Saxon-Franconian trunk line

Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale is a newer term for the mostly double-track railway from Dresden to Nuremberg. The route is 390 kilometers long and is currently electrified from Dresden to court. The term Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale has been since the 1990s, perverse as direct trains from Dresden and Görlitz to Karlsruhe and Oberstdorf, minted in the transport policy debate. The term has no tradition for the associated railway lines.

Another definition be understood as Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale railway routes between Hof and Dresden as well as between Hof and Leipzig.

Several upper and middle centers, including Bayreuth and Chemnitz, which form the Saxon- Bavarian city network, drifting in this context infrastructure development ahead politically.

• 2.1 expansion
• 2.2 2002 flood
• 2.3 Further electrification

• 3.1 Interregional Transport
• 3.2 Intermezzo the ICE -TD
• 3.3 The decline of long-distance transport
• 3.4 Franken- Sachsen- Express

Route

The route from Dresden in southwestern direction through the Erzgebirge and to Zwickau parallel to Erzgebirgskamm. About Plauen and Hof, she crosses the Vogtland, then the Fichtelgebirge, Franconian Alb and Franconian Switzerland.

Dresden- yard

See main article:

• Railway line Dresden- Werdau
• Railway line Leipzig -Hof

At the bow triangle Werdau the railway line Dresden- Werdau ends and the Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale follows the railway route Leipzig -Hof.

Court Nuremberg

See main article:

• Ludwig South - North Railway (Lindau -Nuremberg -Hof )
• Railway line Nuremberg - Cheb
• Railway Regensburg Oberkotzau
• Railway Bamberg -Hof
• Railway Nennslingen -Bayreuth
• Railway Bayreuth New Market Wirsberg

From the courtyard the milestones along the route until shortly before New Market Wirsberg are descending. The beginning of the chainage in this section is located in Bamberg. In Oberkotzau six kilometers south of the yard, branches off the main double-track train to Regensburg, while the Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale turns towards west and runs through the northern Fichtelgebirge.

In the second route through the Upper Franconian Marktredwitz the highway traverses the entire Fichtel mountain plateau. Until Munchberg it crosses several times the national road 289, behind Munchberg also the Federal Highway 9 was the Saxon steep ramp, the portion of Tharandt to Klingenberg - Colmnitz so may prove in Bavaria probably only the " inclined plane " as an equal. It begins in Marktschorgast and leads to new market Wirsberg steep downhill. Train Station New Market Wirsberg itself does not affect the Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale; it is a compound curve, the curve Schlömener bypassed.

The subsequent section to Bayreuth is kilometriert again descending. The 0.0 kilometer of this line is located in pastures. The route passes under Harsdorf in the federal highway 70 and runs parallel to the A 9 to Bayreuth. Behind the Bayreuth A 9 is crossed again, then the route passes through the Franconian Switzerland and will follow up Pegnitz the main road 2, which is coupled between Bayreuth and Pegnitz by the federal highway 85. Through the valley of the Pegnitz, it goes on in the Veldenstein Forest, and after some tunnel sections in Velden hits the track in Hersbruck on the line from Amberg and Weiden. From here the route turns to the west and via overflow and Rückersdorf to Nuremberg Central Station.

History

Today Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale has arisen from several sections. The first section was opened on September 6, 1845 leg of the Saxon- Bavarian Railway from Werdauer track triangle to Zwickau. On 31 May 1846, the route from Werdauer track triangle to Reichenbach followed. While the opening was celebrated between Plauen and the Bavarian border on November 20, 1848, the completion of the intermediate portion of Reichenbach to Plauen by building the Göltzschtalbrücke was delayed until 15 July 1851. In the Bavarian side the Ludwig South - North Railway had opened the route New Market Court on November 1 1848, which continued to the Saxon border was at the time of completion of the Saxon- Bavarian Railway coming from Plauen, so on 20 November of the revolutionary year 1848. the route from New market to Bayreuth was opened by the Royal Bavarian State Railways on 28 November 1853. She was the first Bavarian railway line, which was opened by a contract with the State (lease car). The distance from Bayreuth Nennslingen and Hersbruck to Nuremberg was opened throughout until 15 July 1877.

