Vogelsbergbahn

This article describes the route known today as the Vogelsbergbahn. For the route originally called Vogelsbergbahn , see Oberwaldbahn .

Giessen-Fulda
Route number (DB) :	3700
Course book section (DB) :	635
Route length:	105.9 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Top speed:	120 km / h
Train control :	PZB
Legend Dill route , Main-Weser railway 0.0 to water 172 m Lahn-Kinzig-Bahn to Gelnhausen 2.7 Giessen Licher Strasse 4.3 Giessen Europaviertel ( Awanst ) 5.1 Giessen Airport (until September 30, 1978) 5.5 Giessen Airport (Awanst) 7.0 Rödgen 7.3 At the airport 9.8 Big Buseck 11.2 Big Buseck Schwabfrucht (Awanst) 11.3 Big Buseck industrial trunk line (Awanst) 13.7 Reiskirchen (Kr Gießen) 17.4 Saasen 20.3 Goebelnrod former Wettertalbahn from Lich 23.2 Grünberg (Oberhess) 273 m former Lumdatalbahn to Lollar 26.0 Lehnheim formerly Horlofftalbahn from Friedberg 28.9 Mücke (Hess) ( Keilbahnhof ) 32.3 Low ohmen 38.0 Burg- and Nieder-Gemünden 237 m former Ohm Valley Railway to Kirchhain 42.5 Ehringshausen (Oberhess) 277 m 50.4 A 5 52.6 Zell-Romrod 311 m 60.2 Alsfeld (Oberhess) 281 m formerly Gründchenbahn to Niederaula 66.9 Renzendorf (until 2011) 306 m from the Rotäcker industrial area (under construction) 72.1 Wallenrod ( PV until 2011) 354 m 78.4 former Oberwaldbahn from Glauburg-Stockheim 79.1 Lauterbach (Hess) North 284 m 82.5 Angersbach former Hessian-Prussian border 85.9 Bad Salzschlirf 261 m former route to Niederjossa from the Eichenau concrete plant 90.8 Grossenlüder industrial track (Awanst) 92.4 Grossenlüder 272 m 94.4 Lüder 94.6 Oberbimbach 244 m 99.5 Maberzell 305 m 103.3 Fulda Fulda Eisweiher industrial area Range from Bebra SFS from Kassel 105.9 Fulda 280 m Rhönbahn , Kinzigtalbahn , SFS to Würzburg Swell:

The Vogelsbergbahn is a single-track main line from Gießen via Alsfeld to Fulda .

designation

The name Vogelsbergbahn was originally used for the branch line between Stockheim and Lauterbach , which is now dismantled and dismantled . In contrast to what is now known as the Vogelsbergbahn, it actually ran through the middle of the Vogelsberg , but is now mostly referred to as the Oberwaldbahn .

course

The route bears the course book number 635 and is run as route 45 in the RMV .

According to today's kilometrage, the route between the terminal stations is 105.9 km long. The top speed has been - since the line was expanded in 2011 - 120 instead of the previous 90 km / h. There are 109 level crossings along the route .

On the one hand, the numerous curves of the route are caused by the fact that as many communities as possible should be connected. On the other hand, there are many gradients to be overcome, of the 106 kilometers of the route, only 13 km are horizontal.

history

216 191 pushed her RB 8409 from Gießen to Lauterbach (Hess) Nord on December 13, 1997 and is now waiting for her follow-up service

The project to connect the Main-Weser-Bahn and the Bebraer Bahn had been considered since the 1860s: in 1863 the state parliament in Darmstadt dealt with corresponding plans. The concession for construction and operation was granted by the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt on April 4, 1868 to the Oberhessische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft , a stock corporation backed by the Frankfurt banking house Erlanger & Söhne . This grand ducal-Darmstadt concession was supplemented by a contract between the Grand Duchy and the Kingdom of Prussia , as Prussian territory was also affected. The project was tackled together with the Gießen – Gelnhausen railway line and implemented in the following two years.

Opening dates

Giessen - Grünberg (Oberhess)	December 29, 1869,
Grünberg (Oberhess) - Alsfeld (Oberhess)	July 29, 1870,
Alsfeld (Oberhess) - Lauterbach (Hess) North	October 30, 1870,
Lauterbach (Hess) North - Bad Salzschlirf	December 31, 1870,
Bad Salzschlirf - Fulda	July 31, 1871.

The relatively sparsely populated areas that the route touches and the lack of significant long- distance freight traffic limited the importance of the Vogelsbergbahn to regional traffic . The line remained single-track, although various engineering structures were prepared for double-track operation.

