Zittau – Löbau railway line

Zittau – Löbau (Sachs)
Section of the route map of Saxony from 1902
Route number :	6214; sä. ZL
Course book section (DB) :	231, 235
Route length:	33.95 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Maximum slope :	11  ‰
Minimum radius :	400 m
Top speed:	100 km / h
Dual track :	Zittau – Oberoderwitz Abzw
Legend from Liberec Narrow-gauge railway from Oybin / Jonsdorf and Hermsdorf from Hagenwerder 26.745 Zittau 263 m 27.512 EÜ Tongasse (13 m) 27.823 EÜ Heinrich-Mann-Strasse (12 m) 28.790 Zittau-Pethau 260 m 28,907 EÜ Neusalzaer Strasse (14 m) 30.559 EÜ Schülertal (84 m) 31.166 Viaduct Mandau Valley (107 m) 32.695 Hp Abzw Mittelherwigsdorf (former train station) 278 m to Eibau (via Varnsdorf / Seifhennersdorf) 32.867 Viaduct Mittelherwigsdorf (124 m) 36,550 Niederoderwitz until 1910 Mitteloderwitz 307 m 37.477 Oberoderwitz Abzw to Wilthen 38,372 Oberoderwitz (former Inselbahnhof ) 311 m 38.610 EÜ main street (26 m) 38.737 Viaduct Oberoderwitz (103 m) 42.010 Ruppersdorf 325 m 42.218 Ruppersdorf Viaduct (80 m) 44.500 Herrnhut Viaduct (100 m) 45.457 Herrnhut 345 m Narrow-gauge railway to Bernstadt 50.370 Obercunnersdorf 340 m 50.700 Viaduct Obercunnersdorf (122 m) 52.630 At the Grünsteinwerk Fa. Lehder 53,603 Niedercunnersdorf 320 m from Ebersbach (Sachs) 54.810 Abzw Höllengrund 55.000 Höllengrund Viaduct (115 m) 56.154 Großschweidnitz 310 m 59.465 EÜ Altlöbauer Strasse (16 m) from Großpostwitz from Dresden-Neustadt 60,701 Löbau (Sachs) 264 m to Görlitz Formerly parallel route to the EL line

The Zittau – Löbau railway is a railway connection in Saxony that was originally built and operated by the Löbau-Zittau railway company . The route, which is only partially in operation today, begins in Zittau and runs via Oderwitz and Herrnhut to Löbau . It is classified as a main line between Zittau and Oberoderwitz, and as a branch line between Oberoderwitz and Löbau .

history

→ Main article : Löbau-Zittau Railway Company

The Löbau-Zittauer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft received on June 25, 1845 the concession to build the line from Löbau to Zittau. The line was opened on June 10, 1848. The operation was carried out by the Löbau-Zittau Railway itself. The ZITTAU steam locomotive pulled the inauguration train from Zittau to Löbau . The return journey was carried out by its sister locomotive LÖBAU .

On January 1, 1871, the railway became the property of the Kgl. Saxon State Railways over.

At the end of the Second World War , the German Wehrmacht blew up several of the large viaducts.

After the Second World War, trains initially only ran from Zittau to the destroyed viaduct in Herrnhut. It was not until August 4, 1945 that the line could be used continuously again. In the next few years the traffic on the Zittau – Löbau route increased enormously, as a large part of the transports between Zittau and Görlitz was now also routed via Herrnhut – Löbau. The reason for this was that the direct route Zittau – Hagenwerder (–Görlitz) was now largely on Polish territory and high fees had to be paid for the passage.

In the 1993/94 annual timetable, the Deutsche Reichsbahn introduced a cycle timetable on the routes in Upper Lusatia . The trains on the Zittau – Herrnhut – Löbau route now alternate with the trains on the Zittau – Eibau – Ebersbach – Löbau route every two hours, so that there was an approximate hourly service between Großschweidnitz and Löbau. The travel time between Zittau and Löbau via Herrnhut was around 43 minutes. Between Zittau and Oberoderwitz there was also an alternating two-hour service for express and passenger trains on the Zittau – Bischofswerda (–Dresden) route.

