Hürth-Kalscheuren – Ehrang railway line

Hürth-Kalscheuren-Ehrang
Route number (DB) :	2631
Course book section (DB) :	474
Route length:	163.5 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Route class :	D4
Top speed:	160 km / h
Dual track :	Hürth-Kalscheuren-Kall Nettersheim-Blankenheim (forest) Schmidtheim-Lissendorf Bewingen-Gerolstein Birresborn-Densborn Kordel-Ehrang
Legend from Köln Hbf 0.6 Hürth-Kalscheuren ( Inselbahnhof ) 60  m to Bonn Villebahn Hürth-Fischenich (planned) 75  m Cologne – Bonn foothills railway 5.2 Brühl-Kierberg (previously Bf) 95  m Mödrath-Liblar-Brühler Railway 11.4 Erftstadt (until 1990 Liblar) 130  m Strategic embankment to Rech Euskirchener Kreisbahnen Federal Highway 553 15.2 Bliesheim ( Bk ) Federal motorway 61 17.7 Weilerswist industrial trunk line ( Awanst ) 18.3 Weilerswist 122  m 23.8 Weilerswist-Derkum 148  m 25.8 Euskirchen-Großbüllesheim 151  m 27.6 Kleinbüllesheim (Bk) from Bonn Erft Valley Railway from Bad Münstereifel 30.1 Euskirchen 166  m Euskirchen West (planned) 166  m Bördebahn to Düren 32.5 Becker (Awanst) Connection curve from the Bördebahn 32.6 Euenheim (Abzw) 33.9 Wißkirchen (Bk) Federal motorway 1 37.5 Satzvey 217  m Euskirchener Kreisbahnen 40.5 Katzvey (Bk) 44.2 Mechernich 300  m 47.0 Mechernich garbage dump (Awanst) 47.2 Strempt (Bk) 47.4 Mechernich West (Awanst) 49.7 Scheven 51.1 Kaller Tunnel (472 m) Olef Valley Railway from Hellenthal 53.3 Call 377  m 55.0 Sötenich (Bk) 55.2 Sötenich lime works (Anst) 57.5 Urft (Steinfeld) 410  m 59.4 Gronrechtsmühle (Bk) 62.8 Nettersheim 452  m 66.4 Marmagen (Bk) 69.4 Blankenheim (forest) 495  m formerly to Ahrdorf 73.9 Schmidtheim 550  m 77.4 Dahlem (Eifel) 495  m 78, 0 Dahlem (Eifel) RWE (Anst) 79.5 State border North Rhine-Westphalia / Rhineland-Palatinate Abzw Glaadt to Weywertz 82.4 Jünkerath 435  m 86.4 Lissendorf (Hp Üst , formerly Bf) to Dümpelfeld 91.4 Oberbettingen - Hillesheim 96.2 Bewing formerly from Hillesheim from Daun 101.4 Gerolstein to Prüm 106.4 Gerolstein Basalt (Anst) 108.4 Birresborn 112.4 Mürlenbach 115.4 Densborn 117.4 Usch / Zendscheid 121.4 St. Thomas 124.4 Dechen Tunnel (181 m) 125.4 Kyllburg 125.7 Kyllburger Tunnel (218 m) Wilsecker Tunnel (1268 m) 131.4 Bitburg-Erdorf to Bitburg 133.3 Mettericher Tunnel (426 m) 135.4 Huettingen 139.2 Philippsheim 140.1 Philippsheimer Tunnel (268 m) 140.9 Friedrich Wilhelm Tunnel (333 m) 142.4 Storage 142.7 Loskyller Tunnel (294 m) 143.9 Heinzkyller Tunnel (201 m) 145.4 Auw on the Kyll 148.9 Ittel (Kyll) 149.1 Kyller Tunnel (138 m) 152.2 Daufenbach 157.5 cord 159.7 Ramstein Castle 160.8 Kuckuckslay tunnel (450 m) from Koblenz 163.5 Honor Ehrang Gbf to Trier Biewer (Strw, former Abzw ) after hedgehog Swell:

The Hürth-Kalscheuren – Ehrang line - often also called the Eifel line - is a non- electrified main line in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate from Hürth-Kalscheuren via Euskirchen , Kall and Gerolstein to Trier-Ehrang .

The line is mainly double-track north of Densborn and south of Kordel . Today it is used in local rail passenger transport with a connection via the left Rhine route to Cologne Messe / Deutz on the one hand and via the Moselle route to Trier main station on the other.

history

Opening date	Route section
0October 1, 1875	Kalscheuren – Euskirchen
June 27, 1865	Euskirchen – Mechernich
0September 1, 1867	Mechernich – Kall
June 19, 1868	Kall – Sötenich
November 15, 1870	Sötenich-Gerolstein
June 15, 1871	Gerolstein – Trier West

Kaiserbahnhof Brühl-Kierberg ( 19th century )

Blankenheim (Wald) station

Speicher station

The length of today's course book route 474 Cologne Messe / Deutz station - Trier main station is 173 kilometers, alternating one and two tracks. All signal box and signal forms can be found on the route . From the mechanical interlocking with wing signals to the electronic interlocking (ESTW) with Ks signals, everything is represented.

In 1864 the construction of the Eifelbahn began from Düren via Euskirchen and Gerolstein to Trier . On October 1, 1875, the Left Rhine route was connected from Euskirchen in Kalscheuren. Numerous bridges and tunnels on this route as well as u. a. the buildings of the Euskirchen , Weilerswist and the Kaiserbahnhof Kierberg were carried out by Hermann Schmalenbach . Derkum has a stop on the route in the Ottenheim district . When the railway line opened in 1871, there was no town in Ottenheim, only an estate of the same name .