The Upper Hessian Railway Company was nationalized in 1876 and continued to operate as the Grand Ducal Hessian State Railways .

In the course of discussion on the connection of Fulda to the Rail Line Hanover-Würzburg 1970s was considered in the first half, at Fulda vorbeiführende new line north of Fulda, east of Unterbimbach , double track with the Vogelsberg Railway Fulda height free to join. The connecting curve running in a south-easterly direction should thread south of Maberzell in the direction of Fulda.

expansion

Renewal of the superstructure near Gießen-Rödgen in the Easter holidays 2011

Single track, along with a lack of crossing options (dismantling of former stations to stopping points ) and outdated technology, were often the cause of delays in the past, which is why various construction measures (construction of crossings, renewal of the signaling technology) were planned. For this reason, around 30 million euros were set aside for renovation work between 2003 and 2007 via the Federal Railways Expansion Act. From 2008, the route should then be put out to tender and rehabilitated beforehand by Deutsche Bahn . However, the funds were not called up by Deutsche Bahn and the plans were therefore not implemented.

In a key issues paper adopted in Grünberg on June 10, 2008 , DB Netz, the neighboring communities and the cities of Fulda and Gießen agreed to keep the Vogelsbergbahn permanently. Among other things, the infrastructure should be improved despite the low budget so that an attractive offer can be made available. From 2012, the transport service will then be ordered as part of the competition procedure.

In September 2009, the head of the railway, Grube , announced that Deutsche Bahn would expand the Vogelsbergbahn by 2011 with a total of 24.6 million euros from the II economic stimulus program . The Renzendorf and Wallenrod stops were closed as part of the new timetable concept, contrary to the concerns of the Pro Bahn passenger association . The modernization work began with the partial line closure from July 19 to August 15, 2010 in the Alsfeld – Fulda section, which was continued from October 11 to 24 in the Mücke (Hess) –Alsfeld (Oberhess) section . From December 27, 2010 to January 9, 2011, the Gießen – Grünberg u. a. two bridges are to be renewed, but this was not possible due to the weather conditions. The work was carried out from April 16 to May 1, 2011 together with the work on the Alsfeld – Wallenrod section. From May 2 to 8, 2011, parts of the railway embankment were also renewed in the Mücke (Hess) –Alsfeld (Oberhess) section . The work was completed in the summer of 2011, during which 61 level crossings were also adjusted for signaling due to the increase in the maximum speed to 120 km / h.

In 2018, Grünberg station received two new, 55-centimeter-high exterior platforms and elevators, making boarding the passenger trains barrier-free.

future

The IHK Gießen-Friedberg is investigating the economic viability of a possible terminal for combined cargo traffic on the site of the former US depot . To this end, the Central Hessian Chamber of Industry and Commerce held an information event on April 27, 2010. The area has been identified accordingly in the urban development concept for the site.

In 2019, the Pfeifer Group announced that the Lauterbach location would be examined by the Federal Railway Authority for construction and eligibility . The Pfeifer Group has now received the building permit for the approx. 1.7 km long siding and the first preparatory earthworks have already taken place. The siding is expected to be available from mid-2021.

traffic

On the last day before the change of operator, RB 15951 crosses with HLB in Großen-Buseck

Freight traffic in the Großenlüder station, meanwhile discontinued

Earlier came in passenger locomotives of the series 211 , 212 and 216 as well as railcars Series 796/798 used. From the early 1990s diesel multiple units of the 628 series were also used. In the locomotive-hauled trains, push-pull trains made of modernized and non-modernized Silberlingen with the 215 series were used until April 2003 , which were replaced by the 218 series locomotives . In December 2003, the 628 series finally took over all traffic. Since December 2011, passenger traffic has been handled by the Hessian State Railroad using LINT 41 diesel multiple units, which had replaced some of the 628s since October 2011.

Until December 2011, Regional Express trains ran on the Vogelsbergbahn between Gießen and Fulda every two hours on weekdays, and three pairs of trains ran every four hours on Sundays. Some of these trains were tied through to Limburg via the Lahntalbahn at the 2006/2007 timetable change in December 2006 . Regional trains served the route mostly every two hours with additional trains in school and commuter traffic on sections, primarily Gießen – Alsfeld and Alsfeld – Fulda.

Since December 2011, only regional trains have been running on the Vogelsbergbahn, although some of the trains leave out some stops (Lehnheim, Göbelnrod and Saasen). During the day, the trains mostly run every hour between Gießen and Fulda. Monday to Friday, additional trains run early in the morning from Alsfeld - where some of the trains are parked - to Fulda and Gießen, as well as every hour between Gießen and Mücke (including one only to Grünberg), which results in an irregular 30-minute cycle . On Saturday mornings, additional trains also leave Alsfeld. Individual journeys run on partial routes Monday to Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The last journeys end every day late in the evening in Alsfeld.

