Upper Ruhr Valley Railway

Schwerte – Warburg
Route number (DB) :	2550
Course book section (DB) :	435
Route length:	138 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Route class :	D4
Maximum slope :	14.5  ‰
Top speed:	140 km / h
Legend Route from Hagen 155.6 Schwerte (Ruhr) ⊙ 124 m Route to Hamm 156.0 Sof from Abzw Heide ( Ardeybahn ) 158.0 Schwerte (Ruhr) East 158.0 Geisecke (Ruhr) 166.0 Langschede 120 m Stretch of Kamen 170.9 Fröndenberg ( wedge station ) 126 m Route to Letmathe 174.6 To warm 178.8 Wickede (Ruhr) ⊙ 140 m Dysentery 184.8 Bk Vosswinkel formerly Ruhr-Lippe-Eisenbahn (RLE) line from Soest 190.8 Neheim-Hüsten 162 m RLG route to Arnsberg Süd (Gv only) Röhrtalbahn to Sundern RLG route to Arnsberg Süd Arnsberger Viaduct (Schlossbergviadukt), Ruhr Schlossberg tunnel Arnsberg (277 m) 198.8 Arnsberg (Westf) ⊙ 195 m 204.6 Oeventrop 210 m 206.3 Wildshausen Glösinger Tunnel (685 m) Freienohler Tunnel (650 m) 209.8 Freienohl 233 m former route from Finnentrop 212.0 Wennemen 241 m 218.6 Meschede 261 m 223.1 Eversberg 278 m 224.3 Eversberg Hager 227.0 Bestwig ⊙ 295 m 228.9 Abzw Nuttlar Ruhr-Eder-Bahn to Winterberg 229.2 Nuttlar 304 m Schellenstein tunnel (247 m) 233.9 Olsberg ⊙ 359 m 239.4 Elleringhausen Elleringhauser Tunnel (1393 m) Uplandbahn from Korbach 241.8 Brilon Forest ⊙ 446 m Almetalbahn to Brilon city 246.2 Bremecketal 247.8 Hoppecke 391 m Messinghauser Tunnel (323 m) 251.1 Messinghausen 360 m Beringhauser Tunnel (236 m) 257.2 Beringhausen 309 m 259.6 Bredelar 289 m Reloading device for the Rhene-Diemeltalbahn 267.9 Marsberg ⊙ 249 m 273.2 Westheim (Westf) ⊙ 226 m 280.1 Wrexen ⊙ 199 m 283.4 Scherfede ⊙ 192 m former railway line to Holzminden Railway line from Hamm formerly von Volkmarsen (underpass) 292.9 Warburg (Westf) ⊙ 206 m Friedrich-Wilhelms-Nordbahn to Kassel Swell:

The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway is a 138-kilometer, non- electrified railway line that runs from Schwerte (Ruhr) station through the Hochsauerland to Warburg (Westphalia) station . It is the southern of the east-west routes that connect the Ruhr area with the rural area in the Hochsauerlandkreis . The course book route 435 also includes the Hagen – Schwerte section, which is part of the Hagen – Hamm connection .

The double-track line west of Brilon Wald runs in the valleys of Ruhr and east of the Elleringhausen tunnel Hoppecke and Diemel , the former river it follows between Olsberg and Schwerte . The long-distance passenger traffic plied the route to December 2003 and has since been dropped entirely. In transport are regional Expresse of Hagen after Warburg (partly on to Kassel ) and Dortmund to Bestwig (alternating on to Winterberg or Brilon City ) each every hour on the road. In addition, there are seasonal repeater and special trains for weekend and winter sports, especially to Willingen .

history

Arnsberg train station before the renovation

former Wrexen train station

In 1856 a committee consisting of representatives from the former districts of Meschede , Brilon , Arnsberg , Soest and Iserlohn as well as the independent cities of Dortmund and Hamm was founded to support the construction of a railway line through the Hochsauerland. Among other things, Werl's mayor Franz Wilhelm Clöer had advertised the Werl – Arnsberg – Meschede – Warburg route, but the President of the Arnsberg district , Friedrich Wilhelm von Spankeren , preferred the Hagen – Warburg route. The general assembly of the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft decided in its general assembly on June 30, 1866 to build this line, for which a concession agreement had already been made. This explains why the license was granted on October 1st, 1866.

The section from Schwerte to Arnsberg was opened on June 1, 1870, the Arnsberg – Meschede section on December 18, 1871, and the section from Meschede to Nuttlar on July 1, 1872 . On January 6, 1873, the last section from Nuttlar to Warburg followed, where there had been a connection to Kassel since 1849 .

