Rochlitz – Penig railway line

Rochlitz (Sachs) –Penig
Route number :	6632/6432; sä. RP
Course book section (DB) :	529 (2008)
Route length:	20.999 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Maximum slope :	20  ‰
Minimum radius :	300 m
Legend from Waldheim from Wurzen 0.00 Rochlitz (Sachs) 162 m to Glauchau (Sachs) 3.43 Köttwitzsch (formerly Bf) 195 m 4.06 EÜ main street (18 m) 7.22 Breitenborn (formerly Bf) 265 m from Neukieritzsch 9.55 Narsdorf ( Inselbahnhof ) 269 ​​m Abzw Narsdorf curved triangle 270 m to Chemnitz Hbf 11.83 Obergräfenhain 267 m 12.3 Viaduct Obergräfenhain (82 m) 14.13 Langenleuba-Oberhain (formerly Bf) 271 m to Altenburg 19.72 Dittmannsdorf Bridge (64 m) 20.51 Penig Bridge (57 m) from Wurzen 21.00 Penig 219 m to Glauchau (Sachs)

The Rochlitz – Penig line was a branch line in Saxony , which was once designed as a short connecting line between the Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz and Glauchau – Wurzen lines . It ran from Rochlitz via Narsdorf to Penig .

history

The line was opened on April 8, 1872 together with the Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz line. It was supposed to establish the connection from the high-altitude route to the towns and the industry in the Mulden Valley, which was previously without a railroad. The Muldentalbahn was only put into operation four years later, on May 29, 1876.

From August 19, 1947, there was only train traffic on the section between Narsdorf and Penig, the section between Rochlitz and Narsdorf had to be dismantled due to reparation claims from the Soviet Union . The line was rebuilt by 1965 and initially used exclusively for freight trains and empty locomotive runs before passenger traffic was resumed in the summer of 1969. Initially, only two pairs of trains ran on weekends that ran through to Altenburg and Waldheim. The 1980/81 winter timetable again recorded four pairs of trains between Rochlitz and Narsdorf, initially without stopping, until the Köttwitzsch stop was reopened in 1990.

After the political change in eastern Germany in 1989, the line quickly lost its importance in passenger and freight traffic. Travel between Narsdorf and Penig was stopped on May 26, 1990 due to a lack of staff and the resulting conversion of the Langenleuba-Oberhain train station into an unoccupied stop. The rest of the route was in the 1990s, nor by the regional trains operated Chemnitz-Narsdorf-Rochlitz every two hours. It was not until May 28, 2000 that this transport service was canceled by the now responsible Verkehrsverbund Mittelachsen in favor of newly established bus routes. At the same time, freight traffic between Langenleuba-Oberhain and Penig was also stopped.

On August 15, 1998 (Abzw Narsdorf Bogendreieck – Langenleuba-Oberhain, at the same time cessation of freight traffic) and January 1, 2002 (Rochlitz – Narsdorf) the line was closed. From Narsdorf to the Biesern sand works, the route was dismantled and partially built over by the new route of the federal motorway 72 (section Penig - Rathendorf ).

Viaduct Obergräfenhain

In 2005, the Deutsche Regionalisenbahn (DRE) leased the line in the disused state. The initial aim was to resume traffic between Rochlitz and Narsdorf. On April 10, 2008, the Free State of Saxony approved the operation of a public railway infrastructure for 20 years.

Since the goal of reactivating the route was not achieved in the following years and due to the upcoming investment costs of one million euros and a lack of income, the DRE, as the route leaser, put the route out to tender for third parties in August 2017. If no new operator reports by December 20, 2017, the route can be closed.

The route is owned by IG Muldental BahnTourismus eV, which clears the route from Rochlitz. It offers trolley trips between Rochlitz and Narsdorf under the name "Frelsbachtalbahn".

outlook

According to media reports from spring 2018, the city of Rochlitz would like to commission a feasibility study on how the line could be put back into operation and a connection to Leipzig created. This is what the Rochlitz mayor Frank Dehne (independent) and the Central Saxon state parliament member Wolfram Günther ( Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen ) are calling for . The railway line is intended to strengthen tourism and the region as a residential location.

At the association meeting on June 26, 2020, the Verkehrsverbund Mittelachsen decided to support the restart and to order transport services.

