Dill Railway

The dill route is a 73 km long double-track, electrified main line in North Rhine -Westphalia and Hesse. It runs from victories over Haiger, Dillenburg, Herborn and Wetzlar to casting and carries passenger KBS 445

History

Construction

The dill route is historically divided into two parts. The southern section was built about 50 years before the northern section.

Southern section

The southern part is the southwestern section of the built by the Cologne -Minden Railway Company in January 1862 and initially completed single track made ​​Deutz- Gießen railway from today's Cologne -Deutz to Giessen. The population of rural areas along the dill behaved initially largely hostile to the construction of the railway, however, wore these to the economic recovery of the region. Also for the transport of the working population between home and work, she had quickly become very important. The city of Wetzlar had the remote location of their station to accept, as the dill route required a corresponding curve to the mouth of the Lahn Valley Railway opened a year later. For the proposal to cover the distance in Werdorf on the right bank of dill and merge already in the Wetzlar Neustadt with the Lahn route in order to build the Wetzlar train station in a central location can, the site management was not going to win. Since the railway vorfand no valley Wetzlar would directly related to the Wetterau, the route had to be pouring out, so its train station only became the main hub. After the track quickly gained in importance, it was already almost fully expanded to double track around 1870. The route of the Deutz- Gießen railway ran from Deutz coming in its central part from Betzdorf ( victory ) over Burbach and Würgendorf to Haiger, the route of the present railway line Betz Village Haiger. Due to the difficult topography of a direct connection of victories at the Dill line with the resources available at that time was still too expensive. Still bears this historic route between total Betz village and pouring the route number 2651st

Northern section

It was not until 1915, the section was Siegen- Haiger the track completed ( line number 2800 ), which also Hagen, casting and so Ruhr and the Rhine- Main region and targets in southern Germany were directly connected. The route was shortened by about 30 kilometers. This was particularly important in coal traffic. This required the almost 2.7 kilometer Rudersdorferstraße tunnel and two large viaducts, the Rudersdorferstraße Viaduct and the low Dielfener viaduct to be built. The originally planned four-tracked expansion between Siegen and Dillenburg fell victim to the First World War. Due to the engineering services and engineering structures this is the entire route of the route between the station and the Hessian Haiger / North Rhine Westphalian border, which is in Rudersdorferstraße tunnel, a cultural monument by the Hessian Monument Protection Act.

Extension

In 1965, the electrification of the entire dill and Ruhr -Sieg line was completed. The strung with E10 1270 Bw Heidelberg Hbf opening move dsts 11277 Frankfurt (Main ) Hbf -Hagen Hbf left the station Gießen- mountain forest on May 14, 1965 at 09:07 clock and was celebrated at the track and in the intermediate stations of many citizens.

The track in the course book

By 1970, the route was Dill under the KBS- number 251. Then it was together with the Ruhr -Sieg line from Hagen to Siegen to Route number 360 Since the revision of the course book numbers system in 1992 following the unification of the Dill line was now under the number 445, during the Ruhr -Sieg line number 440 obtained. Since the introduction of the basic interval Roadmap ( ITF) in 1998, all trains in rail transport over victories.

Long-distance transport

Your former importance for the long-distance passenger lost dill route in 2002. Late as the 1980s, the route had to show many daily express train connections to remote destinations such as Oberstdorf. Beginning of the 1990s, a two- hourly express train between Frankfurt ( Main) Hbf was then set victories, which later became the route via Siegen- Angsleah took and was extended to Münster (Westphalia ) Hbf.

From 1993, these trains of inter-regional line 22 Frankfurt -Münster were assigned, so that the Dill line was part of a modern long-distance concept. The original plan of the inter-regional network foresaw the line to extend the sections Hof Hbf -Frankfurt -Würzburg Hbf main station and cathedral north dike Mole. These plans were not realized, however, to a daily between Frankfurt and North dike Mole ( IR " Norderney" ), which the line 22 rather earned a shadowy existence. It developed due to lack of ridership soon became the problem child of the Deutsche Bahn AG.

An improvement of this situation were to be met with the pivoting of Nordastes from Hagen Hbf via Wuppertal Hbf to Dusseldorf main station in 1999. In addition, an evening extension to Cologne main station and an early connection of Dortmund Hbf to Frankfurt am Main with a travel time of less than three hours was created ( intermediate stops only in Siegen- Angsleah and Wetzlar ), both of which consisted of intercity rolling stock. At the same time the clock was off by one hour and the evening and weekend traffic thinned dramatically. These measures sold more passengers than you was able to win because the line 22 previously represented the shorter, faster and cheaper alternative for travelers in transit as opposed to the over Koblenz and Cologne trains running ICs and ICEs. The only pair of trains, further upside over Munster, was the IR " Norderney".