The core town of Brilon was not connected to the line (topographical reasons made this impossible), instead the Brilon Wald train station , located about seven kilometers to the south, was created. The center of Brilon was connected to the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway on July 1, 1900; from there there were rail connections to Paderborn and Geseke (via Büren) and to Soest and Lippstadt (via Belecke ).

During the Second World War , the route for logistics between the Ruhr area and the supply connections to the east was well used, especially since the tracks were largely out of sight of low-flying aircraft due to the cuts and tunnels. The traffic was so tight that it was sometimes driven on sight. In Warburg this was connected to what is now called the Central-Germany Connection . When traffic to the east ceased after the Second World War, fewer trains ran on this route.

From autumn 1944 to April 1945 the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway was repeatedly attacked by bombers and later also by low-flying fighter-bombers and fighter planes. In spring 1945 the main target was the Arnsberg Viaduct , which was attacked seven times from February 9 to March 19, 1945. In the reports US Strategic Bombing Surveys (USSBS, inventory of strategic bombing) of October 10, 1945, 1818 bombs on the viaduct are mentioned under the item Railway Viaduct at Arnsberg Germany . In the last attack on March 19, the structure was destroyed with only 18 bombs. British Avro Lancaster bombers dropped six “ Grand Slam bombs ”, at 10 tons the largest and heaviest bomb type used in the war so far, as well as twelve “ Tallboys ” each weighing 5.4 tons . Various bridges and larger train stations such as B. Bestwig, Meschede and Schwerte were massively attacked and destroyed along with the surrounding buildings.

Since 1968 there has only been a single-track train service between the stations Bredelar and Marsberg as well as Scherfede and Warburg. From 1984 the second track was dismantled on the entire eastern section between Brilon Wald and Warburg.

Planning

electrification

The electrification of the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway, which was last discussed in the early 1990s, was not carried out because of the immense expense involved in producing the clearance profile necessary for the overhead line in the numerous tunnels. According to a statement from July 2013, the Federal Ministry of Transport is not planning any electrification, as this is not economical in view of the number of trains, especially the low rail freight traffic. Nevertheless, the Hochsauerlandkreis has registered the electrification as a project for the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 , which is supported by the regional council and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In an interview from March 2017, the managing director of the transport authority NWL sees no chance for electrification.

Speed ​​increase

With the start of use of the 610 series in northeast Bavaria, the first plans arose in 1993 to accelerate the upper Ruhr Valley Railway using tilting technology. Those responsible had originally expected that the expansion for higher speeds with the use of tilting technology would be completed by 2006. The travel time of the RE 17 from Hagen to Kassel was to be reduced from three hours to around two and a half hours. For this purpose, twelve vehicles of the 612 series were procured with the financial contribution of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. However, the expansion could only be stipulated within the federal transport route plan if there was further need. The cost of the expansion was estimated at 31.1 million euros. The needs plan review in 2010 showed a negative benefit-cost ratio for the project. Therefore, inclusion in the target network of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan valid from 2015 was rejected in 2010 and will not be pursued further.

Regardless of the results of the requirement plan review, the NWL continues to demand an increase in speed even without the use of tilting technology and has therefore registered the project for the 2017 public transport requirement plan of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Tunnel rehabilitation

In 2010, plans became known that three tunnels on the section between Arnsberg and Brilon Wald should be rehabilitated: the Glösinger Tunnel (687 meters), the Freienohler Tunnel (650 meters) and the Elleringhäuser Tunnel (1399 meters). In the last-named structure, trains are currently prohibited from encountering. In August 2012, it became known that DB Netz was planning to remove the three tunnels and a section of the route between them to one track as part of a renovation. This would result in a reduction in capacity, since a stretch of 3.8 kilometers in length would be operated on a single track. This was criticized by the Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe , which organizes the local rail passenger transport. Together with the city of Meschede and the district administrator of the Hochsauerlandkreis , the latter formulated a resolution against this, which is also supported by the Pro Bahn passenger association .

In the spring of 2015, DB Netz rejected the offer of a financial contribution by the transport authority amounting to half of the additional costs; in June 2015, there were signs of an approach by increasing the contribution of the transport authority and ordering additional services. In a letter of intent dated August 2015, DB Netz AG and the NWL agreed that the two tunnels would be rehabilitated on two tracks. The NWL supports the renewal with a maximum of € 15 million and orders additional traffic, while DB Netz AG assumes the additional costs for the renovation “under the rolling wheel” (ie without full closure). The renovation is to take 18–24 months. According to a press report from November 2017, the renovation of the Elleringhäuser Tunnel is planned from 2022 to 2026, for the other two tunnels from 2023 to 2026. The documents for the planning approval procedure for the Elleringhäuser Tunnel were published in November 2018. According to information at a citizens' meeting in the city of Brilon in July 2020, the renovation is to begin in autumn 2021 and last around four years in total.

