Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn
The town of Bahn Rhein -Ruhr Stadtbahn lines are in the area of the transport association Rhein-Ruhr ( VRR).
History
In the early 1960s took to the road in the Rhine -Ruhr area, as in other metropolitan areas. City planners and politicians saw the existing trams as an obstacle to car-oriented cities and were of the opinion, it would make sense the latter are located in the inner city into the ground, where they could not be replaced by buses.
1969 founded the cities of Bochum, Castrop -Rauxel, Dortmund, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Oberhausen, Recklinghausen and Wattenscheid at the urging of the State of North Rhine - Westphalia, Ruhr Stadtbahn society. 1972 were added Dusseldorf and Hattingen; since renamed the merger as a city railway company Rhein- Ruhr. The city of Witten joined in 1981 the city railway company in the city of Recklinghausen in 1982 again.
The plans for the Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn saw initially before a 300 -kilometer rail network that would gradually replace the existing tram network. These routes should run mainly in North-South direction while were planned for the east -west direction S- Bahn network. The cost of light rail construction should be borne mainly by the municipalities themselves. Since the collapse of the mining industry in the Ruhr region was foreseeable, the tunnel construction projects should reduce the side effect of unemployment among the miners.
In the plans, the following standards have been defined:
- Crossing -free course, in the inner cities primarily underground, in the periphery of aboveground
- High platforms for a stepless entry into the vehicles (as opposed to the usual trams low-lying platforms )
- European standard gauge (1435 mm)
Most trams of the Ruhr crooked and run until today on meter gauge (1000 mm). Contrary to original plans - - some road sections with three-rail track ( food) or even four- rail track ( Krefeld, Mülheim an der Ruhr) used fully road and rail vehicles able to run on a common route, be. Some sections in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Bochum and Essen were still built in meter gauge and temporarily integrated into the tram network, but can be relatively easily converted to standard gauge.
From the outset existing lines should be integrated into the urban railway net Rhine Ruhr and operated as a model distances. Some variants were investigated in advance: the already opened in 1898, K- train from Dusseldorf to Krefeld, which went into operation in 1900, D- Train Dusseldorf - Duisburg and the tram 8/18 Essen- Mülheim, practically on the green strip of the Ruhr expressway, the present Federal highway 40, was created. Although most conversions were necessary here, where the gauging of meter standard gauge still represented the least work, this route was chosen as a model route of the future network.
Stretches of the Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn
The first successes
In 1974, the first pieces of aboveground model line in Duisburg- New Cemetery ( high position ) were opened. On 1 June 1977 was the first section of the model link between Essen ( Wiener Platz, today: Hirschlandplatz ) and Mülheim -Hot (church) to be opened. In a short distance expansions followed in the direction of Berliner Platz in the north and Mülheim Hauptbahnhof. To use this came LRVs of the Cologne type B after a planned self-development as LRVs A or even the use of the Berlin subway cars be impractical appeared.
Disillusionment
The rather ambitious plans turned out to be not so easy to realize, as was first thought. Actually it was intended to implement most of the projects by the end of the 20th century and set up a full-fledged subway. However, it has been realized very quickly that neither this schedule was observed nor sufficient financial resources. Firstly, the costs were significantly higher than initially planned and funding from federal and state governments have been progressively reduced, on the other hand, problems occurred when city railway construction, which resulted from subsidence and damage.
To pre-built tunnel not to leave unused until the entire track was finished, it was decided, on a transitional basis, the other tram lines with the help of new ramps to the tunnel integrate (light rail forward mode ). If the route is completed, planners and politicians promised, the track width would be converted to standard gauge and platforms to high platforms rebuilt. It succeeded only in a few cases. The development of low-floor vehicles finally made the original idea of high-level platforms for the purpose of stepless entry unnecessary. With new lines in some places formed to protest the stations referred to by opponents as " Panzerverladerampen ". This led, for example, in food - Karnap to delete either one originally planned above-ground light rail stop.
For the expansion of Stadtbahnetzes five operating areas were designed: A for Dusseldorf / Duisburg, B Essen / Mülheim, C for Bochum, D Gelsenkirchen, E for Dortmund. In the staked areas of the first lines should be established, which were often associated from the beginning, so in the regions A and B.
The light rail system Rhein-Ruhr is today still consists of five sections, cross- lines are hardly re-emerged. Due to lack of funds, the original light rail plans were streamlined almost everywhere, partly shelved. The Greens have called emerging in the early 1980s even the immediate end of the light rail construction. The Passenger association Pro Bahn called in a sensational act by a qualified termination of the light rail construction Rhine / Ruhr, the already under construction or even half-finished tracks halfway sensible use.
