Railway Zwönitz – Chemnitz Süd

Zwönitz – Chemnitz south
Section of the route map of Saxony from 1902
Route number (DB) :	6639; sä. ZC
Course book section (DB) :	522
Route length:	37.985 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system :	Stollberg – Abzw Altchemnitz: 750  =
Maximum slope :	25  ‰
Minimum radius :	300 m
Top speed:	80 km / h
Legend from Scheibenberg (Erzgeb) from (Adorf–) Aue (Sachs) -0.022 Zwönitz (former Inselbahnhof ) 548 m 0.497 EÜ farm road (6 m) to Chemnitz Hbf 0.760 Chemnitz-Aue-Adorf 1.660 EÜ farm road (6.9 m) 3.970 EÜ farm road (12.8 m) 4,527 Affalter Bridge (33.2 m) 4.930 Affalter 568 m 7,087 EÜ Bundesstrasse 169 (44.5 m) 10.120 Oberdorf - Beutha 514 m 12.080 EÜ farm road (7.2 m) 13.710 EÜ farm road (4.8 m) 13,840 Mitteldorf 14.014 Mitteldorf Bridge (35 m) 15.270 EÜ farm road (4 m) 15.510 EÜ farm road (12.8 m), today federal road 180 from Niederwürschnitz (planned) 15.700 SÜ farm road (12 m) 16.097 EÜ Zwickauer Strasse (44 m) 16.116 Beginning of the Chemnitz City Railway lease 16.238 EÜ Gießereistraße (12 m) 16.602 Stollberg (Sachs) 444 m to St. Egidien EÜ Tunnelweg 17.269 Stollberg Schlachthofstrasse (since 2002) 440 m of St. Egidien 18,070 Abzw Stollberg arch triangle 18.915 EÜ Lichtensteiner Strasse (12 m) 19.032 Niederdorf (Erzgeb) 402 m 20.275 Gablenzbach Bridge (24 m) 23,120 Pfaffenhain 360 m 25,660 Jahnsdorf (Erzgeb) 350 m 27.155 Adorf (Erzgeb) 345 m 28,149 Flood bridge (11 m) 28.212 Würschnitz Bridge (17 m) 28.284 Flood bridge (11 m) 28.810 Neukirchen - Klaffenbach 333 m At the construction site 29,540 Klaffenbach Hp 29.612 Würschnitz Bridge (20 m) Chemnitz Friedrichstrasse 30.970 Würschnitz Bridge (26 m) 31.231 Harthau tunnel (46 m) 31,445 Chemnitz-Harthau (formerly Bf) 325 m 31.659 Würschnitz Bridge (30 m) 32,433 Chemnitz Riemenschneiderstrasse 32.923 Zwönitz Bridge (13 m) Altchemnitz junction Connecting track to the Chemnitz tram 32,932 Infrastructure boundary between Chemnitz City Railway and RISS 33,250 Chemnitz Zwönitz Bridge 315 m Südring 34.280 Karl-Marx-Stadt Markersdorfer Strasse 310 m 34,700 Chemnitz city park 34.963 For VW Saxony 35.233 First meta work 35,523 For VW Saxony 36.038 EÜ Paul-Gruner-Strasse (16 m) 36.178 EÜ Annaberger Straße ( B95 ) (43 m) 36,606 Infrastructure boundary RISS / DB RNI from (Adorf–) Aue (Sachs) from Abzw Werdau arc triangle 37.963 Chemnitz Süd ( wedge station ) 312 m to Dresden Hbf

The Zwönitz – Chemnitz Süd railway is a branch line in Saxony that originally ran from Zwönitz via Stollberg / Erzgeb. led through the Würschnitztal to Chemnitz . Today only the section from Stollberg to Chemnitz is in operation as part of the Chemnitz model . This section is also known as the Würschnitztalbahn .

history

Prehistory and construction

The first plans for a railway in the Würschnitztal came from the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorfer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft , which wanted the shortest possible connection of its main line to the important Lugau-Oelsnitz coalfield . However, the project was only realized under the direction of the Royal Saxon State Railways . In November 1887 the construction of the connection from Zwönitz to Stollberg began. There was a connection to the Stollberg – St. Egidien . The line was opened on July 15, 1889, with three mixed trains running daily in both directions, as well as an additional passenger train on Sundays and public holidays.