Since October 1, 1875, the Eifel route has been passable from Cologne to Trier. At the beginning the Cologne – Kalscheuren section was built; it was finished in 1859. This was followed by the Euskirchen – Mechernich section , which went into operation in 1865. From there on to Kall (1867), to Sötenich (1868), to Gerolstein (1870), to Trier West (1871) and finally all of the way to Trier in 1875. The line was built on two tracks throughout.

Before the First World War , the Prussian railway administration planned to electrify the Eifel line as one of the first railway lines in Germany . But this failed due to the objection of the military because the route was too close to the German-French border . A connection between the Eifel line and the Bonn – Koblenz line near Sechtem was also planned, which could no longer be realized either.

Another planning concerned the Ruhr-Mosel route , also known as the Strategic Railway . It should cross the Cologne – Trier route in Liblar . It came from Neuß Mödrath and should Rheinbach the Ahr valley lead and both computing and in Bodensdorf in the Ahrtalbahn open out. Because of the Treaty of Versailles , construction was only continued on a single track until about 1930, after which the track material was dismantled. Railway stations were planned in Weilerswist-Metternich , near Am Blaue Stein , as well as in Wormersdorf and Ringen . The federal motorway 61 runs from Weilerswist to Ringen almost entirely on the former railway line.

From August 11, 1895 to December 31, 1965, the so-called Eifel route of the Euskirchen circular railways crossed the Cologne-Trier railroad in Satzvey .

Towards the end of the Second World War , the Kaller tunnel was destroyed and 13 bridges had to be rebuilt. Therefore, continuous train traffic could not begin until Christmas 1947. On the orders of the French occupying forces, the second track was largely dismantled in their zone of occupation shortly after the end of the war. The track material was brought to France. In the northern section (British zone), the second track remained almost the entire length, in the southern area the line was not expanded to double-track again. The space on the second track was given other uses in some places.

Rail accidents

As part of the repairs to the war damage, the Eifel line from Urft to Nettersheim was only expanded to a single track for 5.3 km. A 1.7 km long siding with the Gronrechtsmühle block post (GRM, km 59.4) enabled trains to overtake or meet. There were neither protective switches nor inductive train control (Indusi) as safety devices.

• On Sunday, November 27th, 1949, at around 1:30 a.m., the staff of the Dg 7823 through freight train going to Cologne overlooked the stop signal. The train weighed around 1,400 tons and was hauled by a class 44 locomotive. The train cut open the following switch and hit an oncoming freight train near the level crossing in Urft. This block train was loaded with coke from Alsdorf . It weighed around 1,800 tons and was pulled by two class 58 locomotives and pushed by one of the 50 series . A train driver of the block train was killed and the other train staff injured. The level crossing was cleared by Sunday lunchtime, and the railway line was opened to traffic again on Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, September 24, 1958, a class 23 steam locomotive from the Krefeld depot was on its way to Trier. The locomotive crew overlooked at least three stop signals and crashed into an oncoming passenger train at about 6 a.m. at km 60.8. It was the P 3515 early train from Jünkerath to Cologne, hauled by a class 38 steam locomotive . The locomotive staff and seven passengers were killed. Two of the approximately 25 travelers were seriously injured and five were slightly injured. The 23 staff was also killed.
• On Friday, June 1, 2018, a regional train drove into the early hours of the morning at the southern portal of the single-track Wilsecker tunnel at the tunnel exit against a scree slope and derailed . The rubble had been washed from the Wilsecker Bach onto the rails in front of the tunnel portal by a heavy thunderstorm during the night . According to press reports, the train was only occupied by the driver , who was not injured. Just a week later, on June 9, 2018, the same spot was buried again by a mudslide as a result of a strong thunderstorm. The train that had an accident on June 1 had already been recovered and parked in the Cologne-Deutzerfeld depot. Since the accident site is very remote, it was initially not possible to bring heavy equipment to clean up and to clear the interior of the tunnel, which was heavily buried, especially during the second thunderstorm. Therefore, the Deutsche Bahn had to close the line for an indefinite period and stop train operations between Kyllburg and Trier . Emergency operations were set up between Trier and Philippsheim and a direct connection between Trier and Kyllburg as a replacement rail service . After several delays, the route was not put back into operation until July 25, 2018.

Freight transport

The Eifel route is not electrified. The discussion that was held again both before the Second World War and in the 1970s was unsuccessful. On December 28, 2001, the last DB Cargo freight train ran on the Eifel route. Freight trains from the Ruhr area to the Saar or on to Lorraine travel the Rhine and Moselle route via Koblenz .

The regional freight traffic in the Eifel was then taken over by the non-federal railways EBM Cargo and the Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn Betriebsgesellschaft (VEB). DB Cargo initially transports the freight trains from Cologne-Gremberg to Euskirchen . From there the freight is distributed further. While DB Cargo takes over the operation of Weilerswist-Derkum and Euskirchen, Gerolstein and Bitburg-Erdorf are served by transfer freight trains. Initially, EBM Cargo was responsible for this in economic terms. Since the bankruptcy of EBM Cargo, the Vulkan-Eifel-Bahn (VEB) from Gerolstein has been responsible for the transfer freight trains. The largest cargo is long timber in block trains. The loading street in Blankenheim (Wald) has been regularly used by the VEB since 2012.

Since summer 2013, freight has no longer been handed over to DB Cargo in Euskirchen, but in Trier-Ehrang . The reason is the topography of the Eifel route. Since July 2, 2013, the newly created siding has been operated in Birresborn , from where track ballast is also transported in the direction of Trier-Ehrang.

As of 2020, freight traffic is rarely carried out by VEB from the loading points in Gerolstein and Blankenheim (Wald) for timber transport and the above-mentioned operation of the siding in Birresborn. Most of these go to Trier, since higher demands and costs would have to be made thanks to the inclines if you would travel via Euskirchen.

passenger traffic

In long- distance passenger rail traffic , the route was used by D-trains , which came from Saarbrücken from Trier either via the Eifelbahn or the Moselle route via Koblenz to Cologne , sometimes also to Münster (Westf) . After electrification of the Moselle route in 1974, there was a clear preference for the connection via Cochem . Most of the time, only express trains ran on the Eifelbahn . From 1982 onwards, due to the use of express train cars , they ran as surcharge-free D trains with four-digit train numbers.

