Glauchau – Wurzen railway line

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap

Glauchau (Sachs) -Wurzen
Excerpt from the route map of Saxony 1902
Route number :	6629; sä. GW
Course book section (DB) :	529 (2002)
Route length:	82.583 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Maximum slope :	12  ‰
Minimum radius :	250 m
Legend from Werdau arch triangle -0.600 Glauchau (Sachs) 244 m to Dresden Hbf Federal motorway 4 4.160 Remse 230 m 7.415 Waldenburg (Sachs) 237 m 12.754 Hermsdorf-Bräunsdorfer Bach (10 m) 13.190 Wolkenburg 220 m 13.675 Kaufunger Bach (10 m) 15.087 Frohnbach (10 m) 15.671 Zwickauer Mulde (103 m) 16.373 Stream (13 m) 16.510 Thierbach - Zinnberg 220 m 17.851 State road 57 (13 m) Federal motorway 72 18.505 Penig 219 m via Narsdorf to Rochlitz (Sachs) 18,936 Penig (32 m) 19,222 Dittmannsdorfer Strasse (11 m) 21.850 America (Sachs) 220 m 24.410 Rochsburg 210 m 25.025 Rochsburg Tunnel (290 m) 25.400 Zwickauer Mulde (120 m) 27,464 Lunzenau 198 m 29.400 Cossener Bach (65 m) Göhrener Viaduct ( Chemnitz – Neukieritzsch ) 30,418 Chemnitz (75 m) from Küchwald 31.975 Wechselburg 195 m 32.110 Anger (10 m) 33.230 Silberbach (20 m) 35.680 Steudten 170 m 36,360 Erlbach (13 m) 36.844 Biesern loading point 164 m 37.905 Rochlitz Viaduct (243 m) from Penig via Narsdorf 39.239 Rochlitz (Sachs) 161 m to Waldheim (Sachs) 39.800 Zwickauer Mulde (98 m) 40.500 Penna loading point 157 m 44.700 Lastau 155 m 45.456 Zwickauer Mulde (116 m) 45.540 Flood bridge (12 m) 47.650 Colditz Porcelain Factory 150 m 48.458 Bundesstrasse 107 (10 m) 49.088 Colditz 152 m 52.550 Sermuth 150 m 53.065 Leitenbach (10 m) 53.170 Leisenau junction Connection arc to Leisnig 55.855 Coswig – Borsdorf by Coswig 56.772 Großbothen ( Inselbahnhof ) 147 m to Borsdorf (Sachs) and Borna 60.380 Nimbschen 130 m 62.300 Mulde (Rabenstein Bridge; 184 m) 64.130 Grimma and Bf 130 m 66.280 Dorna - Döben 125 m 68.070 Golzern 130 m 70.300 Nerchau 120 m Narrow-gauge railway from Mügeln (near Oschatz) strategic railway towards Trebsen 72.630 Neichen 126 m 76.240 Nitzschka 125 m At the beginning of the Dehnitz water glass factory from Dresden-Neustadt 81.983 Spice up 124 m to Leipzig Hbf

The Glauchau – Wurzen railway (also: Muldentalbahn ) is a branch line in Saxony . It runs in the valleys of Zwickauer Mulde and United Mulde from Glauchau via Rochlitz and Grimma to Wurzen .

The main line was initially built and operated by the Muldenthal Railway Company , which was taken over by the Saxon state in 1878. Although the Glauchau – Wurzen line had been split in two by a bridge demolition since World War II, the line continued to be of great importance. In addition to the heavy rush-hour traffic, the local industrial companies (porcelain works, paper mills, metal processing) and numerous sand pits were among the most important transport customers. It was only after the fall of 1989/90 that there was a rapid collapse in transport demand, so that traffic was gradually discontinued until the early 2000s. The Glauchau – Großbothen section was leased from the Deutsche Regionalisenbahn (DRE) in 2005 and is currently largely without traffic, the rest of the line to Wurzen has been closed.

history

Prehistory and construction

See also : Muldenthal Railway Company

As early as 1860, a central committee was founded in Penig with the aim of building a railway from Glauchau to Wurzen. In 1864 the Saxon assembly of estates granted permission to build a railway from Leipzig via the Mulde valley to Chemnitz. Since there was no private company for this, a permit was granted in 1868 to build a railway from Glauchau via Wurzen to the Saxon- Prussian border.

The Muldenthal Railroad Company received on 29 April 1872 the concession to build and operate a railway between Glauchau and Wurzen. The concession for the section from Wurzen to the state border was not granted because the continuation of the line in Prussia was not guaranteed.

The line was commissioned in several steps:

• May 10, 1875: from Glauchau to Penig
• December 9, 1875: from Rochlitz to Großbothen
• May 29, 1876: from Penig to Rochlitz
• June 30, 1877: from Großbothen to Wurzen

The land was acquired for double-track operation; this was prepared for the construction of tunnels and in some cases also bridges ( abutments and pillars ). Due to the lack of continuation to the north, however, the operation did not reach the dimensions that would have made the double-track expansion necessary.

business

Bridge over the Kaufunger Dorfbach near Wolkenburg-Kaufungen

On August 1, 1878, the Muldenthal Railway Company was nationalized. The route and vehicles were taken over by the Royal Saxon State Railways . The terminus in Wurzen was the south station from October 15, 1879, the previously used Muldenthalbahnhof was closed. On March 1, 1924, the previous main line was downgraded to a branch line.

In 1931 the Rabenstein Bridge near Grimma was given more stable half-timbered and sheet metal girder superstructures in place of the lightweight Schwedeler girders (the latter above the flood openings on the left bank of the Mulde). Because of the existing substructures designed for double-track operation, this was possible without influencing operations.

