Chronicle of the route electrification of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the GDR area

The chronicle of the route electrification of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the GDR lists all routes that the Deutsche Reichsbahn electrified from 1949 until it was merged with Deutsche Bahn in 1994. There are tabular overviews under History of the Berlin S-Bahn for the S-Bahn operation in the Berlin area, which is operated with direct current and a lateral conductor rail .

Starting position

The Prussian state railways had, starting in 1910, some in central Germany situated electrified routes of the whole rail network . This mainly affected the Magdeburg - Dessau - Bitterfeld - Halle - Leipzig area . During the First World War , electrical operation was stopped, but from 1920 the facilities were restored and expanded by the Deutsche Reichsbahn , which had now been established . In 1935, a total length of 287 kilometers of electrified lines was specified for this area, with the length of the individual tracks spanned adding up to 1016.6 kilometers.

After the Second World War , after the interim resumption of electrical operations in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement (Order No. 95 of the Soviet Military Administration (SMAD)), the catenary was dismantled from March 29, 1946, thus ending electrical rail operations in Central Germany .

From 1955, electrical operation was gradually resumed, mainly on the routes mentioned, with the help of recovered, used equipment. The Deutsche Reichsbahn electrified its lines with single-phase alternating current at a voltage of 15 k V and a frequency of 16⅔  Hertz . Only the Rübelandbahn was electrified with a voltage of 25 kV and a frequency of 50 Hz because of its island location. For test purposes, the Hennigsdorf – Wustermark line northwest of Berlin was also electrified at 25 kV and 50 Hz at times. However, there was no scheduled electric train operation on this route.

1950s

After the provisional end of electric train operations in the Soviet occupation zone, the SED Politburo wanted the most heavily loaded lines to be electrified again, at least in Central Germany. In December 1950, negotiations were started with the Soviet Union in order to recover the dismantled electrical equipment that was not usable in Russia and some of which were stored outdoors, as well as the confiscated locomotives. As an exchange, 355 long-distance cars from the Ammendorf wagon construction company were delivered. The electric locomotives returned between July 1952 and January 1953, albeit in such poor condition that the repair of 40 locomotives originally planned for 1953 was initially delayed considerably.

In the same year, the electrification of the first section from Halle – Köthen began, which was opened on September 1, 1955 by Transport Minister Erwin Kramer . 14 completely overhauled E 44 series machines were available for operation on that day . Examples of the series E 04 , E 05 , E 17 , E 18 , E 21.0 , E 77 , E 94 and E 95 were also repaired . The traction power supply was done centrally as before the war on the railway power plant Muldenstein near Bitterfeld, from where a train power line was taken to the substation Köthen into operation on 27 July 1955th

On December 29, 1955, the electrification of the Halle – Köthen line was expanded to Schönebeck (Elbe) and at the turn of the year 1956/57 the remaining line to Magdeburg finally followed. Until 1959, with the exception of the Geiseltalbahn Merseburg – Mülocken, which is relevant for the lignite industry, only re-electrification was carried out, so that by the end of the decade, at least between Magdeburg and Dessau in the north and Weißenfels in the south, it was possible to drive again electrically. A total of 320.6 kilometers of route had been electrified by then.

date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	Length (km)	Remarks
June 12, 1950	( Falkenstein -) state border - Probstzella	Hochstadt-Marktzeuln – Probstzella	1.7	* Re-electrification * cf. Chronicle of the route electrification of the Deutsche Bundesbahn
0Sep 1 1955	Halle (Saale) central station / freight yard - Köthen	Magdeburg – Leipzig	35.8	* Re-electrification * other information according to bvm.berlin.de : October 1, 1955
Dec 29, 1955	Köthen - Schönebeck (Elbe)	Magdeburg – Leipzig	35.1	Re-electrification
Jan. 12, 1957	Schönebeck (Elbe) - Magdeburg main station	Magdeburg – Leipzig	15.1	* Re-electrification * other information after electricity trains : December 20, 1956
15th Mar 1958	Meinsdorf (= Roßlau (Elbe) Gbf) - Dessau Hbf - Bitterfeld	Trebnitz – Leipzig	33.2	Re-electrification
0June 9, 1958	Bitterfeld - Leipzig main station	Trebnitz – Leipzig	34.2	* Re-electrification * Entire route Dessau – Bitterfeld – Leipzig after electrified trains : July 9, 1958
Oct. 31, 1958	Leipzig-Mockau - Leipzig-Schönefeld - Engelsdorf	Leipzig-Wahren-Leipzig-Engelsdorf		* Re-electrification * Part of the Leipziger Güterring
Dec 20, 1958	Leipzig Hbf - Halle (Saale) Hbf	Magdeburg – Leipzig	37.6	* Re-electrification * three district towns connected to each other.
0Apr 6, 1959	Leipzig-Wahren Rbf - Leipzig-Mockau	Leipzig-Wahren-Leipzig-Engelsdorf		Re-electrification of the Nord-Güterring Leipzig
May 15, 1959	Leipzig MTh Gbf - Leipzig-Wahren	Leipzig Hbf – Leipzig-Wahren		* Re-electrification * the masts also carried the feed lines from the Uw Wahren to the Leipzig switch post
Dec 21, 1959	Halle (Saale) Hbf - Merseburg - Weißenfels	Halle – Bebra	32.0	Re-electrification
Dec 21, 1959	Merseburg - Müuellen (Geiseltal)	Merseburg – Querfurt	17.5	* Coal removal route from the Geiseltal * Catenary operation ceased after the end of production on July 29, 1996 * Catenary dismantled.