On May 24, 1998, the local rail passenger traffic between Zittau and Löbau via Herrnhut was discontinued. The Oberoderwitz – Herrnhut section thus practically lost all of its traffic, as local freight trains only ran from Löbau to Herrnhut. On May 31, 1999, the Oberoderwitz – Herrnhut section was closed. Until the end of 2001, Obercunnersdorf (scrap trade) and Herrnhut (coal trade, timber loading) were still served by goods traffic from Löbau, after that only Niedercunnersdorf (gas loading, agricultural trade) was served. At the end of February 2002 the closure of the Herrnhut – Niedercunnersdorf section was applied for, but the final closure did not take place until February 28, 2003. When the timetable changed in December 2002, passenger traffic between Ebersbach and Löbau was finally discontinued. This means that there is no longer any regular passenger traffic on the northern section of the Löbau-Zittau Railway. Instead of the train there is a bus connection.

The German Regional Railway (DRE) has leased the Niedercunnersdorf – Löbau section since 2007 . The Oberoderwitz – Niedercunnersdorf line has now been returned to the owner DB Netz .

In 2010, the route from km 30.200 to km 37.774 was connected to the electronic signal box (ESTW) sub-center Zittau based in Bischofswerda and the Mittelherwigsdorf train station was converted into a branch. The outsourced computer (ESTW-A) is located in Niederoderwitz.

In 2011 timetable was in rail transport between Zittau and Oberoderwitz a two hourly clock traffic, with the regional express - and regional rail trains run alternately in each case. This means that there are almost hourly trips between Zittau and Oberoderwitz. Between Zittau and Mittelherwigsdorf, the offer is reinforced by further trains of the Vogtlandbahn (today “Die Länderbahn”) with the brand name “ Trilex ” on the Liberec – Varnsdorf – Seifhennersdorf / Rybniště route. These trains run every hour.

With the timetable change in December 2014, the Länderbahn replaced the previous operator DB Regio Südost on the Dresden - Bischofswerda - Zittau (- Liberec) route.

In 2018, a petition by the citizens' initiative “proHerrnhuter Bahn” turned against a possible de-dedication of the disused section Oberoderwitz – Niedercunnersdorf. In addition to the regional benefit of a connection between Liberec, Zittau and Bautzen without having to change trains, the citizens' initiative also sees the possibility of a fast direct connection between Zittau and Dresden.

From November 4 to December 3, 2019, the planning documents for the plan approval procedure “Section dismantling from Oberoderwitz to Niedercunnersdorf (rail kilometers 38.225 to 53.100 of the line 6214 Zittau / Grenz - Löbau)” were available in the affected communities. The planning included, in particular, the dismantling of the tracks and a replacement construction of the EÜ via the federal highway 96 in Oberoderwitz at railway km 38.610. The project sponsor is Deutsche Bahn.

Route description

course

The line leaves Zittau station in a westerly direction. Initially, the route follows the wide valley basins of the Mandau and Landwasser up the valley. At Oderwitz the route swings to the north and then leads back to the west at Herrnhut. This section is also the highest point of the route near Herrnhut. After merging with the Ebersbach – Löbau line near Großschweidnitz, the line then heads north again.

Operating points

Zittau

Zittau railway station (2007)

→ Main article : Zittau train station

The Zittau station was originally intended to be the end of the Löbau-Zittau railway at the Webertor. Objections from citizens of Zittau, who feared noise and smoke nuisance, led to the construction of the train station about 600 meters north of the then city limits. From 1859 the Reichenberg – Zittau line of the Zittau-Reichenberger Railway Company also joined the station from the east . Further expansions took place on the occasion of the construction of the Zittau – Nikrisch (1875) and Zittau – Markersdorf (1884) lines. The Zittau train station received its current appearance after a major renovation between 1907 and 1911. The station building and some of the platforms were renovated in 2001 on the occasion of the Saxon Day in Zittau .

Zittau-Pethau

The later Zittau-Pethau loading point was built as the forecourt of the Zittau station during the major renovations from 1907 to 1911. In addition to the loading point, there was also a locomotive deployment point that was under the Zittau depot. After 1985, the construction of a large loading facility in Zittau-Pethau for the raw lignite extracted from the Olbersdorf open-cast mine , which was to be delivered by rail to the Hirschfelde and Hagenwerder power stations , was started. As a result of the political change in East Germany in 1989/90, the project was stopped. At this point in time, the tracks had already been laid and a signal box had been set up.