As a result of the destruction of the Rabenstein Bridge on April 15, 1945, the line between Großbothen and Grimma and Bf had been interrupted since the Second World War. The superstructure was dismantled between these stations as a reparation payment. Despite the repair of the bridge, it was no longer possible to rebuild the track due to a lack of material. In the 1960s, the flood superstructures and a river superstructure of the Rabenstein Bridge were removed. On May 28, 1967, the train service between Grimma unt Bf and Nerchau was stopped. From September 24, 1967, the trains ran again from Golzern to Wurzen, but this section of the route was finally closed to tourist traffic on May 31, 1969. The section was used as a route shunting district and thus the station track of the Wurzen station in freight traffic. Between Nerchau and Golzern, the superstructure was renewed in the 1970s . At Dorna-Döben, the free subgrade was used to widen the road.

last surviving superstructure of the Rabenstein Bridge, May 1977

The last remaining superstructure of the Rabenstein Bridge, the pillars and the abutment on the left bank of the Mulde were removed at the beginning of the 1980s.

The Muldentalbahn was included in strategic planning. When the superstructure was renewed between Großbothen and Döbeln in the mid-1970s, a connecting arch with the junction points Leisenau and Muldenbrücke was created, which enabled direct journeys between Rochlitz and Döbeln bypassing Großbothen. While the Muldenbrücke junction on the route to Döbeln had a fully equipped, but usually switched-through signal box, the Leisenau junction between Großbothen and Sermuth was only temporarily equipped with a manual switch with a hand lock and main signals fixed in the stop position. This connection was used operationally only once, in 1995 when the new Großbothen crossing structure was built to avoid rail replacement traffic. The use of a pioneer bridge over the Mulde was prepared between Neichen and Trebsen, and a siding was extended from the Trebsen train station to near the bank.

The decline in the 1990s

Muldentalbahn cycle path between Grimma and Wurzen

After goods traffic had collapsed in 1990, goods traffic in the Wurzen – Golzern section was discontinued on June 2, 1996 and at the end of the 1990s the section from the Dehnitz water glass factory connection was finally shut down. The Muldentalbahn cycle path was created on the planum .

Track systems of the Muldentalbahn between Penig and Thierbach in October 2007

From December 6, 1999, there was replacement rail traffic between Colditz and Rochlitz due to the poor state of the superstructure. The travel times were massively extended. The Colditz – Großbothen section was closed on May 27, 2000, and on June 9, 2001 the last trains ran between Rochlitz and Wechselburg. Freight traffic on the sections between Großbothen and Wechselburg was officially suspended on December 5, 1999. It ended between Wechselburg and Glauchau on July 1, 2000. Up to August 13, 2002, a train from Glauchau reached Wechselburg station every four hours, which took over an hour to cover the 32 km route. After the Elbe flood in 2002 , which became known as the flood of the century and which also affected the Mulde, train traffic was stopped due to flood damage and the urgent need for rehabilitation of various route structures.

In operation of the German regional railway

Muldentalbahn in Lunzenau (2016)

Viaduct of the Muldentalbahn in Göhren owned by the museum railway (2016)

The Muldentalbahn leads on the right bank under the Göhrener viaduct along

Rail trabi in Rochlitz

The German regional railway GmbH (DRE) leased the beginning of 2005, the railway Glauchau Großbothen by Deutsche Bahn AG in the disused state for five years. During this time, possibilities should be sought to maintain the railway infrastructure of the Muldentalbahn in the long term. This included the opening of sections of the Großbothen – Glauchau line for public use. If there was a need, freight trains should run again between Rochlitz and Großbothen. The route branching off from Rochlitz to Narsdorf was to be opened for regular passenger traffic on a trial basis. Funding for the plans is currently not secured.

In 2006 the DBV- Förderverein Muldentalbahn was founded. The members set themselves the goal of running regular trains again on weekends between Glauchau and Großbothen. The members of the development association initially cut the route to Penig free. Coming from Großbothen, Sermuth was reached.

Some of the municipalities and districts on the railway line supported the restarting as far as possible. However, the operation was not entirely undisputed, so there were ideas to create a tourist bike path on the railway line, as is already the case north of Grimma.

From April 2007, on special occasions, there was again tourist railway operation on the Glauchau – Waldenburg section. The plan was to extend this traffic to Wolkenburg or Penig. During construction work on the new A 4 motorway bridge near Reinholdshain, a drainage ditch was filled in and a drainage pipe removed, and the foot of the embankment was also removed to create a turning point for construction vehicles. As a result, in August 2007, after heavy rain, the water could no longer drain and flooded the tracks. As a result, the embankment slipped over a length of 15 m in this area. Due to the damage and the non-guaranteed safety, no train operations could initially be carried out until further notice. An expert opinion was commissioned by the line leaseholder in order to enable train operations again in 2008. This report should decide whether and to what extent a renovation is possible and which vehicles are allowed to enter the area at what speed before renovation. The DRE then applied for an injunction at the Chemnitz Regional Court, which ruled on April 30, 2008 that the motorway office had to take safety measures on the motorway bridge in order to avert further damage to the railway embankment below.

From September 29, 2007 to October 7, 2007 a festival week took place at Großbothen station; The occasion was the 130th anniversary of the Muldentalbahn, the 140th anniversary of the Leipzig – Grimma – Großbothen – Döbeln line and the opening of the former cross line from Bad Lausick to Großbothen in 1937.

