Saarbahn

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the company of the same name, see Saarbahn GmbH .

Saarbahn
Saarbahn logo
Route length:	43.4 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Minimum radius :	190 m
Route from Lebach Walpershofen center former route to Völklingen Change EBO / BOStrab (but 750 V on both sides) Walpershofen / Etzenhofen Gisorsstrasse Guchenbach Riegelsberghalle Riegelsberg Post Riegelsberg Town Hall Wolfskaulstrasse Riegelsberg South Heinrichshaus Settlers home Rastpfuhl Pariser Platz / Saint Paul Cottbuser Platz Saar route Rosseltalbahn and Forbacher Bahn System change EBO (15 kV) / BOStrab (750 V) Ludwigstrasse Freight line Trier Street Central Station Kaiserstrasse Johanneskirche Landwehrplatz Uhlandstrasse Hellwigstrasse Kieselhumes Roman fort System change BOStrab (750 V) / EBO (15 kV) Line from Saarbrücken Hbf Brebach Route to Sarreguemines

The Saarbahn is a Saarland regional light rail based on the tram-train principle. It consists of a core line operated according to BOStrab in Saarbrücken and Riegelsberg , which connects the two lines operated according to EBO Lebach – Völklingen (Köllertalbahn) in the north and Saarbrücken – Sarreguemines in the south. Saarbahn Netz GmbH (until September 30, 2015 Stadtbahn Saar limited liability company ) is responsible for the infrastructure of the inner-city route and the northern EBO section , while DB Netz AG and the French company SNCF Réseau are responsible railway infrastructure companies on the southern outer route . Saarbahn GmbH acts as the railway company on the entire route .

In Saarbrücken city center, the route of the new Saarbahn line, opened in 1997, essentially corresponds to line 5 of the Saarbrücken tram, which was closed in 1965 . This ran between Rastpfuhl and Schafbrücke and was the last line of the old meter-gauge network.

history

First considerations for the construction of a regional light rail in and around Saarbrücken began in the 1990s. The bus traffic in the Saarbrücken city center was so dense at that time that the vehicles sometimes ran every minute. Based on the model of the Karlsruhe model , which has been operating with great success since 1992, plans were also made in Saarland to build a regional light rail system. The core of the concept was the construction of a new inner-city light rail line, while the existing railway infrastructure of Deutsche Bahn AG was to be used on the outer branches . As early as 1992, a tram from the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn was borrowed and it was used on the Fürstenhausen - Gersweiler train station - Saarbrücken exhibition center .

Preliminary operation on the Saarbrücken – Sarreguemines railway line

Before the opening of the Saarbrücken inner-city route, there was already a preliminary operation with Saarbahn vehicles between Saarbrücken Hauptbahnhof and Hanweiler . However, it was still driven according to the timetable of the locomotive-hauled push- pull trains previously used on this section, operations were carried out on behalf of Deutsche Bahn. This preliminary operation began on September 29, 1997 and ended on October 24, 1997, the day the new line through the city center was opened.

Commissioning of the inner city route

Track plan 1999

The actual core of the Saarbahn - the new line between Brebach Bahnhof and Ludwigstrasse - was put into operation on October 24, 1997 after almost two and a half years of construction. Since then, there has been a system separation point between the Roman fort and Brebach train station . This is a 90-meter-long currentless contact line section, which is rolled through with momentum, while the vehicle electrics automatically switch to the other system. The Saarbahn railcars coming from the city center change from 750 volts direct current to 15,000 volts alternating current and run via Kleinblittersdorf to Saargemünd in Lorraine . The French section from the Hanweiler border station had been equipped with the German electricity system since 1983. The first light rail vehicle to reach Sarreguemines was the 810 dual-system multiple unit of the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), which drove there on September 11, 1993 as part of a presentation trip. During the construction of the Römerkastell stop, a possible extension towards Scheidt / St. Ingbert was taken into account and an additional track was laid, which was later removed during construction work.

System separation point in Brebach: 750-volt direct current network (left) - currentless section (right)

Riegelsberg South

Walpershofen center

New level overpass for the Saarbahn in Walpershofen

Before the Rastpfuhl stop

Northern expansion

The expansion in the other direction took place in several stages. From July 31, 1999 to Cottbuser Platz , from November 13, 2000 to Siedlerheim , from September 24, 2001 to Riegelsberg Süd and from September 26, 2009 to Walpershofen / Etzenhofen . The city of Saarbrücken, the municipality of Riegelsberg and, indirectly, the Saarland also contribute to the additional costs of approx. 630,000 euros annually for the Riegelsberg Süd – Walpershofen / Etzenhofen section, which have been disputed until recently . On the former route of the Köllertalbahn through Walpershofen and Dilsburg , clearing work was carried out in January and February 2009, the railroad overpass in the center of Walpershofen was renewed in 2009/10 and in summer 2011 the reactivation to Heusweiler Markt was largely completed. Regular operations up to this point began on October 31, 2011.