Mittelherwigsdorf (Sachs)

Mittelherwigsdorf stop

At the Mittelherwigsdorf stop, the branching route begins via the Bohemian Varnsdorf and the Saxon Seifhennersdorf to Eibau, on which scheduled passenger traffic takes place exclusively to Seifhennersdorf. The operating site was set up on January 1, 1868 as a stopping point for a disc . Scheibe did not become a train station until June 27, 1882, when switches were installed in the lines that had previously run parallel to Scheibe. The station was given the new name Mittelherwigsdorf on May 15, 1927, when the small town was incorporated there.

The high-rise buildings consisted of the station building with ancillary building on the platforms in the direction of Großschönau, the striking signal box building directly in the corner of the route, a free abortion and some storage sheds. There were two platform tracks on both routes, plus a loading track with goods shed on the Großschönau side.

With the construction of an electronic signal box in 2010, the station was downgraded to a stop with a branch point.

Oberoderwitz

Oberoderwitz station (2007)

→ Main article : Oberoderwitz train station

Oberoderwitz station has existed since the railway opened. Originally Oberoderwitz was only an insignificant stop, it was only with the opening of the Oberoderwitz – Wilthen railway in 1879 that Oberoderwitz advanced to become a major separation station in Upper Lusatia. The existing but unused reception building in an island location dates from 1863. The representative head buildings are an extension from 1879. After the track was removed in 1999, Oberoderwitz was downgraded to a stop with a branch. The junction at the "B1" signal box only serves as a transfer point from the two-track to the single-track route in the direction of Zittau – Wilthen. There are no longer any tracks on the “Löbauer” side of the station.

Ruppersdorf

The Ruppersdorf stop was established on October 15, 1879. The high-rise buildings consisted of a simple service building with a waiting room, a free pass and an old car body. Until the mid-1960s there was a siding that was last used by the rural trading cooperative (BHG).

Herrnhut

Herrnhut station (2007)

→ Main article : Herrnhut train station

Herrnhut station has existed since the line opened. From 1893, Herrnhut was the starting point for the narrow-gauge railway to Bernstadt, which fell victim to reparations for the Soviet occupation forces in 1945. From the late 1970s, Herrnhut owned signaling technology of the Soviet type EZMG . The station building was then used as an artist's studio ("Kunstbahnhof"). On the morning of April 9, 2012, there was a fire in the disused building. In 2016–2017, it was finally renovated by the owner, who bought it in 2011, and now houses shops.

Obercunnersdorf

The Obercunnersdorf stop has existed since the LZE opened the line in 1848. The original stop was on the embankment directly at the eastern end of the viaduct. In 1874 it was moved to its present location and two loading tracks were added. Initially, a small half-timbered building was the service and waiting room, which was significantly expanded again in 1908 and served until 1995. There was a freight shed on the loading tracks.

Connection to Grünsteinwerke Fa. Lehder

The connection between Grünsteinwerke Fa. Lehder had existed since January 31, 1927 and was on the left side of the railway on an open stretch between Ober- and Niedercunnersdorf. The products of the plant were shipped, mainly gravel and split. The connection was served by local goods trains, but also with deliveries from Niedercunnersdorf.

Niedercunnersdorf

Niedercunnersdorf station was opened on October 1, 1874 as the Neucunnersdorf stop . Today Niedercunnersdorf is the only remaining freight tariff point on the Zittau – Löbau route. The only freight customer there is a branch of BayWa , which receives building materials and liquefied gas there by rail. Niedercunnersdorf is the seat of the DRE management. From the late 1970s Niedercunnersdorf owned signaling technology of the Soviet type EZMG .

Abzw Höllengrund

The Höllengrund junction was only established after the Second World War as a junction to the Ebersbach – Löbau line. Their Niedercunnersdorf – Löbau track was dismantled in 1945 by the Soviet occupying forces. The Abzw Höllengrund is now remote-controlled by the DRE dispatcher at Niedercunnersdorf station.

Großschweidnitz

The Großschweidnitz stop was established on May 1, 1904. The reason for this was the opening of the “Royal State Sanatorium and Nursing Institution” (today: Saxon Hospital Großschweidnitz ). This was the largest psychiatric hospital in Saxony at the time and had a lot of visitors. For the transport of building materials to the building site of the hospital, there was a siding at the Großschweidnitz stop from 1899, which was later operated as a public loading point.