At first they wanted to close the gap in the Würschnitztal, i. H. close the section from Stollberg to Chemnitz with a narrow-gauge railway , because the factories located there promised a high volume of traffic. Because of the freight traffic in the Lugau-Oelsnitz coalfield, a standard-gauge railway was soon favored. The question of whether one should connect the railway in Höhlteich, Lugau or Stollberg to the existing route network was decided in favor of Stollberg. The continuation of the railway in the Würschnitztal in the direction of Chemnitz was decided in 1894, and operations began on October 1, 1895. A 486 meter long connecting curve near Niederdorf enabled direct freight trains to travel from the direction of Oelsnitz to Chemnitz.

On May 1, 1900, the Zwönitz – Scheibenberg railway was opened. With the construction of the route to Scheibenberg, the crossing structure over the Chemnitz – Adorf railway was also built in Zwönitz . Many trains from Stollberg did not end in Zwönitz in the period that followed, but went via Scheibenberg and part of the Annaberg-Buchholz-Schwarzenberg railway to Schlettau .

Post-war and GDR times

Timetable 1950/51, the Wismut miners' trains are not listed in the timetable

After the Second World War, the 486 meter long connecting curve near Stollberg was dismantled in 1946.

The 16.25 kilometer long section between Zwönitz and Stollberg was, contrary to the plans, never of greater traffic importance. On August 20, 1947, traffic on the Zwönitz – Stollberg route together with the Zwönitz – Elterlein section was discontinued and the route was subsequently dismantled as a reparation payment for the Soviet Union. But due to the uranium mining in the Ore Mountains and the associated increased transport services, the mined piece was rebuilt two years later. After the section was reopened on July 1, 1949, the line experienced a brief heyday due to bismuth mining until the mid-1950s.

Nevertheless, the stretch between Zwönitz and Stollberg was one of the first normal-gauge routes in Saxony to be abandoned. Since only used old material was available and used during the reconstruction, the stretch of road required extensive maintenance measures. After the relocation of Bismuth professional traffic and the decline in hard coal production in the Lugau-Oelsnitzer hard coal district , the income by far did not cover the expenses, and the travel time continued to increase due to more and more slow driving. All traffic was therefore stopped on March 17, 1967, after passenger trains were replaced by rail replacement services from October 10, 1966. Individual shunting trips to the Beutha sign factory continued until November 3, 1967. In the years 1968 to 1976 the tracks and bridges were gradually dismantled.

Development since 1991

In the 1990s, planning began in Chemnitz for a light rail system analogous to the Karlsruhe model . The connection between Chemnitz and Stollberg was planned as a pilot route. In contrast to the system in Karlsruhe, operation in Chemnitz with only slightly modified normal tram vehicles was planned from the outset. Problems of a technical and legal nature delayed the project several times. There was a dispute about the planned platform heights of only 20 centimeters above the top of the rails, which, in the opinion of the Federal Railway Authority , would not have been permissible.

Ultimately, the route could be prepared according to the original concept. In Altchemnitz the connection to the tram network was established and an overhead contact line was built between Altchemnitz and Stollberg. As is often the case with trams in Germany, it is operated with 750 volts direct current. Because there is still a contact wire voltage of 600 volts in the Chemnitz tram network, a system separation point had to be set up at Altchemnitz. An electronic signal box was built in Stollberg station. This controls the entire Altchemnitz – Stollberg section. In order to better exploit the passenger potential, four new stops have been set up along the route.

On December 15, 2002, the scheduled electric train operation with the » Variobahn « low-floor articulated trolley of the City-Bahn Chemnitz began.

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  Altchemnitz stop with City-Bahn crossing (2016)

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  Wendeschleife Altchemnitz with connection to the City-Bahn (2016)

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  Altchemnitz stop, City-Bahn to Stollberg (2016)

The City-Bahn Chemnitz since June 16, 2001 the tenant of the railway infrastructure from kilometer 16.116 to 32.932 kilometers distance d. H. From the start of the route in Stollberg (Sachs) station to the Altchemnitz junction in Chemnitz, operations have been carried out by Regio Infra Service Sachsen (RISS) since December 15, 2002 . The permissible line speed in this section is 80 km / h.

