Chomutov – Cheb railway line

Chomutov – Cheb

Course book series (SŽDC) :

140

Gauge :

1435 mm ( standard gauge )

Route class :

D3 (2006)

Power system :

Chomutov – Kadaň-Prunéřov: 3 kV =
Kadaň-Prunéřov – Cheb: 25 kV 50 Hz ~

Top speed:

100 km / h

Dual track :

Chomutov – Cheb

Legend

	from Ústí nad Labem hl. n. (formerly ATE )
	from Vejprty (formerly BEB )
125.173	Chomutov formerly Komotau (km 0 in Prague)	355 m
	from Děčín
125.947	odb. Chomutov St. 2	355 m
	to Praha-Bubny (formerly BEB )
	(Re-alignment 1978)
	from Praha-Bubny (until 1978)
≈127.400	odb. Dubina (until 1978)	350 m
	from Praha-Bubny (since 1978)
128.132	odb. Dubina (since 1978)	364 m
130.252	Krbice formerly Körbitz	345 m
130.617	Málkov	380 m
132.742	Kralupy u Chomutova formerly German Kralupp	340 m
	from Březno u Chomutova (formerly BEB )
137,953	Kadaň-Prunéřov formerly Kaaden-Brunnersdorf	320 m
137,351	Kadaň - Prunéřov	350 m
	to Kaštice (formerly Kaadner Lokalbahnen )
138.875	System separation point 3 kV / 25 kV

	Vernéřov formerly Wernsdorf
144.286	Klášterec nad Ohří formerly Klösterle	315 m
	Eger Bridge
148.29000	Kotvina formerly Kotwa	305 m
151.650	Perštejn formerly Pürstein	310 m
154.82400	Boč earlier Wotsch	320 m
157.920	Stráž nad Ohří formerly Krondorf-Wartha	325 m
163.457	Vojkovice nad Ohří formerly Wickwitz	335 m
	to Kyselka (formerly a private local train from Mattoni )
169.756	Ostrov nad Ohří formerly Schlackenwerth	385 m
	to Jáchymov (formerly LB Schlackenwerth – Joachimsthal)
	Ostrov město
177.171	Hájek formerly Neudau	450 m
	from Merklín (formerly LB Karlsbad– (Dallwitz) –Merkelsgrün)
182.509	Dalovice formerly Dalowitz	410 m
	Johanngeorgenstadt – Karlovy Vary dolní n.
	from Karlovy Vary dolní n. (formerly EB Karlsbad – Johanngeorgenstadt )
185.390	Karlovy Vary formerly Carlsbad	415 m
187.5250	odb. Sedlec
	to Johanngeorgenstadt (formerly EB Karlsbad – Johanngeorgenstadt )
190.050	Karlovy Vary-Dvory formerly Karlsbad-Maierhöfen	390 m
	Chodov bypass
195,442	Chodov formerly Chodau	435 m
	from Nová Role (formerly ÖLEG )
	(Re-alignment 1980)
	Connection to the Vřesová power station
	after Loket (1963–1980)
198.252	Nové Sedlo u Lokte (since 1980)	435 m
	after Loket (since 1980)
	from Loket (formerly Elbogen Localbahn )
200.261	Nové Sedlo u Lokte formerly Neusattl (until 1980)
203.165	Jehličná formerly grass set
	Novosedlský tunel (310 m)
205.33000	Královské Poříčí	415 m

205,911 206,450	Error profile −549 m
208.154	Sokolov formerly Falkenau (Eger)	405 m
	to Klingenthal (formerly BEB )
209,36000	Sokolov seřaďovací nádr.
211.659	Citice formerly Ziedlitz	405 m
212.99500	Hlavno	405 m
217,377	Dasnice formerly Daßnitz-Maria Kulm	410 m
222.685	Kynšperk nad Ohří formerly Königsberg (Eger)	420 m
225.981	Nebanice formerly Nebanitz	425 m
	from Luby (formerly LB Tirschnitz – Wildstein – Schönbach)
232.105	Tršnice formerly Tirschnitz	430 m
	from Františkovy Lázně (formerly BEB )
	von Plauen (Vogtl) ob Bf (formerly K. Sächs. Sts. EB )
237.25200	Cheb used to be Eger	460 m
	to Plzeň (Vienna) (formerly KFJB )
	to Wiesau (Oberpf) (formerly Bayerische Ostbahn )
	to Nürnberg Hbf (formerly K. Bay. Sts. B. )

The Chomutov – Cheb railway is a double-track, electrified railway connection in the Czech Republic that was originally built and operated by the kk priv. Buschtěhrad Railway (BEB). It runs along the Ohře from Chomutov ( Komotau ) via Karlovy Vary ( Carlsbad ) and Sokolov ( Falkenau ) to Cheb ( Eger ). In today's Czech Republic, the route is known as Podkrušnohorská magistrála ( Magistrale under the Ore Mountains ).