Establishing dual track

In the opinion of the Federal Government in July 2013, the continuous restoration of the dual track system is "neither necessary nor economical in view of the number of trains, especially between Brilon Wald and Warburg".

The regional rail transport advisory board of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in which the regional rail transport authorities, the passenger association PRO BAHN, the VCD and the transport companies active in the regional rail network work together, presented a report in September 2013 that a. recommends the double-track expansion in the Marsberg area in order to achieve acceleration.

The NWL has registered the complete establishment of the double track, as well as only the establishment of a crossing station in Bredelar for the public transport requirement plan 2017 of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In addition, the shortening of the single-track section of the Schwerter curve was announced there. Here there are often delays on the RE 57 line, as the symmetry minute is just before the entrance to the junction.

Reopening of stations

According to the local transport plan of the NWL, the reopening of a station between Schwerte and Fröndenberg that was closed by the Federal Railroad was to be examined. Specifically, the former Halts Langschede, Geisecke (Ruhr) and Schwerte (Ruhr) Ost come into question. Timetable constraints on the current local transport lines ensure that only one of them can be integrated into the timetables. The association has left the decision on how to proceed to the Unna district and the municipalities. These should coordinate with each other at which station the reactivation should be examined more closely. In this case, a financial contribution is also necessary in order to set up the station area with links to other modes of transport. The examination showed that another station could not be integrated into the timetable concept after the new tender for the Sauerland network. Additional stops between Fröndenberg and Schwerte can only be implemented with an additional local transport line in the current timetable concept.

On the part of local politicians, several requests for the reopening of the Wennemen train station in the Mesched city area have been submitted. However, this has so far been rejected by the railways and NWL, as an additional stop cannot be integrated into the current offer due to scheduling constraints.

Route

West portal of the Messinghauser Tunnel

DB class 648 near Arnsberg

The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway begins at Schwerte station and branches off from the Hagen – Hamm line there.

The section of the course book routes (KBS) 455 and 435 between Hagen and Schwerte belongs to the Hagen – Hamm railway line. This is electrified and two-track, other parallel tracks between Hagen and Schwerte belong to the Ruhr-Sieg line and to the freight traffic of Hagen Gbf and Hagen-Vorhalle. The KBS 435 trains are marketed by Deutsche Bahn as the Obere-Ruhrtal-Bahn , as it runs from Hagen to Olsberg near the Ruhr . A single-track connecting curve from the Hagen – Hamm railway ends in Schwerte Ost, via which the Dortmund-Sauerland Express (RE 57) from Dortmund joins the Ardey Railway.

The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway runs on two tracks, with lots of curves and relatively little incline to Bestwig. The Bestwig depot was located here, and trains are parked, refueled and cleaned here. The ascent to Brilon Wald, the apex of the route, begins in Bestwig. Over a length of 14 kilometers, a height difference of about 155 meters is overcome. In the Elleringhausen tunnel, it passes under the watershed between the Rhine and Weser to the Brilon Wald train station , from where Brilon Stadt has been served again since 2011 .

The route then runs in the Hoppecketal and later in the Diemeltal . As far as Bredelar, the route drops by around 165 meters over a length of around 18 kilometers. From here on there are no more significant climbs. The section between Brilon Wald and Warburg is only single-track today and has crossings in Messinghausen, Marsberg and Scherfede.

Line speeds

The following maximum speeds apply on the sections:

• Schwerte – Wickede: 140 km / h
• Wickede – Arnsberg: 120 km / h
• Arnsberg – Meschede: 100 km / h
• Meschede – Bestwig: 120 km / h
• Bestwig – Brilon Wald: 90 km / h
• Brilon Wald – Warburg: 120 km / h

Signal boxes

Signal box Bestwig Bw

Only the signal boxes that are regularly staffed are listed here. Signal boxes in remote control areas are unmanned during normal operation.