1960s

At the beginning of the decade, electrification made rapid progress in accordance with the requirements of the fifth SED party congress in 1958. Above all, the Saxon Triangle Leipzig - Zwickau - Karl-Marx-Stadt - Dresden - Leipzig was tackled. According to the plan of the socialist reconstruction of the transport system from 1960, the proportion of electric train support was to be increased from 4.9 percent to 13 percent by 1965. The Leipzig – Berlin and Dresden – Berlin connections were scheduled to be completed by 1970, and by 1980 28 percent of the route network should be electrified. In addition, a type range for new locomotives was included, from which the E 11 and E 42 series emerged .

Since the capacities of the Muldenstein rail power station were already exhausted in 1958 and the construction of another rail power station was not carried out due to the lack of a manufacturer of single-phase machines in the Council for Mutual Economic Aid, converter stations designated as central were built in Karl-Marx-Stadt and Dresden-Niedersedlitz.

On March 17, 1966, however, the GDR Council of Ministers made the momentous decision that the expansion of diesel traction should be given priority over electrification.

At this point in time, the Deutsche Reichsbahn was in an awkward position:

On the one hand, it was necessary to replace the outdated, maintenance- and labor-intensive steam locomotive inventory with modern traction devices in the foreseeable future. In addition to construction workers and materials, the GDR also lacked power plant capacities, which could not be remedied in the short term, for extensive route electrification that was already meaningful at that time. Dieselification seemed to be a viable solution.

The share of diesel traction was to be increased from 3 percent in 1965 to 72 percent in 1978. In the following years, only the routes that were already under construction or at least planned were converted to electrical operation. Apart from closing gaps in the Saxon Triangle (until 1970) and the line between Dessau and Magdeburg (1974/75), the Thuringian Railway between Halle and Erfurt was only electrified until 1967 , although this had been planned since 1942. At the end of 1969, 962.6 kilometers of route were electrified.

date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	Length (km)	Remarks
0Oct 2, 1961	Leipzig-Schönefeld Rbf / Leipzig-Engelsdorf Rbf – Abzw Anger	Leipzig-Engelsdorf-Leipzig-Connewitz and Leipzig-Eilenburg		Leipziger Güterring Südost
0Oct 2, 1961	Leipzig Bayer Bf - Bohlen	Leipzig-Hof	14.6	Saxon triangle
0Oct 2, 1961	Leipzig Hbf - Leipzig-Connewitz	Leipzig Hbf – Leipzig-Connewitz	8.6	Saxon triangle
0Oct 2, 1961	Böhlen - Espenhain	Böhlen – Espenhain	6.77	electrical operation ceased on May 23, 1993 .
Jan 15, 1962	Böhlen - Altenburg	Leipzig-Hof	24.1	Saxon triangle
Jan 15, 1962	Neukieritzsch - Borna	Neukieritzsch – Chemnitz	7.1	Saxon triangle
June 26, 1962	Hennigsdorf - Wustermark	Berlin outer ring	23.0	* 50 Hz test track * Chain mechanism dismantled again in 1973
May 25, 1963	Altenburg - Werdau	Leipzig-Hof	35.2
May 25, 1963	Werdau - Zwickau (Sachs) Hbf	Dresden – Werdau	7.3
May 25, 1963	Leipzig-Leutzsch - Leipzig-Plagwitz - Gaschwitz	Leipzig – Probstzella and Leipzig-Plagwitz – Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz		Part of the Leipzig freight ring
28 Sep 1963	Halle (Saale) Hbf - Bitterfeld - Muldenstein	Berlin hall	35.4	Other information: May 25, 1963
Dec 20, 1963	Werdau arch triangle - Reichenbach (Vogtl) above Bf	Leipzig-Hof	17.1	Saxon triangle
0Jan. 5, 1964	Leipzig Hbf - Großkorbetha	Leipzig – Großkorbetha	31.9
May 26, 1965	Zwickau (Sachs) Hbf - Karl-Marx-Stadt Hbf	Dresden – Werdau	48.5	* Saxon triangle * four district towns connected to each other * other information: May 30, 1965
26 Sep 1965	Karl-Marx-Stadt Hbf - Freiberg (Sachs)	Dresden – Werdau	40.2	Saxon triangle
0Aug 1, 1966	Blankenburg (Harz) - Königshütte (Harz)	Blankenburg – Tanne (Rübelandbahn)	23.2	* Island operation with 25 kV at 50 Hz * Other information according to trains under power : December 10, 1965.
23 Sep 1966	Freiberg (Sachs) - Dresden Hbf / Dresden-Friedrichstadt	Dresden – Werdau	42.6	* Saxon Triangle * five district towns connected to each other.
May 26, 1967	Weißenfels - Großheringen - Bad Sulza	Halle – Bebra	28.7	* Re-electrification between Weißenfels and Abzw Saaleck * other information: May 28, 1967
May 26, 1967	Camburg - large herring	Großheringen – Saalfeld	10.0	other information: May 28, 1967
July 15, 1967	Bad Sulza - Apolda	Halle – Bebra	11.1
22 Sep 1967	Apolda - Erfurt Hbf - Neudietendorf	Halle – Bebra	49.3	* six district towns connected with each other * other information: entire route Großheringen – Erfurt – Neudietendorf on September 28, 1967
28 Sep 1969	Dresden-Friedrichstadt –Radebeul-Naundorf– Coswig	Berlin – Dresden	12.6	Saxon triangle
28 Sep 1969	Dresden Hbf - Dresden-Neustadt	Děčín – Dresden-Neustadt	3.8	Saxon triangle
28 Sep 1969	Dresden-Neustadt - Riesa	Leipzig – Dresden	50.0	Saxon triangle
28 Sep 1969	Leipzig Hbf - Wurzen	Leipzig – Dresden	25.7	Saxon triangle
Oct 28, 1969	Halle (Saale) central station - Angersdorf	Halle – Hann. Münden	9.1	* S-Bahn Halle * The Angersdorf station was also eclectic in order to relieve freight trains to relieve the node Halle (S).
Oct 28, 1969	Angersdorf Abzw Awo– Halle-Nietleben	Merseburg – Halle-Nietleben	10.1	S-Bahn hall