From route kilometers 32,932 to route kilometers 36,606, i.e. H. From the Altchemnitz junction to just before the Chemnitz Süd train station, RISS has leased the railway infrastructure itself since September 2002. This section is for the freight and operation of the ports of the engine plant of Volkswagen axes as well as for the transfer of railcars City subway Chemnitz between Chemnitz and Stollberg. The permissible line speed in this section is 50 km / h.

Various attempts were made on the route to further increase the number of passengers. However, both additional express connections and round-the-clock operation brought only slight growth and failed due to the limited financial scope of the ordering special-purpose association.

outlook

Stage 5 of the Chemnitz model is intended to extend the existing Stollberg – Chemnitz Süd line to Niederwürschnitz by means of an approximately 3.5-kilometer electrified new line . With partial use of the former route from Zwönitz, the new line is to be led south out of the Stollberg (Sachs) station and then swiveled west after about 500 meters in the direction of the "Stollberger Tor" industrial park. As a result, line C11 (“pilot line”) could be extended every half hour via Stollberg to Oelsnitz, which would enable journeys between Oelsnitz, Niederwürschnitz and downtown Chemnitz without changing trains.

The commissioning of the new route section, initially planned for the end of 2019, has now been postponed to 2022 at the earliest. The construction costs have increased from the originally mentioned 37 to 43 million euros.

Route description

course

Former embankment near Affalter (2016)

Former railway overpass in Oberdorf (2016)

The line began at Zwönitz station , where there was a change to the Chemnitz – Aue – Adorf and Zwönitz – Scheibenberg lines . It left the station in a northerly direction to separate itself in an arc to the west from the Chemnitz – Adorf railway line (now known as the “Zwönitztalbahn”). The following section to Stollberg (Sachs) is only partially visible today on the embankment. The Affalter , Oberdorf – Beutha (reception building still exists) and Mitteldorf stations were located on it . Federal highway 169 was crossed between the first two stations .

After reaching the urban area of ​​Stollberg, the route changed from the embankment to an incision and then back to the embankment before reaching the Stollberg (Sachs) station. The original railway overpass at km 15.51 can no longer be seen in the area after the construction of the bypass with the federal highway 180.

From the Stollberg (Sachs) train station to shortly after the Stollberg Schlachthofstraße stop , this route and the one to St. Egidien run parallel to each other.

The section from Stollberg (Sachs) to Chemnitz Abzw. Altchemnitz was renovated and electrified as part of the Chemnitz model and has been served by the Chemnitz City Railway with Variobahn trains since December 2002 . It runs to Pfaffenhain , where the federal highway 169 was crossed a second time, in the valley of the Gablenzbach , then to Chemnitz Zwönitzbrücke in the valley of the Würschnitz , which is why the railway is also called the "Würschnitztalbahn". In the course of the modernization, several new stops were created.

Shortly before the abandoned Chemnitz Zwönitzbrücke station, there is now a branch to the Chemnitz tram network to its Altchemnitz stop . Since the trains to and from Stollberg use the tram route within the city, the section Chemnitz Zwönitzbrücke - Chemnitz Süd running parallel to Chemnitz is today without regular passenger traffic.

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  Stollberg (Sachs) station with tracks towards Zwönitz, 2016

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  Railway line at the Klaffenbach stop

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  Railway viaduct over the Würschnitz in Harthau (2016)

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  City-Bahn to Stollberg in Harthau (2016)

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  Würschnitztalbahn, view towards Harthau (2016)

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  Würschnitztalbahn with connection to the Chemnitz tram (2016)

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  Würschnitztalbahn, Abschnitz towards Hp. Zwönitzbrücke (2016)

Operating points

Zwönitz station (around 1910)

Zwönitz ⊙

→ Main article : Zwönitz train station

The Zwönitz station was opened in 1875 together with the Chemnitz – Adorf railway line by the Chemnitz-Aue-Adorfer Railway Company . In the 1890s the station developed into a local railway junction when the line to Stollberg was opened in 1889 and the line to Scheibenberg eleven years later .