On the Saxon side of the so-called Albert train from Dresden was built in 1855 to Tharandt. From Tharandt from the inauguration of the section to Freiberg was achieved on 11 August 1862 major technical ( slopes, tunnels and viaducts ) and financial difficulties. 1866 Part Chemnitz- Floeha was taken in the course of the track structure to Annaberg in operation. 1869 Finally, the last Saxon section Floeha - Freiberg was completed. Even if the train had not yet completed by the valley of the Pegnitz, it was by a detour via Kulmbach and Lichtenfels now a direct east-west connection from Silesia in the south and south-west German parts of the country.

In the following decades, the track was an important link in the railway traffic between East and West. Even in the years of the division of Europe retained the route partly their meaning.

Extension

After the political changes in East Germany, it was necessary to expand the track as soon as possible for future challenges in the transport between southern Germany and Saxony. Shortly after 1990, there was considerable political efforts to now Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale prepare baptized route for higher speeds, thereby enabling on this route competitive rail links. The first stage of the route was included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1992.

About 50 of the 394 kilometers between Dresden and Leipzig and yard were in the early 1990s passable only at 70 km / hr. On the Hetzdorfer viaduct was a 20-km/h-Langsamfahrstelle. 1996 were 194 of the 395 railway bridges need to be renewed. In 1997, the scheduled travel time between yard and Dresden was around four hours.

By on June 30, 1993, the upgraded line Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Nürnberg-Leipzig/Dresden was decided under the Federal Railway Infrastructure Expansion Act. On 18 December 1996, the ground-breaking ceremony was held for the extension for the routes between Hof, Leipzig and Dresden to Freiberg. The plan envisaged the mid-1990s to expand the range to 1998 for a speed of 160 km / h and thus reduce the travel time in this section to two and a half hours. After the planning status of the end of 1996 should be expanded from the 289 km on the routes between Leipzig and Dresden and Hof 200 km so that tilting trains can it 130 to 160 km / h. 63 percent of the length of the route in this section are in sheets. The travel time for tilting trains between Dresden and yard should be three and a half hours (1996 ) are first reduced to 1999 by 45 minutes and have a final two and a quarter hours. By 1999 700 million marks should be invested, a total of DM 2.6 billion from 1999 should run diesel-powered tilting InterCity trains. 2006 should be two hours, the travel time between Hof and Dresden.

In 1997 with the Federal Government and German railway financing agreement for the Saxon section of the project. By 2006, approximately DM 2.8 billion should be invested. The journey between Dresden and yard should be on two and a quarter hours that are shortened between Leipzig and Hof quarter hours. In a first stage, by the end 1999, about 700 million DM to be invested in order to reduce the travel time between Dresden and courtyard on two three-quarter hours. For this, a line speed of 120 km / h for conventional trains and up to 160 km / h should be made ​​( in many sections ) for tilting trains.

On 1 February 1997, the German Railway commissioned the German railway construction company planning unit with the upgrading of the line. That same month, began the expansion of the section between Niederbobritzsch and Freiberg, in June, followed by the sections St. Egidien - Glauchau, Reichenbach- Netzschkau and Herlasgrün - Jocketa. In 1997, the expansion was thus a total length of 24 km. When first completed section of the section between Niederbobritzsch and Freiberg was handed over by Deutsche Bahn on 12 December 1997. The total projected cost for the upgrading of the line were at this time at 2.8 billion DM ( 1.4 billion euros ).

The end of 1997 it was planned to complete the 285 kilometer comprehensive expansion project between Hof and Leipzig or Dresden until 2006. Until then 2.8 billion D- Mark should be invested.