1970s

The resolution of the Council of Ministers of 1966, which was received with incomprehension by many railway workers, led at the beginning of the 1970s to almost only S-Bahn lines being converted to electrical operation. In 1980 the Deutsche Reichsbahn used 800,000 tons of diesel fuel, which corresponded to a quarter of the total consumption in the GDR.

However, when the Soviet Union raised its oil prices to world market level in 1978, even compared to the GDR, in order to be able to generate more foreign currency, the government of the GDR had to make another turnaround towards electrical operation. Already in 1976 the SED changed on its IX. The party congress set the priorities in favor of accelerated electrification and confirmed this path at the 10th party congress in 1981. Thus, the Leipzig – Berlin and Dresden – Berlin routes were gradually tackled by the end of the decade. In addition, a new development was the 250 series , a heavy electric freight locomotive that was put into service from 1977.

At the end of 1979, 1,285.9 kilometers of line were electrified, and the share of electric train transport in the total transport output was 17.8 percent, while it was 83.1 percent for the Deutsche Bundesbahn .

date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	Length (km)	Remarks
May 31, 1970	Wurzen - Riesa	Leipzig – Dresden	40.1	Completion of the direct connection between Leipzig and Dresden and thus the Saxon Triangle .
Oct 15, 1970	Halle-Nietleben - Halle-Dölau	Hall Klaustor – Hettstedt	3.5	S-Bahn hall
Dec 11, 1970	Merseburg - Buna - Angersdorf - Halle-Neustadt	Merseburg – Halle-Nietleben	17.8	S-Bahn hall
Dec 18, 1970	Coswig - Meißen-Triebischtal	Borsdorf – Coswig	10.7	S-Bahn Dresden
0Jan. 1, 1972	Angersdorf - Holleben	Merseburg – Halle-Nietleben	1.3	S-Bahn hall
21 Sep 1972	Halle (Saale) Hbf - Halle-Trotha	Halle – Vienenburg	7.3	* Completion of the electrification of the S-Bahn hall * other information: September 29, 1972
29 Sep 1974	Magdeburg main station - Magdeburg Neustadt - Zielitz	Magdeburg – Wittenberge	19.9	* S-Bahn Magdeburg * Re-electrification except for the Magdeburg-Rothensee-Zielitz section
29 Sep 1974	Schönebeck (Elbe) - Schönebeck-Salzelmen	Schönebeck – Güsten	3.0	* S-Bahn Magdeburg * Re-electrification except for the Magdeburg-Rothensee-Zielitz section
Apr 15, 1975	Zerbst –Trebnitz	Trebnitz – Leipzig	4.9	* Re-electrification * Closure of the Leipzig – Halle – Magdeburg – Dessau – Leipzig ring
Apr 15, 1975	Trebnitz – Biederitz	Biederitz – Trebnitz	30.3	* Re-electrification * Closure of the Leipzig – Halle – Magdeburg – Dessau – Leipzig ring
Apr 15, 1975	Biederitz– Magdeburg Neustadt	Berlin – Magdeburg	5.9	* Re-electrification * Closure of the Leipzig – Halle – Magdeburg – Dessau – Leipzig ring
June 20, 1976	Dresden Hbf - Schöna	Děčín – Dresden-Neustadt	48.6	* Schoena state border and system separation point to the Czech network only in 1986 * Other information: May 29, 1976
Sep 15 1976	Leipzig-Plagwitz - Grünauer Allee	Leipzig-Plagwitz-Leipzig Miltitzer Allee	1.5	S-Bahn Leipzig
Sep 24 1976	Muldenstein - Burgkemnitz	Berlin hall	4.8
Dec 15, 1977	Abzw Glindenberg– Barleben	Oebisfelde – Magdeburg	2.0	S-Bahn Magdeburg
May 25, 1978	Burgkemnitz - Lutherstadt Wittenberg	Berlin hall	26.7
Feb. 15, 1979	Lutherstadt Wittenberg - Zahna	Berlin hall	10.7
May 27, 1979	Zahna - Jueterbog	Berlin hall	21.2
May 27, 1979	Radebeul-West / Radebeul-Naundorf– Weinböhla	Berlin – Dresden	9.4
Sep 30 1979	Weinböhla - Elsterwerda	Berlin – Dresden	34.8