Since the trains were mainly in the section Siegen- Hagen still very poorly utilized, except for the connection to the north dike Mole summer timetable 2001, all trains were stopped. Since the timetable change 2002/2003 in December 2002 reversed this pair of trains called Intercity on the Left Rhine line, so that the IR line 22 their final end took - and also the long-distance transport on the dill and the Ruhr -Sieg line were temporarily suspended.

Great Expectations, the Region Lahn -Dill victory after setting the inter-regional in the announcement of the former Connex (now Veolia ) to offer a replacement bus service. So wrong on the 6 June 2003 once daily InterConnex of Rostock via Berlin, Halle ( Saale), Kassel, Marburg, Gießen, Wetzlar, Dillenburg, Siegen and Cologne to Neuss as well as a return. The connection was set in the grounds of insufficient use again on 27 October 2003. After Connex but had not yet issued a contrary development in the weeks before and increases the number of cars from four to six cars, it is considered likely that the locomotives and cars used in the purely commercial InterConnex were required for the acquisition of Flensburg Express, which as transport line was subsidized by the State of Schleswig -Holstein and thus greater economic stimulus offered for Connex.

On 13 December 2009, the long-distance transport returned to the dill route. For the first time drove daily Euro City pair of victories over Giessen, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Munich and Salzburg to Klagenfurt, with coaches up to Zagreb. The coaches were uncoupled in Villach. The compound belonged to the EC line 62 The morning train to Klagenfurt left victories at 6:18 clock; the return from Klagenfurt met at 21:57 a clock in Siegen. The offer was on the 10th November 2011, so the change of timetable 2011/2012, again eingestellt.Seit December 11, 2011, the dill route is after only two years of operation by a single Euro City - pair again " fernverkehrslos ".

For the region, this is exploiting bitter loss of revenue, insbesonder lack of tourists.

Operating procedure and interlocking equipment

Extensive track facilities were on the dill route in the 1980s and 1990s as a result of declining regional freight decommissioned in many stations. In Haiger, Herborn, sense Ehringhausen and Aßlar and the freight stations Dillenburg and Wetzlar today is only part of the original trackage in operation. Overtaking and passing tracks there are on the track or in the stations rowing village, Haiger, Dillenburg, Herborn, Wetzlar and Dutenhofen and in the freight yard east of Siegen. In Niederdielfen, meaning and Ehringhausen still exist platform changes, which can be used in driving direction Siegen at casewise overhauls over the main track through the opposite direction.

With the construction of two modern signal boxes in Siegen and Wetzlar in 1984 and 1986, the dill route between Siegen and Haiger and between Ehringhausen and Dutenhofen was upgraded for the way working that allows, if necessary, train rides over the left main track with relatively few restrictions in line capacity perform. After all, the signaled false driving operation can be applied between Herborn and meaning. Only after submitting a written command, the drive onto the counter track between Haiger and Herborn, between sense and Ehringhausen and between Dutenhofen and casting is possible.

Mechanical interlocking systems are no longer available on the dill route. The oldest operating technique there is in Dillenburg in the form of three electro-mechanical interlocking (see Dillenburg station ). All other stations have modern track switchboard. Simple relay interlockings, control the only operation in its own railway station, located in Haiger and Herborn (type Sp Dr S 60 ), in sense and Ehringhausen (design Dr S 2 ) and in Dutenhofen (design Dr S). Using the above-mentioned signal boxes of the type Sp Dr S 600 are also the stations east of Siegen, Niederdielfen and rowing village, as well as of Wetzlar also controlled remotely by wins from the Aßlar station. The only electronic interlocking in the course of the track is in casting, but is controlled by the operations center of Frankfurt.

An operational feature is found in the section of victories east to Rudersdorferstraße tunnel. There schedule heavy freight trains with a second locomotive be pushed on the rear of the train, as the tension of the lead locomotive would not be sufficient under certain circumstances to carry the tensile load alone over the incline portion due to a relatively steep slope distance. The corresponding Schubloks especially the series 110, 140 and 151 are usually prepared in Altenhundem and Kreuztal at the Ruhr -Sieg line for inserts.

The Dillbrecht station was abandoned after removal of all switches and decommissioning of the third station track in October 2004 for operating purposes and downgraded to an unoccupied breakpoint. The last gatekeeper items of the route was at the breakpoint Katzenfurt and was only in September 2006, superseded by a newly built underpass at the other end of the platform. Were abandoned as a passenger holding in the 1980s, the stations wins the East and Niederdielfen, which are now used as a cargo or operating stations.

Furthermore, it was in 2011 reduced the siding in Ehringhausen station and built a new platform in the direction casting, so can now go directly into the trains by train to Gießen and no longer have to cross the tracks. Same time, this means also that now no longer overhaul possibilities exist between Wetzlar and Herborn, due to the low utilization of the route but this is not necessary.

Service offer in passenger

The dill route is served daily in rail transport

• From the Main -Sieg- Express ( RE 40/99 ) Siegen- Giessen- Frankfurt Hbf, which runs between Siegen and Giessen usually every hour,
• Of the victory -Dill -Bahn (RB 95) Au (Sieg) - Siegen- Dillenburg,
• From Central Hesse Express ( SE 40 ) Dillenburg - Giessen- Frankfurt Hbf and
• Individual regional trains between Dillenburg and casting (RB 40; Dill -Bahn ) operates.

