List of disused railway lines in Thuringia

If traffic is discontinued on a section of the route, the two stations are listed with the railway route in brackets; when the traffic is set on the entire route, only the route is shown.

End of passenger traffic until 1950

year	date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	annotation
1910	0Oct. 1	Mannstedt - Buttstädt	Weimar-Rastenberger Railway	Narrow gauge
1923	17th of June	Buttelstedt - Rastenberg	Weimar-Rastenberger Railway
1945	Apr		Ludwigsstadt – Lehesten	due to the zone boundary between the Soviet Zone of Occupation (SBZ) and the American Zone of Occupation (ABZ)
1945	Apr	Great potter - Schwebda	Heiligenstadt – Schwebda	because of the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	Apr	Hawks - Mihla	Schwebda – Wartha	for blowing up the Werra ridge
1945	Apr	Heldra - Treffurt	Schwebda – Wartha	because of the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	Apr 11	Camburg - Molau	Zeitz – Camburg	for blowing up the Saale bridge near Camburg
1945	05th July	Motzlar - Günthers	Vacha – Hilders (Ulstertal Railway)	because of the zone boundary between the SBZ and ABZ
1945	05th July	Dankmarshausen - Widdershausen	Gerstungen – Vacha	operation resumed due to zone boundary SBZ / ABZ
1945	05th July	Philippsthal - Vacha	Gerstungen – Vacha	due to zone boundary SBZ / ABZ - operation resumed
1945	05th July	Wenigentaft - Mansbach - Treischfeld	Hünfeld-Wenigentaft-Mansbach	because of the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	0Nov 1	Ice field - Görsdorf	Eisenach – Lichtenfels (Werra Railway)	because of the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	0Nov 1	Neustadt bei Coburg - Sonneberg Hbf	Coburg-Ernstthal on the Rennsteig	because of the zone boundary between the SBZ and ABZ - operations resumed after the fall of the Wall
1945	0Nov 1	Neustadt near Coburg south - Fürth am Berg	Ebersdorf b.Coburg – Neustadt b.Coburg (Steinachtalbahn)	due to zone border SBZ / ABZ
1945	0Nov 1	Arenshausen - Eichenberg	Halle – Hann. Münden	because of the zone border between SBZ and ABZ - back in operation after the turn
1945	0Nov 1	Rentwertshausen - Mellrichstadt	Schweinfurt – Meiningen	because of the zone border between SBZ and ABZ - back in operation after the turn
1945	0Nov 1	Geismar - Schwebda	Leinefelde – Treysa	due to the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	0Nov 1	Duderstadt - Teistungen	Leinefelde – Wulften	because of the zone boundary between the Soviet Zone and the British Zone of Occupation (BBZ)
1945	0Nov 1	Neuhaus-Schierschnitz - Burggrub	Sonneberg-Stockheim	because of the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	0Nov 1	Blankenstein - Marxgrün	Triptis-Marxgrün	because of the zone boundary between SBZ and ABZ
1945	0Nov 1	Zwinge - Herzberg am Harz	Bleicherode-Herzberg	because of the zone boundary between the SBZ and BBZ
1946	0Apr 9	Weimar - Großrudestedt	Weimar-Rastenberger Railway	Narrow gauge
1946	03rd of June	Hildburghausen-Lindenau-Friedrichshall	Hildburghausen-Lindenau-Friedrichshall	Narrow gauge
1946	Dec 15	Pößneck and Bf - Oppurg	Orlamünde – Oppurg (Orlabahn)
1947	0Nov 1	Silberhausen – Hüpstedt	Silberhausen – Hüpstedt (Silberhausen – Hüpstedt small railway)
1947	0Nov 2	Ballstädt - Graefentonna	Ballstädt – Straussfurt
1947	0Nov 2	Bufleben - Grossenbehringen	Bufleben – Großenbehringen (Nessetalbahn)	Rebuilt in 1954 to Friedrichswerth
1947	0Nov 2	Friedrichroda - Georgenthal	Fröttstädt – Georgenthal (Friedrichrodaer Bahn)
1947	0Nov 2	Kölleda - Lossa	Laucha – Kölleda (Finnebahn)
1947	0Nov 2	Heiligenstadt – great potter	Heiligenstadt – Schwebda
1947	0Nov 2	Leinefelde - Services	Leinefelde – Wulften	Rebuilt in 1950
1949	02.May	Treffurt - falcon	Schwebda – Wartha

