Euregiobahn

RB 20 eu regio ground

Course book section (DB) :

482

Top speed:

120 km / h

Traffic Company:

DB Regio

State (D):

North Rhine-Westphalia

Train run

Legend

		Stolberg (Rheinl) central station	RE
		Merzbrück (planned)
		Eschweiler-St. Jöris
		Alsdorf-Poststrasse
		Alsdorf-Mariadorf
		Alsdorf-Kellersberg
		Alsdorf- Annapark
		Alsdorf- Busch
		Herzogenrath August-Schmidt-Platz
		Herzogenrath-Alt- Merkstein
		Herzogenrath	IC, RE
		Kohlscheid
		Richterich (planned)
		Aachen West	RE
		Aachen Schanz	RE
		Aachen Central Station	ICE, IC, THA, RE
		Aachen-Rothe Erde	RE
		Eilendorf
		Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf ( wing )	RE

		Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf (platform 27)
		Stolberg granulator
		Stolberg Mühlen train station
		Stolberg Town Hall
		Stolberg old town
		Stolberg-Breinig (special trips, regular operation planned)
		Eschweiler-Aue (planned)
		Eschweiler-West
		Eschweiler valley station / Raiffeisenplatz
		Eschweiler-Nothberg
		Eschweiler-Weisweiler
		Long suffering	RE
		Düren	RE, ICE, IC

The Euregiobahn is a regional train line (RB 20) in the area of the Aachener Verkehrsverbund , operated by DB Regio on tracks from DB Netz and EVS Euregio Verkehrsschienennetz on behalf of the Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland (NVR).

history

Originally planned network of the Euregiobahn

Historical forerunner of Euregiobahn were the first two trains running every hour City Express trains Aachen - Heerlen , which since 31 May 1992, the trains on the railway line Sittard-Herzogenrath replaced. ( Million line ). In June 2001, the route from Heerlen via Herzogenrath , Kohlscheid and Aachen to Stolberg Altstadt was put into operation as the first actual expansion stage of the Euregiobahn regional railway system . The section Stolberg Hauptbahnhof –Stolberg Altstadt was reactivated for passenger traffic. The Stolberg-Altstadt station (the former Stolberg (Rheinl) Hammer station was renamed at the request of the city council) as well as the Stolberg Rathaus, Stolberg Mühlener Bf and Stolberg Schneidmühle stops were newly built, with a bus station at the Stolberg Mühlener Bf stop on the site of the demolished station Mühlen train station was created.

In September and December 2004, the Eschweiler Talbahn from Stolberg Hauptbahnhof via Eschweiler-West , Eschweiler Talbahnhof / Raiffeisen-Platz , Eschweiler- Nothberg to Eschweiler- Weisweiler and the section from Herzogenrath via Herzogenrath Alt- Merkstein to Herzogenrath August-Schmidt- Place in operation. In December 2005 the route via Alsdorf- Busch to Alsdorf- Annapark was also used. After all, the Euregiobahn has been serving the two new stops Heerlen-De Kissel and Eygelshoven-Markt between Herzogenrath and Heerlen since December 2007 .

Due to the drastically reduced state funds, the routes could initially only be expanded to a limited extent. The new Eschweiler-Weisweiler– Langerwehe line began in the summer of 2007 and was opened on June 14, 2009. The trains now run from Eschweiler-Weisweiler to Langerwehe and since December 2009 every hour to Düren . Since Eschweiler-Nothberg and Langerwehe now also have a connection via the Euregiobahn line, the Nothberg stop on the main Cologne-Aachen line was closed in December 2009.

On November 11, 2011, the first test drive took place on the next expansion section of the ring closure, the Alsdorf-Annapark - Kellersberg - Poststrasse section. The official commissioning took place on December 9th, 2011, when a special Euregiobahn trip only for invited guests from Alsdorf-Annapark opened the route at 6:02 p.m. Scheduled passenger service began on December 11, 2011. In June 2014, the Eschweiler-St. Jöris opens. When the timetable changed on December 13, 2015, the section between Herzogenrath and Heerlen was no longer served by the Euregiobahn and was replaced by a shuttle service of the RE 18 as an interim solution to LIMAX . At the same time, the cycle between Herzogenrath and Alsdorf-Annapark has been reduced from 60 to 30 minutes.

On June 12, 2016, the last missing section of the Eschweiler-St. Jöris reactivated to Stolberg Hauptbahnhof. On the site of the former Merkstein freight station between what is now Alsdorf-Busch and Herzogenrath-Merkstein, a meeting track was built in mid-2017 so that train crossings can be made there in the event of a delay , which would otherwise take place in Alsdorf-Annapark as planned.

Until December 2016, the Euregiobahn ran twice between Geilenkirchen station and Aachen main station during the morning rush hour .