• Hagen, electronic signal box El S, remote control area Westhofen / Schwerte
• Fröndenberg, relay interlocking Sp Dr S60, remote control area Schwerte Ost / Langschede / Wickede
• Neheim-Hüsten, relay interlocking Sp Dr S600, remote control area Arnsberg / Freienohl / Wennemen / Meschede
• Bestwig, relay interlocking Sp Dr S60, remote control area Eversberg / Nuttlar
• Brilon Wald, relay interlocking Dr S2, remote control area Marsberg / Messinghausen
• Scherfede, mechanical interlocking unit design
• Warburg, relay interlocking Sp Dr S60

The ESTW Hagen was one of the first electronic interlockings of the DB in 1995 and in the 1st expansion stage still uses Hp compact signals instead of the Ks signals common today with ESTW . The track plan 60 signal box in Bestwig (commissioned in November 2005) is one of the last new relay signal boxes in the DB Netz AG area.

Service offer

Long-distance transport

The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway is no longer used for long-distance passenger transport. Until 1991 the pair of express trains from Amsterdam to Bad Wildungen and express trains to Kassel ran this route. In the further past, in 1941, a non-stop tourist express train ran from Brest via Bebra, Arnsberg, Aachen and Brussels to Ostend. In addition, before the division of Germany there were through D-trains from the upper Ruhr Valley Railway to Leipzig and Berlin.

In the 1990s, express trains ran from Cologne and Duisburg to Willingen and Korbach, respectively, on autumn weekends. The last pair of express trains was the D 2641 and the D 2640, which until December 2003 connected Düsseldorf with Willingen once a week. On some long-distance trains, locomotives were changed at Hagen Central Station because the line is not electrified. A change of direction was necessary when driving on via Brilon-Wald towards Korbach.

Local transport

RE 17 in Meschede station

DB class 628 in Bestwig

Local rail passenger traffic on the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway is particularly important for commuter traffic towards Dortmund and Hagen. On the other hand, there is also a great demand from the Ruhr area and other regions in order to reach leisure and recreation destinations in the Sauerland. Initially, there was still a non-timed offer of local trains and express trains on the route. This offer was increasingly standardized in the 1980s by abandoning smaller intermediate stops and clocking the trains. In 1988, a regular schedule with hourly connections was introduced for the first time between Bestwig and Hagen;

The trains of the RE 17 were mainly formed from the 218 series together with three to six n-wagons or m-wagons , partly also from series 624 multiple units . At the end of the nineties, the locomotive-hauled trains were gradually replaced by multiple units. The routes to Kassel were switched to the 612 series and the routes to Warburg to the 628.4 series . The complete conversion dragged on until the timetable change in 2006.

At the same time, a new line RE 57 was introduced, which ran in the first years of operation in the section between Schwerte and Meschede. In 1999, the line was restructured in order to create a direct connection from the Sauerland to the regional center of Dortmund without having to change trains and at the same time to revitalize the little-demanded branch line to Winterberg. Instead of going to Schwerte, the line was led via the connecting curve at Schwerte OSt past Schwerte to Dortmund and connected with the Bestwig - Winterberg regional train. In the beginning, the VT 624 and VT 628 drove here. After the order was received in a Europe-wide tender within the framework of the Sauerland network, DB Regio NRW, almost exclusively 648.1 drove , from summer 2008 onwards, partly in mixed traction, with 640 converted to bicycle carts . From mid-2009 onwards, non-converted 640s were used to replace 648s.

Between September 2015 and December 2017, trains on the R 42 line were partially connected from Marburg to Bestwig and used the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway from Brilon Wald. As a result of the extension to Bestwig, connections were made to the trains on the RE 57 line to Dortmund, which only ran continuously to Brilon Wald at times. With the timetable change in December 2017, the timetable on the line could be shifted through a new crossing point in Viermünden so that the trains in Brilon Wald mostly have a connection to the trains Brilon Stadt - Dortmund on the RE 57 line. Since then, the trains have been running to Brilon City instead.

The demand in the western section between Brilon Wald and Hagen / Dortmund has developed very positively in recent years. Between 1997 and 2012, growth rates of over 80 percent were achieved on individual route sections. In contrast, demand is stagnating on the eastern section between Brilon Wald and Warburg.

Warburg (Westf) station, the terminus of the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway

The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway is now served every hour between Hagen and Warburg by the Sauerland Express ( RE 17 ). Individual trains continue to run to Kassel.