Löbau (Sachs)

Löbau station (Sachs) (2007)

→ Main article : Löbau train station (Sachs)

Löbau station was opened on December 23, 1846, initially as the temporary end point of the line from Dresden, which was continued to Görlitz in 1847. With the construction of the Löbau-Zittau railway and the routes to Ebersbach (1871), Weißenberg (1879) and Großpostwitz (1928), Löbau became one of the most important railway junctions in Saxony.

Engineering structures

Mandau Viaduct Mittelherwigsdorf

The 124 meter long stone bridge over the Mandau, consisting of six arches, was blown up in 1945 during the Second World War and rebuilt as a steel girder bridge on four concrete pillars.

From the end of May to the beginning of August 2012, the viaduct was completely refurbished as part of the ongoing upgrading of the route to maximum speeds of 120 km / h and the conversion to electronic interlocking technology. The trains coming from Dresden ended in Oberoderwitz and were replaced by buses in the remaining section to Zittau.

Höllengrund viaduct

The seven-arched, 115-meter-long viaduct over the Höllengrund near Großschweidnitz dates from the time the route was opened. The second (previously unused left) subgrade was used from 1873 from the Ebersbach – Löbau line. At the end of the Second World War, the German Wehrmacht blew up the middle arch. The repair was still carried out in 1945 with a temporary iron girder, later the arch was rebuilt for only one track. Since then, the Ebersbach – Löbau line has merged with the Zittau – Löbau line immediately before the viaduct.

• 

  Viaduct in Oderwitz

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  Viaduct in Herrnhut

• 

  Obercunnersdorfer Viaduct

• 

  Viaduct Höllengrund (2005)

Vehicle use

The Vogtlandbahn has been using Siemens Desiro Classic vehicles as planned since December 2010, supplemented by RegioSprinter if necessary . Today the Länderbahn is using Siemens Desiro Classic multiple units for the Trilex trains on the L7 line and increasingly using Stadler Regio-Shuttle RS1 . The services of the regional express 2 between Liberec and beyond Zittau to Dresden are provided exclusively by Siemens Desiro Classic railcars .

literature

• Wilfried Rettig: Railway in the three-country corner. East Saxony (D) / Lower Silesia / (PL) / North Bohemia (CZ). Part 1: History of the main lines, operating points, electrification and route descriptions . EK-Verlag, Freiburg (Breisgau) 2010, ISBN 978-3-88255-732-9 .
• Erich Preuß , Reiner Preuß : Saxon State Railways . transpress Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-344-70700-0 .

Web links

Commons : Zittau – Löbau railway line  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Data on the route at www.sachsenschiene.de
2. ^ Regional timetable for Saxony 1993/94 - valid from May 23, 1993
3. ↑ See DRE Group's railway infrastructure. (PDF; 0.3 MB) German Regional Railway, May 15, 2018, accessed on June 20, 2020 . 
4. ^ Bahn-Report 1/2011, Ed .: Interest Group Rail Traffic eV, 91189 Rohr
5. ↑ Annual timetable 2011 of Deutsche Bahn - as of December 1, 2011
6. ↑ Citizens' initiative “proHerrnhuter Bahn”: restart of local rail passenger transport on the Löbau-Herrnhut-Zittau railway line. In: openpetition.de. June 2018, accessed November 27, 2018 . 
7. ↑ Announcement in the Herrnhuter Official Gazette 20/2019, October 24, 2019, page 6.
8. ↑ Enrico Pech: Herrnhut - station burns down. (No longer available online.) In: LausitzNews.de. April 9, 2012, archived from the original on March 4, 2016 ; Retrieved August 19, 2015 . 
9. ^ Anja Beutler: Moving into the shopping station. In: Saxon newspaper. September 23, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2017 . 
10. ^ Hans von Polenz: The locomotive machine house in Löbau and the southern Lusatian railway company. Self-published Ostsächsischen Eisenbahnfreunde e. V., Löbau 2009; P. 115
11. ^ Hans von Polenz: The locomotive machine house in Löbau and the southern Lusatian railway company. Self-published Ostsächsischen Eisenbahnfreunde e. V., Löbau 2009; P. 114
12. ↑ Data on the railways in Saxony at www.sachsenschiene.de
13. ↑ The renovation work on the Mandau Viaduct in Mittelherwigsdorf begins. In: Bahn-Nachrichtenarchiv. May 30, 2012, accessed June 20, 2020 .