1980s

Opening train route electrification (Berlin-Schöneweide station February 1984)

The resolution of the 10th party congress of the SED in 1981 provided for the electrification of the most important north-south routes. The electrification was declared a central FDJ youth object and handed over in 1982 at the 3rd meeting of the Central Council of the Free German Youth . In 1984, 1200 young people were involved in electrification, which corresponded to more than half of the work done.

The newly developed 243 series was built in large numbers in order to meet the newly created need for additional electric locomotives . When the network was expanded to the north, the energy supply was organized on a decentralized basis, i.e. converter plants with mobile converters were built around every 60 kilometers , which took the energy directly from the 50 Hz overland network. The electrical energy was converted to 16⅔ Hz and transformed to 15 kV. As a result, many kilometers of 110 kV traction power lines could be saved.

The number of kilometers electrified annually increased steadily until the mid-1980s: 85.9 km were electrified in 1981, 139.1 km in 1982, 155.8 km in 1983, 252.9 km in 1984 and 295 km in 1985. Nonetheless, there was still a clear lag even compared to other railway administrations in Comecon: At the end of 1985, 37 percent of all train transport services in the DR on 15.8 percent of the network were operated electrically, while in the ČSSR 42 percent to 24 percent, in Poland 56 percent 30 percent and in the Federal Republic of 75 percent of the power on 40 percent of the entire network were driven electrically.

After reaching Berlin-Schöneweide on June 2, 1984 and Rostock on May 18, 1985 , the DR devoted itself increasingly to the other two north-south arteries in the north of the country, to the Baltic Sea ports with the industrial centers in the GDR, which are extremely important for the GDR connecting southern part of the republic more efficiently. Large amounts of potash were exported to the West via Wismar to bring foreign currency, and the strategically important ferry port Mukran on the island of Rügen increasingly represented the most important connection to the Soviet Union, because this way the politically unreliable Poland could be bypassed. In April 1986, the 1000th electrified kilometer since the 10th SED Party Congress in 1981 was celebrated at Bad Kleinen train station , and in September 1987 the connection from Magdeburg via Stendal and Schwerin to Wismar and Rostock was completed. In December 1987, the Stendell marshalling yard at the Schwedt petrolchemical combine was reached from Berlin via Eberswalde and Angermünde , and finally Mukran in the early summer of 1989. At the same time, at the end of the 1980s, a large part of the routes in this area were converted to electric train operation in order to remove the extremely important lignite from the Lower Lusatian area , so that on September 30, 1989 the first electric locomotive reached Cottbus .