On December 4, 2007, a labor consultation took place between the District Administrator of the Chemnitzer Land , Dr. Christoph Scheurer , the managing director of DRE, Gerhard J. Curth, and representatives of the cities of Glauchau, Waldenburg and Limbach-Oberfrohna (Wolkenburg is a district). At this meeting, Gerhard J. Curth informed those present about the seasonal tourist traffic on the Glauchau – Penig section. A statement about the details of the operating days and the timetable could only be discussed in 2008, as a decision by the Waldenburg city council to provide financial support for the planned seasonal traffic would not be made until the end of January. Furthermore, the city council should be presented with the expanded concept of a tourist train service.

In 2007 a truck rammed a road bridge over the B95 so badly that it had to be demolished. As the truck driver continued his journey, he also rammed the railway bridge shortly before Penig, which also caused damage to this bridge. The road bridge was also rammed shortly before the Thierbach-Zinnberg stop, which leads over the district road.

For the bridge over the Zwickauer Mulde near Thierbach-Zinnberg, new wooden sleepers were procured to replace the damaged sleepers.

On April 10, 2008, the DRE was approved by the Free State of Saxony to operate a public railway infrastructure on the Muldentalbahn and the Rochlitz – Narsdorf route for 20 years.

The opening of seasonal traffic on the Muldentalbahn from Glauchau to Wolkenburg, planned for April 27, 2008, was postponed due to the lengthy clarification of responsibility for the dam slide on the A4 motorway bridge and the associated delays in dam renovation. In the course of 2008, the Muldentalbahn was to be restored to service in sections with the exception of the Wechselburg – America section (which, according to the forecast at the time, was to follow in 2009).

In 2010, the lease agreement concluded in 2005 between DRE and Deutsche Bahn AG expired. It was not until October 2010 that the DRE succeeded in bringing at least the Glauchau – Wolkenburg section into an operational state, so that a train could run there for the first time in three years. The initial support of the neighboring communities has, however, decreased after the DRE postponed commissioning several times. The Glauchau – Großbothen stretch will continue to be leased by the DRE until 2028.

From April 17 to September 19, 2010, the Sächsischer Eisenbahnfreunde e. V. (VSE, headquarters in Schwarzenberg in the Erzgebirge) on weekends regular tourist traffic with the so-called Schienentrabi (track motorcycle 1 ). The scenic section between Rochlitz and Wechselburg was driven on. In 2011 and 2012 these trips took place from April to September. The route from Rochlitz to the Göhrener Bridge (Göhrener Viaduct) could be used for the first time from 2012. On the section between Penig and America, there were also several trips with the VSE rail trabis in 2012.

At the end of 2015, Deutsche Bahn AG sold the land along the line, including the track systems, to the Chemnitz-based Central Saxon Railway Infrastructure Company (MSE). A line dismantling that was feared as a result was countered by railway enthusiasts by applying for monument protection for the line. At the beginning of 2016, the Glauchau – Großbothen (Sermuth) section of the Muldentalbahn was entered as an entity (tracks and ancillary facilities) in the list of monuments of the State of Saxony.

Due to the upcoming investment costs of 5.7 million euros and a lack of income, the DRE, as the line leaser, put the 48.7 kilometer section from Glauchau to the Colditz entrance signal to tender for third parties to take over. Accordingly, if no new operator reports by December 20, 2017, the route could be shut down.

At the beginning of 2019, MSE intended to resell the route to Acies GmbH based in Eilenburg. In this situation, the city of Colditz redeemed its right of first refusal and acquired the section from Zschetzsch to Lastau located in its municipality for only 20,000 euros. The city of Rochlitz is planning something similar. The aim of the municipalities is to restart travel and goods traffic and to integrate the route into the network of the Central German S-Bahn . In 2020, the route between Glauchau and shortly before Rochlitz was sold by MSE to MB Muldentalbahntrasse . The rail trabi trips should continue to take place.

Route description

course

Bridge of the Muldentalbahn in Thierbach

Göhrener Viaduct with Zwickauer Mulde and Viaduct of the Muldentalbahn, right (2016)

Chemnitz estuary with the Muldentalbahn bridge (2016)

The Glauchau – Wurzen railway ran in a south-north direction and followed the Zwickau Mulde between Glauchau and Sermuth , then the combined Mulde to Wurzen .

The line began in Glauchau station on the Dresden – Werdau line . At the Remse station , federal highway 175 ran parallel on the other side of the river. Between the stations of Wolkenburg and Thierbach-Zinnberg , the route changed from the right to the left bank. Behind Thierbach-Zinnberg , the railway line has something special. It crosses a road on a bridge, which in turn crosses the Zwickauer Mulde on a bridge at a 90-degree angle to the former. The newly built federal motorway 72 spans both bridges in this area today with a large valley bridge, so that in this area three bridges in different levels and directions overlap.

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  Bridge crossing at Penig (2016)

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  Bridge of the Muldentalbahn (2016)

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  Crossing of three bridges in Penig (2016)

Biesern, Muldentalbahn to Rochlitz (2018)

Bridge in Rochlitz

The Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig railway line ended at the Penig station that followed . Behind the Rochsburg train station , first a tunnel and then a bridge over the Zwickauer Mulde was passed. After passing the Lunzenau station , the train crossed under the Göhrener Viaduct , on which the Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz railway line crosses the Zwickau Mulde valley. Then the Muldentalbahn passed the Chemnitz shortly before its confluence with the Zwickauer Mulde. Immediately afterwards the Wechselburg – Küchwald railway swung in from Chemnitz. Both railway lines now ran parallel to the following Wechselburg station . After the next stop, Steudten , the line changed back to the left side of the Zwickauer Mulde, only to reach Rochlitz station shortly afterwards . The Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig and Rochlitz – Waldheim lines branched off here .