The Chomutov – Cheb line is classified in the railway network of the Czech Republic as a national railway ("celostátní dráha").

meaning

The Chomutov – Cheb railway is one of the most important railways in the Czech Republic. For freight traffic, the double-track electrified line is the most important and most efficient connection between West Germany and the Czech Republic. It also serves as an important removal route for the lignite mined in the Falkenau Basin . In the past, the line was of enormous importance for the bathing train traffic to the world-famous health resorts in the Bohemian bathing triangle .

history

Prehistory and construction

On June 3, 1868, the Buschtěhrad Railway received a law permit to build a railway from Prague via Saaz and Komotau to the royal Saxon border to connect to the Chemnitz-Annaberger Bahn and with a winged railway into the Rakonitz coal district, then from Priesen via Karlsbad to Eger and Franzensbad . In December 1871, the continuous rail line from Prague to Eger was completed. As a supplement, the short connecting line between Komotau and Kaaden-Brunnersdorf was built in 1873, which from then on enabled continuous rail traffic following the main line of the Aussig-Teplitz railway from Aussig / Elbe to Eger.

Opening dates:

Karlsbad – Eger * November 19, 1870
Kaaden-Brunnersdorf – Schlackenwerth * November 9, 1871
Schlackenwerth – Karlsbad * December 9, 1871
Komotau – Kaaden-Brunnersdorf * March 1, 1873

In the operation of the BEB

In the years that followed, the line developed into one of the most important connections in northern Bohemia. In freight traffic, the coal trains from the Falkenau basin were particularly dominant. In passenger train traffic, the route has been extremely important for the journey of spa guests to Karlovy Vary since it opened. There were direct train connections from Vienna , Paris or Ostend to Karlsbad.

Even before 1900, the strong increase in traffic made it necessary to double-track the main route from Komotau to Eger. The connecting railways Priesen – Kaaden-Brunnerdorf and Tirschnitz – Franzensbad remained single-track.

The BEB was nationalized on January 1, 1923 as one of the last large private railways in Bohemia. From then on, the line was integrated into the network of the Czechoslovak State Railways ČSD.

After nationalization

After the Sudetenland was annexed to Germany in autumn 1938, the line came to the Deutsche Reichsbahn , Reichsbahndirektion Dresden . In the imperial course book the connection was included under the course book route 166 Bodenbach – Aussig – Komotau – Karlsbad – Eger.

Shortly before the end of World War II, in April 1945, the route was still a target of heavy American bombing. In Karlovy Vary and Eger, the railway systems were so badly damaged that train traffic was no longer possible for a long time.

After the end of the Second World War , the line came back to the ČSD.

After the Second World War

Reallocations

The expansion of lignite mining in the Falkenau Basin near Karlovy Vary and in the North Bohemian Basin near Chomutov required changes to the route of the line at the end of the 1970s.

In 1978 the route between Chomutov and Klášterec nad Ohří was moved to a coal-free area directly on the slope of the Ore Mountains. In this context, the line between Březno u Chomutova and Kadaň-Prunéřov was abandoned, which enabled direct train runs between Prague and Cheb bypassing the Chomutov junction. As a replacement, a new connecting curve was built near Chomutov.

Another realignment was put into operation in 1980 between Chodov and Sokolov. This new route required, among other things, the relocation of the Nové Sedlo u Lokte station, the construction of a tunnel under a ridge and the construction of a new viaduct near the Královské Poříčí stop.

electrification

Sokolov railway station

In 1968, the first section of the line from Cheb to Sokolov was electrified with the modern 25 kV 50 Hz AC system. It was not until 1981 that electric train operations were extended to Karlovy Vary. This means that the electric traction can now also be used effectively for passenger trains. To the east of Karlovy Vary, there was a gap in the electrified ČSD network for a long time. Electrification was only continued from Chomutov in 1989, but for the 3 kV direct current system that is common there.