The Fröndenberg - Bestwig section is also compacted every hour by the Dortmund-Sauerland-Express ( RE 57 , ending in Winterberg). During the week, the RE 57 runs every 30 minutes in the Fröndenberg – Bestwig section. This could not be offered until the completion of the crossing in Bigge at the weekend due to the hourly service of the Bestwig-Winterberg route. Here the RE 57 drove around every 45/15 with the RE 17. On Fridays and Sundays there are also individual trips to Willingen . The route is traveled with the circuits of the 612 series diesel multiple units between Schwerte and Wickede at 140 km / h. The maximum speed from Warburg to Kassel is 140 km / h.

The so-called booze trains , which are particularly popular with bowling clubs , were operated on the Hagen - Willingen section with class 628.4 diesel multiple units in triple traction and on the Dortmund - Willingen section with class 648.1 diesel multiple units. These are amplifier trips, especially for leisure traffic to Willingen. On Fridays, the RE 57, which ends every two hours in Bestwig, was partially tied through to Willingen.

line	Line course	Tact
RE 17	Sauerland-Express : Hagen Hbf  - Schwerte (Ruhr)  - Fröndenberg  - Wickede  - Neheim-Hüsten  - Arnsberg  - Oeventrop  - Freienohl  - Meschede  - Bestwig  - Olsberg  - Brilon Wald  - Bredelar  - Marsberg  - Westheim  - Scherfede  - Warburg  - Hofgeismar  - Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe Status: timetable change December 2015	60 min
RE 57	Dortmund-Sauerland-Express : Dortmund Hbf  - Dortmund-Hörde  - Fröndenberg  - Wickede (Ruhr)  - Neheim-Hüsten  - Arnsberg (Westf)  - Oeventrop  - Freienohl  - Meschede  - Bestwig Line branch 1: - Bigge  - Siedlinghausen  - Silbach  - Winterberg (Westf) Line branch 2: - Olsberg  - Brilon Wald  - Brilon Stadt Status: timetable change December 2015	60 min

There are also many special trips with steam trains or rail buses on the route.

Sauerland Express

The Sauerland Express is a regional express line that runs from Hagen to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe and is ordered by the VRR, VRL, nph and NVV. It is operated by DB Regio NRW with class 632, 633 and 644 railcars and is particularly popular with tourists and users of the Schönen weekend ticket. In addition, it offers the fastest and only connection-free connection between Kassel and Hagen.

Rates

On the section from Hagen to Schwerte, the tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) applies. From Schwerte to Warburg (Westf) the Westphalian tariff and finally the NVV tariff on the Warburg – Kassel section .

connections

railway station	Connection off / after	line
Hagen	Bochum, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Essen, Hamm, Iserlohn, Cologne, Lüdenscheid, Siegen, Solingen, Wuppertal	RE 4, RE 7, RE 13, RE 16, RB 40, RB 52, S 5, S 8, IC , ICE
Schwerte (Ruhr)	Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Hamm, Iserlohn, Cologne, Münster, Solingen, Wuppertal	RE 7, RE 13, RB 53
Fröndenberg	Menden, Neuenrade, Unna, Dortmund	RE 57, RB 54
Bestwig	Winterberg	RE 57
Brilon forest	Marburg, Willingen, Brilon Stadt (since December 2011)	RE 57, R 42
Warburg	Dresden, Hofgeismar, Munster, Binz	RE 11, RB 89, IC , ICE
Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe	Berlin, Frankfurt, Fulda, Gießen, Halle (Saale), Hamburg, Korbach, Marburg, Munich, Treysa, Stuttgart	RE 1, RE 4, RE 11, RE 30, RE 98, R 5, R 38, R 39, RT 5, IC , ICE

Dortmund-Sauerland-Express

Rates

On the section from Dortmund to Schwerte ( bypassed on a single-track section at Abzw. Heide ) the tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) applies. The Westphalian tariff applies from Schwerte to Winterberg and the North Rhine- Westphalia tariff applies across the network .

connections

railway station	Connection off / after	line
Dortmund	Düsseldorf, Cologne, Münster, Iserlohn, Gelsenkirchen, Lüdenscheid, Hamm, Minden, Enschede, Dorsten	RE 1, RE 3, RE 4, RE 6, RE 11, RB 43, RB 50, RB 51, RB 52, RB 53, RB 59, S 1, S 2, S 5, IC , ICE , NZ
Dortmund-Hörde	Soest	RB 59
Fröndenberg	Menden, Neuenrade, Unna, Hagen	RE 17, RB 54
Bestwig	Warburg, Kassel	RE 17
Brilon forest	Marburg, Kassel, Warburg	RE 17, R 42

Local transport since 2016

Following a Europe-wide tender in December 2012, the operation of the new Sauerland network will remain with DB Regio AG from December 2016 to December 2028.