Behind the Rochlitz train station, the line changed back to the right side of the Zwickauer Mulde, but before the city of Colditz again to the left bank. The federal highway 107 ran parallel here . From Sermuth, the route now followed the combined Mulde. Shortly thereafter, the Großbothen station was reached, where the Borsdorf – Coswig line was crossed. The tracks of the Muldentalbahn are on the north side of the reception building. Großbothen station has been the end point of the longer southern part of the line since the interruption in 1945.

The route then led past the Nimbschen stop not far from the Nimbschen monastery . The "Rabenstein Bridge" that followed over the Mulde was the reason for the division of the route in 1945. After its destruction at the end of the Second World War, it was rebuilt, but the superstructure material that had been removed as a reparation payment could not be replaced. The station Grimma unt Bf on the right bank of the Mulden was thus the provisional end point of the northern part of the route after 1945, which was gradually discontinued and then converted into the Muldetalradweg. The railway line now followed the arched course of the hollow. After the Golzern station , the federal motorway 14 was crossed. The gauge changing station Neichen was the end point of the narrow-gauge railway Mügeln-Neichen . Behind the station, the line left the direct bank of the Mulde and ran relatively straight to the north towards Wurzen station , which was reached after a left curve. At signal box 2, the Muldentalbahn merged with the Leipzig – Dresden line .

Operating points

Glauchau (Sachs) ⊙

Reception building and forecourt of Glauchau station

→ Main article : Glauchau (Sachs) train station

Until 1875, Glauchau station remained a through station on the Chemnitz – Zwickau section of the Dresden – Werdau line , which was opened in 1858, but the trains on the Glauchau – Schönbörnchen – Gößnitz line, which was also opened in 1858, were always at least as far as Glauchau. With the opening of the Glauchau – Wurzen railway, Glauchau also received a locomotive station, which was the forerunner of the Glauchau depot, which was independent until the end of 1993. Since the track system was no longer sufficient, the station was extensively expanded at the beginning of the 20th century.

Even if some tracks were dismantled by 2013, Glauchau is still important in freight traffic as a container transshipment point. In long-distance passenger transport, the offer has been greatly reduced, only RE to Dresden, Hof and Erfurt now operate .

Remse ⊙

The Remse station was opened on May 10, 1875 on the right bank of the Zwickauer Mulde. 1973 was downgraded to the breakpoint. With the closure of the Glauchau – Wechselburg section on August 13, 2002, the Remse stop went out of service. In addition to the older stone-built station building, Remse also had a newer wooden bus shelter.

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  Remse station, reception building (2016)

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  Remse station, platform (2016)

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  Remse train station, waiting hall (2016)

Waldenburg (Sachs) ⊙

Waldenburg (Sachs) reception building (2013)

The station already had four different names during its operation, in detail these were:

• until April 30, 1906: Waldenburg station
• until June 30, 1911: Waldenburg i Sachsen station
• until December 21, 1933: Waldenburg train station (Sa)
• since December 22, 1933: Waldenburg (Sachs) station

Although the residents of the small town of Waldenburg wanted a station close to the city, the Waldenburg train station was about 1.5 km from the city on the other bank of the Mulden for cost reasons. Only later did the city slowly grow closer to the station. The station was equipped with eleven points and seven tracks, two of which had a platform. The federal highway 180 crossing the station was secured by a barred level crossing. In the goods traffic, fuels, building materials, agricultural goods and pottery dominated, while the passenger traffic consisted mainly of excursions to the sights such as the Green Fields Park and Waldenburg Castle . The former freight transport facilities are still used today by a land trade, but the reception building is empty.

Wolkenburg ⊙

Wolkenburg station (2016)

The Wolkenburg train station was opened on May 10, 1875. In the 19th century there were plans to extend the Wittgensdorf – Limbach railway line opened in 1872 via Oberfrohna to Wolkenburg. In 1913 the Limbach – Oberfrohna railway line was opened , but no further construction to Wolkenburg took place. As a result, there was never a connecting railway line between the Glauchau – Wurzen and Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz lines .

In 1986 the Wolkenburg train station was downgraded to a halt. With the closure of the Glauchau – Wechselburg section on August 13, 2002, the Wolkenburg stop went out of service. Wolkenburg Castle is located on the opposite bank of the Zwickauer Mulde .

Thierbach-Zinnberg ⊙

Thierbach – Zinnberg stop, waiting room (2016)

The Thierbach charging station was opened in 1881. With the establishment of the Thierbach-Zinnberg stop at the site, freight traffic was discontinued on May 8, 1909. The breakpoint had a wooden waiting room. The closure of the section Glauchau Wechselburg on 13 August 2002 the breakpoint Thierbach-Zinnberg went in today belonging to Penig district Thierbach out of service.

Penig ⊙

Penig station, reception building

→ Main article : Penig train station

As the terminus of the Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig railway line, which opened in 1872, Penig received extensive track systems that, after the integration of the Glauchau – Wurzen im Muldental (May 10, 1875: opening of the Glauchau – Penig section, May 29, 1876: the Penig– section) Rochlitz) were expanded again. Numerous industrial companies in the small town ensured a brisk volume of traffic. After the fall of 1989/90, the heavy rush hour traffic came to a standstill, and the numerous connections were barely served. Passenger traffic to Narsdorf on the Rochlitz – Penig railway line was discontinued in 1990. With the closure of the Glauchau – Wechselburg section of the Muldental Railway on August 13, 2002, Penig station went completely out of service.

