Emsland Railway

As Emsland route - rare even Emsland train or Emsland line - the railway line from Rheine to salt mountains, Lingen (Ems ), Meppen, Haren ( Ems), Lathen, Papenburg and Leer ( Ostfriesland) to Emden and further to the north and north dike pier in Ostfriesland is called, because it follows the course of the river Ems almost the entire length.

History

The route is part of the " Hanoverian Western Railway ", which was built in the 1850s for the development of the western parts of the former Kingdom of Hanover by the Royal Hanoverian State Railways. The first section of this compound, the section Emden - Papenburg was opened on 24 November 1854 but which still had no connection to the existing rail network. The railway line was built from both sides, in 1855, opened to the portion of wages -Osnabrück and a year later was the continuous traffic between wages are taken up via Rheine and Emden.

In Lingen emerged from 1855, the central workshops for this rail line, from which later the repair shop Lingen emerged, where were entertained to 1985, steam locomotives and wagons. In Rheine by the Royal Westphalian Railway Company ( KWE) built railway line from Munster came across the " Western Railway ", with further Streckenbauten originated here in the following decades a large railway junction.

1868 went the distance from Rheine to Emden in the possession of KWE over which it operated until nationalization. In the following years, the line was operated by the respective national railway, so first the Prussian State Railways.

With the " East Frisian coast train" the extension of the line of Emden on the North, Esen and Witt mouth was opened in 1883 by Jever, this route was west of the Emden urban area at a stop in the Larrelter road. Later it was renamed Emden West and Hanoverian station in Emden Süd. 1892 received the coast path a branch from north to north dike, finally three years later was moved from the north dike station a track to the head of that pier.

In September 1971, the new Emden Hauptbahnhof was opened on the site of the former western train station. From this time on, the coming of Rheine trains ran at the new central station. Some years yet was a Notbahnsteig for cases entertain, in which the main train station could not be reached, such as when the bascule bridge over the Emden fairway was not passable in the South Station. Soon he was no longer approached. The tracks were eventually removed completely in 2005.

Was operating the Emsland line for a long time from the depots Rheine and Emden, from here inserts of steam and diesel locomotives on the Emsland route and other routes, the passenger train service and freight service were driven up to the 1980s.

Steam engine farewell

The Emsland track was the last stretch of the former German Federal Railroad, on which scheduled steam locomotives were used. By 1975, the express trains locomotives of series 012 were transported, these services were transferred to the 220 series diesel locomotives in freight transport model lines 042 and 044 ( later, after conversion to oil firing, 043) still used until the fall of 1977. Under railway enthusiasts particularly known are the inserts mentioned before the " Langer Heinrich " heavy ore trains from Emden to the Ruhr. In September 1977, these train services to diesel locomotives went on, the steam locomotives were still used occasionally in the following month, most recently by special trains such as the farewell rides on 23 October 1977 in which two locomotives once sailed all the way from Rheine to Emden. Three days later, on 26 October 1977, two of the remaining locomotives were used the last time and evening finally stops.

A few days later the German Federal Railways issued the so-called " steam locomotive ban", which stated that on the railway network of the DB no more steam locomotives could be used. Only eight years later, this ban was relaxed.

The last decommissioned steam locomotive of the German Railways, 043196-5, 1978 placed in front of the train station of salt mountains as a monument. Around the monument other exhibits from the time of steam operation are exhibited.

Extension

Since 2005, of the regional express trains the maximum line speed of 140 km / h through the use of new means of transport used, but allow some sections of the route only significantly lower speeds, therefore shortening the journey time from the current approximately 2: 07 h only possible through extensive retrofitting.

In June 2006, the railway line Emden Emden was the outer harbor equipped with overhead line, since then, the " Emsland- Express" in Fähranschlüssen to Borkum after a turning point in Emden Emden railway station to station pass through the outer harbor, without passengers have to change trains.

Service offer

Is driving the Emsland line or sections of it from the following transport lines:

RE Emsland -Express: Münster ( Westphalia ) - Rheine - Salt Mountains - Blank ( Ostfriesl ) - Emden ( - Emden outer harbor )
RE: Hannover - Bremen - Oldenburg - Leer ( Ostfriesl ) - Emden - North dike Mole
RB Wiehengebirgs -Bahn: Bad Bentheim - salt mountains - Rheine - Herford - Bielefeld
ARR: Groningen (NL) - Nieuweschans - Weener - Leer ( Ostfriesl )

In the long-distance transport of following Intercity Lines:

Luxembourg - Trier - Koblenz - Cologne - Duisburg - Oberhausen - Münster ( Westphalia ) - Rheine - Leer ( Ostfriesl ) - Emden - North dike Mole
Berlin / Leipzig - Hannover - Bremen - Oldenburg - Leer ( Ostfriesl ) - Emden - North dike Mole
Berlin - Hannover - Osnabrück - Rheine - (salt hills ) - Schiphol

Vehicle use

Since the timetable change in December 2005, the Emsland- Express consists of double-decker coaches, which are covered with electric locomotives of the series 111. The passenger numbers have since increased by 15.5% to an average of 6400 passengers per day (as of July 2009). Previously here older, one-story wagons came (so-called pieces of silver ) behind various locomotives, especially the class 141, used. For a long time the train sets are used as push-pull trains, so that the locomotives can remain permanently at one end of the train. Probably from December 2015, the WestfalenBahn will operate the RE trains Münster- Emden and use four-part electric railcar.

The Intercity trains to Emden 's outer harbor and north dike moles are usually pulled by locomotives of the series 101 or 120, the track was also one of the last areas of application for class 103 prior to their withdrawal from regular operation in 2003.

Special

The traction power line between the substations Leer and Emden is mounted in its entire length on the catenary masts, which is more typical of AC suburban trains. To the east of Emden crosses the Emsland route the cable to the HVDC BorWin1.

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