Plzeň – Furth railway line in the forest

Plzeň hlavní nádraží – Furth in the forest
Domažlice railway station
Route number :	5801 (state border - Furth im Wald)
Course book series (SŽDC) :	180
Route length:	81.164 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Route class :	D3 (Plzeň hl. N. – state border) D4 (state border – Furth im Wald)
Top speed:	100 km / h
Train control :	LS (Stod – Plseň)
Dual track :	Plzeň hl.n. – Nová Hospoda
Legend from Praha-Smíchov (formerly BWB ) from (Duchcov–) Obrnice (formerly EPPK ) from (Vienna–) České Budějovice (formerly KFJB ) 109.665 Plzeň hlavní nádraží formerly Pilsen 325 m to Železná Ruda (formerly EPPK ) 111.210 Plzeň-Jižní předměstí formerly Pilsen imperial suburb 330 m to Cheb (formerly KFJB ) 112.781 Plzeň-Skvrňany 335 m Nová Hospoda 117.396 Vejprnice formerly Weipernitz 335 m 120.584 Tlučná 335 m former protectorate border (1938–1945) from Plzeň-Valcha (formerly Sulkover Montanbahn) 123.134 Nýřany formerly Nürschan 340 m to Heřmanova Huť (formerly Wilkischner Montanbahn) 127.780 Zbůch early Zwug 350 m 130,200 vyh. Chotěšov u Stoda 130.900 Chotěšov u Stoda formerly Chotieschau-Mantau 360 m 134.980 Stod used to be Staab 360 m 137.495 Hradec u Stoda formerly Hradzen 355 m 142.540 Holýšov formerly Holleischen 365 m former protectorate border (1938–1945) 144.564 Dolní Kamenice 365 m 148.819 Staňkov formerly Stankau 375 m 151.265 Staňkov-Vranov to Poběžovice (formerly LB Stankau – Bischofteinitz – Ronsperg ) 152.925 Osvračín formerly Vostratschin 375 m former protectorate border (1938–1945) 156.958 Blížejov formerly Blisowa 380 m former protectorate border (1938–1945) 161.310 Milavče formerly Milavech 395 m ~ 162.200 vyh. Radonice from Janovice nad Úhlavou 168.066 Domažlice formerly Taus 425 m 169.446 Domažlice město formerly a town 435 m former Pastritz Canal aqueduct 173.903 Domažlice vyh. 401 formerly Odb. Pasečnice to Planá u Mariánských Lázní (formerly LB Taus – Tachau ) former protectorate border (1938–1945) 176.171 Babylon 490 m 179.148 Česká Kubice formerly Böhm. Kubitzen-Vollmau 520 m 180.000 Česká Kubice koupalište 184.102 State border between the Czech Republic and Germany 465 m 186.075 Klöpfelsberg Tunnel (100 m) 188.000 Rst 190.829 Furth in the forest 403 m to Schwandorf

The Plzeň – Furth im Wald railway is a single-track main line in the Czech Republic and Germany , which was originally built and operated by the kk priv. Bohemian West Railway (BWB). It runs from Plzeň ( Pilsen ) via Nýřany ( Nürschan ), Staňkov ( Stankau ) and Domažlice ( Taus ) to Furth im Wald .

story

As early as June 21, 1851, Austria and Bavaria had agreed in a state treaty to build the first cross-border railway connections. However, the direct connection between Vienna and Munich was initially given priority. Only in a further state treaty dated April 21, 1856 did the two countries also agree on a rail link from Prague via Pilsen to connect to the Bavarian Regensburg – Nuremberg route . On September 20, 1858 the Bavarian government determined Furth im Wald as the junction point.

Construction of the line began on May 7, 1860. On October 15, 1861, it was opened by the Bohemian Western Railway.

simplified elevation profile of the route

After the Sudetenland was annexed to Germany in autumn 1938, the line between Nürschan and Holleischen, near Bilsowa and between Babilon and Furth in the forest came to the Deutsche Reichsbahn , Reichsbahndirektion Regensburg . In the Reich curriculum, the connection was now included as KBS 423 Nuremberg – Furth im Wald – Pilsen (–Prague) . After the end of the Second World War , the route, with the exception of the section located on Bavarian territory, came back entirely to the ČSD.

The route was used for many years by long-distance trains Munich – Praha, one pair of trains ran from Zurich as Eurocity. In 2002, however, the DB stopped long-distance traffic on the German section and only regional trains ran between Praha and Furth im Wald, where they then had to change to regional trains within Germany.