America (Sachs) ⊙

Track motorcycle III in America

The America stop was opened on May 29, 1876. The stop was also significant for the America-based operations. In 1905 the station was upgraded to the station, but since 1924 it has been used as a stop again. It had the following names:

• until 1911: America
• until 1933: America (Sa)
• since 1933: America (Sachs)

With the closure of the Glauchau – Wechselburg section on August 13, 2002, the America stop went out of service.

Rochsburg ⊙

Rochsburg train station, reception building (2016)

The Rochsburg train station , which opened on May 29, 1876, was located on a rock face; the only way to build the station was by building a long retaining wall. The station therefore only had three tracks, one was used for freight traffic, while the other two were platform tracks. In addition to the goods shed, a comparatively large entrance building was also built. On November 7, 1968, freight traffic was stopped and the station was downgraded to a stop. With the closure of the Glauchau – Wechselburg section on August 13, 2002, the Rochsburg stop went out of service. Rochsburg Castle is within sight .

Lunzenau ⊙

Lunzenau station, reception building (2016)

The Lunzenau station was opened as a stop on May 29, 1876 and upgraded to a station in 1905. With the closure of the Glauchau – Wechselburg section on August 13, 2002, it was closed. The station building is in decline. The station's name tag is still there on the platform.

Wechselburg ⊙

→ Main article : Wechselburg train station

Initially, the Wechselburg station , which opened on May 29, 1876, consisted of only three tracks. It was only with the incorporation of the Wechselburg – Küchwald (Chemnitztalbahn) line that opened in 1902 that the station was significantly expanded. Before that, the slope east of the train station had to be removed for the track extensions. After the renovation, the station had seven tracks, but only a few trains began and ended in Wechselburg. Most of the trains in the direction of Chemnitz were tied through to Rochlitz. With the expansion of the station, a siding to a sand pit was built, which was served until the 1970s. On May 24, 1998, passenger traffic on the Chemnitz Valley Railway from Wechselburg to Chemnitz ended. After the suspension of rail traffic on the Wechselburg – Rochlitz section on June 9, 2001, Wechselburg was the terminus from the direction of Glauchau. When the Glauchau – Wechselburg section was closed on August 13, 2002, the Wechselburg station was completely closed. The station building and the tracks have been falling into disrepair since then.

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  Wechselburg station (2016)

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  Platforms in Wechselburg station (2016)

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  Platforms in Wechselburg station (2016)

Steudten ⊙

Steudten station (2016)

The station Steudten was opened on May 29, 1876th It is located directly on the west bank of the Zwickauer Mulde. The train station, which had other outbuildings in addition to the station building, was abandoned and downgraded to the stopping point after the sand loading was stopped in 1979. On June 9, 2001, with the closure of the Wechselburg – Rochlitz section, travel also ended.

Biesern ⊙

Former location of Biesern loading point (2018)

The opening date of the Biesern loading point in the eponymous district of the community of Seelitz is unknown. It was used exclusively for freight traffic and was in operation until 1977. The loading point was at 36.844 kilometers between the “Bieserner Straße” and “An der Lache” level crossings.

Rochlitz (Sachs) ⊙

Rochlitz railway station (2007)

→ Main article : Rochlitz (Sachs) train station

The station was opened on April 8, 1872 together with the Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig line . With the opening of the Muldentalbahn in the Rochlitz – Großbothen sections on December 9, 1875 and Penig – Rochlitz on May 29, 1876, Rochlitz became a railway junction, so locomotive treatment systems were built here from which the Rochlitz depot later developed. In addition to the trains on the line from Waldheim , which opened in 1893, trains on the Wechselburg – Küchwald (“Chemnitztalbahn”) line, opened in 1902, also ended in Rochlitz.

In the decades that followed, all railway lines were used briskly. In addition to sand mining in the Mulde Valley, the paper and textile industry also played a major role in freight traffic, and commuter traffic was of particular importance in passenger traffic. The station was expanded several times up to around 1900, after which it remained essentially unchanged until 1990. The transport volume only collapsed with the economic repercussions of 1989/90. The Rochlitz railway junction became less and less important with the following line closures:

• May 24, 1998: Chemnitz Valley Railway from Wechselburg to Chemnitz tied through to Rochlitz
• August 15, 1998: Waldheim – Rochlitz railway line
• December 9, 1999: Rochlitz – Colditz section of the Muldental Railway
• May 28, 2000: Rochlitz – Narsdorf section of the Rochlitz – Penig railway line
• June 9, 2001: Wechselburg – Rochlitz section of the Muldental Railway

The former Rochlitz station has been without rail operations since June 9, 2001.

Penna loading point ⊙

Former location of Penna loading point (2018)

Penna loading point was opened on December 9, 1875. As early as December 31, 1909, the stop intended for freight traffic was closed again. The small buildings in Penna belonging to the loading point are still there today.

Lastau ⊙

Lastau station

The Lastau stop was opened on December 9, 1875 with the Rochlitz – Großbothen section. The Lastau paper mill was the main reason to build a station 1.5 kilometers west of the village of Lastau. The relatively large station building contained an expedition, a telegraph office, two waiting rooms and apartments for the chief, the railway foreman and the porter. From the beginning there is still a farm building and a free abortion. Around 1877 the railway facilities included a main track, a passing track of 320 m usable length and a stub track to the goods shed. In 1905 the station was upgraded to a train station. With the closure of the Rochlitz – Colditz section on December 6, 1999 due to poor superstructures, Lastau station went out of service.

