Fils Valley Railway

The Filstalbahn - historically known as Eastern Railway or Filsbahn - is the railway line from Stuttgart to Ulm Göppingen. It runs from Plochingen to Geislingen in the Fils Valley and is in the timetable of the DB AG under the Route number ( KBS ) performed 750. Between Stuttgart and Plochingen the Filstalbahn is also part of the Neckar -Alb -Bahn called Route number 760, which also includes the branching railway Plochingen Tübingen.

• 2.1 Regional Transport
• 2.2 Highway
• 2.3 freight Transport

History

Construction

The first " Eastern Railway " said track was built as part of the first full Württemberg railway line from the navigable river Neckar in Heilbronn Stuttgart and Ulm on the Danube navigable to Lake Constance. In addition to the realized Albaufstieg on the Geislingen a Albübergang over the valleys of Rems, Kocher and Brenz ( the axis Stuttgart -Ulm north ) was discussed in advance of the line construction. One reason for the route was realized in the 1810 commitment of Bavaria Württemberg down city of Ulm, which wanted to maintain their economic and central position in Württemberg.

On October 22, 1845 3.5 km long section of Cannstatt was opened to Untertürkheim. On November 7, 1845 was followed by the 2.4 kilometers of Untertürkheim Obertürkheim, on 20 November the same year, including the section to Esslingen ( 3.9 km ). On December 14, 1846, the 17.3 km long extension to Plochingen followed. More 27.6 km from Plochingen to sweeten, went on 11 October 1847 in operation. It was followed by the 10.9 km long section to Geislingen, on 14 July 1849 before 29 June 1850, the remaining 32.7 km to Ulm could be put into operation. On June 28, 1850, the first train rolled through the new, initially single-track route of the Royal Württemberg State Railways. It applies because of Geislingen as the first crossing of a low mountain range in Europe. The slope is 1:44,5 and 22 per thousand.

On October 12, 1862, the double-track extension of the line was completed after four years of construction.

Electrification

The line was electrified in 1933. Previously helped Schiebeloks special trains on the Geislingen Geislingen between West and Amstetten; Freight trains are still nachgeschoben.

Until 1931, the section between Stuttgart and Esslingen was expanded to four tracks. Plans for a further expansion to Plochingen could initially not be realized.

War effects

The reciprocal station Eybtal was opened on 6 October 1940 in order to drive ore trains from the mine to the meadow Steiger route bypassing the Geislinger station on the Filstalbahn can, but was no longer required as of September 1944, and remained until December 1947 as a parking area in use. His access tracks were dismantled by November 1948.

The rose stone bridge was destroyed in the Second World War. Until the provisional reconstruction all trains ended in Bad Cannstatt train station. From the " embarkation point Rosenstein Tunnel" on the other bank of the Neckar wrong during rush hour commuter trains to the central station.

Further extensions and expansion plans

After the section between Plochingen and Esslingen in 1960 had reached a load of sometimes more than 400 trains per day, started in 1963, the four-tracked expansion in this section. It also line improvements have been made to allow the remote tracks of up to 140 km / h and on the suburban tracks up to 120 km / hr. At the same time all level crossings have been eliminated. With a load of up to 430 trains per day on the stretch in 1970, was considered Filstalbahn busiest stretch in the federal territory.

Mid-1960s have been on the existing line between Geislingen and Lonsee and between Beimerstetten and Unterfahlheim, considered two a total of 29 km of new lines sections. In this case, an 8 km long tunnel at Geislingen was provided.

Due to the high operational load this main evacuation route and new construction measures were included as upgraded line / new line Plochingen Günzburg in this corridor already in Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1985. The plans ranged from an expansion of the existing line (which would not allow the high-speed traffic ) to a complete new line between Plochingen and Günzburg, bypassing Ulm. All variants was common to circumvent the Geislingen. From the early 1990s, this project was abandoned in favor of the new line of Wendlingen to Ulm.

Operation

1987 frequented daily up to 300 trains in the section between Plochingen and Ulm. The maximum capacity was thus exceeded by train information.

Regional Transport

On the Filstalbahn you will find all types of trains. The regional trains run from Monday to Friday, usually hourly Plochingen -Geislingen and Geislingen -Ulm, partly also from or to Stuttgart.

The regional express trains run every hour Monday to Friday between Stuttgart and Ulm, Ulm coming partly from REs over the Franks by train bound up to Mosbach - Neckarelz. In the opposite direction, some REs continue to Neu-Ulm. As in the rush hour by 2008, additional regional trains between Plochingen and Göppingen drove, but these accounted for timetable 2008/2009, since then keep almost all regional express trains at all stations between Plochingen and Göppingen.