From December 2016, the RE 17 will only run four times a day via Warburg to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe . For this, a port becomes then re about seven times a day in Warburg future Hamm-Warburg railway traveling Rhein-Hellweg-Express created (RE 11) to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe. In addition, the timetable between Brilon Wald and Schwerte is accelerated so that the connection to line RE 7 to Münster is reached in Schwerte. The location of the RE 57 line is standardized across all days of the week - the RE 17 and RE 57 lines between Bestwig and Fröndenberg also run every half hour on weekends. The journeys of the RE 57 line to Brilon Stadt will be reduced to an all-day two-hour cycle. There are also changes in late night traffic. For example, individual journeys that are currently running from Hagen are to be on the way from Dortmund instead and to be connected to the RE 7 line from Hagen in Schwerte. This measure eliminates the current gap in the timetable from Dortmund after 7 p.m. In addition, there are plans to extend the operating hours at the weekend: since June 2017, the last train to Bestwig has started in Dortmund at 1:23 a.m.

As of December 2016, a total of 36 new LINK II or III diesel multiple units from the Polish manufacturer PESA were to be used. The fully air-conditioned vehicles with speeds of up to 140 km / h have 120 or 160 seats. In addition to more comfort and more seats, the new 43.73 meter and 57.13 meter long vehicles have, among other things, multi-purpose compartments, two wheelchair spaces and a suitable toilet. In addition to screens for passenger information, ticket machines and validators are on board for the first time. The three-part vehicles are also characterized by their capacity to carry bicycles with 35 spaces per vehicle. Since the vehicles were not yet ready, they will be operated with other used vehicles as part of a replacement concept.

Freight transport

For a long time, the service of the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway in freight traffic was an extension of the Central-Germany connection. That means that the industry of the Ruhr area was connected to the east with the supplies. This east-west traffic was increasingly discontinued after the Second World War and almost only local freight traffic was carried here. Today the traffic takes place according to schedule with locomotives of the class 265 . In the early morning hours, two trains go up the Ruhr Valley. The first train goes to Neheim-Hüsten and hands over the wagons to the local RLG, the second train then goes to Brilon to serve the Egger plant. More connections, such as the Hüttemann sawmill in Bigge, are currently not served. The Bestwig – Brilon ramp makes it necessary to use additional locomotives for double traction or pushing even with relatively light freight trains, for example the limit load of individually traveling locomotives of the series V 100 East or West and V 90 often used in this section is around 700 tons. Therefore, most freight trains head east via Schwerte and the topographically more favorable route Soest – Lippstadt – Warburg. Timber trains for the Egger plant in Brilon are mostly divided into Bestwig and transported up the ramp in several train parts.

In 2007/08, numerous freight trains also used the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway to remove the Kyrill storm wood. The main targets were the wood-based materials manufacturer Egger in Brilon, the inland ports of the Ruhr area and a wood processing company in Brandenburg. To load the wood, some of the station tracks that were already booked out by DB Netz were put back into operation, for example in Arnsberg and Wennemen . After the freight transport division of Deutsche Bahn, DB Schenker Rail Deutschland (now DB Cargo ), initially hardly wanted to provide the forestry associations with transport space, since using their wagons in the transport of steel and rolling mills seemed more economical, numerous private railway companies stepped in, including the Westphalian State Railroad and the East Hanoverian Railways . In the meantime, even private RUs operate as subcontractors of DB Cargo Deutschland with wooden trains. In addition, DB Cargo regularly uses lime trains from the Hönnetal on this route.

Construction work

The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway was assigned to the Bergisch-Märkisches Land regional network by DB Netz .

In the years 2009 until today there have been a lot of superstructure renovations on the route. Most recently, the Ruhr Bridge in Freienohl was renewed and completed in August 2009. As part of the reactivation of the Brilon Wald - Brilon Stadt route, the route block in Olsberg was divided between Nuttlar and Brilon Wald. This enabled the line capacity to be increased and the minimum headway times to be reduced. Previously, the trains could only continue in Nuttlar when the previous train had reached Brilon Wald.