For the so-called “small timetable change” on June 12, 2016, new early and late connections were introduced on the weekends on the Vogelsbergbahn.

The passenger associations criticize the marginal early and evening connections and the timetable that is less tailored to connections.

Because the route is single-track and well used by passenger trains, it is hardly possible to run special trains and freight traffic . Freight traffic today is limited to the Gießen – Große Buseck section.

literature

• State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen (Ed.): Railway in Hessen. Cultural monuments in Hessen. Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany , Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, 3 volumes in a slipcase, ISBN 3-8062-1917-6 , Vol. 2.1, p. 379ff (route 022).
• Home in the picture 27./28. Week July 2009: Brief gas alarm in the Großen-Buseck train station . Description of the section Gießen - Großen-Buseck. Supplement to the Gießener Anzeiger from July 3, 2009
• Dieter Eckert: Freight traffic still plays an important role ( memento from January 6, 2010 on WebCite ). In: Supplement to the Gießener Anzeiger from June 19, 2009, archived on January 6, 2010
• Jürgen Röhrig series of publications "Upper Hessian Railways"

See also

• List of lines in the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund

Web links

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

• Short description of the route from Pro Bahn ( memorial from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
• Target concept Vogelsbergbahn 2007 by Pro Bahn & Bus ( Memento from February 8, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
• Pictures of the operating locations

Individual evidence

1. ^ DB course book, summer 1978, KBS 510, Mainz, 1978; DB timetable, winter 1978/79, KBS 510, Mainz, 1978
2. ↑ Kilometrage corrected according to the plan of BK Covering Center Rödgen Hst from October 1959. Connection switch is still available in this plan.
3. ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung of February 22, 2009: Save 12,500 truck journeys per year through rail connection  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
4. ↑ Lauterbacher Anzeiger from November 14th, 2009: RP gives the green light for connection to the railway  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
5. ↑ DB Netze - Infrastructure Register
6. ↑ Railway Atlas Germany . 9th edition. Schweers + Wall, Aachen 2014, ISBN 978-3-89494-145-1 .
7. ↑ see Eisenbahn in Hessen, Vol. 2.2, p. 664f
8. ↑ Engineer-Geological Institute Dipl. Ing. S. Niedermeyer: New line Hanover - Gemünden. Comparison of variants. Fulda - Hessian / Bavarian border km 210-250. Document from March 1975, pp. 1, 4, 112, Annex K 2-a.
9. ^ The Vogelsbergbahn - Pro Bahn Mittelhessen ( Memento from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
10. ↑ Finally bring the Vogelsbergbahn forward ( Memento from June 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
11. ↑ Message from the Upper Hessian Utilities Association  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
12. ↑ Gießener Allgemeine, September 7, 2009
13. ↑ Gießener Allgemeine from September 8, 2009
14. ↑ Lauterbacher Anzeiger of January 29, 2010: Closed train stations get buses and taxis  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
15. ↑ Osthessen News from August 31, 2011: Is it over after 142 years? Pro train & bus against Wallenrod station closure
16. ↑ Gießener Allgemeine from October 22, 2010: Hourly frequency of the Vogelsbergbahn becomes possible
17. ↑ Gießener Anzeiger from April 13, 2011: Railway built 3.5 million euros over Easter  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
18. ↑ Osthessennews of April 30, 2011: Construction work on the track - closure of the Vogelsbergbahn between Mücke and Alsfeld
19. ↑ Press release of Deutsche Bahn AG from May 12, 2010
20. ↑ Ines Jachmann: 3.4 million euros for Grünberger Bahnhof. In: Gießener Anzeiger. Retrieved November 8, 2018 . 
21. ↑ Press releases 059/10 of the IHK Gießen-Friedberg - opportunities for combined transport are being explored  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
22. ^ Gießener Allgemeine from April 4, 2010
23. ^ Giessener Anzeiger from October 29, 2011: City advertises US depot premises ( Memento from July 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
24. ↑ Gießener Anzeiger Verlags GmbH & Co KG: The course is set: Pfeifer Group builds siding - Lauterbacher Anzeiger. Retrieved January 7, 2020 . 
25. ↑ Premiere at Vogelsbergbahn: New trains started for test drives today. In: Osthessen-News. October 31, 2011, accessed November 8, 2018 . 
26. ↑ New early and late connections on the weekend on the Vogelsbergbahn . In: Hessenschiene 104 (July - September 2016), p. 16