Between Stuttgart and Lindau operate during rush hour, otherwise every two hours, inter-regional express trains. These hold the section Stuttgart -Ulm only in Plochingen, Göppingen and Geislingen. There go here for 160 km / h approved bi-level cars.

In section Stuttgart- Plochingen the rail service is complemented by parallel-running regional express trains to and from Tübingen and by the Stuttgart S-Bahn ( railcar DB Class 420 and DB Class 423).

At the weekend, the regional trains are run during the day at two- hour intervals. The regional express trains run on weekends during the day every two hours and traveled generally the route Mosbach- Neckarelz -Stuttgart- Ulm. Thus, at the weekend each hour of a regional serviced ( REs do not hold everywhere) any direction once. If the regional train travels, can also reach the two- hour intervals a InterRegio Express line Stuttgart- Ulm- Friedrichshafen -Lindau.

Long-distance traffic

InterCity Express trains and TGV Duplex drive through without stops the Filstalbahn. Intercity or € Citys keep hourly to two hourly in Plochingen and Göppingen, rarely also in Geislingen. In addition, once run daily night trains CityNightLine on the journey from Munich to Paris and Amsterdam in both directions.

Objectives of the IC, EC, ICE, TGV and CNL, the drive on the Filstalbahn, 2010 annual in accordance with, among other things:

• Munich ( IC lines from Stuttgart to Munich / Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich / Karlsruhe -Stuttgart- Munich; EC line is Strasbourg -Stuttgart- Munich; ICE lines Karlsruhe -Stuttgart- Munich / Wiesbaden -Stuttgart- Munich / Cologne -Frankfurt -Stuttgart Munich / Dortmund -Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich / Dortmund -Frankfurt- Münster- Stuttgart -Munich / Kassel -Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich / Hamburg -Hannover -Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich / Berlin -Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich; TGV line Paris -Strasbourg -Stuttgart- Munich; CNL - line Paris -Saarbrücken -Stuttgart- Munich [ once a day, on certain days, the train to Innsbruck) / Amsterdam - Arnhem -Cologne- Koblenz -Stuttgart- Munich [ once a day, on certain days does the train to Innsbruck ] )
• Oberstdorf (IC - line " Allgäu " Magdeburg- Hanover -Dortmund- Cologne -Mainz -Stuttgart- Ulm- Oberstdorf, once daily)
• Tübingen (IC - line " Loreley" Dusseldorf -Cologne- Mainz- Stuttgart -Tübingen - Plochingen, once a day, only runs in Stuttgart- section Plochingen on the Filstalbahn, on certain days of the train begins in Berlin)
• Salzburg (IC - line Karlsruhe -Stuttgart -Munich- Salzburg, once daily)
• Innsbruck (IC - line Münster- Cologne -Mainz -Stuttgart- Ulm- Friedrichshafen -Lindau - Bregenz- Bludenz- Innsbruck, once daily)
• Linz (EC- line Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich -Salzburg- Linz, once daily)
• Graz (EC- line Saarbrücken Stuttgart -Munich -Salzburg- Graz, once daily)
• Klagenfurt (EC- line Siegen- Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich -Salzburg- Villach- Klagenfurt, once daily)
• Zagreb (EC- coaches - line Siegen- Frankfurt -Stuttgart- Munich -Salzburg- Villach -Ljubljana -Zagreb )