During the renovation of the Chemnitz – Aue section in the 2000s, most of the track systems in the former Inselbahnhof were removed.

Location of the former Affalter stop (2016)

Affalter ⊙

The Affalter stop was opened in Oberaffalter on July 15, 1889. The station was upgraded to a train station in 1905, but was later used as a stop. Between 1947 and 1949 the station was out of service due to the temporary dismantling of the tracks. With the cessation of passenger traffic on the Zwönitz – Stollberg (Sachs) section, the shutdown of the station began on October 10, 1966 and was finally shut down on May 27, 1967. At the former location near the “Schönburgischer Hof”, only a sign on the beer garden reminds of the station. The embankment towards Stollberg and across the street towards Zwönitz can still be seen.

Oberdorf-Beutha station (2011)

Oberdorf-Beutha ⊙

The Oberdorf-Beutha train station was opened on July 15, 1889. With the closure of the section between Zwönitz and Stollberg, the station was no longer served since November 3, 1967. The station had a reception building.

Railway embankment near the former Mitteldorf stop (2016)

Mitteldorf ⊙

At the initiative of SAG Wismut , the Mitteldorf branch was opened on May 14, 1950 . From June 16, 1953, Mitteldorf was an unoccupied stop. The stop was closed again on October 10, 1966.

Stollberg (Sachs) ⊙

→ Main article : Stollberg (Sachs) station

The Stollberg (Sachs) station was opened on October 15, 1878 as the starting point for the Stollberg – St. Egidien opened. Since 1889 it was the crossing point with the Zwönitz-Chemnitz Süd railway line. With the suspension of rail traffic to Zwönitz, Stollberg (Sachs) station has been the end and starting point of two railway lines since 1967. With the introduction of the Chemnitz model , diesel-powered trains of the Chemnitz City Railway now run to St. Egidien and electric trains to Chemnitz.

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  Reception building of the Stollberg (Sachs) train station, 2016

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  Stollberg (Sachs) station with City-Bahn to Chemnitz, 2016

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  City train to Chemnitz when leaving the Stollberg (Sachs) station, 2016

Stollberg Schlachthofstrasse ⊙

The Stollberg Schlachthofstrasse stop was opened with the introduction of the Chemnitz model on December 15, 2002. There are two outer platforms, one each on the single-track lines to Chemnitz and St. Egidien, which run parallel here. Trains to and from Chemnitz stop on the electrified track, and those from and to St. Egidien on the non-electrified track. The stop has a modern bus shelter per platform.

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  Stollberg-Schlachthofstraße stop (2016)

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  Stollberg-Schlachthofstraße stop (2016)

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  Signpost at the Stollberg-Schlachthofstraße stop (2016)

Niederdorf stop with city railway (2016)

Niederdorf (Erzgeb) ⊙

The Niederdorf (Erzgeb) stop was opened on October 1, 1895 as the Niederdorf stop . In 1911 the breakpoint was given the addition to its name. After the modernization and electrification of the line, the stop was given a modern bus shelter. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Sollberg-Nord exit of the federal motorway 72 and can be reached via Teichstraße.

Pfaffenhain stop (2016)

Pfaffenhain ⊙

Pfaffenhain station was opened on October 1, 1895. It is located at the end of the village in the direction of Niederdorf, directly at the level crossing of the federal highway 169 , which is also known as "Pfaffenhainer length". The modernized stop has a modern bus shelter and a large car park.

Jahnsdorf (Erzgeb) ⊙

The Jahnsdorf (Erzgeb) stop (until 1911 Jahnsdorf i Ergeb stop ) was established on October 1, 1895. The station is in the north of the eponymous town. The former station building is inhabited. The newly designed stop has a modern bus shelter. It was moved a few meters in the direction of Stollberg and can be accessed via Chemnitzer Straße.

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  Jahnsdorf stop (2016)

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  Jahnsdorf station, former reception building, street view (2016)

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  Jahnsdorf station, former station building, track side (2016)

Adorf (Erzgeb) stop (2016)

Adorf (Erzgeb) ⊙

The Adorf (Erzgeb) stop (until 1911 Adorf i Ergeb stop ) was established in 1909. The station is north of the eponymous town of Adorf / Erzgeb. The originally existing wooden waiting hall has since been demolished.