Colditz Porcelain Factory ⊙

The Colditz Porcelain Works stop was set up in 1965 on the site of the porcelain works that had existed since 1958. He owned a stone waiting building that was still there in 2015. With the closure of the Rochlitz – Colditz section on December 6, 1999 due to the poor state of the superstructure, the Colditz Porcelain Works stop went out of service. The disused porcelain factory was demolished in 2006.

Colditz ⊙

Colditz station, reception building (2016)

The Colditz station, which opened on December 9, 1875, was one of the larger intermediate stations on the line. In addition, numerous industrial companies emerged in the immediate vicinity, so that the station had to be expanded several times. A maximum of twelve sidings in the station or on the open track were served, at times the shunting tasks were so extensive that a small locomotive was stationed in Colditz. In addition to the sand pits, a paper factory and a porcelain factory were among the most important goods customers. The Rochlitz – Colditz section had to be shut down on December 6, 1999 due to the poor state of the superstructure. After the Colditz – Großbothen section was closed on May 27, 2000, Colditz station is out of service.

Sermuth ⊙

Sermuth stop

The Sermuth stop was opened on December 18, 1896 under the name Großsermuth stop . In 1961 the name was changed to Sermuth. The wooden waiting hall and the guard's house were demolished in 1978 and replaced by a waiting building made of concrete. The time when the platform was relocated from the north to the south side of the level crossing is unknown. With the closure of the Colditz – Großbothen section on May 28, 2000, the Sermuth stop went out of service. A few kilometers east of the former stopping point, the Zwickauer and Freiberger Mulde merge to form the Mulde .

Großbothen ⊙

The Großbothen station was opened in 1867 with the Grimma – Leisnig section of the Borsdorf – Coswig line of the Leipzig-Dresden Railway Company . Although the station is located on the Kleinbothen corridor , it was initially intended as a "train station for Colditz in Großbothen". The connection to Colditz was made by stagecoaches. With the opening of the Glauchau – Wurzen line (December 9, 1875: Rochlitz – Großbothen section, June 30, 1877: Großbothen – Wurzen section), Großbothen became a railway junction, and the station building on the island was also built at this time. The tracks of the Muldentalbahn are on the north side and those of the Borsdorf – Coswig line on the south side. At that time, plans were already being made on the Borna – Großbothen railway , which was only opened in 1937 after a long construction period. Since the “Querbahn” Borna – Großbothen went into operation, there were four mechanical signal boxes in the station , signal box 2 on the west head (towards Wurzen) and signal box 4 on the east head were responsible for the Muldentalbahn.

Already after the Second World War, Großbothen lost its importance with the interruption of the route towards Wurzen and the dismantling of the Borna – Großbothen route. Signal box 2 was closed around 1980, the west head on the Muldentalban side received electrical remote switches and light signals, they were connected to signal box 1. Shortly after 1990, the middle of the three platform tracks on the Muldentalbahn was dropped. Passenger traffic on the Colditz – Großbothen section was suspended on May 27, 2000. When the facilities were simplified in preparation for the construction of the electronic signal box, the connections between the Muldentalbahn and the Borsdorf – Coswig line on the Ostkopf were no longer necessary. An Alcatel electronic interlocking has been in operation since 2010; the operator station is located in Geithain station. Today, three platform tracks on the side of the Borsdorf – Coswig line are in operation again, and one of the tracks leased to DRE on the Muldentalbahn side can be reached by train journeys to and from Grimma ob Bf. Signal box 4 was not included in the eStw and was retained.

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  Großbothen station around 1910

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  Großbothen station in the present

Nimbschen ⊙

Former Nimbschen stop (2017)

The Nimbschen stop , which opened on June 20, 1882, was named after the Cistercian monastery of the same name , and the village of Höfgen, which was connected by a ferry, was on the other bank of the Mulde . After the cessation of traffic at the end of the Second World War in April 1945, traffic was no longer resumed due to the bridge being blown and the subsequent track dismantling. The wooden waiting hall has been preserved to this day and is used privately.

Grimma and Bf ⊙

Grimma unt Bf was opened on July 1, 1877 on the right bank of the Mulde. After the Grimma ob Bf station on the Borsdorf – Coswig railway line, which opened on June 1, 1866, on the left side of the Mulde, Grimma and Bf were now the city's second station.

As a result of the destruction of the Rabenstein Bridge on April 15, 1945, the Großbothen – Grimma section with the Nimbschen stop was interrupted. Until May 28, 1967, trains from the direction of Wurzen still ran to Grimma and Bf, after which the train service between Grimma and Nerchau was stopped. Freight traffic continued until January 1, 1970.

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  Grimma unt Bf, reception building street side, 1982

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  Restored station building of the former train station Grimma and Bf (June 2009)

Dorna-Döben ⊙

The Dorna-Döben stop was opened on May 1, 1910 as the Dorna stop . Already on June 18, 1910, the name was changed to Dorna - Döben . The breakpoint was between Dorna in the west and the Mulde in the east. With the cessation of passenger traffic on the Grimma unt Bf – Nerchau section, the Dorna-Döben stop went out of service on May 28, 1967. The Muldental cycle path was created on the route. There are no more witnesses of the former breakpoint.

Golzern ⊙

Golzern train station

The Golzern station was opened on 1 July 1877, the stretch Großbothen-Wurzen. Passenger traffic ended in the station with the setting on the Grimma unt Bf – Nerchau section on May 28, 1967. From September 24, 1967, passenger traffic was briefly resumed on the entire section between Golzern and Wurzen, but finally on May 31, 1969 set. After that, the section was used as a route shunting district and thus as the station track of the Wurzen station in freight traffic. On June 2, 1996, goods and all traffic on the Wurzen – Golzern section was suspended. The station building has since been demolished.