date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	Length (km)	Remarks
0June 1, 1980	Jüterbog - Luckenwalde	Berlin hall	13.0
Dec 18, 1980	Grünauer Allee - Wilhelm-Pieck-Allee	Leipzig-Plagwitz-Leipzig Miltitzer Allee	0.7	S-Bahn Leipzig
May 31, 1981	Elsterwerda –Doberlug-Kirchhain– Brenitz-Sonnewalde	Berlin – Dresden	29.0
27 Sep 1981	Brenitz-Sonnewalde - Uckro	Berlin – Dresden	17.6
27 Sep 1981	Luckenwalde - Ludwigsfelde	Berlin hall	25.0
Dec 16, 1981	Uckro - Golßen	Berlin – Dresden	14.2
01st Mar 1982	Golßen- Baruth	Berlin – Dresden	10.4
May 23, 1982	Ludwigsfelde –Genshagener Heide Ost	Berlin hall	15.3
May 23, 1982	Baruth – Abzw Glasower Damm (BAR)	Berlin – Dresden	32.4
May 23, 1982	Glasower Damm (BAR) - Michendorf - Seddin	Berlin outer ring	34.6
July 31, 1982	Birkengrund / Genshagener Heide - Teltow	Berlin hall	8.2	The Halle – Berlin and Dresden – Berlin routes connected for the first time via the Berlin outer ring.
Dec 15, 1982	Saarmund / Michendorf - Potsdam main station - Priort	Berlin outer ring	34.2	seven district towns connected to each other.
Dec 22, 1982	Delitzsch unt Bf - Delitzsch upper station	Connection route Leipzig – Dessau / Halle – Cottbus	4.0
May 29, 1983	Abzw Glasower Damm West - Berlin-Schönefeld Airport	Berlin outer ring	8.7
May 29, 1983	Priort - Wustermark	Berlin outer ring	4.7
May 29, 1983	Priort - Wustermark Rbf	Berlin outer ring	4.8
May 29, 1983	Wustermark Rbf –Wustermark Gz-Gleis	Berlin outer ring	3.2
May 29, 1983	Wustermark Rbf - Wustermark Pz track	Berlin outer ring	3.2
June 13, 1983	Wilhelm-Pieck-Allee - Ho Chi Minh Street	Leipzig-Plagwitz-Leipzig Miltitzer Allee	1.0	S-Bahn Leipzig
25 Sep 1983	Junction Golm– Werder (Havel)	Connection route Berlin outer ring / Berlin – Magdeburg	8.6
25 Sep 1983	Berlin-Schönefeld Airport - Grünauer Kreuz - Berlin-Grünau	Connection route between the Berlin outer ring and the Bln-Grünau	7.8
25 Sep 1983	Doberlug-Kirchhain Nord-Abzw Hennersdorf-Hennersdorf	Connection route Dresden – Berlin / Halle – Cottbus	8.0
28 Sep 1983	Albrechtshof - Nauen	Berlin – Hamburg	17.9
28 Sep 1983	Wustermark / Priort - Falkenhagen - Hennigsdorf - Birkenwerder	Berlin outer ring	48.0	50 Hz test section Hennigsdorf – Wustermark from 1962 electrified again using usable masts
0Oct 7, 1983	Hennigsdorf - Velten (Mark)	Berlin-Schönholz-Kremmen	9.0
Dec. 19, 1983	Ho Chi Minh Street - Miltitzer Allee	Leipzig-Plagwitz-Leipzig Miltitzer Allee	0.8	S-Bahn Leipzig
Dec 25, 1983	Birkenwerder - Löwenberg (Mark)	Berlin-Neustrelitz – Stralsund railway line	25.0
Apr 11, 1984	Löwenberg (Mark) - Gransee	Berlin-Neustrelitz – Stralsund railway line	12.0
May 15, 1984	Neudietendorf - Arnstadt	Neudietendorf – Ritschenhausen	10.1	Relief of the Erfurt Hbf and Neudietendorf substation, catenary dismantled in 1996
May 21, 1984	Gransee - Fürstenberg (Havel)	Berlin-Neustrelitz – Stralsund railway line	21.8
May 28, 1984	Halle (Saale) Hbf - Delitzsch upper station	Halle – Cottbus	26.0
0June 1, 1984	Glauchau - Gößnitz	Glauchau – Gößnitz	12.4
02nd June 1984	Fürstenberg (Havel) - Adamsdorf	Berlin – Neustrelitz , Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	28.0