In local rail passenger transport , the hourly service was introduced on the Eifelbahn in 1991 with a concentration north of Gerolstein and Jünkerath. There were also express trains or regional express connections between Cologne and Trier approximately every two hours . With the introduction of the Rhineland-Palatinate cycle, efforts were made to introduce a nationwide regional express train concept with tilting trains . Part of these plans was a line from Cologne to Saarbrücken via the Eifel and Saar railways. In 1996, the route was upgraded for arc-fast driving and instead of the RE trains Saarbrücken - Trier - Koblenz multiple units of the 611 series were to be extended from the Eifelbahn to Saarbrücken. A recall of the series due to technical problems on other routes delayed the commissioning of the line. The RE 20 line with the name Eifel-Saar-Express was introduced between Cologne and Saarbrücken in 1998 and connected the two cities every two hours in around three and a half hours. Due to defects in the vehicles, the Federal Railway Authority ordered the tilting technology to be switched off and the maximum speed to be reduced to 120 km / h a few months after the line was commissioned. The schedule on the partly single-track Eifel line got completely confused by this measure, which is why the line in the Trier – Saarbrücken section was discontinued and a modified schedule with longer travel times was introduced. Since then, RE trains from Saarbrücken have been running again to Koblenz with a connection in Trier to trains on the Eifel route to Cologne. Since the conventional trains could not reach the travel times of the tilting trains, the shorter travel time between Cologne and Saarbrücken through the Eifel could no longer be achieved. The two Regional Express lines missed each other in Trier by 20 minutes, although the arrival and departure times in Saarbrücken and Cologne remained the same. There were no further attempts to reintroduce the fast RE line, so the replacement concept was retained until the timetable change in December 2014.

With the introduction of the Rhineland-Palatinate cycle in 2015 for the timetable change in December 2014, the service concept on the Eifel route was rebuilt. The trains of the earlier RB 83 Trier – Gerolstein were connected with the trains of the RE 22 Gerolstein – Cologne line and now represent the basic hourly service of the line as the RE 22 line. Through infrastructure measures and the reduction of downtimes, the travel time could be reduced to such an extent that the line could be optimally integrated into the new connection node Trier at 30 minutes and the existing connection node in Euskirchen at the full hour. Line RE 12 was reduced to a few train pairs and received a new timetable.

vehicles

The class 39 and 01 steam locomotives dominated express train traffic until the 1970s , while all Prussian freight locomotives were used in freight traffic, including the heavy 44 locomotives during the Reichsbahn era . They were gradually displaced by class 50 and 86 steam locomotives . Class 23 locomotives were also used in local passenger transport from the 1950s .

After Prussian compartment wagons dominated local traffic until the 1950s, three- and four-axle conversion wagons prevailed. With the onset of dieselization of the line, class 211 and 216 locomotives were common. Also went from 1,964 to 1,980 railcars of series 624 of rail operations work Trier the route.

From the 1970s, the Prussian compartment cars were replaced by n-type cars with class 215 diesel locomotives . From 1997, class 611 railcars with tilting technology operated on the Eifel route . The railway had good experiences with the 610 series and the tilting technology, so it decided to hold on to it. Adtranz made a cheaper offer to build the 611 than a replacement for the 610 series. The railroad ordered 50 railcars. However, Adtranz and some suppliers were barely able to meet the delivery dates, so that the 611 series was handed over with almost no tests. So there were a series of delays and train cancellations on the Eifel route. Around 50% of the trains were delayed or had to be driven by replacement trains. So at the end of 1998 the 611 series was recalled.

From the end of 1998, the class 644 Talent railcars operated . The Trier – Cologne express trains were again run with n-car sets. In 2001, the 215 series was replaced by the 218 series , which, in traffic red paintwork, defined the image of the regional trains on the Eifel route alongside the 644 series diesel multiple units until 2009. During this time, individual trains were driven with class 612 and 628 railcars . Since the timetable change in December 2009, series 218 operations have also ended. Instead, class 628 railcars were now in service. In December 2011, class 612 operations ended.

From December 2013, LINT 54 railcars should be used. Due to considerable delays as a result of numerous manufacturing defects in the software and the reliability of the function of the steps, the introduction was only gradually introduced in the second half of 2014. Since the timetable change in December 2015, only LINT 54 and LINT 81 have been used on the entire route .

The contemporary wagons were used for express train services. The DRG types were changed very early on to the DB standard cars of the UIC type .

• 

  Class 628 as Eifel-Express (RE 12) in Kall (2011)

• 

  Class 644 in Euskirchen (2006)

• 

  Eifel-Mosel-Express with class 612 in Kall (2007)

• 

  Eifel-Mosel-Express with class 218 in Kall (2006)

• 

  LINT 81 in Cologne West (2014)

service

Regional train on the Eifel route, south of Nettersheim (2015)

On the Eifel route, only local rail passenger transport is currently offered between Cologne Messe / Deutz and Trier Hauptbahnhof. According to the last tender (for operation since the timetable change in December 2013), passenger transport is operated exclusively by DB Regio NRW as part of the vareo network . The offer was reorganized.

The RE 22 (Eifel Express) runs every hour between Cologne and Trier, between Gerolstein and Trier as the RB 22, and stops at all subway stations from Kall. The RB 24 (Eifel-Bahn) compresses every hour between Cologne and Kall, in rush hour to Gerolstein. The amplifier trains of the previous RB 83 (Eifel-Bahn) (Jünkerath -) Gerolstein - Trier now also operate as the RB 22. Due to the shortened platforms , LINT 54 and diesel multiple units of the 644 series cannot be used in double traction in the section from Gerolstein to Ehrang Stop at all stations or the rear part of the train must remain in Gerolstein.

