Main–Spessart railway
The Main-Spessart -Bahn is an approximately 110 km long railway line in the Bavarian administrative region of Lower Franconia and in neighboring Hesse. It runs from Würzburg Central Station via Gemünden ( Main) and Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof Hanau Hauptbahnhof. Their importance lies primarily in long-distance and freight traffic, since it connects the Rhine-Main conurbation with the Lower Franconian regional center of Würzburg and beyond with the cities of Nuremberg and Munich. The name arises parallel to Main and through the Spessart from the history of the railway line.
- 5.1 Construction of the Spessart ramp
- 5.2 Mottgers clasp
- 5.3 bypass Lohr
- 5.4 renewals at stations
- 5.5 transport
History
The Bavarian section
The line was established by a Law of 23 May 1846. In third- opening by the Royal Bavarian State Railways on 1 October 1854 was the Main-Spessart -Bahn area of Bavaria Louis -West Railway from Bamberg and Schweinfurt Würzburg to Aschaffenburg to the state border in Kahl am Main.
Between February 2010 and October 2011, the 96 m long railway bridge over the A 3 at Hoesbach was renewed.
The Spessart ramp
The Spessart ramp is the 5.4 km long slope section of Main-Spessart -Bahn between Laufach and the Schwarzkopf tunnel or Heigenbrucken with an average slope of 20 ‰, which necessitates a shift operation in heavy trains.
The Hessian section
The other section of the Hessian Hanau with connection to the railway line Frankfurt- Hanau was based on a Hessian concession and a treaty between the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Electorate of Hesse on June 7, 1850. In Kurhessentherme it came in 1852 on the construction of the railway line to a government crisis, because Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I of the line upgrading bank financing Hanauer Bernus du Fay a bribe of 100,000 thalers expected before he signed the concession. The senior minister in Hesse-Cassel, Ludwig Hassenpflug, then offered his resignation, but the elector refused him resignation. The operation on the Hanau -Aschaffenburg section was initially led by the Frankfurt- Hanau Railway Company and went with that from 1863 to the Hessian Ludwig Railway over that earned in 1872 the title to the section now lying in Prussia. 1897, the Prussian - Hessian Railway Community, the Hessian Ludwig Railway and thus their ownership and operation rights.
After the Second World War
Since October 10, 1954, the section of Würzburg is electrified to Veitshoechheim and since September 26, 1957, the total distance is electrically operated. Since then, the number of freight trains that require a helper locomotive, fell sharply. Usually is in Laufach station still provides such a locomotive.
With 365 trains per day, the track was heavily overused in the summer of 1970, according to the Federal Railroad.
New building plans
In connection with the proposed supplementary route Hanover Gemünden the Federal Railroad put in the expansion program for the network of the German Federal Railroad before 1970 plans for a designated as a supplementary route Aschaffenburg -Würzburg new line. This should relieve the congested section between stock Gemünden and Würzburg.
The course should the Spessart towards Würzburg first cross approximately parallel to Highway 3, run at Waldaschaff north than the highway and the main crossing at Hafenlohr. The connection to the existing line should be north of Würzburg, the route length are thereby reduced from 90 km to 67 km and the travel time from 50 minutes to 25 minutes. A four-track expansion of the existing line has been tested, but due to the unfavorable lines east of Aschaffenburg not followed the steep ramp between Laufach and Heigenbrucken and the narrow profile of Schwarzkopf tunnel. Mid-1971, counted the route to one of four routes complement the highest priority level, which should be widely implemented until 1980.
Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1973
The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1973 contained as a planned seven new railway routes, the project of a new railway line between Würzburg and Aschaffenburg. For the planned 65 km long new line costs in the amount of 1.2 billion DM were calculated.
After the planning status of Vortrassierung from November 1973, the route should feed out at Hoesbach from the existing line and east elongated lines throughout the south of the existing line running to the south-east of Partenstein. Later they should be led north to south and Lohr at Neuendorf over. From there, the route should run in an arc in a southeasterly direction. South of Gemünden, at the height of Wernfeld, they should be slipped into the upcoming new line of Hanover and largely run straight lines in the course up to Würzburg cell in.
The planned new line was strongly opposed by conservation groups who feared a deterioration of the Spessart, and was therefore abandoned by the Federal Railways.
Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1980
The adopted end of 1979, the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1980 saw as a new project instead of the new line to expand the existing line between Aschaffenburg and Gemünden until 1990 before. The estimated cost was 850 million D-Mark.
On February 25 In 1980, the project group Hanover - Würzburg Süd, the southern stretch of the Rail Line Hanover -Würzburg planned at the Railway Board Nuremberg, the order to advance the development of distance between Gemünden and Aschaffenburg. Addition to the construction of a tunnel in the Spessart ramp herein particularly the Nantenbacher curve was included. The integration of the new tunnel into a " new line Aschaffenburg Gemünden " was explicitly provided as an option. The planning of 1982 saw before going to toughen up a 37.6 km long section between Aschaffenburg and Gemünden to a top speed of 200 km / h (with automatic train ).