And in the opposite direction

• Stuttgart (IC - Munich- Stuttgart; ICE - Munich- Stuttgart [ once daily ] )
• Karlsruhe ( IC lines Munich -Stuttgart -Karlsruhe / Salzburg -Munich- Stuttgart -Karlsruhe [ once a day, on certain days, the train continue to Berlin] )
• Frankfurt am Main ( IC lines Munich -Stuttgart- Frankfurt / Salzburg -Munich -Stuttgart- Frankfurt [ once a day ], EC- lines Linz -Salzburg- Munich -Stuttgart- Frankfurt [ once daily, Sundays starts the train in Munich ] / Graz -Salzburg- Munich -Stuttgart- Frankfurt [ once daily ]; ICE - Munich- Stuttgart -Frankfurt [ once a day, on certain days, the train to Cologne ] )
• Saarbrücken (EC- line Graz -Salzburg- Munich -Stuttgart- Saarbrücken, once daily)
• Dusseldorf (IC - line " Loreley" Tübingen -Stuttgart - Plochingen -Mainz, Cologne and Dusseldorf, only runs in Stuttgart- section Plochingen on the Filstalbahn, once a day, on certain days, the train to Berlin)
• Dortmund (ICE - Munich- Stuttgart -Frankfurt -Cologne- Dortmund, EC- line Klagenfurt -Villach -Salzburg- Munich -Stuttgart- Cologne - Mainz- Dortmund, IC - Munich- Stuttgart- Cologne - Mainz- Dortmund [ once daily ] )
• Münster (IC - line Salzburg -Innsbruck- Bludenz- Bregenz -Lindau Friedrichshafen -Ulm -Stuttgart- Cologne - Mainz -Münster [ once daily ]; ICE - Munich- Stuttgart -Frankfurt -Cologne- Dortmund -Münster [ once daily ]
• Kassel (ICE - Munich- Stuttgart -Frankfurt- Kassel, once a day, on certain days, the train to Hannover)
• Hannover (IC - line " Allgäu " Oberstdorf -Ulm -Stuttgart- Cologne - Mainz -Dortmund- Hannover, once daily)
• Berlin (ICE - Munich- Stuttgart -Frankfurt- Berlin)
• Hamburg (ICE - Munich- Stuttgart -Frankfurt -Hannover- Hamburg)
• Siegen (EC- line Klagenfurt -Villach -Salzburg- Munich -Stuttgart- Frankfurt- Siegen [ once a day ], EC- coaches - line Zagreb -Ljubljana -Villach -Salzburg- Munich -Stuttgart- Frankfurt- Siegen [ once daily ] )
• Strasbourg (EC- Munich- Stuttgart -Strasbourg, once daily)
• Paris ( TGV line Munich -Stuttgart -Strasbourg- Paris [ once daily ], CNL - Munich- Stuttgart -Saarbrücken - Paris [ once a day, on certain days of the train starts in Innsbruck ] )
• Amsterdam ( CNL - Munich- Stuttgart -Koblenz, Cologne and Arnhem -Amsterdam, once a day, on certain days of the train starts in Innsbruck )

Freight traffic

It also go several times an hour sometimes heavy freight trains of Deutsche Bahn and private railways. Mostly they consist of mixed cars. From time to also drive trains. Nahgüterzüge run daily from Plochingen to Ebersbach, if necessary, after Uhingen, Göppingen, Eislingen or sweetening.

The early 1990s had to be pushed towards Ulm daily up to 40 heavy passenger and freight trains ( gross load over 900 tonnes) in the section between sweet and Beimerstetten. Stuttgart the subsequent pushing of freight trains with more than 1,340 t was required.

Operating points

In Bahnbetriebswerk Plochingen the Stuttgart S-Bahn, the multiple units of the 420 series or 420Plus, 423, 425 and 426 cleaned, repaired and maintained. In Radsatzschäden also DMUs such as the series 611, 612, 628 and 650 to be serviced. In addition, there is also a petrol station for diesel engine vehicles. In Plochingen station is also much ranked. Here also the push-off is applied. In addition, end day including several coal trains for the power plant Altbach and scrap trains for the scrap business in Plochingen. In addition, there trains come with electric locomotives, consisting of mixed car and then by a diesel locomotive Class 294, for example, to Ebersbach, Uhingen, Göppingen, Eislingen, sweet, Frickenhausen ( over the train track Plochingen -Tübingen to Nürtingen and then over the railway line Nürtingen - Neuffen or in the Scheufelen after Oberlenningen be transported ( over the train track Plochingen -Tübingen to Wendlingen and then over the Teckbahn ) on.

In Göppingen a Kleindiesellok Köf is stationed at the track construction company Leonhard white. This assumes shunting in Göppingen station.

In Geislingen two electric locomotives of the DB Class 151 are deployed to nachzuschieben heavy freight trains and in case of failure and heavy passenger trains for pusher service on the Geislingen. The subsequently trains arrive in Geislingen Westbahnhof on a siding. Then the Schiebelok sets without domes from behind on the train and then pushes up Amstetten, the first station after the Geislingen after. Then the Schiebelok returns to Geislingen.