As part of the modernization offensive 2 (MOF 2) of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, all stations between Schwerte and Olsberg except for Oeventrop will be modernized and made barrier-free by 2017 ^[outdated] . The platforms will be completely renewed and brought to a height of 76 centimeters above the top of the rails. In Bestwig, Freienohl, Neheim-Hüsten and Wickede there are no central platforms or access via the railroad tracks. This measure will increase the line capacity and the quality of operations, as passenger trains will also be able to cross in the stations in the future. Previously, a train had to wait in front of the stations for safety reasons. In addition, this means that platform supervisors are no longer required. The modernization of the Olsberg, Bestwig and Arnsberg stations has already been successfully completed. The platforms in Fröndenberg, Wickede, Freienohl and Meschede are currently being modernized. The modernization of the Brilon Wald and Scherfede stations is already included in the follow-up program, which will start in 2018 ^[obsolete] . For the stations in Oeventrop and Marsberg, the planning for the barrier-free expansion has started in order to be able to position them quickly in future expansion programs.

literature

• Alfred Bruns: The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway. In: Alfred Bruns (Red.): The railway in the Sauerland. Slate Mining Museum Schmallenberg-Holthausen, Schmallenberg 1989, ISBN 3-922659-63-2 , p. 123 ff.
• Bernhard Hager: Traces of another time. The Eisenach - Bebra Magistrale as reflected in history. In: Railway history. December 25, 2007 / January 2008, ISSN  1611-6283 , pp. 10-25.
• Josef Högemann: The railway in the old district of Brilon. Railway history from the eastern Sauerland. Verlag Uhle & Kleimann, Lübbecke 1988, ISBN 3-922657-70-2 .
• FJ Pieler: The Ruhr valley. Journey on the Ruhr Valley Railway. With excursions in the area. Unchanged reprint of the edition from 1881, 2nd improved and completed edition. Stein, Werl 1983, ISBN 3-920980-13-1 .
• Christoph Riedel: Railway in the Sauerland. Rail routes between the Ruhr and Sieg. GeraMond-Verlag, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-932785-22-3 , p. 51 ff.
• Roland Wirtz: The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway Hagen - Warburg and its branches. In: Eisenbahn-Revue International . Issue 3, 2002, ISSN  1421-2811 , pp. 122-124.
• Martin and Stephan Zöllner, Heinz Rüschenbaum: The upper Ruhr Valley Railway and its branch lines 1990-2000 . Podszun, Brilon 2002, ISBN 978-3-86133-296-1 .
• Bernd Franco Hoffmann: The Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn. Through the valleys of Wupper, Ruhr and Volme. Sutton-Verlag, Erfurt, 2015, ISBN 978-3-95400-580-2 .
• Heinz Schomann : Railway in Hessen . Railway buildings and routes 1839–1939. In: State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen (Ed.): Cultural monuments in Hessen. Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany . Three volumes in a slipcase. tape 2.1 . Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8062-1917-6 , p. 102 ff . (Route 006).
• Heinz Schomann : Railway in Hessen . Railway buildings and routes 1839–1939. In: State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen (Ed.): Cultural monuments in Hessen. Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany . Three volumes in a slipcase. tape 2.1 . Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-8062-1917-6 , p. 133 ff . (Route 009).

