Heudeber-Danstedt–Bad Harzburg/Vienenburg railway

Today's railway Heudeber - Danstedt - Vienenburg is a 32 -kilometer-long single-track main line that opens up the northern edge of the Harz. It is used particularly tourism traffic in the resin and the local Harz narrow gauge railways, but also the freight to and from the mills in Ilsenburg.

The route originally led by Ilse castle further south in the direction of Bad Harzburg. This section, however, was interrupted by the German division after 1945. In 1996, the parts of the previously disused railway Halberstadt - Vienenburg was Ilsenburg starting a new stretch towards Vienenburg built mitnutzt. At the same time, the web was developed for a speed of 120 km / hr. The track has since then served as a direct link between Halberstadt and Vienenburg.

History

Beginnings to 1945

Although a direct connection between Halberstadt, Heudeber - Danstedt and Vienenburg existed since 1869. This took the shortest path, however, was so densely populated resin edge and thus cities of Wernigerode and Ilse castle. The important tourist town of Wernigerode even then prevailed in Berlin that the Magdeburg- Halberstadt Railway Company has been committed to an approximately nine-kilometer branch line from Heudeber - Danstedt from. This was as of May 11, 1872 are available.

Well, there were increasing demands also from Ilse castle with his then growing iron industry. There were long negotiations on a rail link Wernigerode Castle -Ilse -Bad Harzburg with possible extension towards Goslar, which would not have been economically by former assessment. In the end, the Prussian State Railways was still moving to the construction; on May 20, 1884 Ilse Castle and Wernigerode were interconnected. For a route with purely regional significance even took a tortuous course in purchasing. The ongoing construction to Bad Harzburg was further delayed by Trassierungsfragen and the resistance of landowners. It was not until October 1, 1894, the traffic on Stapelburg and Eckertal, from the beginning was with through passenger trains from Bad Harzburg to Halberstadt, also included here.

Although this compound was mainly the development of the region, there were a number of long-distance trains, including through in the 1930s coaches Hamburg- Wernigerode Berlin.

Separation 1945

Although the track had suffered no major damage, she was interrupted in 1945 with the division of Germany into occupation zones between Stapelburg and Eckertal. The German Federal Railroad was on the passenger of Bad Harzburg to Eckertal 1958.

The German Reichsbahn withdrew public transport in 1961 by Stapelburg to Ilse castle, as the distance in the range Stapelburg was close to the border. The track remained here but as a connection path for military transports obtained.

Closing the gap in 1996

In the euphoria after the fall of the wall, the distance piece Ilsenburg stack castle was re-opened in December 1989. In the following years was discussed intensively over one or more closing gaps between Lower Saxony and Saxony- Anhalt, on the northern Harz. It soon became clear that the federal government and railway wanted to finance a maximum of connection in a timely manner. However, the old freight line was unsuitable for regional traffic, the slopes in and the change of direction in Bad Harzburg were too large for freight transport barriers. Therefore, it was decided to form a new variant that starts coming from Ilse castle before Stapelburg and even in Saxony -Anhalt meets on track after Vienenburg. Thus, the structure in Lower Saxony was planning law regarded as renovation of an existing line, which enabled the establishment of level crossings. On April 12, 1995 Ilsenburg Stapelburg was closed again. On 2 June 1996, the new connection has been put into operation, Stapelburg received with the new breakpoint for the third time rail connection.

On the route initially, inter-regional trains were used, but soon disappeared again.

2007, the track was closed due to construction work, they received new electronic interlocking and was equipped for the use of tilting technology. As of December 2007, she has consistently passable again. In the course of the renovation almost all the old signal boxes and under a preservation station Ströbeck were demolished. The conservation authorities filed a complaint. However, an intent could not be proved by Deutsche Bahn.

Current operating

The current concept of operations provides for Regional Express trains between Hall and Hanover ( resin - Express) and regional trains (Harz -Elbe - Express) stopping at all stations in each every two hours. The route is part of the Northern Harz network. On weekends, the resin -Berlin- Express runs the Veolia Transport, which connects the resin directly to Berlin. Since the timetable change in 2008, the journey time is further reduced due to completion of remediation measures.

Besides exchanged over the rail steel between the steel mill in Salzgitter and Ilse castle.

Accidents

On January 28, 2011, there came between Wernigerode and Ilsenburg on a provided with half- barriers railway crossing an accident. A loaded with cast iron truck collided with a Regional Express. There were four slightly wounded, two cars were damaged by the entrained truck trailers. Railway facilities and the train head was doing some serious damage. The level of damage was around 417,000 euros.