Ried Railway

The Riedbahn is a standard gauge, electrified railway line and running in the south of Hesse by the Hessian Ried between Frankfurt (Main ) Hauptbahnhof (originally Darmstadt ) and Mannheim Main Station / Hauptbahnhof Worms (originally: Station Rose Garden ). Today the Riedbahn is one of the key routes of rail transport. As one of the busiest routes in southern Germany, the now 78 km long stretch between Zeppelinheim and Waldhof is equipped with automatic train and approved in many parts for speeds up to 200 km / hr. The greater part of the freight travels because of better access to the Mannheim marshalling yard on the east parallel Main- Neckar line.

• 2.1 history
• 2.2 Current

History

Origin

The private railway companies Hessian Ludwig Railway built the Riedbahn to connect the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse (Darmstadt) with Worms, which was the second most important city of the province Rheinhessen at this time. To finance the project, the riparian communities contributed significantly.

On 29 May 1869, the Grand Duke of Hesse Prime Minister Reinhard Carl Friedrich von Dalwigk opened the route from Darmstadt Goddelau and Biblis to the Rose Garden station on the east side of the Rhine opposite of Worms. The Rosengarten station led from 1870 to 1900 the ferry Worms rose garden over the river. A fixed bridge over the Rhine, there was not then at Worms. Between Worms and Hofheim the Nibelungen path runs on the same tracks.

In October 1879, the line was extended with branch in Biblis about Waldhof Mannheim Neckar town where she north of the present Kurpfalzbrücke ended in Ried Bahnhof, even before the main station Mannheim south of the Neckar. In November 1879 then you opened a branch line from Goddelau to Frankfurt.

Changes in the network

1880 Bypass Mannheims one route over Käfertal and the Rhine Valley line was completed. Then the features of the Riedbahn could go on an arc to the south through to the Mannheim Main Station. Before moving in the direction of Karlsruhe and Stuttgart they had here then make head.

In December 1900, the railway bridge over the Rhine was opened to Worms. This created a continuous connection to Worms and replaced the previous endpoint Rose Garden and the Rhine crossing by ferry.

Developed shortly before the Second World War ( and already by the Ministry of Transport approved ) plans for a fundamental restructuring of the railway junction Mannheim / Ludwigshafen, which changed the introduction of Riedbahn in the nodes of Mannheim and a quick drive- Reconciliation to Main- Neckar line between Darmstadt- Eberstadt and Lampert home was provided as a result of the war were not implemented. Also, plans for the years 1950 and 1951, which also provided for a transfer of Riedbahn in the Mannheim were not realized.

In 1975, the portion of Darmstadt- Goddelau been largely decommissioned and dismantled due to lack of traffic. All that remains is a track from Darmstadt to Weiterstadt - Riedbahn ending there in a siding.

Exercise for high-speed traffic

In the mid- 1980s was the route as overloaded and the operational quality sections as a very unsatisfactory. In 1985, the Western introduction of Riedbahn was opened, on reaching the Riedbahn coming from the north without going the Mannheim Main Station. Trains continue towards the south, now no longer had to change direction there. Some TGVs and ICEs, which continue without change of direction over the Rhine, still use the "East " Riedbahn introduction. Almost all regional trains on the new north- connection. The lying to her station Mannheim -Käfertal currently served by a regional train on the day. The eastern Riedbahn is of particular importance for the transport of goods with 180 pairs of trains daily.

Already in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1973 Riedbahn was listed in the railways as one of eight planned expansion routes. The Management Board of DB submitted to the Governing Body in March 1977, the project of expansion between Frankfurt and Mannheim ago, in the introduction of the Western Riedbahn had been integrated in the meantime. In May 1977, the Board approved the project. The benefit -cost ratio was 6.73. In the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1973 continue write Coordinated investment program for the Federal Transport Infrastructure 1977 this expansion was included in addition to five other upgraded lines, the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1980 also. The late 1970s was planned to extend the distance between Mannheim -Waldhof and wholesale Gerau four tracks. In the United Gerau the new Cologne - great- Gerau Cologne would unthread. Both projects were later discarded.