New track construction

Weisweiler - Langerwehe

June 14, 2009: Eschweiler-Weisweiler-Langerwehe railway line

Reactivated routes

Track 27 in Stolberg (Rheinl) Hbf in the direction of the old town

The following routes have been modernized or reactivated for the operation of the Euregiobahn by the infrastructure operator EVS Euregio Verkehrsschienennetz:

June 10, 2001: Stolberg Hbf - Stolberg-Hammer (part of the Stolberg – Walheim railway line )
September 11, 2004: Stolberg Hbf - Eschweiler-Weisweiler ( Eschweiler Talbahn )
December 11, 2004: Herzogenrath - Herzogenrath August-Schmidt-Platz (Merkstein) (part of the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway )
December 11, 2005: Herzogenrath August-Schmidt-Platz - Alsdorf-Annapark (part of the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway)
December 9, 2011: Alsdorf-Annapark - Alsdorf Poststraße (part of the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway)
June 15, 2014: Alsdorf Poststrasse - Eschweiler-St. Jöris (part of the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway)
June 12, 2016: Eschweiler-St. Jöris - Stolberg Hbf (part of the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway)

Wing train concept

A special operational feature is the winging of the trains, which are equipped with an automatic Scharfenberg coupling . The trains coming from Aachen will be separated in the Stolberg main station; the front part of the train continues via Eschweiler-Weisweiler to Langerwehe , the rear part to Stolberg-Altstadt . In the opposite direction, the trains are combined in a suitably equipped track ( passenger system ) in the Stolberg freight yard and travel together via Aachen main station and Aachen Schanz to Herzogenrath . From there, between December 2004 and December 2015, without wings, alternating between Heerlen / NL or the current terminus on the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway line. Since the timetable change on December 13, 2015, the railcars have been running every half hour to Alsdorf-Annapark, and since 2016 (ring closure) every hour to Stolberg Hauptbahnhof.

Euregiobahn in Heimbach

From 2004 to 2015 there was a direct train between Heerlen or Alsdorf and Heimbach (Eifel) on Sundays in the summer months , which was especially suitable from a tourist point of view.

Vehicles and operators of the Euregiobahn

DB Regio is using 24 two-part diesel multiple units of the Bombardier Talent type . They were built in Aachen.

In the early days of the Euregiobahn, however, units of the three-part version also rolled out as the 644 series . The trains of the 643.2 series in use today not only have an Indusi device for the German track systems, but also the Dutch ATB train control system .

The lack of toilet facilities in the multiple units caused criticism, which is why in the meantime, notices on the vehicle doors have drawn attention to this fact.

For the planned future continuation of the Euregiobahn in the street area to the city center of Aachen, some of the railcars have been equipped with indicators, rear-view mirrors and particularly powerful brakes for operation in accordance with the regulation on the construction and operation of trams (BOStrab).

Vehicles of the Euregiobahn
inner space
Railcar 643.2 with indicators
Railcar 643.2 near Eschweiler-Nothberg

The contracts between the Zweckverband Nahverkehr Rheinland (NVR) and DB Regio ran until the end of 2016. In 2015, DB Regio also won the tender for the period December 2016 to December 2020. Since delays in the electrification of the routes traveled were foreseen, the NVR used one in 2017 Option to extend the transport contract by one year. Since the electrification is delayed again, on February 5, 2020, the NVR re-awarded the route to DB Regio for the period from December 2021 to December 2025. However, there is an option to extend or shorten the term by one year. DB Regio continues to operate the Euregiobahn with the vehicles of the 643.2 series, which are to be modernized by the start of the new contract.

future

Current plans

electrification

In future, the Euregiobahn, like the rest of the local rail passenger transport in the region, is to be operated exclusively under catenary. To do this, the remaining 40% of the route must be electrified. This applies to the routes that are not owned by DB: The Herzogenrath - Alsdorf - Stolberg ring line, the routes from Stolberg Hauptbahnhof via Eschweiler-Weisweiler to Langerwehe and those between Stolberg Hauptbahnhof and Stolberg Altstadt. The electrification should result in cost savings in the procurement and operation of vehicles, a reduction in pollutant and noise emissions and an improvement in driving dynamics. This would also enable the introduction of further stops, in particular an extension in Stolberg to Breinig . At the beginning of 2015 it became known that even with the electrification, the turnaround times were not enough to connect Breinig to the existing train circuits. However, there are currently no funds available for another move. In addition, it was determined that electrification of the route, which is located in the approach path of the Merzbrück airfield , is not permitted at all. Electrification is therefore dependent on the runway being extended and pivoted. The work for this began at the end of October 2019 and should be completed in spring 2020. ^[outdated]

For the key points for the new procurement procedure for the RB 20, which the NVR decided on October 20, 2017, electrification was assumed by mid-2021. The costs were stated to be € 24,161,800, of which € 6,523,700 have been pledged from the state for the eventuality. With these funds, a junction with a parking facility was to be realized with which the trains in Alsdorf-Annapark would initially be able to roll over and later the line to Siersdorf could be connected.