New ideas
This discussion resulted in Essen to the decision to develop the southern section of the rail direction Messe / Gruga Bredeney dreischienig and partly to drive with rail cars of the type M. According to previous considerations, this intermediate solution should be abandoned in the near future. The two meter gauge lines 101 and 107 had been replaced at the last stop " Bredeney " by a high-floor standard gauge line U12. Because of the high cost but other solutions were considered. In late November 2008, the City Council has opted for the upkeep of the meter gauge to Bredeney. Anticipation also went out some citizen protests against this Umspurung. Shortly after the decision began the first track renovations. The platforms of hall construction to Martin road should be lowered to 2013 to one-third of low-floor vehicles. Currently the possible use of three- car trains would remove hence. Currently, the reconstruction of the south range has been postponed for Niederflurwagen lack of financial resources to the year 2025. At this time, the future of the standard gauge on the southern section is to be raised again the will of the Greens, to possibly cover this distance reassemble on meter gauge. To ensure that the current mixed operation would be eliminated.
In Bochum, only the former tram line 5 from Recklinghausen to Bochum as well as the post-war construction route of the fast tram to the Ruhr- University in Hustadt district were expanded for the urban rail system with B-car to standard gauge. However, the new U 35 only goes to Herne, as Recklinghausen withdrew from the city railway company Rhein -Ruhr. All other routes are to remain in the Bogestra meter gauge, as it is also provided in the neighboring city of Gelsenkirchen now. However, the new tunnel sections for the extension to standard gauge and thus also for the standard gauge rail are prepared.
Duisburg built essentially of only the route of the "D- Train " direction Dusseldorf to light rail.
In Dortmund, the city railway construction is now largely completed. Since the opening of the tunnel route in the city center in east-west direction on 27 April 2008 in Dortmund runs the entire rail-based public transportation underground in the city center. On the last opened east-west route Niederflurwagen be used. Outside the inner city, the two rail lines that route will continue to be managed as a classic streetcar. The discussion is now even an extension of the line U49 Dortmund - Wellinghofen and the line U47 with a new branch Dortmund- Kirchlinde. As part of the long-planned redevelopment of the Dortmund main train station, this station will be equipped with two central platforms.
For in Düsseldorf city railway " Wehrhahnlinie ", which is currently under construction and should be completed in 2014, only low-floor platforms are also planned. For this purpose, a new low-floor light rail vehicles was appointed, who has taken his test operation in 2006. A more detailed discussion of the transition from the previous routes on low-floor was not performed.
Implemented rail lines in the Rhine and Ruhr
The light rail system Rhein- Ruhr currently consists of the following lines:
There are also some tram lines with underground or separated sections. These lines are but traveled by tram cars which are narrower at 2.3 meters as the rail cars ( usually with 2.65 meters width). They carry three digit numbers, while the rail lines have two -digit numbers prefixed with " U". In Duisburg use the lines 901 and 903 in part the tracks of the U 79 in Essen Tram ride on rail sections with high platforms, so that folding steps are required on the vehicles. The tram Bochum / Gelsenkirchen is traveling with the lines 301, 302, 306, 308, 310 and 318 some tunnel sections. The once planned through traffic from Dusseldorf to Essen Duisburg it may never be, since the distance between Mülheim ( following the Essen Stadtbahn ) and Duisburg (connection to the light rail Dusseldorf / Duisburg ) on a permanent basis to remain in tram style.
In Mülheim is thus probably in the long run (currently at the main station ) must be switched from the Essen U 18 at the Duisburg tram line 901, although both run on standard gauge and the tunnel under the city of Mülheim has been built throughout. The reason for this refraction is the lack of financial willingness of cities to overcome the technical differences in tire and train protection systems ( automatic train for Duisburg vehicles) and the development of state of the Duisburg road in Mülheim- Speldorf. Originally a technical solution for such a mixed operation was at least between Schloss Broich and Mülheim main station, however, was to save operating costs of the U 18 to be renewed, canceled before commissioning.
In construction or in the planning lines located
Emergence of rail lines
Today's rail lines are largely based on former tram lines which plied before the " U- Bahnisierung ". The line numbers were simply replaced by the usual U- names. The only exception so far is the line U70, which was established as a complement to the existing metro line.
The emergence of the individual subway lines: italic sections are operated only temporarily
Streetcar traffic Essen Hbf - hall building - Ruettenscheider star set since 1985 for renovation.
402 ( Hombruch - ) City Garden - Kampstraße - Reinoldikirche - Fountain Street ( - Kirchderne - Grevel )
407 Dortmund Hbf - Kampstraße - Parks and Gardens - märkische road - Aplerbeck
History of rail lines
Since the emergence of the individual metro Plug changes have occurred over time. However, the following table contains only changes that affect route progressions and stops, but no travel time adjustments, schedule changes, etc.
Through line 709