In the back the Chotěšov u Stoda depot, in the front the Chotěšov u Stoda stop, formerly Chotieschau-Mantau, 2011

The line is to be comprehensively modernized and electrified by 2025.

On December 5, 2019, with the opening of the new Plzeň-Skvrňany stop, the reconstruction of the route in the Pilsen city area was completed after two years. The new tracked double-track line has widened track curves and significantly accelerates train traffic in the direction of Bavaria.

Railway accident on August 4, 2021

On August 4, 2021, shortly after 8 a.m. near Milavče north of the Radonice depot between Blížejov and Domažlice, there was a head-on collision between two trains. The locomotive-hauled express train Ex 351 ("Západní expres") from Munich to Prague, which operates under the name alex in Germany and runs on the Czech side under the responsibility of České dráhy , hit the regional passenger train Os 7406, a ČD railcar, near the town - Series 844 ("RegioShark"), together. Three people died, including the two Czech drivers . Several dozen passengers were injured, at least five of them seriously. According to initial findings, the express train is said to have ignored a slow speed signal and then passed a signal indicating that it was stopping.

outlook

In the short term, it is planned to upgrade the route through minor measures. In 2009, the Česká Kubice station was converted to light signal technology, and both signal boxes were demolished. Access to the trains is now possible via two wheelchair-accessible platforms. There are also demands that it should become part of a high-speed line between Munich and Prague called the Danube-Vltava Railway .

The German border station Furth im Wald was also rebuilt to be barrier-free in 2020 . Since then, the station has had a second platform that can be reached via an overpass.

Vehicle use

Since 2014, in regional traffic between Plzeň and Domažlice, in addition to the old wagons, which are driven by locomotives, more and more low-floor regional railcars of the ČD series 844 (“RegioShark”) have been used. The earlier express trains, which were called Eurocity trains (EC) and express trains (Ex) between Praha hl. n. and Munich Hbf, which were at times run from Zurich HB , have been running as express trains (Ex) with Siemens ER20 diesel locomotives of the Länderbahn since December 2017 . The Upper Palatinate Railway operates between Schwandorf and Furth im Wald or Domažlice Regioshuttle (type RS1).

literature

• Jaroslav Kocourek, Jiří Maurenz, Miroslav Petr, Václav Simbartl: Praha-Smíchov - Plzeň - Furth im Wald, 150 let žel. trati v hist. fotografiích a documentech . Starý most, 2012. ISBN 978-80-87338-19-3

Web links

Commons : Railway line 180 (Czech Republic)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Plzeň – Domažlice – Furth im Wald on zelpage.cz
• Description (Czech)
• Timetable 2018

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Zdeněk Hudec et al .: Atlas drah české republiky 2006–2007 , 2nd edition; Publishing house Pavel Malkus, Praha, 2006, ISBN 80-87047-00-1
2. ↑ Route data in Stredax
3. ↑ Prohlášení o dráze 2016 ( Memento of the original from July 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) 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. 
4. ↑ Vlakový zabezpečovač (ATP). Správa železnic , November 19, 2020, accessed on August 5, 2021 . 
5. ↑ Article  in:  State Treaty between Austria and Baiern of June 21, 1851 regarding the connection of the railways to be built on the two sides , year 1852, p. 189 (online at ANNO ).
6. ↑ Article  in:  State Treaty between Austria and Baiern of April 21, 1856 on the connection of the railways on both sides , year 1856, p. 415 (online at ANNO ).
7. ^ German course book, annual timetable 1944/45 - valid from July 3, 1944 until further notice
8. ↑ [1]
9. ↑ "Na domažlické trati v Plzni se začne jezdit po dvou kolejích" on zdopravy.cz
10. ↑ https://www.laenderbahn.com/alex/schweres-zugungl%C3%BCck-eines-alex-zuges-in-tschechien
11. ↑ U Domažlic se srazil Západní expres s osobním vlakem, 3 mrtví a desítky zraněných, škoda přes 100 milionů. In: Zdopravy.cz. August 4, 2021, accessed August 4, 2021 . 
12. ↑ https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/zugunglueck-tschechien-105.html
13. ↑ Furth im Wald station is barrier-free on deutschebahn.com on December 18, 2020, accessed on January 9, 2021
14. ^ Report on the planned renovation