Route description

course

Rochlitz – Penig railway line near Breitenborn (2016)

The line began at Rochlitz (Sachs) station in the Zwickauer Mulde valley . She left the station to the west. After a few meters, the railway separated from the Glauchau – Wurzen railway and followed the Frelsbach to the plateau west of the Zwickauer Mulde. The Köttwitzsch and Breitenborn stops were passed. From the latter, the railway line ran parallel to federal highway 175 . In the station Narsdorf was Neukieritzsch-Chemnitz railway crossed. Now the railway line continued to run parallel to federal highway 175 on the plateau. The Obergräfenhain stop and the Obergräfenhain viaduct were passed. Shortly before the Langenleuba-Oberhain train station , the federal highway 72 crosses today , which was only inaugurated after the line was closed. In the station Langenleuba-Oberhain the branched railway Altenburg Langenleuba-Oberhain from. Then the railway left the plateau and led in several arcs back into the valley of the Zwickauer Mulde, where it met the Glauchau – Wurzen railway again at Penig station .

Operating points

Rochlitz (Sachs) ⊙

Rochlitz railway station (2007)

→ Main article : Rochlitz (Sachs) train station

The Rochlitz station was opened on April 8, 1872 together with the Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig railway line. With the opening of the Muldentalbahn ( railway line Glauchau-Wurzen ) in the sections Rochlitz-Großbothen 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 traffic since June 9, 2001.

Köttwitzsch ⊙

Köttwitzsch stop

The Köttwitzsch stop was opened on April 8, 1872 with the Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig railway line. In 1905 it was upgraded to a station and in 1933 it was dedicated to a stop. With the dismantling of the Rochlitz – Narsdorf section in 1947, the Köttwitzsch stop, which was located in the south of the town, was also closed. After the Rochlitz – Narsdorf section was reactivated in 1965 and passenger traffic was resumed in 1969, the trains ran without stopping in Köttwitzsch. The stop was only reopened in 1990. With the second closure of the Rochlitz – Narsdorf section, the Köttwitzsch stop went out of service on May 28, 2000.

Breitenborn ⊙

The Breitenborn stop was opened on April 8, 1872 with the Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig railway line. In 1905 it was upgraded to a station and in 1933 it was dedicated to a stop. With the dismantling of the Rochlitz – Narsdorf section in 1947, the Breitenborn stop, which was located in the south-east of the town, was also closed. After the route section was reopened in 1965, the stop was no longer resumed. A residential building is still preserved at the site.

• 

  Breitenborn stop, platform (2016)

• 

  Breitenborn stop, residential building (2016)

Narsdorf ⊙

Narsdorf train station

→ Main article : Narsdorf train station

Initially a station was to be built on the Obergräfenhainer Flur, but the population prevented this. In Narsdorf, too, there was a rather negative attitude towards railway construction. The Narsdorf station , which opened on April 8, 1872, was therefore on the corridor border between Narsdorf and Dölitzsch . Since the Rochlitz – Penig railway branched off from the Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz railway here, Narsdorf was of greater operational importance from the start. The trains on the Altenburg – Langenleuba-Oberhain railway line, which opened in 1901, were also continued to Narsdorf.

After the economic changes caused by the fall of 1989/90, the importance of the station decreased enormously. On the branch lines going out of Narsdorf the cessation of traffic took place at the following times:

• May 26, 1990: Narsdorf – Penig section
• June 2, 1998: the Ehrenhain – Langenleuba-Oberhain section of the Altenburg – Langenleuba-Oberhain railway line that was tied through to Narsdorf
• January 1, 2002: Rochlitz – Penig section

After the complete dismantling of almost all tracks, Narsdorf is now just a simple stop on the Neukieritzsch-Chemnitz railway line. The station building, the former boiler house and other buildings for freight traffic are empty today and are increasingly falling into disrepair.

Obergräfenhain ⊙

The Obergräfenhain stop was only opened on November 1, 1913, as the residents of the village had initially spoken out against a train station. After the suspension of travel on the Narsdorf – Penig section on May 26, 1990, the trains on the Altenburg – Langenleuba – Oberhain line that had been extended to Narsdorf stopped until May 27, 1995. Since then, the stop, which was north of the place at the level crossing of the federal highway 175 , is out of order. After the original wooden waiting room in 1997 and the toilet in 1999 were moved to the grounds of the railway adventure restaurant “Zum Prellbock” in Lunzenau , there are no more buildings at the original location. The former platform can hardly be made out due to the enormous vegetation with trees and bushes.