The following table shows the opening dates of the electric train operation:

opening	electricity	route	km
June 9, 1968	25 kV ~	Sokolov – Cheb	29
January 1, 1983	25 kV ~	Nové Sedlo u Lokte – Sokolov	20th
June 1, 1983	25 kV ~	Karlovy Vary – Nové Sedlo u Lokte	13
5th December 1989	3 kV =	Chomutov – Kadaň	12
December 11, 2005	25 kV ~	Vojkovice nad Ohří – Karlovy Vary	22nd
May 28, 2006	25 kV ~	Kadaň – Vojkovice nad Ohří	26th

Since the political change in Czechoslovakia in 1989, the line has slowly regained its importance as an important and efficient main line for freight traffic. At the end of the 1990s, extensive construction work began on the not yet electrified Kadaň – Karlovy Vary section to modernize the line. In connection with the renewal of the tracks and the control and safety technology, the route was also switched from left-hand to right-hand traffic. In 2005 and 2006 this section was equipped with contact lines.

On December 28, 2006, continuous electric train operation was opened over the entire route. The system separation point between 3 kV direct current and 25 kV alternating current is located between the Kadaň-Prunéřov railway station and Klášterec nad Ohří.

From April 14, 2018 to August 6, 2018, the line between the Hájek and Dalovice stations was completely closed due to damage to the track structure. A replacement rail service was set up for the canceled passenger trains, and freight traffic had to be rerouted widely. The line was rebuilt in this section including the substructure by the company Strix Chomutov for a total of 90 million crowns.

In the years 2024 to 2029 the Sokolov – Cheb section is to be completely renewed. The Tršnice station will be able to accommodate 740 meter long freight trains in the future. In addition, it is planned to convert the Dasnice train station into a double-track siding. Kynšperk gets a new island platform with an underpass.

Train traffic

From the end of the 1950s, bath express trains came back onto the line. Above all, the Karlex , which ran between Berlin and Karlsbad, was known nationwide. As a relief train, a second pair of trains later operated on the Leipzig – Karlsbad route as IExt Karola .

Today the route is served by a two-hour express train connection Prague - Ústí nad Labem - Chomutov - Cheb. The international connections were reduced over the years and finally stopped completely. The through coach connection to Moscow was given up when the timetable changed in December 2015, the through coaches to Košice on December 8, 2017. Since December 9, 2017, all express trains have been running with modernized cars of higher quality than Rx.

Vehicle use

ČD series 844 "Regioshark" (Sokolov station; 2013)

In the 1960s and 1970s, the elegant multiple units of the DR class VT 18.16 were used for bathing trains from Berlin and Leipzig to Karlsbad .

For a long time the Soviet diesel locomotives of the ČSD series T 679.1 (ČD 781) were formative in freight transport . These powerful locomotives were indispensable until the end of the 1990s, especially on the steep section between Vojkovice nad Ohří and Karlsbad. The last operational area of these locomotives was the heavy coal trains from Sokolov to the Arzberg power plant in Upper Franconia until November 30, 2002.

Since the timetable change in December 2006, all through passenger trains between Cheb and Ústí nad Labem have been operated with the two-system locomotives of the ČD class 363 . Passenger trains between Cheb and Karlovy Vary or Chomutov and Most are mostly made up of diesel multiple units of the ČD series 844 “Regioshark”.

Individual evidence

literature

Andreas W. Petrak: Along the Eger ; edition bohemica, Himmelkron, 2008, ISBN 978-3-940819-02-4
Zdeněk Hudec u. a .: Atlas drah České republiky 2006–2007 , 2nd edition; Publishing house Pavel Malkus, Praha, 2006, ISBN 80-87047-00-1

Web links

Commons : Chomutov – Cheb railway line - collection of images, videos and audio files

[1] ttps://www.atlaskolejowy.net/cz/karlovarsky/?id=linia&poz=1556

[2] ttps://www.atlaskolejowy.net/cz/karlovarsky/?id=linia&poz=1556

[3] ttp://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?apm=0&aid=rgb&date=18680004&seite=00000179

[4] ttps://vary.idnes.cz/zeleznice-vlak-trat-04h-/vary-zpravy.aspx?c=A180415_162700_vary-zpravy_mav

[5] ttps://vary.idnes.cz/trat-sesuv-vlaky-zeleznice-dalovice-re Konstrukce-fs4-/vary-zpravy.aspx?c=A180503_132429_vary- zpravy_ba

[6] “Oprava sesunuté trati vyjde na 90 milionů, hotovo má být do konce července” on idnes.cz

[7] “SŽDC otevírá sesunutou trať u Karlových Varů, vlaky pojedou zatím 50 km / h” on zdopravy.cz

[8] "Ministerstvo posvětilo modernizaci tratě Cheb - Sokolov, Správa železnic hledá projektanta" on zdopravy.cz