Suspension of passenger traffic 1950–1989

year	date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	annotation
1952	May	Wendehausen - Treffurt	Mühlhausen – Treffurt
1952	0Oct. 1		Gerstungen – Vacha
1952	0Oct. 5	Vacha-Motzlar	Vacha – Hilders (Ulstertal Railway)	official closure, line out of service since early July 1952
1952	0Oct. 5	Wenigentaft-Mansbach-Oechsen	Wenigentaft-Mansbach-Oechsen (Wenigentaft- Oechsen Railway)	official closure, line out of service since early July 1952
1957		Vacha - Unterbreizbach	Vacha – Hilders (Ulstertal Railway)	Line with the shortest operating time in Thuringia was only built in 1952 and in 1957 again without passenger traffic
1959	31. May	Esperstedt – Oldisleben	Esperstedt – Oldisleben (Esperstedt-Oldisleben Railway)
1962	0Sep 1	Mihla - Wartha	Schwebda – Wartha
1966	May 22	Bad Berka - Blankenhain	Weimar-Berka-Blankenhainer Railway
1966	0June 5th	Rennsteig - Frauenwald	Rennsteig – Frauenwald (Kleinbahn Rennsteig – Frauenwald)
1966	0June 5th	Berga - Kelbra - Artern	Berga-Kelbra-Artern (Kyffhäuser Kleinbahn)
1966	01 Aug	Köditzberg - Königsee	Köditzberg – Königsee
1966	25 Sep	Wernshausen - Trusetal	Wernshausen – Trusetal (Trusebahn)	Narrow gauge
1967	28th of May	Ice field – Schönbrunn	Ice field – Schönbrunn
1967	July 31	Arnstadt -Ichtershausen	Arnstadt – Ichtershausen (Arnstadt-Ichtershausen Railway)
1967	15 Aug	Niederpöllnitz – Münchenbernsdorf	Niederpöllnitz – Münchenbernsdorf
1967	Sep 24	Wutha - Ruhla	Wutha – Ruhla (Ruhla Railway)
1967	Sep 24	Kirchheilingen - House summer	Bad Langensalza – Haussommern (Langensalzaer Kleinbahn)
1967	Sep 24	Erfurt - Nottleben	Erfurt – Nottleben (Kleinbahn Erfurt – Nottleben)
1967	25 Sep	Sonneberg central station - Neuhaus-Schierschnitz	Sonneberg-Stockheim
1967	Oct. 30	Laucha – Lossa (Finn)	Laucha – Kölleda
1968	17th Mar	Kleinschmalkalden - Brotterode	Schmalkalden – Brotterode (Schmalkalder Kreisbahn)
1968	May 26	Greußen - Ebeleben	Greußen-Ebeleben-Keulaer Railway
1968	May 26	Buttstädt - Rastenberg	Weimar-Rastenberger Railway
1968	04th Aug	Immelborn – Steinbach	Immelborn – Steinbach
1968	29 Sep	Rentwertshausen – Römhild	Rentwertshausen – Römhild
1968	29 Sep	Mühlhausen –Wendehausen	Mühlhausen – Treffurt
1968	0April 1	Eisenberg - Bürgel	Cross-Porstendorf
1968	0April 1	Georgenthal-Tambach-Dietharz	Georgenthal-Tambach-Dietharz
1968	0April 1	Bürgel - Porstendorf	Cross-Porstendorf
1968	0Dec 1		Greußen-Ebeleben-Keulaer Railway
1968	0Dec 1	Bad Langensalza – Kirchheilingen	Bad Langensalza – Haussommern (Langensalzaer Kleinbahn)
1971	23. May	Gera-Pforten-Wuitz-Mumsdorf	Gera-Pforten-Wuitz-Mumsdorf (Gera-Meuselwitz-Wuitzer Railway)	Narrow gauge
1972	28th of May	Ferrule - Bischofferode	Bleicherode-Herzberg
1972	28th of May	Meuselwitz- Ronneburg	Meuselwitz – Ronneburg
1974	29 Sep	Hohenebra – Ebeleben	Hohenebra – Ebeleben
1974	29 Sep	Ebeleben - Schlotheim	Ebeleben – Mühlhausen
1975	0June 1st	Zeulenroda und Bf - Zeulenroda above Bf	Zeulenroda und Bf - Zeulenroda above Bf	Resumed in 1991