02nd June 1984	Berlin Grünau - Berlin-Schöneweide	Berlin-Grünau-Berlin-Lichtenberg	8.8	With Schöneweide connection of the first of three Berlin long-distance train stations.
25 Sep 1984	Zielitz - Borstel (b Stendal)	Magdeburg – Wittenberge	43.3
Sep 30 1984	Delitzsch southwest curve	Connection route Leipzig – Dessau / Halle – Cottbus	1.8
Sep 30 1984	Berlin-Schöneweide - Frankfurter Allee - Berlin-Lichtenberg	Berlin-Grünau-Berlin-Lichtenberg	13.9	Connection of Lichtenberg as the second Berlin long-distance train station
Oct. 27, 1984	Adamsdorf - Kargow	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	22.8
Dec 15, 1984	Berlin-Lichtenberg - Birkenwerder	Berlin outer ring	36.7	Berlin outer ring closed except for Grünauer Kreuz – Eichgestell – Berlin-Lichtenberg, initially diversion of long-distance trains via Schöneweide.
Dec 15, 1984	Kargow - Waren (Müritz)	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	6.4
Apr 30, 1985	Waren (Müritz) - Langhagen	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	25.5
May 18, 1985	Langhagen –Güstrow– Rostock main station	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	51.7	* Electrification for the time being via Güstrow and Schwaan * eight district cities plus Berlin connected to each other.
0June 1, 1985	Grünauer Kreuz – Eichgestell– Berlin-Lichtenberg	Berlin outer ring	21st	Direct connection from Lichtenberg, replaces the previous south approach via Schöneweide and Ostkreuz.
03rd July 1985	Calibration frame - Rummelsburg Rbf	Connection route from the Berlin outer ring	11
0Oct. 1, 1985	Roßlau - Coswig (Anhalt)	Rosslau – Falkenberg / Elster	16.9
Nov 23, 1985	Rostock Hbf –Gbf – Seehafen / Rostock-Bramow	(Berlin–) Neustrelitz – Warnemünde / North Seaport	20th
Dec 14, 1985	Rostock-Bramow - Warnemünde	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	13.3	Completion of the entire Berlin – Rostock – Warnemünde connection.
Dec 14, 1985	Karower Kreuz -Rbf Berlin-Pankow	Connection route from the Berlin outer ring	7th
Dec 14, 1985	Abzw Ostendgestell– Berlin-Köpenick	Wuhlheide marshalling yard	7th
Dec 14, 1985	Coswig (Anhalt) - Lutherstadt Wittenberg	Rosslau – Falkenberg / Elster	14.7
Dec 15, 1985	Lalendorf - Kavelsdorf	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	32.5
Dec 15, 1985	Kavelsdorf– Rostock main station	Neustrelitz – Warnemünde	9.2
Dec 15, 1985	Rostock Hbf –Gbf-Seehafen	Rostock – Rostock North Seaport	15.2
Jan. 10, 1986	Borstel (b Stendal) - Geestgottberg	Magdeburg – Wittenberge	39.3
Apr 12, 1986	Bad Kleinen - Bützow	Bad Kleinen – Rostock	40.6
Apr 12, 1986	Bützow -Güstrow	Bützow – Szczecin	13.5
Apr 12, 1986	Guestrow - Schwaan	Guestrow – Schwaan	17.4
Apr 12, 1986	Riekdahl - Bentwisch	Connection to the Poppendorf fertilizer plant	7th	Part of the overall Rostock – Stralsund connection, which was only completed in 1991
May 30, 1986	Bentwisch - Poppendorf	Connection to the Poppendorf fertilizer plant	5
27 Sep 1986	Lutherstadt Wittenberg - Falkenberg (Elster)	Roßlau – Falkenberg / Elster	54.1
Nov 30, 1986	Falkenberg (Elster) –Zeithain Bogendreieck (- Riesa )	Jüterbog-Röderau	30.0
Dec 13, 1986	Schöna state border (ČSSR)	Dresden – Děčín	2.1
Dec 13, 1986	Riesa - Elsterwerda - Elsterwerda-Biehla	Riesa-Elsterwerda	22nd