Nerchau ⊙

Nerchau train station, Ladestrasse

The Nerchau station was opened as a stop on October 15, 1879. It was not upgraded to a station until 1908. Goods were initially reloaded in the following Nerchau-Trebsen station (later: Neichen station ) in the neighboring village of Neichen.

After the cessation of passenger traffic on the Grimma unt Bf – Nerchau section on May 28, 1967, the station was the final stop from the direction of Wurzen. From September 24, 1967, the trains ran again from Golzern to Wurzen, but this section of the route was finally closed to tourist traffic on May 31, 1969. Freight traffic continued until it was discontinued on January 1, 1995.

Neichen ⊙

The Neichen station was opened under the name Nerchau on July 1, 1877 with the Großbothen – Wurzen section. In 1879 the station was renamed Nerchau-Trebsen because it also served the traffic to the town of Trebsen / Mulde on the other bank of the Mulden . The freight traffic for Nerchau was also initially handled via the train station in the neighboring town of Neichen , as the town only had one stop on the route. With the opening of the Mügeln – Neichen narrow-gauge railway in 1888 , the station also acquired a certain operational importance as a gauge changing station . In addition to a separate boiler house for narrow-gauge locomotives and a reloading hall , a trolley pit was also built.

After the city of Trebsen on the left bank of the Mulden received its own train station with the extension of the Beucha railway line in 1911, traffic in the Nerchau-Trebsen train station declined. On January 1, 1928, the name was changed to the train station in Neichen-Zöhda and 15 May 1936 in Neichen .

After traffic on the narrow-gauge section between Neichen and Wermsdorf ceased in 1968, hardly any goods were handled in the station. The Grimma unt Bf – Wurzen section, which was separated from the rest of the Muldentalbahn after 1945, was also gradually discontinued between 1967 and 1979 from the direction of Grimma to Nerchau station. Ultimately, passenger traffic on the entire section between Golzern and Wurzen that was still in operation was discontinued on May 31, 1969. Since then, the station has been out of service and has been defined as a junction. The tracks in the station were used as freight tracks until January 1, 1995.

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  Neichen station in April 1982 from the south: the narrow-gauge systems were on the right. The half-timbered building on the far right was the narrow-gauge locomotive shed with forge, lounge and water tank.

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  Nerchau-Trebsen station (later Station Neichen ), the investments of the narrow-gauge railway to Mügeln were behind the reception building, 1908

Nitzschka ⊙

The Nitzschka stop was opened on July 1, 1877 as the Oelschütz stop east of Oelschütz. In 1905 the spelling was changed to Ölschütz and in 1930 back to Oelschütz . After it was incorporated into Nitzschka in 1936 , the halt was given the name Nitzschka on May 22, 1937 .

With the cessation of passenger traffic on the Golzern – Wurzen section, the Nitzschka stop went out of service on May 31, 1969. The station keeper's house is used as a residential building.

Wurzen ⊙

Wurzen station

The Station Wurzen was on 31 July 1837 the section creators-Wurzen the Leipzig-Dresden railway the Leipzig-Dresden Railway Company opened. The simply equipped station was only a short term terminus, because in autumn of the same year the section towards Dahlen was inaugurated.

First the Glauchau – Wurzen railway ended in the so-called “Nordbahnhof” ⊙ , as a continuation in the direction of Wittenberg was planned. This station was given up again in 1879 and the Muldentalbahn was integrated into the existing "Südbahnhof". The Wurzen District Court is currently located in the building of the former North Station at Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 2a.

Since numerous industrial companies had settled in Wurzen in the second half of the 19th century, the existing train station on the Leipzig – Dresden railway line was no longer sufficient. Therefore the station was completely redesigned and generously expanded. The station building that still exists today was also built. With the Wurzen – Eilenburg railway line , the station received another rail link in 1927.

Today the Wurzen train station has lost much of its former importance, the sections towards Glauchau and Eilenburg were closed in 1996 and 1999, respectively, and in any case only goods traffic has taken place on the routes for several decades. In addition to the trains of the regional express line Saxonia, Wurzen is served by the S-Bahn Central Germany . Freight traffic is also still possible, in addition to some freight tracks in the station, the rest of the Muldentalbahn in the direction of Neichen to the Dehnitz water glass factory is in operation as a connecting line.

Civil engineering

Rochsburg tunnel ⊙

The 290 m long Rochsburg tunnel was built between 1873 and 1875 to bypass a narrow hollow. The tunnel at route kilometers 25.025 was prepared for a double-track expansion from the start.

literature

• Manfred Berger: The Muldenthal Railway. transpress Verlagsgesellschaft, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-344-70907-0 .
• Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. Bildverlag Thomas Böttger, Witzschdorf 2003, ISBN 3-9808250-4-3 .