According to other data, a rail line was planned to Aschaffenburg Gemünden 1982, the (10 km ) and a 18 km long bypass the steep section with the Schwarzkopf tunnel consisting of the compound curve Nantenbach -Rohrbach. The new line should begin southwest of Hoesbach and open out at Wiesthal in the existing line. As part of the 28.0 km long and navigable with 200 km / h route 7 tunnels with a total length of 11.0 kilometers should arise. 1983 expansion to 32 km length was provided.
In early March 1983, under the motto " The Laufachtal must live " the action group founded Laufachtal which campaigned against the expansion of the route.
Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1985
The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1985 was finally only an extension of the distance between Gemünden and Aschaffenburg in the category included planning. Investment of 520 million DM for the upgraded line Aschaffenburg Gemünden were provided.
Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1992
In urgent need of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1992 calculated with 1.495 billion DM ABS / NBS Hanau-Nantenbach/Würzburg-Iphofen was included.
A room susceptibility testing for new and upgraded line Hanau-Fulda/Würzburg graduated in 2002 from straightening for the twisty section east of Heigenbrucken due to very high to extremely high sensitivities of a large area contiguous, unfragmented forest areas. A low-conflict corridor for a possible environmental impact study could not be found.
Route
The Main-Spessart -Bahn is 112.5 km long and will change the chainage in Aschaffenburg. This is a relic of the time was operated as the section north of Aschaffenburg non- Bavarian railway administrations ( see above). The route passes after leaving the Würzburg main station first the new port and rail yard in 2004 by the then Railion (now DB Schenker Rail ) was shut down. Before reaching the remarkable account of his reception building station Veitshoechheim the Main-Spessart -Bahn crosses under the high-speed line Hannover -Würzburg, which crosses the Main valley on a 30 -meter-high bridge here. The route continues to follow the Main valley, where they the places very tight right bank shares with State Road 27. In Wernfeld it meets the Wern Valley Railway from Waigolshausen, but not discharges into the Main-Spessart -Bahn, but first runs parallel to the tracks. At the level of the three -river city Gemünden the Main describes an arc of almost 180 degrees, the train also follows and again passes under the high-speed line.
When operating station Rohrbach, a branch of the high-speed line Hannover -Würzburg was set for the mainline trains from Würzburg Aschaffenburg, called Nantenbacher curve. This compound curve meets at Nantenbach between Langenprozelten and Lohr, back to the Main-Spessart -Bahn. It allows shorter traveling times, as fast moving trains so you can bypass the road across the Main valley, the sections does not allow high speeds. The Nantenbacher curve passes through four tunnels and a bridge over the Main.
From Lohr westwards through the Spessart. From Lohr station ( 200 m above sea level. NN ) increases the distance to the twenty kilometers to Heigenbrucken (275 m above sea level. NN ) steadily. Immediately west of the station Heigenbrucken the route leads through the 926 meter long nearly horizontal Schwarzkopf tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is located at Hofgut Wendelstein the apex of the track and operating station Heigenbrucken West, which allows the conversion of the sliding locomotives and their journey as Lokzug back to Laufach. Until Laufach station ( 175 m above sea level. NN ) now leads the Spessart ramp on which deal with the trains on 5.2 kilometers of track length 100 meters height difference, which corresponds to an average slope of 19 ‰. In fact, this varies from 15.4 to 21.7 per thousand. This trains over 1,000 tons of towing capacity can cope with this steep mountain road, electric locomotives are in Laufach station in sliding readiness. Shortly before Hoesbach station crosses the line at the railroad bridge Hoesbach the A 3
A regional train Retzbach cell Ingen
An ICE on the Nantenbacher curve
Regional train in the Main valley
A freight train passes through the station Lohr
Shortly before Hoesbach station crosses the line, the A 3
Transport supply
Between the mouth of the curve and Hanau Nantenbacher the Main-Spessart -Bahn is traversed by long-distance trains, otherwise dominate traits of transport. An exception is Saturday's intercity train pair Rottaler country of Passau and Mühldorf to Hamburg, which takes the high-speed line is running on the north- south route between Würzburg and Fulda and in Gemünden ( Main) stops.
Since the commissioning of the high-speed line Cologne-Rhine/Main ICE trains dissolved the former Intercity trains on the corridor Ruhr -Frankfurt- Munich from, first in the two- hour intervals, and since December 2006, hourly. In addition, a two hourly long-distance line from Passau to Dortmund is conducted via the Main-Spessart -Bahn. It uses between Frankfurt and Cologne, the Left Rhine line and wrong instead of the Ruhr area Wuppertal in the Bergische Land. Some features of this line begin in Vienna or Budapest and be extended past its endpoint, to Hamburg or Kiel. Alternately operate here intercity, Euro City and Intercity Express trains of the first generation. As of December 2007, an ICE line from Vienna to Frankfurt am Main was established with tilting technology ICEs on the route in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways. In off-peak position when the Hanover - Würzburg high-speed line is not for passenger trains available, run individual long-distance trains between Frankfurt and Würzburg at full length on the Main-Spessart -Bahn. In addition, individual long-distance trains operate between Hanover and Würzburg to Gemünden on the Main-Spessart -Bahn.