For the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1985, the Federal Ministry of Transport commissioned a joint study of the expansion project at the reed and the Kinzig Valley Railway. The overall project was evaluated here with a benefit -cost ratio of 15. With a total investment of DM 960 million ( at the price level of 1983), an annual contribution to the economic result of the DB of 256 million DM per year was expected. These results led to the inclusion of Riedbahn in the most urgent needs of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1985., The measure should be implemented as quickly as possible and to be completed to accommodate the traffic ICE 1991 in key parts. By investing in the Riedbahn in the amount of 500 million DM in travel time 5 minutes should reach, increase line capacity of 146 trains per day in each direction and the Frankfurt airport will be connected. In connection with the expansion of the Kinzig Valley Railway journey times between Fulda and Mannheim should be lowered until then to 7 and up to 1995 in 15 minutes compared to the original state (as of 1990).

Should In order to achieve these objectives, the distance between Frankfurt and Mannheim-Waldhof sports field, with the exception of a 110-km/h-Abschnitts in Biblis station, be one continuous section at 200 km / hr. These improvements in line Lampert Home, Large Pipe Home, Goddelau - Erfelden, United Gerau Dornsberg and Mörfelden were planned. Two sidings should be re- built and extended six. A signal box and ten bridges should be re- and five signal boxes and 27 bridges rebuilt. The entire route should also be equipped with automatic train. In an elimination of the speed slump in Biblis a large-scale avoidance of the place would have meant and was discarded.

The expansion project was divided into two stages.

The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1985 was the first stage of the route - essentially the new introduction to the Mannheim Main Station - in urgent need, the second in further demand. In addition, performance-enhancing measures (mainly block compaction and track change mode) were realized. Upgrading of the 1983 calculated with 500 million DM. More DM 180 million was to be raised by crossing partners for the elimination of level crossings. Of the 500 million DM each about half of the funds to increase capacity and performance gains should serve. The cost of the first stage were estimated in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan in 1985 with 340 million DM. Of these, up to the end of 1985 DM 291 million were spent. Between 1986 and 1989 an additional DM 14 million had been invested in the first stage. In 1990 it was assumed that the total cost of DM 350 million at the price level of 1989.

In the second stage of the route for DM 500 million to more than 80 percent of their length to 200 km / h should be upgraded. To improve performance, additional and extended passing tracks were provided. Between Frankfurt- sports field and large - Gerau Dornsberg a four-track expansion was considered planning, to Goddelau - Erfelden a three-prong extension as a long -term option. More than 300 million DM of DM 500 million was provided for the connection of the Frankfurt airport. At least in the wake of new Cologne-Rhine/Main line should this connection be including an additional track at the Airport Regional station, realized. Even in the late 1980s was planned to expand the airport 's regional train station at Frankfurt Airport as part of the expansion projects and to join with a compound curve to the Riedbahn. (This connection was later under the new Cologne-Rhine/Main line after the Management Board of DB had decided in April 1990 to build an airport train station. It was opened in May 1999. )

The headquarters of the German Federal Railroad reviewed the submitted its 1986 preliminary planning of the second stage. It was found that the budget of 186 million DM would be exceeded by DM 55 million. Several measures were postponed then.

The second stage began in 1987. It should be completed with the planned 1991 full commissioning of the high-speed line Mannheim- Stuttgart. After the State of Hesse had called for a regional planning process for the line improvements Gross-Gerau, Goddelau - Erfelden, Stock city and Gernsheim on 1 December 1986, there were delays. The plan approval process was delayed, particularly those on the Elimination of level crossings. Until the autumn of 1988 were only three in 1989, four out of 27 level crossings eliminated by the end of the track. End of 1989, 46 individual measures were provided. Until then, 6 of 27 height level crossings were canceled. For removal of nine other border crossing ran plan approval process. By the end of 1990, eight of the twelve zoning sections measures under construction, were still running in the other four methods. Of the crossings were eliminated by then 6, 4 under construction, 10 in the planning approval process and 8 in planning. To accommodate the ICE operation in June 1991, at least one high-speed section of floor city -Mannheim -Waldhof should be put into operation after the planning levels of early 1991. By early 1991, the work in four of the twelve zoning sections were largely completed in four other procedures were initiated.

With the introduction of the first ICE - line, on June 2, 1991, the expansion section between floor city and Waldhof was put into operation. At the same time the line capacity was increased from 240 to 280 trains per day .. The Railway Bridge Buerstadt was rebuilt following the expansion, widened four other bridges.

1990 Vorplaung ran beyond a connecting curve to connect the Frankfurt airport to the track. This was realized in the framework of the Frankfurt motorway interchange tunnel later and put into operation in 1999.