Three so-called Sprinter trains on the RE 12 (Eifel-Mosel-Express) Cologne - Euskirchen - Gerolstein - Trier line remain as fast trains , so that the journey time is increased on average.

In order to better connect Trier to the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region , there are plans to connect the continuous connections from Trier-Cologne to Lüdenscheid .

Tariff

The tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg (VRS) applies to public transport on the Eifelbahn from Cologne to Gerolstein, and the NRW tariff applies to flat -rate tickets . From Jünkerath to Trier, the tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT) applies, so both network tariffs apply between Jünkerath and Gerolstein. The Rhineland-Palatinate ticket is also valid on the Rhineland-Palatinate section between Jünkerath and Trier .

reliability

The average delay of the RE 12 in 2015 was 2.5 minutes per trip. This makes the RE 12 the only Regional Express line whose punctuality has improved compared to the previous year.

The average delay of the RE 22, on the other hand, increased in 2015 compared to the previous year from 2.0 minutes to 2.6 minutes per trip. The average delay of the RB 24 also increased in 2015 compared to the previous year from 2.2 minutes to 3.0 minutes per trip. This made the RB 24 the regional train line with the highest average delay in the Rhineland local transport association in 2015.

In order to improve the reliability on the last two lines mentioned, nine two-part railcars are being extended by a further middle section on behalf of the Rhineland Local Transport Authority (NVR) . This extends the train by 27 meters and provides 120 additional seats. This conversion is being financed by the NVR through contract payments to DB Regio NRW that were withheld in 2014 due to the lack of punctuality . This measure is intended to increase punctuality through faster passenger changes at stops on the way.

expansion

The state government of Rhineland-Palatinate has registered the double-track expansion of the line and the simultaneous electrification for the 2015 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. However, the project was not accepted.

In August 2018, however, the SPNV Nord regional association responsible for the Rhineland-Palatinate part of the route again spoke out in favor of electrifying the entire route.

In November 2019, the Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland (NVR) presented a feasibility study on electrification and the expansion of services in the Cologne – Kall section. With the help of the infrastructure expansion, an S-Bahn line is to be built to Kall every 20 minutes. The S-Bahn is supplemented by the two hourly Regional Express lines RE 12 and RE 22. As part of a cost-benefit study, two planned cases were assessed, which are based on the concept of the RE lines, the expansion of the Schmidtheim and distinguish an additional stop in Euskirchen West. The planned case, which does not provide for an additional stop in Euskirchen West and waives the stops on the Regional Express lines in Weilerswist and Mechernich, achieved the highest economic benefit with a benefit-cost indicator of 2.8. The RE 22 line will be accelerated by 11 minutes compared to today's timetable. The travel time of the S-Bahn between Cologne and Kall is reduced by three minutes compared to the RB 24, although five additional stops are served. The measure will gain 6,800 additional passengers for local public transport. For the infrastructure expansion, costs of 100 million euros are calculated.

The regional rail passenger transport association Rhineland-Palatinate North (SPNV Nord) is preparing to commission a study on the Eifel route in the Kall – Trier area. With the help of the study, a target concept for the Rhineland-Palatinate cycle 2030 should be developed. For this purpose, necessary infrastructure adjustments and operational concepts with consideration of low-emission drive technologies are to be evaluated. The regional association SPNV Nord had already introduced a draft timetable into the target timetable for the 2030 Germany cycle, which provides for shorter travel times between Gerolstein and Trier Hbf for lines RE 12 and RE 22. As a result, the two-hour line RE 12 will receive short connections in Trier to the RE lines to Saarbrücken and Luxembourg. These connections are missed by a few minutes in the current timetable concept.

According to a feasibility study by the NVR , the electrification of the Eifel route, at least on the section to Kall, is economical. New stops are to be set up, including Hürth-Fischenich and Euskirchen West . A statement about the possible overall electrification of the route can be made after a joint traffic report with Rhineland-Palatinate has been drawn up.

Route description

North Rhine-Westphalia

Hürth-Kalscheuren station

Platforms on the left Rhine route in the direction of Cologne

→ Main article : Hürth-Kalscheuren train station

In 1844, the Hürth-Kalscheuren station was built and put into operation at route km 0.7. In 1859 a reception building was added on the western, Hermülheimer side. Nearby was the Kalscheuren farm with 52 residents. The station building consisted of one parallel and two across the track. The station building, built in 1859, was demolished in 1961. The station with station category 4 has since been located as an island station at the junction of the Eifel route from the left Rhine route . Today the station is located on the eastern edge of Hürth in the Kalscheuren district in the Rhein-Erft district . The TV studios of the private television stations RTL and ProSiebenSat.1 Mediengruppe are now in the immediate vicinity of the station . The Contertainerterminal of the Cologne Eifeltor freight yard is located directly north of the train station .

Brühl-Kierberg station

former, listed reception building

→ Main article : Brühl-Kierberg train station

Former kierberg station in Brühl district Kierberg today is a breakpoint . The station was specially built for the Prussian emperor and put into operation in 1875. It is located at the route kilometer 5.2 and belongs to station category 5.

The reception building of the former " Kaiserbahnhof " has served as a restaurant since the 1980s . The stop was last modernized from December 2006 to March 13, 2008. A central platform was built.

Erftstadt station

Erftstadt station (2011)

→ Main article : Erftstadt train station

In 1874 the Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft built the Liblar station at 11.4 km. As a result of coal mining and briquette production, the Liblar station also developed into a large freight station with over seventy tracks, seven signal boxes , a repair shop with its own depot and two water towers until 1930 . The station had because he was two reception building traffic junction of three rail lines: the Eifel track, the railway Mödrath-Liblar , the Erft range of EKB and never completed strategic path . With the coaling of the opencast mines, the Liblar station lost its importance. It was massively dismantled, adapted to the new requirements in 1984 and renamed Erftstadt station in 1990 . It is assigned to station category 4.