Web links

Commons : Glauchau – Wurzen railway line  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• 75 574 1967 in Großbothen station
• Förderverein Muldentalbahn e. V.
• Schienentrabi of the Verein Sächsischer Eisenbahnfreunde e. V.
• German regional railway GmbH
• Image documentation of the Muldentalbahn cycle path, part 1 and 2
• Tradition on the Glauchau - Wurzen route in the holdings of the Reich Railway Directorate Halle in the Saxony-Anhalt State Archives, Dessau department

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Wolfgang Fiegenbaum, Wolfgang Klee: Farewell to the rails - disused railway lines 2000-2005. transpress, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-71295-4 , p. 106.
2. ↑ It'll roll again. In: Free Press. 4th July 2006.
3. ↑ bike path or Muldentalbahn. In: Free Press. February 6, 2007.
4. ↑ The company supports Muldentalbahn. In: Free Press. Glauchauer Zeitung, November 7, 2007.
5. ^ DRE press release of May 6, 2008. Accessed October 3, 2010 .  , (see also: LOK Report , online edition, Transport section, May 6, 2008)
6. ↑ Muldentalbahn should roll at Easter. In: Free Press. Glauchau edition, December 5, 2007.
7. ↑ DRE press release of April 18, 2008. (No longer available online.) In: sachsen-fernsehen.de. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010 ; Retrieved October 3, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , (see also: LOK Report, online edition, Transport section, April 18, 2008)  
8. ↑ Locomotive is rolling again on the old route. Test drive after a three-year break on the Muldentalbahn - Waldenburger is at the wheel. (No longer available online.) In: Glauchauer Zeitung. Freie Presse, October 7, 2010, formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 9, 2010 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
9. ↑ Route directory (PDF; 183 kB) ( Memento from January 11, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
10. ↑ Timetable Schienentrabi 2010 on the website of the Förderverein Muldentalbahn e. V., accessed on August 9, 2010.
11. ↑ Deutsche Bahn sells the line in the Muldental. In: Freiepresse.de. Accessed December 8, 2015 (German). 
12. ↑ Muldentalbahn - Alte Trasse is now a monument. In: Free Press. March 3, 2016, accessed March 4, 2016 . 
13. ↑ Facebook entry of IG Muldental Bahn Tourismus e. V. February 2, 2016, accessed March 4, 2016 . 
14. ↑ Surrender of railway infrastructure. Route number 6629 (section Glauchau (a) km 0.137 to Colditz (a) km 48.81). (PDF) Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH, August 2017, accessed on October 22, 2017 . 
15. ↑ Haig Latchinian: Colditz buys section of the old Muldentalbahn. In: Leipziger Volkszeitung . April 2, 2019, accessed July 12, 2019 . 
16. ↑ Muldentalbahn sold . In: railway magazine . No. 6 , 2020, p. 29 .
17. ↑ Remse train station on www.ostbahn.info ( Memento from March 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
18. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. P. 66.
19. ↑ Pictures of the Wolkenburg train station with trains on the website of the Muldentalbahn Förderverein
20. ^ Stop Thierbach-Zinnberg on the website www.ostbahn.info ( Memento from March 28, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
21. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. P. 63 f.
22. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. P. 62.
23. ↑ Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rails from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - the Chemnitz valley and its railway. Bildverlag Thomas Böttger, Witzschdorf, ISBN 3-9808250-2-7 , p. 70.
24. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. P. 59 f.
25. ↑ Steffen Kluttig, Ronny Preußler, Achim Poller: Along the rails from Chemnitz to Wechselburg - the Chemnitz valley and its railway. Bildverlag Thomas Böttger, Witzschdorf, ISBN 3-9808250-2-7 , p. 83.
26. ↑ Description of the route at www.sachsenschiene.net
27. ↑ The Penna loading point at www.drehscheibe-online.de
28. ^ Description of the Lastau train station
29. ↑ The Colditz Porzellanwerk stop on www.sachsenschiene.de
30. ↑ Colditz Porcelain Works - Colditz Porcelain. In: Colditzer Tageblatt. December 22, 2013, accessed November 8, 2018 . 
31. ↑ Photos from the Colditz Porzellanwerk stop on www.drehscheibe-online.de
32. ^ Rainer Heinrich: Kleinlokomotiven in der Rbd Dresden - in use and at home from 1930 to 1995. EK-Verlag, Freiburg, ISBN 3-88255-437-1 , p. 117 ff.
33. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. P. 57.
34. ↑ The Sermuth stop on www.drehscheibe-online.de
35. ^ Manfred Berger: Historic train station buildings I - Saxony, Prussia, Mecklenburg and Thuringia. 2nd revised edition, transpress Verlag, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-344-00066-7 , p. 99 ff.
36. ↑ Tracks in service facilities. (PDF; 171 kB) (No longer available online.) In: www.deutschebahn.de. April 1, 2010, formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 7, 2013 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
37. ↑ The reception building of the Nimbschen stop on www.sachsenschiene.de
38. ↑ Grimma unt Bf on www.sachsenschiene.de
39. ↑ The Dorna-Döben stop at www.drehscheibe-online.de
40. ↑ Photos from Golzern train station
41. ↑ Golzern train station after the reception building has been torn down on www.drehscheibe-online.de
42. ^ The Nerchau train station on www.sachsenschiene.net
43. ^ Ludger Kenning: Narrow gauge railways around Mügeln and Wilsdruff. Branch line documentation Volume 69. Verlag Kenning, Nordhorn 2000, ISBN 3-933613-29-9 , p. 63 f.
44. ^ The Nitzschka stop with pictures on a website about the place
45. ↑ The Nitzschka stop on www.sachsenschiene.net
46. ^ The former North Station Wurzen in a homepage about Nitzschka
47. ↑ Article about the Wurzen district court with photo in the Leipziger Volkszeitung
48. ^ Manfred Berger: Historic train station buildings I - Saxony, Prussia, Mecklenburg and Thuringia. 2nd revised edition. transpress Verlag, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-344-00066-7 , p. 38 f.
49. ↑ www.deutschebahn.de Tracks in service facilities - as of October 1st, 2012 (PDF; 177 kB)
50. ↑ https://eisenbahn-tunnelportale.de/lb/inhalt/tunnelportale/6629-rochsburg.html Pictures of the tunnel portals