Reception building of the Neukirchen-Klaffenbach train station with City-Bahn (2016)

Neukirchen-Klaffenbach ⊙

The Neukirchen-Klaffenbach station was opened on October 1, 1895 as the Neukirchen i Erzgeb station. In 1903 it was renamed Neukirchen-Klaffenbach . The station has a striking reception building made of red bricks. It is located in the Würschnitz valley on the outskirts of Neukirchen and what is now the Chemnitz district of Klaffenbach. The Klaffenbach moated castle is located nearby

Klaffenbach ⊙

Significantly younger than the station Neukirchen-Klaffenbach is the breakpoint Klaffenbach . It was created in the course of the route renovation on December 15, 2002 near a shopping center at the intersection of Klaffenbacher Hauptstrasse / Chemnitzer Strasse and Würschnitztalstrasse.

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  Klaffenbach stop (2016)

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  Klaffenbach stop with City-Bahn (2016)

Chemnitz Friedrichstrasse ⊙

The Chemnitz Friedrichstrasse stop was only set up in 2006 and is therefore one of the youngest stations on the line. It is located in the Chemnitz district of Harthau directly on the Würschnitz and has a modern bus shelter.

Chemnitz Harthau ⊙

The Chemnitz Harthau stop was established on October 1, 1895. The station is in the center of Harthau. In the course of its existence it has had the following names:

• until 1911: Harthau i Erzgeb
• until 1933: Harthau near Chemnitz
• until 1953: Chemnitz-Harthau
• until 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt-Harthau
• since 1990: Chemnitz-Harthau

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  Chemnitz-Friedrichstrasse stop with railway viaduct (2016)

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  Chemnitz-Harthau stop (2009)

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  Chemnitz-Riemenschneiderstraße stop (2016)

Chemnitz Riemenschneiderstraße ⊙

The Chemnitz Riemenschneiderstrasse stop was established on December 15, 2002. It is located in the Chemnitz district of Harthau between Würschnitz and Annaberger Straße ( Bundesstraße 95 ). He owns a modern bus shelter.

Former Chemnitz-Zwönitzbrücke station (2016)

Chemnitz Zwönitzbrücke ⊙

The station had four different names, in detail these were:

• until January 31, 1905: Niederharthau
• until 1953: Oberaltchemnitz
• until 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt Zwönitzbrücke
• since 1990: Chemnitz Zwönitzbrücke

Initially only one stop, Oberaltchemnitz station was elevated to a station in 1905. This station, located in an industrial area, was of enormous importance, especially in freight traffic. With the implementation of the Chemnitz model in 2002, the station has no passenger traffic. From the direction of Stollberg (Sachs), the trams swivel briefly from the train station into the tracks of the tram at the Altchemnitz loop . After a fire in 2009, the station building was completely demolished. The platforms are no longer accessible to the public on Schulstrasse.

Location of the former Markersdorfer Straße stop, with the Südring in the background (2016)

Karl-Marx-Stadt Markersdorfer Strasse ⊙

The station was opened on October 1, 1895 and had three different names, in detail these were:

• until 1905: Oberaltchemnitz
• until 1953: Altchemnitz
• until closure in 1977: Karl-Marx-Stadt Markersdorfer Straße

The stop was closed on September 15, 1977 after the opening of the Karl-Marx-Stadt Scheffelstraße stop in the direction of Chemnitz Süd station . There are no structural remains of the stop. It is located in the area of ​​the bridge of the Chemnitz Südring , which was built in the 1970s.

Chemnitz City Park ⊙

The stop on Scheffelstrasse was opened on December 27, 1972 and subsequently replaced the stop on Markersdorfer Strasse.

The station had three different names, in detail these were:

• 1972 to 1976: Karl-Marx-Stadt Scheffelstraße
• until 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt Stadtpark
• since 1990: Chemnitz City Park

With the implementation of the Chemnitz model in 2002, the stop is without passenger traffic. It can be reached via Scheffelstrasse. The old bus shelter and part of the station sign are still there.