1998, about 280 million DM were invested; 55 km were completed by 1998. By early 2002, the expansion was completed on 158 of the 217 route kilometers between Hof and Dresden; EUR 516 million had been invested. The travel time was reduced from about four to about three hours. For the final state, a traveling time of two hours and 15 minutes was targeted. The planning was responsible in 2002 while the project Zentrum Dresden DB traffic construction project. On 29 May 2002, the 11 km long section between expansion Chemnitz- Sigmar and Hohenstein -Ernstthal was officially opened after 21 months of construction, in operation; the cost amounted to around 50 million euros.

End of 2002, the completion of the overall project for 2010 was planned. The travel time between yard and Dresden should it fall to two hours and eleven minutes. In this section, a total of 1.1 billion euros should be invested for the entire project 1.8 billion.

As an integral part of the second stage of the Vogtland tunnel was planned. In this context, a new range section between Plauen and Weischlitz and a rail line from Plauen to Weischlitz should arise. This travel time reductions should be achieved by more than ten minutes. 2004, the realization of this second stage was planned long term. In 2003, the Saxon State government set up to receive the tunnel to the other requirements of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2003. The cost of construction of the tunnel in 2004 estimated at about 800 million DM. The project was not realized.

Saxony presented in 2000 a study, which require that an upgraded for of running at 160 bis 200 km / h Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale, including the Vogtland tunnel, between Berlin and Munich in the passenger a No. 8 extended over the German Unity Transport Project to 22 minutes travel time of 4 hours and 9 minutes enables, but at the same time save nearly 5 billion marks. In March 2001, the Federal Government and the German railway rejected the Vogtland- variant of the lines between Berlin and Munich. For the expansion of the Franken- Sachsen- highway as one of five stock Saxony from Berlin to southern Germany, the initiative began, the better rail concept.

Flood of 2002

In the wake of the flood in August 2002, the Weißeritz the 22 km long section between the blade -Colmnitz and Dresden was destroyed in many parts. The section at Tharandt precaution was locked at night on August 13, 2002. The dished by the subsequent flood damage was estimated at around 40 million euros, of which 13 million euros in Tharandt station. The amount initially recognized for four years development work between Freital and Tharandt had to be accelerated due to the floods. On 18 November 2002, work began in the section between Dresden and Tharandt. Elimination of damage should it be associated with the route expansion. On 2 September 2003, the regular train service between Klingenberg - Colmnitz and Tharandt was resumed and the rail replacement bus service thus shortening the section between Dresden Main Station and Tharandt. In addition to repairing the damage in the amount of 40 million euros, about 150 million euros were invested in the early expansion of the section of 160 km / h.

The ICE trains ran at this time only between Nuremberg and Chemnitz; to continue the journey to Dresden had to take the bus. The reconstruction of the route was completed in December 2003.

Further electrification

The electrification of the section between Reichenbach and Nuremberg was filed in Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2003 as urgent requirement. The DB numbered 2007, the total cost of the expansion between Nuremberg and Reichenbach, including electrification, to 460 million euros.

In March 2007 it was announced that the federal government wants to increase the investment funds for the electrification between Reichenbach and yard by 50 to a total of 126 million euros. The works in this section began in 2010. This measure is a requirement that trains the relation Leipzig -Plauen can drive through the City - Tunnel Leipzig future in which no diesel vehicles are registered. The German Railways signed in April 2007, the preliminary design for the expansion between Leipzig and Hof. To move the project forward, Saxony Transport Minister Thomas Jurk has pledged to take over the planning costs for expanding (electrifying ) the track.