Although there has been another change between BOStrab and EBO in Walpershofen since 2011, the electricity system there is not changed because the Köllertalbahn, which is electrified especially for the Saarbahn, also runs with 750 volts direct current.

The Saarbahn has been running to Lebach since October 5, 2014 and, during rush hour, continues on the Primstalbahn to Lebach-Jabach.

The northern expansion of the Saarbahn into and in the Köllertal was largely carried out on two historic railway lines:

From Saarbrücken through the Köllertal Forest and Riegelsberg, the Saarbahn to Riegelsberg-Güchenbach initially follows the course of the historic Riegelsberg tram : since 1907, an overland tram has run from St. Johann / Saarbrücken via Riegelsberg to Heusweiler. The route largely corresponded to that of today's federal highway 268 , at that time leading from Güchenbach over the Stumpen directly to Heusweiler. The tram was replaced by trolleybuses in 1953 , which in turn was replaced by diesel buses in 1964.

This is followed by a small section of the Saarbahn route between Riegelsberg-Güchenbach and the Walpershofen / Etzenhofen stop , which has no historical precedent. Here the Saarbahn travels east-west along Russenweg , Landesstraße 267.

Immediately after the Walpershofen / Etzenhofen stop , the Saarbahn swings onto the Köllertalbahn route , on which it continues north through Walpershofen, Heusweiler and Eiweiler to Lebach.

Tenth anniversary

On October 24, 2007, the Saarbrücken Stadtbahn celebrated its tenth anniversary. Since operations began, more than 100 million passengers have been carried, almost twice as many as originally planned. The Saarbrücker Stadtbahn has thus developed into a great success with a model character; other cities in which the establishment of a tram is being considered are based on the Saarbrücken system, among other things.

Planning

According to the current traffic development plan (VEP) of the state capital Saarbrücken , an expansion of the light rail system as part of a new line from Forbach in France via Saarbrücken city center and the university to the Dudweiler district is sought. In addition, the construction of the tracks from the Roman fort to the Scheidt district is still in the works. Just as interesting was an expansion via the Burbach district to Völklingen before the traffic development plan. Due to the damage to the pit on the railway line from Saarbrücken to Völklingen, which had to be removed and which was considered an option for the expansion, these plans were postponed for the time being.

The current traffic development plan of the Saarland, which will be worked out from the beginning of 2017 to summer 2019 ^{[out of date]} , can bring clarity about the further development of the light rail outside of Saarbrücken.

Investments in infrastructure are currently the subject of heated discussions. The expansion is particularly favored by the Greens and the left , but this is opposed by the lack of financial resources and the obligation to limit national debt . The large amount of external financing by the federal government and the EU , on the other hand, offers great opportunities, as the personal investment by Saarland and the state capital is so lower.

vehicles

There are currently 28 Flexity Link vehicles in use. These were made by Bombardier in Vienna and Bruges . Six cars were temporarily loaned to Kassel ; they ran there in advance of the RegioTram Kassel . For the timetable change in December 2009, three vehicles were loaned to the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn , which were used there on the S9 line until December 2013.

As part of the VDV -Tram-Train project, Saarbahn GmbH and five other transport companies in the German-speaking area put out 504 regional light rail vehicles, 28 of them for the Saarbahn. The first four vehicles are to be delivered in summer 2024. For economic reasons, 13 of the 28 trains are to be equipped with one-system technology (750 V) and 15 with two-system technology (750 V and 15 kV).

business

S1 (scheduled line)

S1 in front of the Saargalerie (today Europa-Galerie) at Saarbrücken Hbf

The current operating concept on the only line served as planned, the 44-kilometer-long S1 diameter line between Lebach-Jabach and Saargemünd , provides for 7.5-minute intervals during the day in the core area between Siedlerheim and Brebach . Originally even a five-minute cycle was planned for the inner city area, but this was rejected because it would have led to operational problems. The Brebach – Kleinblittersdorf and Heusweiler Markt – Siedlerheim sections operate every 15 minutes, and the Kleinblittersdorf – Sarreguemines and Heusweiler Markt – Lebach sections are served every 30 minutes or every 60 minutes in the morning. The northern terminal in Lebach-Jabach is only served in the morning and at lunchtime.

In the late hours of the traffic , the cycle in the city center is extended to 15 minutes, corresponding to 30-minute cycles to Kleinblittersdorf or Heusweiler Markt and 60-minute cycles to Lebach and Sarreguemines. In the morning and in the professional and school transport and in the afternoon peak are tractions used, otherwise solo vehicle. The Saarbahn transports around 40,000 people every day.