Weilerswist station

Weilerswist station (2015)

The station was built in 1874 together with a reception building at route kilometer 18.3 and in 1875, like the other stations, it was put into operation. The building, which is now a listed building, was built by Hermann Schmalenbach . Today it is a restaurant.

By the end of 2016, Weilerswist had been converted into a stopping point, all points and form signals were dismantled and replaced by one block signal for each direction. Today's Weilerswist stop is classified in station category 6. In October 2017, an abandoned station keeper's house burned down on the route.

Weilerswist-Derkum station

Derkum Railway Station (2007)

The Derkum stop was opened in 1875 and built at kilometer 23.8. This was done parallel to the plans for the Weilerswist train station by Hermann Schmalenbach , which explains the similarity between the two houses. It is noteworthy that the breakpoint is in the Ottenheim district of Weilerswist, not in Derkum itself. When it was built, there was only one property of the same name . The station building is a listed building.

The Weilerswist-Derkum stop is classified in station category 6 and is only served by the RB 24 (Eifel-Bahn) every hour. Derkum has three tracks and the Procter & Gamble alternative junction is operated from the passing track. The station has been remote-controlled from Estw Euskirchen since the end of 2016.

Euskirchen-Großbüllesheim stop

Großbüllesheim stop (2007)

The stop of the same name is located in Großbüllesheim at kilometer 25.8. The breakpoint was only built together with the station building from 1914 to 1917 and never had the status of a train station. It is only served by the regional train line RB 24.

The reception building is now privately owned. Until 1981 there was the Kleinbüllesheim block post at km 27.6.

Euskirchen station

Station at night, condition before modernization (2006)

→ Main article : Euskirchen train station

Euskirchen station is a junction of several railway lines in the region, built in 1846 . The station , designed as a through station, now has five platform tracks, on which the trains of the Eifel line (Cologne – Euskirchen – Trier) , Voreifelbahn , Erfttalbahn and the Bördebahn run. The station is located on route kilometer 30.0 of the Eifel route and belongs to station category 3. Euskirchen station has been expanded, expanded and rebuilt several times since its construction (especially after the Second World War), but the lines have never been electrified. The railway system housed a water tower , goods and locomotive sheds , a turntable and five signal boxes . Until 1977 there was the Wißkirchen block post at kilometer 32.9 .

Satzvey station

Satzvey station (2007): A frequent photo subject

Satzvey station went into operation in 1865 when the line opened. It is located at 37.5 km. From August 11, 1895 to December 31, 1965, the so-called Eifel line of the Euskirchener Kreisbahnen ran through Satzvey , where the Eifelbahn Cologne - Trier crossed at the same height.

The station building is still used today by DB Netz AG , but it belongs to a private owner. The station still has the old shape and wing signals and thus a mechanical signal box . There is an intact waiting room and a former loading ramp on the disused platform 3.

In addition, from 1944 to 1984, the Katzvey block station was located at Satzvey at kilometer 40.5.

Mechernich station

Mechernich station (2017)

Mechernich station went into operation in 1865 with the opening of the line between Euskirchen and Mechernich, until the section to Kall went into operation two years later, it served temporarily as a terminus. It is located at route kilometer 44.1 and belongs to station category 5. The signal box Mf (Mechernich dispatcher) is still in operation today. A restaurant was temporarily housed in the reception building. In 2010 the old station building was torn down and replaced by a new building. In December 2014, the railway line was tunneled under for a car and a pedestrian underpass directly in front of and behind the station. Mechernich still has the Strempt block at kilometer 47.2 and a junction to the landfill at 47.1 kilometer point.

Scheven stop

Eifelbahn stop at Scheven (2007)

The Scheven stop was built in 1905 at kilometer 49.7. It has two tracks and a station building, which is still owned by Deutsche Bahn today. The breakpoint also functions as a block point.

Kall station

Reception building of Kall train station (2007)

The wedge station Kall was built in 1867, is located at route kilometer 53.3 and is assigned to station category 5. Since a renovation in 2009, it has also been home to an RVK customer center with an information center on the Eifel National Park .

The Kaller Tunnel is located northeast of the Kall train station . At the Kaller Bahnhof, the Oleftalbahn branches off at an acute angle to Hellenthal, which today is only used by museum railways and individual freight trains. In addition, Kall is the end point of the regional train line RB 24 from Cologne. From here to Nettersheim, the Eifel line is single-track.

Urft stop

Entrance building of the Urft train station (Steinfeld) (2007)

The Urft (Steinfeld) stop was built in 1875 at km 57.5. The station is characterized by a station building owned by Deutsche Bahn, form signals and the function of a block.

At Sötenich at kilometer 55 there was another block post until 1973 . Urft still has a junction at kilometer 55.2 to the Sötenich lime works.

Nettersheim station

Regional train in Nettersheim station (2015)

The Nettersheim train station is located in the center of town, was built in 1875 at km 62.8 and put into operation. He has the station category 6.

On March 26, 2010 the mechanical interlocking was closed due to rationalization and the electronic interlocking in Gerolstein, which was built in January 2006, was connected.

Until 1944, the Marmagen block was located at kilometer 66.4 .

Blankenheim (Wald) station

The Blankenheim (Wald) station is located at kilometer 69.4 and was built in 1875. It has the station category 6 because the railway line to Ahrdorf used to branch off from here . Since the closure of this line, the only train station in the municipality is now away from the main town on the Eifel line. The train stations in Dahlem (Eifel) , Nettersheim and Schmidtheim are controlled by the ESTW Blankenheim (Wald) .