In the context of labor market program Labour and Transport, should after the planning stage in 2009, will be financed with the aid of funds from the ERDF federal program from 2007 to 2013, the electrification between Reichenbach and yard. The completion of the 110- million euros measure (as of June 2010) for 2014 expected. 2012 end of the section Reichenbach -Plauen should be started up electrically, by the end of 2013, the section is intended to follow up the courtyard; 2014 remaining works were planned (as of July 2010). The states of Bavaria and Saxony had taken over the financing of the preliminary planning for the electrification to allow commissioning of the 74 km long stretch until the end of 2012. Be the end of 2013 had EU funds are spent and accounted for in this section, otherwise this would have expired.

The symbolic start of the electrified section takes place on December 5, 2013, the commercial launch of the timetable change on 15 December 2013. The cost of the 73 km long electrification measures were estimated in late 2013 with a total of 160 million euros (including planning costs). A total of approximately 175 km of track were covered with overhead line and set around 3000 oberleitungsmasten. 31 bridges were converted or rebuilt.

It is unclear when the remaining section between Nuremberg and Hof (170 km) to be electrified. In particular, the section in the upper Pegnitztal is true in view of its numerous engineering works as demanding and expensive.

Mid-May 2010 began the expansion of the seven- kilometer section between Hohenstein- Ernstthal and St. Egidien. The extension for a design speed of 160 km / h will cost 35 million euros. The funds were provided from the stimulus package I and by the Deutsche Bahn. In addition to the stations Hauptbahnhof Chemnitz, Chemnitz - Zwickau Sigmar and this was the last still upgraded section between Dresden and yard. The work was completed in mid- December 2011 and had ultimately cost € 38 million ..

Operation

Inter-regional traffic

On the Route number 83 wrong in the 1990s, inter-regional trains of the main relation Görlitz-Dresden-Karlsruhe/München-Oberstdorf supplemented with inter-regional from Leipzig to Oberstdorf. However, only continuous connection from Görlitz to Karlsruhe was at first only the pair of trains IR 2668/2669, while the connection Dresden Oberstdorf was served with two pairs of trains daily.

Excerpt from the timetable 1994/1995:

The connections to and from Leipzig were thinned gradually by the end of the 1990s, as it was the long-distance transport on the railway hall preference.

Intermezzo the ICE -TD

On 28 May 2000, the continuous inter-regional connections from Dresden to Karlsruhe and Oberstdorf were hired. By 4 November the same year still wrong D trains from Dresden to Nuremberg.

On 23 April 2001, the scheduled use of the ICE TD began, first in the schedules of two inter-regional train pairs. June 10, 2001, the inter-regional trains were replaced by ICE trains. Six of the eight pairs of trains wrong doing over Bayreuth, two pairs of trains in off-peak position took the 15-minute detour to Marktredwitz. As of May 2001, when 73 percent of the 222 km long section were expanded between Hof and Dresden for tilting operation, the newly appointed ICE -TD trains reached a scheduled travel time between the two cities of 177 minutes. The travel time without tilting would have been at 190 minutes. With the use of the ICE -TD the scheduled travel time between Nuremberg and Dresden fell by up to 80 minutes. After completion of all expansion measures the travel time between Dresden and court should decline to 130 minutes. In the final state (2005) a journey between Nuremberg and Dresden of less than four hours was provided. The trains ran only from 10 June 2001 to August 2002 at two hourly intervals between Dresden and Nuremberg and up to the July 2003 between Chemnitz and Nuremberg.

The decline of long-distance transport

After December 2, 2002, an axle on the car 605 203 was broken at Gutenfürst, the ICE -TD train sets were allowed to drive only with deactivated tilting technology. A scheduled compliant travel time was no longer possible. An investigation by the Federal Railway Authority in July 2003 led to the short-term closure of the trains. For the time being wrong again diesellokbespannte trains and multiple units of class 612 Bombardier on the Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale.

In October 2003, the ICE -TD train sets were according to the manufacturer's instructions again for the " arch- fast" mode - that is, with the use of tilting technology - ready to use. Nevertheless, the German Bahn AG decided acceptance problems with declining passenger numbers, not to use these vehicles again because of that image and. Instead we transport with multiple units of the Series 612, which are also equipped with tilting technology, set up a intercity line.