The timetable change in May 1998, the speed limit was raised in the southern section over a length of 15 km to 200 km / h and the northern section of Groß-Gerau -Frankfurt am Main was completed in the fall of 1999 for quick trips. Since December 5, 1999 can also run at 3.3 km section Leeheim - Dornsberg 200 km / h.

By the end of 1993 176 million euros were invested scheduled for tunnel support 275 million euros. More 82 million followed in the years 1994 to 2001 until 2003. 9 of 10 planned line improvements were realized and eliminated 21 of 30 crossings. In view of the new line Rhein / Main Rhein / Neckar, the expansion project should be "qualified" completed. A planed to Mörfelden line improvement was not realized. The outstanding level crossing removals should be implemented under separate agreements.

The track is (as of 2006) between the distance in kilometers 12 and 25, 29 to 61 and 64 to 69 with 200 km / h passable. Insist on the track (as of 2013) six level crossings: two south of the station Mörfelden (km 61.95 and 61.38 ), three in the station area of Biblis (km 28,65, 27,20 and 26,57 ) and a in the region of the breakpoint Bobstadt ( 25.07 km ).

Operation

History

In Lampert home station of TEE Helvetia was involved on 12 August 1965 in a serious accident when he collided with the non-profile freestanding last car of a freight train and derailed. Four people died, many were injured.

Current

With 650 trains per day (as of 2007), the corridor between Mannheim and Frankfurt am Main and Mainz with the Riedbahn, the Main-Neckar Railway and the railway line Mainz- Ludwigshafen today one of the most loaded German railway lines. By 2015, a further increase to 900 trains in this corridor is expected.

On the Riedbahn while National Rail regional trains of VRN and RMV three ICE lines that connect southern Germany with Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne / Dortmund.

The RMV, the route as line 70, the VRN below the line designation R 62

Between Mannheim and Frankfurt operate regional express trains to those of Worms from a local train in Biblis connection has. At night there is between Frankfurt and Worms and vice versa in each case also directly Regional Express. From Frankfurt main station also operates the S -Bahn line S7 S-Bahn Rhein -Main to Ried City Goddelau, and between Mannheim and Biblis ride from Karlsruhe upcoming regional trains in a forward mode for a future operation by the S- Bahn Rhein Neckar.

Planning

It is contemplated to connect the planned Terminal 3 of Frankfurt Airport to the Riedbahn. The construction of a curve for the required connection for the S7 and the regional express line 70 as well as an underground S-Bahn station would indeed cost 120 million euros, but would be more economically. The application for planning permission for Terminal 3, which is to be submitted in September 2013, the S- Bahn train connections is included only for information. The S- Bahn train connections should only be implemented after completion of the new line Rhein / Main Rhein / Neckar, whose construction is not foreseeable at the moment (as of August 2013).

After commissioning of the new line Rhein / Main Rhein / Neckar, the capacity of Riedbahn should be sufficient to S7 summarize the S -Bahn line S-Bahn Rhein- Main to United Gerau Dornsberg of half - to a quarter of an hour.

The Baden-Württemberg Environmental and Transport Ministry announced in early 2011, by 2015 to reactivate the second track of the Eastern Riedbahn in Mannheim and can toughen up the route for the S -Bahn to want. In Mannheim - Neuostheim be built on Dürer node a new S -Bahn stop. As of December 2015, then run a train between upper tube home, Biblis and Mannheim main station every hour on the track. Originally planned only to Biblis, the circle mountain road was able to prevail in June 2012, the extension to the collective boundary between the transport association Rhein- Neckar ( VRN) and the Rhine- Main Transport Association ( RMV) to Great - pipe home. The S-Bahn trains from Great Rohrsheim should not be bound by Mannheim to Karlsruhe, but end at the Mannheim Central Station in contrast to the current regional rail offer.

Lines

The following transport services operate on the Riedbahn:

• S7 Ried City Goddelau - United Gerau Dornsberg - Mörfelden - Walldorf (Hess ) - Frankfurt Hbf
• RE 70 Mannheim Hbf - Biblis - Ried City Goddelau - United Gerau Dornsberg - Frankfurt Hbf ( Regional Express )
• RB 2 Karlsruhe Hbf - Graben-Neudorf - Hockenheim - Schwetzingen - Mannheim Hbf - Lampert Home - Biblis ( regional train )
• RB 62 Worms Hbf - Hofheim (Ried) - Biblis ( regional train )