Schmidtheim station

Stop at Dahlem (Eifel) (2007)

Like many train stations and stops on the Eifel line, Schmidtheim train station was built and put into operation in 1875. It is at route kilometers 73.9 and has the station category 6. Schmidtheim station is 570  m above sea level. NHN the highest train station in North Rhine-Westphalia .

Dahlem stop (Eifel)

The Dahlem (Eifel) stop was only set up in 1925 at kilometer 77.4. It is a class 6 train station and is served by the RE 22 regional express line every two hours. Trains have been stopping here every hour since December 2013. It is the last stop before the national border.

Rhineland-Palatinate

Jünkerath station

Jünkerath Railway Museum

→ Main article : Jünkerath train station

The Jünkerath station was put into operation in November 1870 at kilometer 82.4. This is where the disused and now dismantled Vennquerbahn branches off via Losheim to Malmedy, Belgium . It is the first station on the Eifel line in Rhineland-Palatinate .

The railway line of the Vennquerbahn is now a hiking and cycling route with a connection to the Vennbahn line and the German cycle path network.

Lissendorf train station

The Lissendorf station was put into operation in November 1870 at route kilometer 86.4. This is where the former “middle Ahr valley railway ” branched off from Jünkerath - Lissendorf - Hillesheim - Ahrdorf - Dümpelfeld . From here, the Eifel line is single-track again.

After massive demolitions and line closures, it was downgraded to a stopping point and crossing point. In Lissendorf there is an old signal box that is under monument protection.

Another important point is the commissioning of the ESTW Lissendorf. The concrete container was built in Lissendorf and it is controlled from Gerolstein. In Gerolstein, a Lorenz Sp Dr L30 track plan pushbutton interlocking is used as the technology for the train station and Birresborn . The section between Gerolstein and Jünkerath has been controlled by the ESTW since it was commissioned on January 29, 2006. Ks signals can be found in this section .

Behind Lissendorf you will pass Bewingen, whose train station has been abandoned, and Pelm with the train station on the Eifelquerbahn and the famous Kasselburg. Shortly before Bewingen, the line becomes double-tracked again, after Gerolstein it continues to be single-track.

Oberbettingen-Hillesheim station

The Oberbettingen-Hillesheim station went into operation in November 1870 at km 91.4. The Middle Ahr Valley Railway, opened in 1912 and closed in 1973, branched off at this station .

During the Second World War , the station was almost destroyed by massive air raids. The war damage was largely repaired in 1946. Only the arched viaduct of the Hillesheim – Gerolstein railway line, which was blown up when the Wehrmacht withdrew in 1945, was not repaired.

In 1973 the passenger and goods traffic to Dümpelfeld and 1982 to Lissendorf was stopped. Shortly afterwards, the two lines were dismantled. Today a bike path runs partly on the embankment in the direction of Niederehe .

Gerolstein train station

Gerolstein station (2008)

→ Main article : Gerolstein train station

Gerolstein station was put into operation in November 1870 at route kilometer 101.4. The city is one of the most important junctions on the Eifel route, and a large number of trains start and end here. To the north, the Eifelquerbahn , which had been closed down to Kaisersesch , branches off via Daun and Kaisersesch to Andernach (course book route 478); the disused Westeifelbahn also began here , which formerly ran via Prüm to Sankt Vith and branched off at the Pronsfeld railway junction to Waxweiler and Neuerburg . We aim to reactivate them.

The basalt works of the Rhenish Provincial Basalt Works are located between Gerolstein and Birresborn, the second hot spring town on the Eifel route. A class 323 (Köf II) small locomotive is kept here for shunting the irregularly arriving freight cars. From the formerly important Gerolstein depot are u. a. Roundhouse and turntable received ready for use.

Railway stations and stops from Birresborn to Kyllburg

East portal of the Kyllburger Tunnel (2003)

The Birresborn , Mürlenbach , Densborn , Usch - Zendscheid , St. Thomas and Kyllburg stations have been located at the route kilometers 108.4 / 112.4 / 115.4 / 117.4 / 121.4 / 125.4 since June 1871.

The line is double-tracked between Birresborn and Densborn. Between these two places lies Mürlenbach, where the Bertradaburg , allegedly the birthplace of Charlemagne , is to be found. From Densborn, the Eifel line runs on a single track along the Kyll. This is also the most winding section of the Eifel route. After Densborn, you pass the Usch-Zendscheid stop and then St. Thomas.

There are three tunnels on this section:

The 181-meter-long Dechen tunnel , one of the shortest on the Eifel route, is located at route kilometer 124.4 near the St. Thomas stop . Unfortunately, the two photogenic portals, some of which still have bullet holes from the Second World War, are only partially suitable as a photo motif, as they are covered by a wooden fence that separates the bike path from the tracks. The Kylltal cycle path leads through the tunnel , which is why the tunnel is illuminated inside during the day. The paved path takes the place of the former second track.

North portal of the Wilsecker tunnel (2008)

After the Kyllburg stop, the 218 meter long Kyllburger Tunnel follows at kilometer 125.7, which passes under Kyllburg (the smallest town in Rhineland-Palatinate). The structure offers many photo opportunities, especially at the eastern tunnel exit. The west portal is rather inconspicuous. It is located near an old railway house and can also be used as a photo motif.

At 1268 meters, the longest tunnel on the Eifel route is the Wilsecker tunnel between Kyllburg and Bitburg-Erdorf . It is difficult to reach and, from the tunnel portals, offers rather few motifs.

Bitburg-Erdorf station

Railway station in Bitburg-Erdorf

→ Main article : Bitburg-Erdorf train station

Bitburg-Erdorf station was put into operation in June 1871 at kilometer 131.4. There the Nims-Sauertalbahn runs via Bitburg (city) and Irrel to Igel .