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  Location of the Obergräfenhain stop (2016)

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  Reception building Obergräfenhain at the current location in Lunzenau (2016)

• 

  Reception building Obergräfenhain at the current location in Lunzenau (2016)

Langenleuba-Oberhain ⊙

Station building in Langenleuba-Oberhain

The Langenleuba stop was opened on April 8, 1872 with the Rochlitz – Narsdorf – Penig line. In 1901 it was renamed Langenleuba-Oberhain and in 1905 it was upgraded to a station. Since 1901 the station was the end of the Altenburg – Langenleuba – Oberhain railway line . With the cessation of travel on the Narsdorf – Penig section, the Langenleuba-Oberhain station was turned into an unoccupied stop on May 26, 1990. After the tourist traffic on the railway line to Altenburg was stopped on May 27, 1995, the station is out of service. It is located east of the elongated place. The federal highway 175 and the newly built federal highway 72 are in the immediate vicinity .

Penig ⊙

→ Main article : Penig train station

As the terminus of the 1872 opened railway Rochlitz-Narsdorf-Penig received the station Penig extensive railway tracks, which after the integration of the railway line Glauchau Wurzen in Muldental (May 10, 1875: Opening of the section Glauchau Penig, May 29, 1876 opening of the section Penig – 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.

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  Penig station, reception building

• 

  Unused railway facilities in Penig station (2011)

See also

• List of disused railway lines in Saxony

Web links

Commons : Rochlitz – Penig railway line  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• The Rochlitz – Penig railway line on www.sachsenschiene.net
• IG Muldental BahnTourismus eV

Individual evidence

1. ↑ das signal, Information Service for Model Railways and Technical Toys, Issue 32 (1969), p. 34
2. ^ Winter timetable 1980/81 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn; valid from September 28, 1980 to May 30, 1981
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Thomas Berger and Jochen Dietrich: 125 years of the railway. Borna - Narsdorf - Wittgensdorf - Chemnitz. Rochlitz - Narsdorf - Penig. Limbach - Wittgensdorf . Association of Saxon Railway Friends, 1997.
4. ↑ List of federally closed lines in the state of Saxony that have been closed since 1994. (xlsx; 16 kB) In: eba.bund.de. Federal Railway Office, September 11, 2017, accessed on June 12, 2018 . 
5. ↑ Historical outline of the Rochlitz - Narsdorf - Penig line. Retrieved January 1, 2016 . 
6. ↑ Railway infrastructure DRE group (general overview). (PDF; 221 KB) Retrieved January 12, 2015 (as of December 11, 2014). 
7. ↑ Surrender of railway infrastructure. Route number 6632 Rochlitz km 0.942 - Narsdorf km 9.840 (including tracks 21 and 22 at Narsdorf station). (PDF) Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn GmbH, August 2017, accessed on October 22, 2017 . 
8. ^ Ekkehard Schulreich: Railway association sets the course for Muldentalexpress between Narsdorf and Rochlitz. In: Leipziger Volkszeitung. April 10, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017 . 
9. ^ Website of the Frelsbachtalbahn
10. ^ Franziska Pester and Franziska Muth: From Rochlitz to Leipzig without changing trains. In: Free Press. May 26, 2018, accessed June 12, 2018 . 
11. ↑ "Saxony: PRO BAHN welcomes the decision of principle of the central Saxony transport association to reactivate" in bahnreport.de
12. ↑ The Köttwitzsch stop on www.sachsenschiene.net
13. ^ The Breitenborn stop on www.sachsenschiene.net
14. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Rail connections between Chemnitz and Leipzig - The Kieritzsch – Chemnitz and Leipzig – Geithain railway lines , p. 105 ff.
15. ^ History of the transfer of the waiting building to Lunzenau
16. ↑ Website about the railway adventure restaurant in Lunzenau
17. ↑ The Obergräfenhain stop on www.sachsenschiene.net
18. ^ The Langenleuba-Oberhain train station on www.sachsenschiene.net
19. ^ Steffen Kluttig: Railway history in the Muldenland - the Rochlitz railway junction and its sand railways. P. 63 f.