On June 29, 2018, the NVR changed the key points for the award procedure. Since the implementation obstacle in connection with the Merzbrück airfield still exists, the delay caused by this no longer allows a tender for the follow-up contract with electric vehicles. The operation of the Euregiobahn is therefore tendered in an interim contract with almost unchanged conditions for a further four years with the option of extending or shortening it by one year. A new tender for electric vehicles is therefore possible, provided that all obstacles have been removed, for the period from 2024 at the earliest; Electrical operation is to commence by the end of 2025 at the latest.Template: future / in 5 years

Mariadorf - Siersdorf - Baesweiler

There have been plans for some time to reactivate the branch line from the former Mariagrube station to the former Emil Mayrisch mine . This comparatively young line is still largely preserved and begins with the former connecting curve to the Stolberg – Herzogenrath railway line. Starting from the buffer stop, it runs a little parallel between the Alsdorf-Kellersberg and Alsdorf-Mariadorf stops and then turns north. The tracks end today just before Landesstraße 50 in Siersdorf . In January 2019, the first clearing work began to assess and maintain the route.

Current plans envisage extending the route to Setterich and, in a further stage, to the site of the former Carl Alexander mine . In a first measure from 2020, which primarily serves to maintain the railway infrastructure, the existing route is to be made passable. The NVR assumes € 3,794,000 of the planned costs of € 4,215,500. The junction from the Alsdorf - Stolberg route and the subsequent parking facility are to be implemented as part of the electrification measure for the EVS network. The branch line can be operated from the existing turning point of the Euregiobahn in Alsdorf, which is taken into account when the line is re-tendered.

Eschweiler-Aue stop

The Eschweiler-Aue stop was to be reactivated in 2004. Despite public protests in Eschweiler, this has not yet been realized for financial reasons. The stop is to be built with the electrification of the line.

Stolberger route branch

An extension of the Stolberg branch to Stolberg-Breinig and later via Walheim to Eupen by reactivating the existing line is being discussed. From January 12, 2019 to November 2019, EVS renewed the Rüstbach Viaduct , thereby removing the speed limit on the section between Stolberg Altstadt and Stolberg-Breinig. Funds of € 5,025,800 are earmarked for the rehabilitation of the section to Breinig, € 3,618,500 of which will be borne by the Rhineland Local Transport Association . After electrification, this section can be integrated into the operation of the Euregiobahn, for which vehicle reserves will be created in the tender for operation from 2021. Until then, a shuttle service with diesel vehicles is planned. A funding application was also submitted for the opening of the Breinig section to the federal border at a cost of € 6,901,400. However, this was rejected because the NVR cannot promise any appointment of local rail transport in this funding period. The route is, however, in accordance with the edition of the Federal Railway and the contract between SNCB and Federal Railroad get.

Discussed or rejected plans

Connection to Jülich

Early plans provided for a connection to Jülich via the former stretch of the Jülich circular path from Puffendorf to Jülich by connecting this route from Siersdorf with a new connecting curve to be built. This plan was not carried out at the time. In January 2019, this idea came up again under the name Brain Train as part of the coal phase- out.

Branch line Würselen - Aachen center

In the final stage, the route of the Euregiobahn via Alsdorf- Begau , Würselen- Merzbrück and the Würselen center to the Aachen city center was to be carried out. It was planned to largely use the routes of existing and disused routes. The section between Aachen North and Aachen bus station would have to be traversed like a tram. Contrary to previous plans, none of the Talent diesel multiple units that have already been certified for inner-city traffic will be used in Aachen's inner city. The focus here is on future generations of trains that meet the requirements for the inner city in terms of noise and exhaust emissions. In inner-city traffic, an entry height of significantly less than 80 centimeters would also be required to enable barrier-free access.

Richterich stop

A stop in Richterich on the Aachen – Mönchengladbach railway line was requested by citizens, but has not yet been implemented. The construction of the stop has already been registered for funding by the NVR, but has been postponed for an indefinite period due to the unclear electrification schedule, on which the start of construction depends.

Infrastructure

The trains of the Euregiobahn use the infrastructure of the EVS Euregio transport network based in Stolberg on the routes not operated by DB Netz . This was founded in 1999 by BSR Naturstein-Aufbereitungs-GmbH and on October 12, 2000 took over a large part of the routes currently used by the Euregiobahn from Deutsche Bahn AG.

Special trips to Stolberg-Breinig

Special trip in Breinig

For the annual city festival in Stolberg, which usually takes place on a weekend in September, the Euregiobahn travels past its terminus Stolberg-Altstadt to Breinig. It runs hourly between Stolberg Hauptbahnhof and Breinig from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening and can be used at the children's fare.

On the occasion of the Kupferstädter Christmas Days, additional journeys on the Euregiobahn were offered again in 2019. In addition, the Euregiobahn commuted between Stolberg Hbf and Breinig on Sunday, November 24th and on the four Sundays in Advent on December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd.

At the beginning of 2016, the barrier motors at the level crossings in Breinig were replaced and a radio trigger was installed so that the train driver can secure the level crossing by remote control after stopping beforehand. Before that, traffic workers used barrier tape to secure them. The Euregiobahn takes twelve minutes to travel from Breinig to Stolberg-Altstadt.

Between Stolberg-Altstadt (km 3.7) and Breinig (km 8.955) the Euregiobahn uses the otherwise unused section of the Stolberg – Walheim railway at an average speed of around 25 km / h.