End of passenger traffic after 1989

year	date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	annotation
1992	31 Dec	Küllstedt - Geismar	Leinefelde – Treysa
1993	23. May	Meuselwitz - Lucka (Kr Altenburg)	Gaschwitz – Meuselwitz
1994	28th of May	Dingelstädt - Küllstedt	Leinefelde – Treysa
1994	28th of May	Schönberg (Vogtl) - Hirschberg (Saale)	Schönberg – Hirschberg
1994	25 Sep	Förtha - Gerstungen	Förtha – Gerstungen
1995	May 26	Bufleben – Friedrichswerth	Bufleben-Grossenbehringen
1995	May 27th	Altenburg - Narsdorf	Altenburg-Langenleuba-Oberhain
1996	0June 1st	Schleiz – Saalburg	Schleiz – Saalburg
1996	0June 1st	Zeulenroda und Bf - Zeulenroda above Bf	Zeulenroda und Bf - Zeulenroda above Bf
1996	06 Aug	Leinefelde - Dingelstädt	Leinefelde – Treysa
1996	Oct. 30	Schmalkalden –Kleinschmalkalden	Schmalkalden – Brotterode
1997	Jan. 22	Sonneberg Hbf - Ernstthal am Rennsteig	Sonneberg – Ernstthal on the Rennsteig	technical blocking; Sonneberg – Ernstthal am Rennsteig reactivated in 2002
1997	Jan. 22	Probstzella - Neuhaus am Rennweg	Probstzella-Neuhaus am Rennweg	technical blocking; Ernstthal am Rennsteig - Neuhaus am Rennweg reactivated in 2002
1997	Jan. 22	Eisfeld– Sonneberg Hbf	Ice field – Sonneberg	technical blocking, reactivated
1997	0Apr 3	Döllstädt - Bad Tennstedt	Ballstädt – Straussfurt	Blocked due to technical defects, official discontinuation: December 31, 1998
1997	31. May	Neumark - Greiz	Neumark-Greiz
1997	31. May	Dorndorf –Kaltennordheim	Dorndorf – Kaltennordheim
1997	31. May	Suhl - Schleusingen	Suhl – Schleusingen (Friedbergbahn)
1997	31. May	Ilmenau - Grossbreitenbach	Ilmenau-Großbreitenbach
1997	31. May	Mühlhausen – Schlotheim	Ebeleben – Mühlhausen
1998	May 22	Eisenberg – Crossen	Cross-Porstendorf
1998	23. May	Straussfurt – Bad Tennstedt	Ballstädt – Straussfurt
1998	23. May	Triptis - Unterlemnitz	Triptis-Marxgrün
1998	23. May	Ilmenau - Schleusingen	Plaue – Themar
1998	23. May	Großbodungen - Bischofferode	Bleicherode-Herzberg
1998	June 19th	Themar - Schleusingen	Plaue – Themar
2000	Nov 15	Werdau - Weida	Werdau – Mehltheuer
2000	Nov 15	Rudolstadt-Schwarza - Bad Blankenburg	Rudolstadt-Schwarza-Bad Blankenburg
2001	0June 9th	Bad Salzungen - Vacha	Bad Salzungen – Vacha
2001	June	Leinefelde - Services	Leinefelde – Wulften
2001	June	Bleicherode Ost – Großbodungen	Bleicherode-Herzberg
2002	14 Dec	Altenburg - Meuselwitz	Zeitz-Altenburg	Remaining piece up to Zeitz canceled by Saxony-Anhalt in September 2002
2006	09 Dec	Artern - Nebra	Naumburg – Reinsdorf (Unstrutbahn)
2006	09 Dec	Bretleben – Sondershausen	Bretleben – Sondershausen
2006	09 Dec	Schönberg (Vogtl) –Schleiz	Schönberg (Vogtland) –Schleiz
2007	09 Dec	Straussfurt - Sömmerda	Straussfurt - large herring
2007	09 Dec	Ilmenau - Ilmenau Bad - Stützerbach	Plaue – Themar	second shutdown after 1998
2011	09 Dec	Gotha - Graefenroda	Gotha – Gräfenroda (Ohratalbahn)
2017	Dec 10	Buttstädt - large herring	Straussfurt - large herring

Resumption of passenger traffic

year	date	Route between the stations	Part of the overall connection	annotation
1989	Nov 12	Ellrich - Walkenried	Northeim – Nordhausen (southern Harz line)	formerly inner-German border
1990	May 27th	Arenshausen - Eichenberg	Halle – Hann. Münden	formerly inner-German border
1991	23 Sep	Zeulenroda lower Bf –Zeulenroda above Bf	Zeulenroda und Bf – Zeulenroda above Bf	temporary reactivation, 1991–1996
1991	28 Sep	Rentwertshausen - Mellrichstadt	Schweinfurt – Meiningen	formerly inner-German border
1991	28 Sep	Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Neustadt near Coburg	Coburg-Ernstthal on the Rennsteig	formerly inner-German border
2002	Dec 15	Sonneberg (Thür) Hbf - Ernstthal am Rennsteig	Coburg-Ernstthal on the Rennsteig	now Thüringer Eisenbahn GmbH , local rail transport between Sonneberg and Neuhaus am Rennweg
2002	Dec 15	Ernstthal am Rennsteig - Neuhaus am Rennweg	Probstzella-Neuhaus am Rennweg	now Thüringer Eisenbahn GmbH , local rail transport between Sonneberg and Neuhaus am Rennweg
2002	0Oct. 3	Eisfeld– Sonneberg Hbf	Ice field – Sonneberg	now Thuringian Railway GmbH
2005		Ilmenau –Ilmenau Bad– Stützerbach	Plaue – Themar	Temporary reactivation 2005–2007, daily to Ilmenau Bad, to Stützerbach on weekends
2014	15th June	Ilmenau - Rennsteig	Plaue – Themar	as regular special service on weekends from 2014 Regular order since 2017, traffic only on weekends

Web links

Commons : Disused railway lines in Thuringia  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ At the last minute: green light for the Rennsteigbahn. Retrieved July 9, 2020 .