Dec 13, 1986	Delitzsch - Eilenburg	Halle – Cottbus	22.5
May 30, 1987	Berlin-Rummelsburg / Berlin-Wuhlheide - Berlin Hbf	Connecting curves from the Berlin outer ring , Berlin – Guben	14th
May 30, 1987	Wismar - Bad Kleinen - Schwerin main station	Ludwigslust – Wismar	32.0
May 30, 1987	Schwerin Central Station - Ludwigslust	Ludwigslust – Wismar	36.0	* Nine district cities plus Berlin interconnected * Connection of the third Berlin long-distance train station.
May 30, 1987	Ludwigslust - Klein Warnow	Berlin – Hamburg	14.4
Aug 28, 1987	Klein Warnow - Wittenberge	Berlin – Hamburg	28.0
26 Sep 1987	Wittenberge - Geestgottberg	Magdeburg – Wittenberge	5.8	Ring closure in the north of the GDR
0Oct 3, 1987	Berlin-Blankenburg - Karower Kreuz - Bernau - Eberswalde Hbf	Berlin – Szczecin	36.9
Oct 16, 1987	Berlin Grünau - Königs Wusterhausen	Berlin – Görlitz	13.5
Oct. 31, 1987	Falkenberg (Elster) - Ruhland	Węgliniec – Roßlau	49.5
Oct. 31, 1987	Ruhland - Senftenberg	Grossenhain-Cottbus	12.4
0Nov 7, 1987	Königs Wusterhausen - half	Berlin – Görlitz	23.2
Dec. 19, 1987	Ruhland - Hohenbocka	Węgliniec – Falkenberg / Elster	10.4
Dec. 20, 1987	Eberswalde Hbf - Angermünde	Berlin – Szczecin	25.2	with a connection to the Schwedt oil processing plant
06th Mar 1988	Angermünde - Prenzlau	Angermünde – Stralsund	36.6
31 Mar 1988	Hohenbocka - Knappenrode	Węgliniec – Falkenberg / Elster	22.3
May 25, 1988	Prenzlau - Pasewalk / Charlottenhof	Angermünde – Stralsund	24.0
May 28, 1988	State border (VRP) - Oder bridge	Frankfurt (Oder) –Poznań	0.7	Electrification with 3000 V DC voltage from Poland
23 Sep 1988	Leipzig main station - Eilenburg	Leipzig – Eilenburg	24.1
23 Sep 1988	Pasewalk - Anklam - Züssow	Angermünde – Stralsund	59.6
0Dec 9, 1988	Züssow - Greifswald	Angermünde – Stralsund	17.7
Dec 17, 1988	Greifswald - Stralsund	Angermünde – Stralsund	31.2
Dec 17, 1988	Stralsund - Stralsund Rügen dam	Stralsund – Saßnitz	3.9
Dec 17, 1988	Senftenberg - Spreewitz	Senftenberg – Spreewitz
Dec 17, 1988	Spreewitz - Knappenrode	Knappenrode – Sornoer stalls	12.2
Dec 17, 1988	Halbe - Lübbenau	Berlin – Görlitz	35.2
Dec 17, 1988	Lübbenau - Senftenberg	Lübbenau – Kamenz	39.1
07th Mar 1989	Eilenburg - Mockrehna	Halle – Cottbus	14.2	The same source gives 27 May 1988 as the opening date for the 4 km long subsection Eilenburg Ost – Sprotta.
15th Mar 1989	Züssow - Wolgast	Züssow – Wolgast harbor	19.0	Catenary dismantled by 2004 in connection with the closing of the gap between Wolgast Hafen and Wolgast ferry
May 26, 1989	Mockrehna - Falkenberg (Elster)	Halle – Cottbus	31.5
May 27, 1989	Stralsund - Lietzow - Saßnitz	Stralsund – Saßnitz	51.2
May 27, 1989	Lietzow - Binz	Lietzow – Binz	12.1
May 27, 1989	Lietzow - Mukran	Stralsund – Saßnitz	2.8	Connection of the ferry ports on Rügen
23 Sep 1989	Borsdorf - Beucha	Borsdorf – Coswig	3.6	Catenary dismantled in 2011.
23 Sep 1989	Jüterbog - Falkenberg (Elster)	Jüterbog-Röderau	49.1
Sep 30 1989	Lübbenau - Cottbus	Berlin – Görlitz	29.1	Ten district cities plus Berlin connected to each other
Nov. 30, 1989	Falkenberg (Elster) –abzw Lindthal –abzw Altdöbern south	Halle – Cottbus , Lindthal – Altdöbern south	40.0
Dec 16, 1989	Junction Lindthal - Cottbus	Halle – Cottbus	39.0