Web links

Commons : Ruhrtalbahn  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Description of all locations on this themed route as part of the Route of Industrial Culture
• Description of the route 2550 (Schwerte ↔ Warburg) in the NRWbahnarchiv by André Joost
• Corrections to the economy in timetables. Local and long-distance traffic on NRW rails Committee report State Parliament internal, Volume 29, Issue 16 of October 27, 1998, p. 7 (PDF; 1.2 MiB)
• Local traffic plan Westphalia-Lippe. (PDF; 58.85 MiB) In: nwl-info.de. Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe , 2011, pp. 266–270 , accessed on May 20, 2017 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ DB Netze - Infrastructure Register
2. ↑ Railway Atlas Germany . 9th edition. Schweers + Wall, Aachen 2014, ISBN 978-3-89494-145-1 .
3. ↑ Kursbuch 2003 D 2641, D 2640
4. ↑ Waldeck: The development of the Bergisch-Märkischen railways . In: Archives for railways . No. 3-5 , 1910, ZDB -ID 211393-4 , p. 125, 139 (special reprint).
5. ^ Werner Bühner: Bombs on Arnsberg: 1940-1945 . Becker, Arnsberg 1995, ISBN 3-930264-04-8 . (Urban history series of publications on the city of Arnsberg 21)
6. ↑ Sauerlandkurier June 1, 2014
7. ↑ Information and pictures about the tunnels on route 2550 on eisenbahn-tunnelportale.de by Lothar Brill
8. ↑ ^{a b} BT-Drs. 17/14318 Status of important transport projects for North Rhine-Westphalia (PDF; 411 KiB)
9. ↑ Use of the DB network for feeding in / passing through wind power. Hochsauerlandkreis, October 8, 2014, accessed on November 6, 2014 (submission by the administration for the Committee on Economy, Structure and Tourism on October 20, 2014; printed matter No. 9/73). 
10. ↑ Lorenz Redicker: New trains in the Sauerland network will not run until the end of 2019. In: Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung . March 30, 2017, accessed on March 31, 2017 (article no longer available free of charge). 
11. ↑ With 160 things through the Sauerland? Economy in southeastern Westphalia, 1993, accessed on July 5, 2016 (University Library Center of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia). 
12. ↑ Review of the requirement plan for federal railways: Final report November 2010. (PDF; 36.6 MiB) (No longer available online.) November 29, 2010, p. 731 , formerly in the original ; Retrieved February 10, 2013 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
13. ↑ New station price system charges the ZRL with 2.3 million euros annually: Infrastructure expansion in the region is at risk. Zweckverband Ruhr-Lippe, December 20, 2010, accessed on February 10, 2013 (press release). 
14. ↑ BT-Drs. 17/14318 Status of important transport projects for North Rhine-Westphalia (PDF; 411 KiB)
15. ↑ ^{a b} 36th Association Assembly, Item 3, registrations of the NWL for the public transport requirement plan of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. (ZIP; 16.9 MB) Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe, December 16, 2015, accessed on July 4, 2016 . 
16. ↑ Sven Steinke: NWL criticizes plans for single-track tunnel renovations on the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway. zughalt.de, August 31, 2012, accessed February 10, 2013 . 
17. ↑ PRO BAHN NRW demands: "No dismantling of valuable infrastructure on the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway". Pro Bahn passenger association, November 26, 2012, accessed on September 1, 2015 . 
18. ↑ Sven Steinke: DB Netz rejects double-track tunnel renovation on the upper Ruhr Valley Railway despite NWL funding. In: zughalt.de. April 1, 2015, accessed April 3, 2015 . 
19. ↑ Martin Korte: Four million euros more for the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway. In: Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung . September 1, 2015, accessed June 21, 2015 . 
20. ↑ ^{a b} Double-track renewal of the tunnels on the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway is secured. Press release. NWL, August 31, 2015, accessed September 1, 2015 . 
21. ↑ Upper Ruhr Valley Railway: Railway provides information about tunnel renewals - focus Arnsberg-Sundern-Meschede. In: blickpunkt-arnsberg-sundern-meschede.de. November 2, 2017, accessed May 5, 2019 . 
22. ^ Announcement Railway Affairs ; Planning approval procedure according to § 18 General Railway Act (AEG) for the project "Modification of the Elleringhauser Tunnel" between Brilon and Olsberg (HSK), route 2550, km 232.975 - 241.823, consultation procedure according to Section 73 VwVfG. In: Official Gazette of the City of Brilon / Hochsauerland. November 13, 2018, pp. 4–7 , accessed May 5, 2019 . 
23. ↑ discussion of tunnel and hotel plans in Brilon-Wald. In: radiosauerland.de. Radio Sauerland, July 23, 2020, accessed on August 2, 2020 . 
24. ↑ More electrically operated lines in OWL? The regional rail transport advisory board of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia recommends a number of expansion measures in the rail network. Pro Bahn NRW, January 9, 2014, accessed on December 29, 2015 . 
25. ↑ Local traffic plan Westphalia-Lippe. October 2011, p. 270 , accessed January 1, 2019 . 
26. ↑ Local transport plan 2017 to 2022. Märkischer Kreis, August 15, 2016, p. 28 , accessed on January 2, 2019 . 
27. ^ Resumption of passenger traffic in Meschede-Wennemen station. SPD (Meschede Local Association), Council Group, March 26, 2009, accessed on July 4, 2016 . 
28. ↑ List of German signal boxes. Retrieved November 8, 2014 . 
29. ↑ Kursbuch 1942/43, 6 (Krakau–) Breslau – Dresden – Leipzig – Halle (S) –Kassel – Cologne
30. ↑ ZRL 83rd Association Assembly Demand Development (Protocol Annex 2). June 24, 2014, accessed October 10, 2015 . 
31. ↑ DB travel information
32. ↑ Before operations start at the end of 2016: DB Regio NRW is developing a comprehensive replacement concept for the "New Sauerland Network". (No longer available online.) Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe, February 5, 2016, archived from the original on May 20, 2017 ; accessed on May 20, 2017 . 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.  
33. ↑ ZRL plans barrier-free expansion. (PDF) press release. Zweckverband Ruhr-Lippe, September 20, 2016, accessed on September 20, 2016 . 

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