The branch line was built in 1910 as a single-track line and after the decline in passenger and freight traffic in the 1960s , sections were shut down and dismantled. Passenger traffic in Bitburg (city) station was discontinued in 1970. The last section Wolsfeld - Bitburg followed in 1997. Since the cessation of the malt transports to the local brewery in 2004, there has been no more regular freight traffic on the remaining six kilometers long Bitburg-Erdorf - Bitburg Stadt. The electricity grid operator Amprion has since bought the line, renovated it and occasionally uses it for transformer transports to the substation in Niederstedem. The transformers are reloaded onto special trucks at the end of the remaining line in Bitburg-Stadt, which is why Bitburg station still has several tracks. Occasionally, Bitburg-Stadt is approached by rail buses as part of special trips.

Train stations and stops from Hüttingen to Speicher

Speicher station

The Hüttingen , Philippsheim and Speicher stops were put into operation in June 1871 at the route kilometers 135.4 / 139.2 / 142.4.

The 426-meter-long Mettericher Tunnel is located at kilometer 133.3 , which leads under the village of the same name located on a mountain. Both tunnel exits are difficult to photograph, the north portal is difficult to reach, the south portal is only approx. 10 m away from a bridge of the B50 over the Eifel route.

Two more tunnels follow behind Philippsheim train station: the 268 meter long Philippsheim tunnel at kilometer 140.1 . Unfortunately, the northern tunnel portal of the Philippsheim tunnel is difficult to reach. It is a specialty with the stone owl sitting above the tunnel portal, this figure is about three meters high. In contrast, the south portal, which can be found near the Speicherer Mühle, does not look so photogenic, but is all the easier to reach.

The Friedrich Wilhelm Tunnel is reached only a few hundred meters after leaving the Philippsheimer Tunnel . It is located at km 140.9 and has a length of 333 meters. The north portal is to be photographed from the same place as the south portal of the Philippsheim tunnel. The south portal of the Friedrich Wilhelm Tunnel offers an even better motif. In addition to the interesting construction, the Kyll Bridge directly following is particularly interesting for a motif.

Behind Speicher at route kilometer 142.7 follows the 294 meter long Loskyller tunnel . Like all other tunnels on the Eifel route, this tunnel also has space for a second track. But it is only crossed by one track. The north portal is relatively easy to reach and offers a nice photo opportunity. The south portal is also beautifully designed, but because of the road bridge that directly spans the portal, there are hardly any photo opportunities.

About halfway between Speicher and Auw an der Kyll is the 202 m long Heinzkyller tunnel at kilometer 143.9. While the south portal is still difficult to access, the north portal is almost inaccessible. The southern portal is also more photogenic than the northern one.

Auw an der Kyll station

Auw an der Kyll station: former reception, signal box and auxiliary building

The Auw an der Kyll station was put into operation at route kilometer 145.4 in June 1871. Its reception building was built in 1870 and is now a listed building . A neighboring building served as a toilet and stable and is located between the river Kyll and the railway line on the other side of the track, accessible through a level crossing until 1985 . A special feature of the station's reception building is a single-storey extension for a signal box. After the building was abandoned in 1985 by the Deutsche Bundesbahn , it slowly fell into disrepair. At the end of the 1990s , the buildings were gutted, renovated and have been used as single-family homes ever since. Between Philippsheim and Daufenbach is the section with the most engineering structures, such as bridges and tunnels.

Train stations and stops from Ittel (Kyll) to Kuckuckslay

Bike path in the Kyller Tunnel

The Ittel (Kyll) stop, built in 1870 and put into operation in June 1871, is located at kilometer 148.9 . The Kyller tunnel with a length of 138 meters follows 200 meters further between Auw an der Kyll and Daufenbach . It is the shortest of the Eifel tunnels. The portals are not as worth seeing as those of the other tunnels. Here, too, there is a cycle path separated by wooden walls ( Kylltal cycle path ) next to the track .

In June 1871, the Daufenbach, Kordel and Ramstein Castle stops were put into operation at route kilometers 152.2 / 157.5 / 159.7 . The Ittel and Burg Ramstein stations are currently out of order.

The 450-meter-long, double-track Kuckuckslay tunnel , the last tunnel on the Eifel route between Kordel and Trier-Ehrang, is located at kilometer 160.8 . From Kordel the route runs on two tracks.

Ehrang train station

former Ehrang depot (1996); the last remains were demolished in 2011

→ Main article : Ehrang train station

Ehrang station was built in 1870 at kilometer 163.5 and put into operation in June 1871. At this railway junction, the Eifel route joins the Moselle route . A former marshalling yard is located here , some of which is still used by Deutsche Bahn AG as a freight yard .

The approximately 250 m long Trier-Pfalzel railway bridge is located between Trier main train station and Trier-Pfalzel train station . It is supported by three pillars. In addition to the two main tracks, a footpath and bike path runs over the bridge. In addition to trains on the Eifel route, trains to the Moselle and freight trains from the Saar region, Luxembourg and France , which reach the Ehranger marshalling yard shortly after the bridge, also cross this bridge.

Monument protection

In Rhineland-Palatinate parts are the Eifel track as a cultural monument under monument protection .

In the city of Trier , the Ehrang train station including the outbuildings and the water tower are listed as a cultural monument, in the Trier-Saarburg district the train station and the railway settlement in Kordel are listed. Protected in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm are the train stations Auw an der Kyll, Bitburg-Erdorf, Kyllburg, Philippsheim and Speicher, the Dechentunnel, the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Tunnel, the Kyllburger Tunnel, the Kyller Tunnel, the Loskyller Tunnel, the Mettericher Tunnel, the Philippsheim tunnel and the Wilsecker tunnel each with their north and south portals, the south portal of the Heinzkyller tunnel, the signal box between route kilometers 132 and 133 and the railroad keeper's houses in Auw an der Kyll and Philippsheim, opposite Wellkyll, at the north portal of the Loskyller Tunnel and at the north portal of the Wilsecker tunnel. Protected objects in the neighboring Vulkaneifel district are the Gerolstein depot , the stations in Densborn, Gerolstein, Jünkerath, Oberbettingen-Hillesheim and Stadtkyll and the Lf signal box in Lissendorf.