Connection function

The S1 line forms one of the main axes in Saarbrücken and is fully integrated into the regional capital's local transport network. Almost all lines have a connection to the S1 somewhere (exceptions are, for example, lines 133, 163 and 164). The most important nodes are (according to "importance"): Saarbrücken Hbf , Johanneskirche , Brebach Bf , Riegelsberg Süd , Roman fort , Heusweiler Markt, Lebach Bf and Pariser Platz . Many bus lines are also designed as pure connecting lines to the Saarbahn (lines 120, 130, 131, 135, 137, 138, 139, 140, 142, 161, 162 and many more).

Former special lines

S2 (exhibition line)

Saarbrücken exhibition center

The exhibition line upside to 2006 on the occasion of Saarmesse and the world of the family between the stop Roman fort and the train Fürstenhausen at 30-minute intervals. The exhibition station was also served from May 24th to 28th, 2006 during Catholic Day . Since then, special buses on line 11E have been running from the main train station to the fair . On the occasion of the 60th Saar Fair from March 28, 2009 to April 5, 2009, the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs financed a one-time renewed operation of the exhibition station by the Saarbahn every 60 minutes. Entry and exit in Fürstenhausen was no longer possible.

Behind the Ludwigstrasse stop , the inner-city route is linked to the Rosseltalbahn via a ramp where there is another system separation point . This used to be used primarily for coal transport to the Warndt mine ; after their shutdown, the Saarbahn operations are also endangered. The overhead line has already been dismantled from Fürstenhausen to the Warndt mine.

Furthermore, the double-track branch from the Saarbahn line has now been dismantled and replaced by a single-track branch, which now manages without a track crossing.

S3 (warning line)

S3 direction Warndt in front of the system separation point at the junction of the exhibition grounds

Line S3 ( Warndt Line ) only ran every 60 minutes during the annual Warndt Weekend. The route to the Fürstenhausen station was identical to the S2 line. It then followed the former DB route to the disused Warndt mine, but due to the above-mentioned dismantling of the overhead line, this traffic can no longer be offered. Her last trip was in 2005.

S9 (replacement traffic in the event of disruptions)

The S9 is a replacement line that was operated when the Saarbrücken inner-city route could not be used (e.g. in the event of brief operational disruptions or larger events such as the finish of the Deutschland Tour or the Tour de France ). The line route of the S9 from the direction of Saargemünd coming from Brebach station followed the classic route to Saarbrücken main station; the arrival there usually took place on track 6. The route of the S9 thus corresponded to the above-mentioned Saarbahn preliminary operation of the year 1997. Because this section of the route was reduced to one track, the S9 can only run every 30 minutes. In the event of operational disruptions on the inner-city route, only buses will be used for rail replacement services between Brebach station and the inner city.

Web links

Commons : Trams in Saarbrücken  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Operator's website
• Saarbrücken tram on UrbanRail.Net
• The Riegelsberg tram
• Literature on Saarbahn in the Saarland Bibliography

Individual evidence

1. ^ Saarbahn GmbH and Saarbahn Netz GmbH. Facts and figures. Saarbahn GmbH, accessed on May 11, 2019 . 
2. ↑ Saarbahn travels to Etzenhofen. In: Saarbrücker Zeitung. September 8, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2009 . 
3. ↑ Saarbahn GmbH starts safety training at the Friedrich Schiller School in Heusweiler. (No longer available online.) In: Saarländische Online-Zeitung. May 4, 2011, formerly in the original ; Retrieved May 11, 2011 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
4. ↑ Monika Kühn: Hello Saarbahn, welcome to Lebach. Saarbrücker Zeitung, October 6, 2014, accessed on October 7, 2014 . 
5. ^ Markus Philipp: Tram Saarbrücken - Riegelsberg / Heusweiler in: Kulturlandschaft Saarkohlenwald
6. ↑ Planned measures in the public transport concept of the state capital Saarbrücken. State capital Saarbrücken, February 26, 2017, accessed on February 26, 2017 . 
7. ↑ Traffic development plan - work status. Saarland Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Transport, accessed on December 13, 2018 . 
8. ↑ kvv.de. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved December 4, 2009 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  
9. ↑ Tram-Train for everyone: six companies start joint vehicle tenders | Saarbahn GmbH. Retrieved August 9, 2020 . 
10. ↑ Urban tram network expansion. (No longer available online.) Saarbahn GmbH, archived from the original on November 28, 2014 ; accessed on May 11, 2019 . 
11. ↑ Information on the S2  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) at saarmesse.de
12. ↑ Information about the S3 and the Warndtweekend ( memento from June 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), rvsbr.de (PDF; 2.4 MB), accessed on May 11, 2019