Weimar–Gera railway

The railway line Weimar -Gera is a railway line in Thuringia, which connects the city of Weimar Jena, Stadtroda and Hermsdorf with Gera. It was built by the founded in June 1872 Weimar- Gera Railway Company, which gave the route in June 1876 their official acceptance to the operation.

She is now part of the mid - Germany connection and is referred to by Deutsche Bahn in the timetable as " wooden runway " because it opens up the Thuringian wood land on its eastern section.

History

Construction began in the summer of 1872, the work was performed by the company Bachstein. The operation on the track was recorded on 29 July 1876.

In the fall of 1895, the Weimar- Gera Railway Company went on in the Prussian State Railways.

Before the Second World War, the route was extended as an important east- west connection twofold. The second track was dismantled as part of the reparations to the Soviet Union and later rebuilt in parts again.

At the time of German reunification only the sections Jena West New tavern, Stadtroda paper mill and village power - Töppeln were double track. Since then, in addition, the sections Großschwabhausen -Jena West and Hermsdorf - Klosterlausnitz - Kraftsdorf were expanded to double track. Single-track sections are still between Weimar and Großschwabhausen, between New tavern and Stadtroda, between the paper mill and Hermsdorf - Klosterlausnitz and between Töppeln and Gera. The two first-mentioned sections should be expanded to double track until early 2016 because they pose a significant obstacle to the operation only two times per hour ( 12/48-Minuten-Abstand departure in Erfurt to Jena) traffic connection between the four largest cities of Thuringia. In January 2013, signed covenant and train the corresponding financing agreement. In addition to continued double-track extension at 17 kilometers an increase in speed to 160 km / h provided. The Oberweimar station receives a second platform, the platforms in the stations and Jena Jena West Göschwitz be renewed and accessible by elevators. Construction began in February 2014 and completion is scheduled in several sections to December 2016.

In addition, the electrification of the railway line is provided. Finance for this is so far not secured funding by European Union funds will be sought. For Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2015, the country has registered the doubling and electrification of the total distance from Weimar to Gera. The European Union increasingly promotes metropolitan regions more strongly than individual cities. Nevertheless, no firm assurance there, the route between the City and Jena for public transport in 20 attractive also for the period after the costly process of expanding by train and politics - to sail minute intervals - or even 15. The lack of commitment of the transport partner can be an obstacle to the co- financing of the European Union to allow grants to be distributed only with effect for the population.

Freight transport will take place today barely, on the one hand, there is little demand and the track capacity on the other hand hardly make this possible. Thus, the single-track sections ensure that already sending small delays on the counter-moves and the wooden runway is a comparatively tardy and heavily loaded, especially in the western part rail link. Furthermore, the lack of electrification ensures that only can be driven with diesel railcars. Although the German railway already uses its largest rail car, the 612 series in triple traction, the trains are partially not cope with the traffic demand to and from Jena. The two stations in Jena urban area are in poor condition, but they also may be modernized by 2014.

Course

The railway starts at the Weimar train station in the north of the city, she leaves to the east. About a grade separated unloading, it branches off to the south of the railway line Halle- Bebra and results in an arc to the southeast, where it leads the valley of the Ilm first crossed with a large viaduct and then on the eastern slope of the Ilm valley after Mellingen. Then it performs the Lehnstedter reason after Großschwabhausen where the track reached about 325 meters its vertex on the Ilm -Saale- plate. From Großschwabhausen you through the Schwabhäuser reason and the Jena Muehltal down to Jena, where she leads the Center over to Jena West station on the western slope of the Saale valley. To the south it crosses the railway hall, to which they in Jena Göschwitz station, but in a separate part of the train station, meets.

Behind Göschwitz crosses the railway line the hall and runs through the valley of the Roda to Stadtroda and then through the Zeitzgrund Hermsdorf in timber country. East of Hermsdorf the route runs in the valley of Erlbachs about Kraftsdorf and Töppeln up to Gera, where they at the former Prussian railway station, the main railway station today, ends.

Transport supply

Transfer connections

Access to long-distance transport

• In Weimar, every two hours keep the IC trains on the line 50 ( Frankfurt -Eisenach -Weimar -Leipzig- Dresden) as well as in off-peak position the ICE this relation. In addition, twice run daily IC trains from 51 Dusseldorf - Paderborn- Bebra -Eisenach -Weimar ( Halle ( Saale) Berlin ( - Stralsund - Ostseebad Binz )) / (Leipzig- Dresden ) and the CNL night train pair "Semper " after Leipzig -Dresden and Frankfurt - Zurich.
• In Jena is at the breakpoint paradise hourly connection to the ICE line 28 of / to Berlin -Hamburg or Nuremberg-Munich. This is, however, only be achieved if you take a ten minute walk or a Bus-/Taxifahrt from Jena West station or a 12-minute tram ride from the train station in Jena Göschwitz purchase.

Access to public transport routes other

• In Weimar is the transition to the RB trains to Eisenach to Halle ( Saale) ( Thüringer Bahn ) and for Ilmtalbahn Bad Berka Crane box.
• At Jena Göschwitz station RB lines Jena-Großheringen/Naumburg, Kahla -Saalfeld, Jena - Pössneck / ( Saalfeld- Blankenstein (Saale ) ) and Probst Zella- Kronach - Lichtenfels hold.
• At Gera Hauptbahnhof different RB, RE and Vogtlandbahn trains to Leipzig, Altenburg, Gößnitz-Chemnitz/Zwickau, Greiz- Weischlitz, Hof- Regensburg and Saalfeld (Saale ) can be achieved.