Due to the continued expansion progress along the highway, the scheduled travel time of trains over the previously used high-speed trains around ten minutes could be reduced to around four hours and 25 minutes. However, punctuality and comfort were unable to match the ICE operation of 2002 according to media reports. The trains, which were designed for the routes between Dresden and Nuremberg were, but repainted white-red in the long-distance transport colors. This approach called for the provinces forth protests, as they had financed this originally intended for the transport vehicles.

In early 2004 the operation was characterized according to a media report of numerous technical problems. Although the train punctuality improved from mid-March 2004, passenger numbers had fallen significantly.

On August 10, 2004, a hairline crack in the axle was discovered during a routine examination in railway workshop yard on a vehicle of the series 612. Then pulled the DB with immediate effect 167 units from the market, including the 17 vehicles used on the Sachsen- Franken- Magistrale this series.

Then the trains with locomotives of the series 101, 120, 143 and 145 or double traction of locomotives of the series 218 and 232 were formed. The station Reichenbach (Vogtland) a change between electric and diesel locomotives took place. For the already low ridership some coaches from Basel, Frankfurt and Munich were worried. Since the locomotive-hauled trains ran without tilting technology, they needed significantly more driving time. These extended travel times were taken into account with the timetable change in December 2004.

The timetable change on 12 December 2004, the two- hour intercity trains was reduced to three to four pairs of trains daily. In addition to these trains on Marktredwitz wrong every day except Saturdays, a fourth pair of trains between Nuremberg and Chemnitz Bayreuth. The scheduled travel time of the long-distance train between Nuremberg and Dresden ( about Marktredwitz ) was five hours and 16 minutes. In regional transport was the travel time, including two required Umstiege, ten minutes lower; the travel price was around 20 percent below the long-distance traffic. In early 2006, the approximately 300 seats offered trains were occupied on average by 68 travelers.

Franken- Sachsen- Express

With the timetable change in December 2006, the DB stopped the day consisting of four pairs of trains intercity connection. They were replaced by eight daily services in each direction of the new IRE "Franken- Sachsen- Express", which is usable to transport rates. Due to the bow fast trains running was the travel time between Nuremberg and Dresden by 40 minutes, reduced to four hours and 20 minutes. The driving mode of the IRE by DB Regio is appointed by the DB long-distance transport. Still be used to set up since 2003 tilting trainsets of the series 612

Through a combination of long-distance transport of DB ordered IRE and by binding of the RE trains from Nuremberg to Dresden the timetable change in December 2007 an hourly service could be introduced. Here, the trains run alternately Marktredwitz (RE) and Bayreuth ( IRE).

In the first year, 1.4 million travelers used the new train services. The punctuality has located, according to web information at 93 percent. According to the Deutsche Bahn, the number of travelers took in the Franken- Sachsen- Express in the first half of 2008 compared to the previous year on weekdays ( Monday to Friday ) by about 20 percent to 17 percent on weekends.

The Roadmap 2010/11 the fastest trains loaded in west-east direction of the way in 4:13 hours back, in east-west direction in 4:18 hours.

The German Railway has announced in 2012, set the self -powered economic IRE in December 2013. The reason the company stated annual losses in the double-digit million euro range. June 2012 said DB Regio, initially maintain the offer self-financing by the end of 2014. In January 2013 it was announced that DB Regio would continue to operate the IRE to December 2023, but only under condition of a financial contribution of Saxony and Bavaria. The financial amount of Saxony and Bavaria was pledged to December 2016.

Since the timetable change on 15 December 2013, all trains as Regional Express. When driving over Bayreuth must now be switched in the courtyard, where between Dresden and farm electric locomotives are used with bi-level cars. About Marktredwitz continue to run through trains from Dresden to Nuremberg.