Bankruptcy mile

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The bankruptcy mile in a contemporary illustration (1850)

The Limmritz - Waldheim section of the Riesa - Chemnitz railway line is popularly known as the bankruptcy mile . The high construction costs for the bridges there were the cause of the bankruptcy in 1848 and the subsequent nationalization of the Chemnitz-Riesaer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft .

history

The construction costs of the six viaducts , retaining walls and earthworks on a distance of less than 7.5 km, i.e. one (Saxon or geographical) mile , in the Zschopau valley brought the private railway company into financial difficulties. As early as 1845 there were the first strikes among the workers due to a lack of wages, the revolution of 1848 made further construction more difficult. Without continuous operation to Chemnitz, however, profitable rail operations were not possible. When financing through new bonds failed, the Chemnitz-Riesaer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft offered itself to the state for purchase on May 29, 1848. On December 31, 1850, the company passed to the state. On September 1, 1852, the entire line was opened as part of the Niedererzgebirgische Staatseisenbahn .

Engineering structures

  • Limmritz Viaduct

  • Viaduct Saalbach

  • Steina Viaduct

  • Viaduct Kummersmühle

  • Viaduct Diedenmühle

  • Heiligenborn Viaduct

Surname Railway km length height
Limmritz Viaduct (Limmritzer Viaduct) 29.981 270 m 37 m
Viaduct Saalbach (Saalbach Viaduct) 31,459 75 m 26 m
Viadukt Steina (Steinaer Viadukt) 31,811 225 m 37 m
Viaduct Kummersmühle 32,362 105 m 29 m
Viadukt Diedenmühle (Diedenhainer Viadukt) 34.271 210 m 51 m
Heiligenborn Viaduct (Heiligenborn Viaduct) 36.055 170 m 31 m
Signpost in Waldheim

The Limmritzer Viaduct leads over the Zschopau, the other viaducts cross side valleys of the Zschopau.

The largest dry retaining wall on a railway line in Europe was erected near Waldheim, it is 370 m long, 35 m high and up to 15 m thick.

Tourist development

Today, the bankruptcy mile with its over 150-year-old, largely original, large bridges is also of tourist importance. The nine-kilometer “Bankrottmeile” hiking trail is marked between Limmritz and Waldheim.

literature

Web links