-8-2 .
- Hans-Georg Nolden: The Bonn – Siegburg tram . Rheinlandia Verlag, Siegburg 1995, ISBN 3-925551-99-9 .
- Eduard Bündgen: The Cologne-Bonn Railways 1891–1992 . EK-Verlag, Freiburg 1994, ISBN 3-88255-502-5 .
- Local transport plan of the city of Bonn (short version) ( Memento from August 26, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
- Participation reports from the city of Bonn , in particular from SRS - Rhein-Sieg city railway company
Web links
- Website of the SWB Bus und Bahn
- Railways in Bonn - history and new ideas
- Historical association SWB - We show history
Individual evidence
- ↑ Performance data . SWB, accessed on July 22, 2013 (key figures SWB bus and train).
- ↑ Michael Lehnberg: Sankt Augustin: “Markt” tram stop is being rebuilt for 3.5 million euros. In: General-Anzeiger. December 18, 2013, accessed December 24, 2013 .
- ↑ Timetable change - Line 66 will soon run all night . In: General-Anzeiger Bonn . August 21, 2013 ( general-anzeiger-bonn.de [accessed December 27, 2016]).
- ^ Hans Schmitt: Stadtbahn Rhein-Sieg in the Bonn area . In: City traffic . No. 1 , 1973, ISSN 0038-9013 .
- ↑ Karl-Heinz van Kaldenkerken , Oberstadtdirektor Bonn (ed.); Friedrich Busmann : Expansion of the federal capital. 10 years capital city agreement 1975–1985 . Bonn 1986, p. 84.
- ↑ The Lord Mayor of Bonn (Ed.); Friedrich Busmann: From the parliament and government district to the federal district. A Bonn development measure 1974-2004 . Bonn, June 2004, pp. 58, 144.
- ^ Renewal of the "Rheinaue" tram stop ( memento from October 27, 2019 in the Internet Archive ), SWB Bus und Bahn, September 12, 2019
- ↑ "Rheinaue" train stop opens again with a modern look , SWB Bus und Bahn, April 29, 2020
- ↑ "Temporary summit station". Tram to Auerberg inaugurated . In: General-Anzeiger , August 20, 1994, Bonner Stadtausgabe, p. 6.
- ↑ Local transport plan . City of Bonn, pp. 84–85, 94–97 , accessed on November 26, 2013 .
- ↑ Philipp Königs: Local elections 2020: How the local public transport in Bonn should be better. In: ga.de. July 21, 2020, accessed August 1, 2020 .
- ↑ Cem Akalin: Reviewers present traffic concepts . In: General-Anzeiger . November 21, 2011 ( general-anzeiger-bonn.de [accessed October 7, 2012]).
- ↑ Printed matter no. 1810619ST2: Statement by the administration: Tram connection to Kohlkaul from 2018-03-27 Online PDF / Online in the Bonn Council and Information System
- ↑ Planning of the IGVP over the route to Mehlem. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 7, 2013 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ^ Further development of the Bonn / Rhein-Sieg light rail network. Status report on the feasibility study for the Bonn / Niederkassel / Cologne tram. Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, May 25, 2016, accessed on June 23, 2016 (session template).
- ^ Feasibility study "Stadtbahn Bonn / Niederkassel / Cologne" - presentation of the results -. Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, accessed on May 23, 2017 (session template).
- ↑ Projects. SWB, accessed on July 22, 2013 (vehicle upgrading program of the SWBV Neue Stadtbahnen ).
- ↑ Our “old-for-new-concept”: The major SWB project “Second Position”. (PDF; 3.3 MiB) SWB, accessed on July 22, 2013 .
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