In the transport route each hour served by regional express trains of the relation Würzburg -Aschaffenburg -Frankfurt - Hanau. The former runs to Nuremberg were largely abandoned in December 2006, since then consist in Würzburg Platform same transfer connections. As the vehicle's material come on this line mainly pull trains of double-decker coaches, occasionally from mode - wagon or n- car, covered by locomotives of the series 111 and 146 are used, with the exception of the Class 146 driving time to reasons mostly in the sandwich (one working Lok front and is driven back of the train ). All four hours to Nuremberg via Schweinfurt RE via Würzburg - bound by Fürth - Bamberg - Erlangen. These rounds consist of five double-decker coaches with a BR 146.2 of the BW Nuremberg. Is compressed this offer hourly section Würzburg- Gemünden by an approximately dreißigminütig staggered regional rail line, which usually comes from Schweinfurt or Bamberg and is attached via Gemünden afield to Jossa or Schlüchtern. Weekdays also some additional trains between Würzburg and Karlstadt be used at peak times, which come from Treuchtlingen. From Aschaffenburg regional trains towards Gemünden are also offered every hour, for the most part, however, already engaged in Heigenbrucken.
Tariff zones
The Main-Spessart -Bahn is since 1 August 2013 from Würzburg to Wiesthal in the tariff area of the transport association MainFranken (VVM ), which has replaced on 1 August 2004 the former Würzburg Tariff Association ( WTV ). The section of Heigenbrucken to Aschaffenburg lies both in the traffic community in the Bavarian Lower Main ( VAB ) and already in the transition region of the Rhine -Main Transport Association ( RMV), the core - tariff area begins with the station Großkrotzenburg between Aschaffenburg and Hanau. An extension of the transport association MainFranken on the Landkreis Main -Spessart and the associated acquisition of own transport company is planned for several years, but a realization could not be achieved so far.
Future
Construction of the Spessart ramp
→ Main article: Spessart ramp
Considerations to avoid the cost and material-intensive push mode between Laufach and Heigenbrucken while increasing the speed limit on this stretch, led on August 28, 2006 decision of the Federal Ministry of Transport, aim to build a fundamentally new the entire section. After award of a contract to a consortium which construction has started in the summer of 2013. The full opening of the line to be launched in mid 2017.
The new section will shorten the rail line between Würzburg and Aschaffenburg to half a kilometer. It forms the zoning section 3 of the upgraded line Hanau- Nantenbach.
Mottgers clasp
As " Mottgers clasp " means a plan for a new railway line from Frankfurt to Fulda and Hanau. Different variants provide, inter alia, a branching from the Kinzig Valley Railway at the height of Waechtersbach new line to be connected between Würzburg and Fulda with the high-speed line Hannover- Würzburg. In realization of this project long-distance trains between Würzburg and Frankfurt would thus future the Main-Spessart -Bahn bypass section Hanau- Gemünden and drive in direction Hanau, Fulda. The first (as of 2008) deferred project is therefore controversial because it would " decouple " from Aschaffenburg distance transport.
Bypass Lohr
Beginning of October 2010 suggested the working group interchange Spessart before a north leading past Lohr, route. With this about four kilometers long leading through a tunnel new stretch of the through traffic should be accelerated and the noise level can be reduced. Regional trains on the other hand should continue to operate on the existing route.
Renewals at stations
Two breakpoints in Hoesbach place and Goldbach are planned. Furthermore, the vast majority of the stations along the route is expanded not accessible, only three of the 17 stations and stops offer barrier- free conditions. In Wernfeld the former railway station in the corner of the Main-Spessart -Bahn and the Wern Valley Railway in favor of a closer to the center located breakpoint was abandoned, which was completed in the summer of 2002 after 13 months of construction. The total cost for the two outer platforms, prefabricated amounted to 2.3 million euros. The Veitshoechheim station also received two new exterior platforms, prefabricated, and a new underpass for 3.2 million euros. The Aschaffenburg Hauptbahnhof learned by 2008 a comprehensive modernization.
Transport
The RE- line Würzburg-Bamberg-Lichtenfels-Bayreuth/Hof faces the dichotomy. This is because the DB Regio francs the call in the area of Main-Spessart won early 2013 happens. As of December 2013, it consists of the line (Frankfurt ) Würzburg- Bamberg, which merges into the DB Regio Bayern and the other, the line Bamberg-Lichtenfels-Bayreuth/Hof will pass to a different area of DB Regio Bayern. As of December 2015 a two-hour extension of the Frankfurt coming new TWINDEXX Vario - trains ( new double-decker trains ) from Würzburg to Bamberg is extended. Until then, this area is replaced with vacant in the Munich S -Bahn trains on the RE- line in December 2013. Also, these are used on the RB- line of Franconia Railway to optimize the Coradia Continental trains.