1990s

Regardless of the political events in connection with German reunification , most of the projects started in the late 1980s were completed. These include the last routes in Lower Lusatia and the connections between Berlin and the Polish border, from Rostock to Stralsund, from Riesa to Chemnitz, which has since been renamed, from the Seddin marshalling yard near Potsdam to Dessau, from Nauen to Wittenberge and the railway line south of the Harz Mountains Halle – Hann. Münden , which started as a connection between Halle and the cement works in Deuna.

However, due to the massive decline in freight traffic in the DR area, various plans from GDR times were delayed, as was the case with the Oberröblingen – Sömmerda section, which was only completed in 1997, or rejected entirely, such as the Leipzig – Zeitz– Gera , Cottbus– Görlitz , Dresden – Görlitz, Weimar –Gera – Gößnitz and Leipzig – Chemnitz. On the other hand, priority now was given to closing the gap to the network of the German Federal Railroad, which was carried under the catchphrase traffic projects German unity . However, most of these were not completed until 1994 and thus under the direction of Deutsche Bahn AG .

date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	Length (km)	Remarks
0May 1, 1990	Oranienbaum	Works railway Graefenhainichen – Vockerode
May 26, 1990	Cottbus - Senftenberg	Grossenhain-Cottbus	34.3
16 Sep 1990	Berlin Frankfurter Allee –Pankow Rbf / Berlin-Blankenburg	Link between Berlin-Lichtenberg and Karower Kreuz		This means electrical operation from Lichtenberg in the direction of Stralsund without driving over the Berlin outer ring.
Sep 30 1990	Berlin-Köpenick - Fürstenwalde (Spree)	Berlin – Guben	35.6
Dec 15, 1990	Fürstenwalde (Spree) - Frankfurt (Oder)	Berlin – Guben	33.9
Dec 15, 1990	Frankfurt (Oder) - Eisenhüttenstadt - Guben	Berlin – Guben	48.5
Dec 15, 1990	Guben - Cottbus	Cottbus-Guben	37.0
Dec 15, 1990	Frankfurt (Oder) Rbf - Frankfurt (Oder) Pbf - Frankfurt (Oder) Oderbrücke	Frankfurt (Oder) –Poznań	3.4
Dec 15, 1990	Frankfurt (Oder) -Rosengarten –Frankfurt (Oder) Rbf	Freight railway
0June 1, 1991	Angersdorf - Lutherstadt Eisleben	Halle – Hann. Münden	27.8	Integration into the VDE project no.6
0June 2, 1991	Stralsund - Velgast - Bentwisch	Stralsund – Rostock	64.8
0June 2, 1991	Riesa - Döbeln Hbf	Riesa-Chemnitz	26.0
0June 2, 1991	Velgast - Barth	Velgast – Prerow	11.4	Dismantling of the contact line in 2005
26 Sep 1991	Neustadt (b Coburg) - Sonneberg main station	Coburg-Sonneberg	4.3	of which 1.9 km in Bavaria
0Dec 8, 1991	Döbeln Hbf - Chemnitz Hbf	Riesa-Chemnitz	40.5	Direct connection between Berlin and Chemnitz
May 30, 1992	Nauen - Wittenberge	Berlin – Hamburg	91.4
May 31, 1992	Ruhland - Großenhain Cottb Bf	Grossenhain-Cottbus	32.9	Direct connection Cottbus – Dresden
May 31, 1992	Grossenhain Cottb Bf - Priestewitz	Grossenhain-Priestewitz	5.0	Direct connection Cottbus – Dresden
May 31, 1992	Großenhain Cottb train station - Großenhain Berlin train station	Connecting track		Direct connection Cottbus – Dresden
May 31, 1992	Seddin - Wiesenburg (Mark) –Meinsdorf – Rosslau (Elbe) Rbf	Berlin – Wiesenburg –Dessau		Direct connection between Berlin and Dessau.
Aug 31, 1992	Wustermark –Nauen	Jueterbog – Nauen	9.0
Dec 10, 1992	Lutherstadt Eisleben - Sangerhausen	Halle – Hann. Münden	21.5	integrated into the VDE project no.6
0May 5, 1993	Sangerhausen - Nordhausen - Sollstedt	Halle – Hann. Münden	64.7	integrated into the VDE project no.6
May 18, 1993	Neustrelitz Hbf - Neubrandenburg	Berlin-Neustrelitz-Stralsund	35.2
May 20, 1993	Junction Wilhelmshorst– Bergholz (near Potsdam)	(Helmstedt – Magdeburg–) Güterglück – Berlin		Anticipation of the VDE project no.5
May 22, 1993	Güterglück - Wiesenburg (Mark)	Berlin – Blankenheim	33.7	Anticipation of the VDE project no.5
May 23, 1993	Helmstedt– Magdeburg main station	Braunschweig – Magdeburg	47.6	VDE project No. 5 1.8 km in Lower Saxony
03rd July 1993	Bergholz (b Potsdam) - Berlin-Charlottenburg	Berlin – Blankenheim	24.3	VDE project no.5
03rd July 1993	Berlin-Charlottenburg - Berlin Zoological Garden	Berlin light rail	2.2	VDE project no.5

swell

• Route electrification from 1950 to 1982 on Elektro-bahnen.de . The source does not explain how the kilometer data came about. Presumably the shunting tracks were included, most of which are electrified a few hundred meters beyond the terminus. The accumulated electrification data are also shown.
• Peter Gärtner: GDR: Rosy times for the Deutsche Reichsbahn. In: Die Zeit , No. 31/1986. It reports on the progress made in electrification at the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the 1980s.

See also

• Chronological list of the route electrification of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (until 1945)
• Chronicle of the route electrification of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (until 1993)
• Chronicle of route electrification in Germany since 1994

Individual evidence

1. ↑ EB 1935/1, p. 7
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Erich Preuss: The Reichsbahn Report . 1st edition. Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-344-70789-2 , pp. 14, 44-48 .
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Erich Preuß: Trains under power. The history of electric train operations in Germany . 1st edition. Munich 1998, ISBN 3-932785-30-4 , pp. 38-48, 77-88, 96-98 .
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Thomas Scherrans: Electrical lines of the German State Railroad. In: Electric Railways. July 9, 2005, accessed on April 8, 2012 (source: Nachlass Doz. Dr.-Ing.habil Peter Schmidt, Dresden (†), author's collection). 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} total period: Erich Preuß: Trains under power. The history of electric train operations in Germany, 1st edition Munich 1998, ISBN 3-932785-30-4 , pp. 165–173. For October 1, 1955– July 5, 1985: bvm-berlin.de .
   For February 15, 1979 to December 15, 1984: Fred Hafner: Electric from north to south. In: Modellisenbahner. 35th year, No. 9/85, ISSN  0026-7422 , p. 15.
   For April 30, 1985 to May 27, 1989 : Fred Hafner: Advances in electrification. In: Modellisenbahner. Volume 38, No. 10/89, ISSN  0026-7422 , p. 5.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Georg Schwach: Overhead lines for high-voltage single-phase alternating current in Germany, Austria and Switzerland . Bern 1989, 17.1. Appendix A: Electrification Data, p. 469-519 ( PDF ).
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e} For October 1, 1955 to July 5, 1985: bvm-berlin.de .
   For February 15, 1979 to December 15, 1984: Fred Hafner: Electric from north to south. In: Modellisenbahner. 35th year, No. 9/85, ISSN  0026-7422 , p. 15.
   For April 30, 1985 to May 27, 1989 : Fred Hafner: Advances in electrification. In: Modellisenbahner. Volume 38, No. 10/89, ISSN  0026-7422 , p. 5.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Information deviating from the standard sources according to electrical-bahnen.de
9. ↑ The Federal Railroad. 10/1991, p. 1031 ff.
10. ↑ ^{a b c} Fred Hafner: Electrically from north to south. In: Modellisenbahner. 35th year, No. 9/85, ISSN  0026-7422 , pp. 14-15.