Is performed the rail transport

• By DB Regio NRW, the 648 and 640 used for the Victory -Dill -Bahn Diesel multiple units of the series,
• Of the Hessian State Railway, which uses for the Main -Sieg- Express locomotives of the type and Flirt
• DB Regio Hessen, which uses existing push-pull trains with the BR 143 for the Central Hesse Express EMUs of the DB class 442, and in the rush hour between casting and Dillenburg of four n- cars.

The timetable change 2006/2007 in December 2006, the Central Hesse Express began operations. The coming of Dillenburg and Treysa regional trains in casting are combined and run as Regional Express continue on the Main- Weser -Bahn to Frankfurt. For residents of smaller communities north casting this concept for the first time means an hourly, transfer-free connection to the Rhine -Main area. Were utilized until April 2013 Electric Railcar of the series 425 and 426, which have replaced the earlier trains running with the series 143 and n- car Regional Railways Dillenburg - Giessen- Marburg ( Lahn) -Kassel Hbf. Since April 2013 New Talent 2 railcar ( DB class 442 ) are used, which are operated by the newly formed DB Regio Hessen GmbH.

In addition, of the Rhine- Main Transport Association offers a fast connection for commuters from the dill route to Frankfurt. Weekdays except Saturdays runs in each direction (in the morning in the direction of Frankfurt, in the evening in Siegen ) is a RE- sprinter, between Siegen and Frankfurt Hbf only in Haiger, Dillenburg, Herborn, Ehringhausen, Wetzlar, Ostheim ( morning only), Bad Nauheim, Bad Vilbel ( morning only) and Frankfurt West stops. Since he otherwise used only by freight trains link Dutenhofen - casting - mountain forest is traveling in both directions, the support and the time-consuming change of direction in casting is necessary. With a total running time of approx one hour and 40 minutes this pair of trains was the unrivaled fastest way to get from Siegen and from the Dilltal in the Main metropolis and back to the timetable change in 2009/2010 in December 2009.

Since 13 December 2009, the travel time of one hour and 40 minutes on the line RE 40/99 (Frankfurt- Siegen) is the rule even with a change in casting. The journey time reduction was made possible by the transfer of the IC between Frankfurt and Giessen. The RE 40/99 is now to the old days of the IC on the road and drives correspondingly accelerated between Frankfurt and Giessen. The to December 2009 existing travel time of two hours has been repeatedly criticized, mainly because the journey relation with a change in casting was about 20 minutes faster than the direct connection without change. The journey time to the Central Hesse Express ( SE 40 ) has been extended under this change, every two hours by approximately 20 minutes, because this has now taken over the tasks of the regional train between Friedberg and Giessen.

Freight traffic

Next to the left and right bank route and the north-south route, the route Dill is one of the main routes in West Germany for the national and international transport of goods between the north and south and between Central and Southern Europe. After increasing capacity building measures on the other routes the dill route has indeed lost in the past few years some of their original meaning, but is still mainly used by trains between the Rhineland, the Ruhr and the Netherlands in the north and the Rhine -Main Neckar area, Austria, Switzerland and Italy operate in the south. In the event of a fault or for larger works on the other north-south axes, the dill route is often used due to insufficient free capacity as a detour route, usually with only minor loss of time for the diverted trains.

From the former importance of the route for the domestic industry still bear witness to the freight yards in Dillenburg and Wetzlar and the former railway depot Dillenburg. In both stations, about half of the existing track systems are used today only. In the fall of 2006, the track is still needed from the renown freight station were almost completely redeveloped in order to take over most of the Zugbildungsaufgaben Gbf pouring from the timetable change in December can. Since then, Wetzlar is the central hub of the regional freight transport in central Hesse. Three locomotive Class 294 and a locomotive of the series 362/363 are planned, there used for shunting at the station and route for trips to the central Hessian loading points.

The most significant freight customer in the course of dill route is the steel mill of ThyssenKrupp Stainless steel in Dillenburg, which on Monday will receive a loaded unit train to be finished coils and individual freight cars to Fridays, and Sundays. Transported the cars from the Dillenburg station as the barrier rides over a short yet which is operating section of the former Dietzhölztalbahn after Ewersbach. In Dillenburg also a scrap dealer is operated and loaded logs. Also, is approached from Dillenburg from the Haiger station, where, part of the Friedhelm Loh Group company Stahlo are recorded as customers. The station received sense until April 2004 gas tank cars for the closed at this time shell tank farms. The stations Herborn, Ehringhausen and Aßlar have lost their meaning for the transport of goods already in the 1990s or 1980s. In Wetzlar train station to operate the stainless steel Buderus and the scrap dealer Keilich are handled in addition to shunting in the goods station yet.