gallery

• 

  Weilerswist station, now a listed building

• 

  Großbüllesheim stop

• 

  Satzvey train station: A frequent photo subject

• 

  Old train station in Mechernich

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  Eifelbahn stop at Scheven

• 

  The reception building of the Kall train station

literature

• Udo Kandler: The Eifelbahn Cologne - Trier and its branch lines. Hermann Merker Verlag, Fürstenfeldbruck 1990 ( Eisenbahn-Journal. Special edition II / 90, ISSN  0720-051X )
• Rhein-Sieg Railway Club V. (Ed.): Eifelhauptbahn Cologne - Trier. Eisenbahnclub Rhein-Sieg eV, Siegburg 1996 ( Series of publications Eisenbahnverkehr Rhein-Sieg 9, ZDB -ID 1360744-3 )

Web links

Commons : Eifelbahn  - collection of images

• Description of route 2631 (NRW part) in the NRWbahnArchiv by André Joost
• eifelbahn.de - Information on railways in the Eifel
• Map / aerial photo of the Eifel route

Individual evidence

1. ↑ DB Netze - Infrastructure Register
2. ↑ Railway Atlas Germany . 9th edition. Schweers + Wall, Aachen 2014, ISBN 978-3-89494-145-1 .
3. ↑ Route realization . Retrieved September 25, 2017 . 
4. ↑ Block office GRM. Retrieved September 25, 2017 . 
5. ↑ FA Heinen The railway accidents in the Urft valley in 1949 and 1958, p. 113 ff, 2017 annual issue of the Geschichtsforum Schleiden e. V., http://gf-sle.de/
6. ↑ FA Heinen Urft 1949 p. 97 ff in the 2017 annual issue of the Geschichtsforum Schleiden e. V., http://gf-sle.de/
7. ↑ FA Heinen Unfall Rosental p. 102 ff, annual issue 2017 of the Geschichtsforum Schleiden e. V., http://gf-sle.de/
8. ↑ Train accident: regional train derailed on the Eifel line , Kölner Stadtanzeiger from June 1, 2018
9. ↑ The Eifel is sinking in the floods (photos / videos) , Trierischer Volksfreund, June 10, 2018
10. ↑ Replacement timetable ( Memento from July 18, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
11. ↑ Light at the end of the tunnel - soon there will be trains again on the Eifel line , Trierischer Volksfreund, July 15, 2018
12. ↑ Eifel route free again from July 25 , Verkehrsverbund Region Trier (VRT), accessed August 2, 2018
13. ^ Communication from VEB dated July 8, 2013
14. ↑ Press release ÖPNV Eifelregion ( Memento from March 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
15. ^ Cologne diesel network: New trains will be used in the second half of the year. Manufacturer Alstom is working flat out to correct defects. Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg , accessed on May 2, 2014 . 
16. ↑ www.bahn.de/vareo
17. ↑ Redesign of the Boppard-Bad Salzig train stop to make it suitable for the disabled; Status report and cost development. (PDF) Free Voting Group Boppard eV, accessed on April 14, 2015 . 
18. ↑ Bahn-Report 3/2014, p. 52 ff.
19. ↑ DB Regio Rheinland becomes the new operator of the Cologne diesel network
20. ↑ Electromobility: No electricity for the Eifel route. Retrieved March 22, 2018 . 
21. ↑ ^{a b c} Punctuality in SPNV 2015. (PDF) Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland, accessed on April 8, 2016 . 
22. ↑ Additional capacities for the vareo network: converted railcars offer more space during rush hour. Local traffic association Rhineland, accessed on April 8, 2016 . 
23. ↑ Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2015 ( Memento of April 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF)
24. ↑ Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 resolution. (PDF) (No longer available online.) BMVI, archived from the original on August 3, 2016 ; accessed on September 6, 2016 . 
25. ↑ Trains on the Eifel route are to run on electricity instead of diesel in the future . In: Trierischer Volksfreund . August 8, 2018 ( volksfreund.de ).
26. ↑ Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland, 18th meeting of the main committee, item 7.9: Feasibility studies, feasibility study electrification Eifel route Hürth-Kalscheuren - Kall, November 15, 2019
27. ^ SPNV Nord, 62nd Association Assembly, Item 8, Report on Rail Infrastructure Measures, page 21, Commissioning of the Eifel route study in preparation, November 26, 2019
28. ↑ Federal Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Target timetable Germany-Takt, Second Guatachter draft, Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland, May 7, 2019
29. ↑ Eifel route under power , WDR from November 18, 2019, accessed on March 11, 2020
30. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} 2017 station category list (PDF; 343 KiB) DB Station & Service AG , December 16, 2016, accessed on May 24, 2017 . 
31. ^ Bernhard Romanowski: Renovation: the station mutated into a track passage . In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . ( ksta.de [accessed on July 8, 2018]).
32. ↑ Günter Hochgürtel: Major project: Railway underpass in Mechernich is about to open . In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger . ( ksta.de [accessed on July 8, 2018]).
33. ^ Trier region. In: deutsche-kleinloks.de. September 21, 2008, accessed April 22, 2016 . 
34. ↑ Information and pictures about the tunnels on route 2631 on eisenbahn-tunnelportale.de by Lothar Brill
35. ^ General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Informational directory of cultural monuments - district-free city of Trier. Mainz 2019, p. 47 (PDF; 4.9 MB).
36. ^ General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Informational directory of cultural monuments - District of Trier-Saarburg. Mainz 2020, p. 28 f. (PDF; 6.5 MB).
37. ^ General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Informational directory of cultural monuments - Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm. Mainz 2018, p. 130 (PDF; 4.4 MB).
38. ↑ General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Informational directory of cultural monuments - Vulkaneifel district. Mainz 2020, p. 35 (PDF; 4.6 MB).