Track image signal boxes are located in Stuttgart Hbf, Stuttgart Bad Cannstatt, Stuttgart Untertürkheim, Göppingen, Eislingen, sweet, Geislingen, Amstetten, Westerstetten, Beimerstetten and Ulm Hbf The section of Stuttgart Obertürkheim - Faurndau is provided by the electronic signal box in Karlsruhe. For this, the track diagram interlockings Esslingen, Plochingen, Ebersbach and Uhingen were taken out of service and installed new Ks signals. In addition, a switch guards is with the switchboard in the engine shed Plochingen the Stuttgart S-Bahn, which is responsible for the shunting taking place there.

On the entire route there are a total of two level crossings: one located between Beimerstetten and Westerstetten ( call barrier ), and one in the depot Plochingen ( remotely monitored by course attendants ). The two level crossings in Uhingen and between Ebersbach and Reichenbach were abandoned with the commissioning of the remote control from Karlsruhe.

Route

After the route from Stuttgart Central Station Coming to Cannstatt drops slightly, it rises in the Neckar Valley by up to three per thousand in the Fils Valley to Göppingen by up to five per thousand, and from Göppingen (316 vertical meters ) with up to ten per thousand to sweeten (365 meters altitude) of. Until Geislingen station ( 469 meters altitude) increases the distance with nine to eleven thousand, the route from the breakpoint Geislingen ( increase ) West describes a large arc around the city Geislingen around. Between Geislingen and Amstetten ( 582 meters altitude) is the slope at 22.5 per thousand before it falls in the course of 5.5 per thousand. On the descent of the Danube Valley before Ulm the route drops by 13 per thousand.

With the ascent to the Geislingen you can on your left the monument to the builder of this route discover: Oberbaurat Michael Knoll was responsible for the construction of the entire section of the " Eastern Railway " from Esslingen to Ulm.

Modernization

Since mid-2004 modernization work will take place on large parts of the Filstalbahn. The track, points and thresholds that still exist here, soaked in coal tar oak beams, and the gravel were replaced. Some thresholds are over 40 years old. Since 2005, piece by piece were begun installed Continuing new Ks signals in Stuttgart Obertürkheim to Faurndau. These were taken with the inauguration of the new electronic interlocking in Plochingen ( controlled from the control center Karlsruhe) in operation. The old HP signals were taken and dismantled at the same time out of service.

In Ulm Hbf, Geislingen, Göppingen and in the section Plochingen -Stuttgart on any station or breakpoint there are new LCD departure ads on the platforms. They are decorated in the usual at DB stations blue. With a running to the left if necessary from the right white ribbon give the passengers of delays, cancellations, or other information known. At the other smaller stations between Plochingen and Ulm gradually small passenger information displays are installed, the information in case of delay, track change or cancellation of the travelers on the basis of a treadmill.

In Westerstetten the old platforms were abandoned, who had been at the height of the station building to the northwest outskirts of the town, and built a new breakpoint closer to the town center, which has been in operation since 22 July 2005.

Over Easter 2006, the previous signal boxes Esslingen, Plochingen, Ebersbach and Uhingen were taken out of service and it inaugurated a new electronic interlocking in Plochingen in operation. This enables central control of the railway traffic between Obertürkheim and Faurndau as well as on the Neckar -Alb -Bahn section to Wendlingen from Karlsruhe, where the operating headquarters of the DB is for West Germany. Only a Notarbeitsplatz remains in Plochingen. Including the setting up of 480 signals the renewal of 160 turnouts and required for laying cables earthworks cost of this measure, 80 million euros. In addition, the third track for Zugüberholungen was dismantled and demolished in Uhingen etc. the historic station building, only the siding of a company still exists, but is no longer served as planned.

Also built a new container handling depot in the area thorn city 2006/2007 between Ulm Hbf and Beimerstetten and a third track as access to the new container terminal, which replaces the previous trade station in Neu- Ulm to the Beimerstetten station.

By 2007, there were in Reichenbach station nor the siding of a corrugated box plant, but this was abandoned and thus removed the only crossover. Therefore, the station was downgraded in the fall of 2009 at a breakpoint. The station building, which was closed by the railway in the early 1990s and in which there was a waiting room and a ticket office up to that time, was then in a dilapidated and desolate condition. Therefore, it was renovated and now houses a business as well as homes.

In the second half of 2009 also the historic little station buildings were demolished in Lonsee and Steingädele and renewed the platforms there in the direction of Ulm and installed noise barriers.

As part of the Stuttgart 21 project, the path between the 7.97 kilometers ( bridge over the Hafenbahnstraße ) should be up to 9.0 km realigned. During the construction period, the S- Bahn tracks to be affected.