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  Former Chemnitz-Stadtpark stop (2016)

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  Former Chemnitz-Stadtpark stop (2016)

Chemnitz Süd station (2011)

Chemnitz South ⊙

→ Main article : Chemnitz Süd railway station

The station had the following five names:

• until 1905: Altchemnitz
• until 1911: Chemnitz Südbahnhof
• until 1953: Chemnitz Süd
• until 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt Süd
• since 1990: Chemnitz Süd

The station was only built with the construction of the Chemnitz – Aue – Adorf line , and the Chemnitz – Zwickau section of the line from Dresden to Werdau , which opened in 1858, had not yet been set up. Since the CAAE was not allowed to run its railway line into the Chemnitz station , a separate station was created. A connecting track was set up for freight traffic, and travelers had to walk the approximately two kilometers to Chemnitz train station. Only after the nationalization of the CAAE in the summer of 1876 were the passenger trains continued to Chemnitz station.

By integrating the route from Stollberg, the traffic importance of the station increased further. On December 16, 2002 the railway line to Stollberg / Erzgeb. opened as a pilot route (level 0) of the Chemnitz model . Since then, trains from Chemnitz main station to Stollberg no longer use tracks 3 and 4 of the CA line at Chemnitz Süd station, but instead use the central stop to the “Altchemnitz” stop on the tram tracks in Annaberger Straße.

Civil engineering

Harthau tunnel

The southern portal of the Harthau tunnel as seen from the overpass immediately in front of it

The 46-meter-long Harthau ⊙ tunnel is 31.2 kilometers long and is within a 247-meter radius. It was built with a vault by the construction company Liebold & Co. from Holzminden .

literature

• Eberhard Schramm: The Upper Ore Mountains Lookout Railway. The Stollberg-Zwönitz-Scheibenberg route . EK-Verlag, Freiburg 1996, ISBN 3-88255-427-4 ( Regional Transport History 14).
• Erich Preuß , Reiner Preuß : Saxon State Railways. transpress Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-344-70700-0 .
• Stefan Schneider: The Zwönitz station and its three railway lines. Development and advancement to the transport hub . Selbstverlag, Zwönitz 1993, pp. 39-57.

Web links

Commons : Zwönitz – Chemnitz Süd railway line  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Website of the Regio Infra Service Sachsen GmbH
• Website of the City-Bahn Chemnitz

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Route data on www.sachsenschiene.de
2. ↑ ^{a b} Chemnitz model stage 5: Expansion of the Stollberg - Oelsnitz variant investigation and preliminary planning. (PDF; 7.2 MiB) Citizen information event. Central Saxony transport association , August 24, 2015, accessed on October 23, 2016 . 
3. ^ Announcement Chemnitz - Stollberg (Saxony) with tram vehicles . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 3/2003, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 142 f.
4. ^ History of City-Bahn Chemnitz GmbH. City-Bahn Chemnitz , accessed on September 10, 2019 . 
5. ↑ List of authorized railway operators in Germany. (xlsx; 39.1 kB) Federal Railway Authority , November 7, 2016, accessed on July 6, 2018 . 
6. ↑ ^{a b} History of RIS Sachsen GmbH. Regio Infra Service Saxony , archived from the original on September 6, 2016 ; accessed on September 2, 2016 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b} Stollberg - Altchemnitz junction. Route characteristics. Regio Infra Service Saxony , archived from the original on September 6, 2016 ; accessed on September 2, 2016 . 
8. ↑ ^{a b} Abzw. Altchemnitz - Chemn.-Süd. Route characteristics. Regio Infra Service Saxony , archived from the original on September 6, 2016 ; accessed on September 2, 2016 . 
9. ↑ Michael Müller: Express train to Stollberg remains a dream of the future for the time being. In: Free Press. November 20, 2015, accessed November 13, 2018 . 
10. ↑ Jürgen Werner: Chemnitzer Model: What is changing in the south of the city. In: Free Press. October 26, 2018, accessed November 13, 2018 . 
11. ↑ Jan Oechsner: For the weekend: waiting for the train. In: FreiePresse.de. June 30, 2018, accessed July 6, 2018 . 
12. ^ Fire in the Zwönitzbrücke station