Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Solingen railway
The railway line Wuppertal -Solingen - Oberbarmen is a railway line in the Bergische Land in North Rhine- Westphalia, which connects the three major cities bergischen Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen. It is classified as a major rail, expanded to double track and not electrified.
Today's track is from the company through binding of three formerly independent routes that were started by the Bergisch- Märkischen Railway Company ( BME) and built, and continued to be built partly after the nationalization of the Prussian state railways:
- Railway Solingen -Wuppertal- Vohwinkel,
- Railway Wuppertal- Barmen- Opladen,
- Remscheid -Lennep railway - Remscheid- Hasten.
In addition to the main station in Remscheid branches, the branch line from after Bliedinghausen which is operating only in freight transport since it opened.
History
Was opened today's link between Solingen and Wuppertal in several sections and was originally part of various independent railway lines:
Ohligsberg Forest - Solingen ( Weyersberg )
In 1867 the well-known for their blades and scissors industrial city Solingen to many years of negotiations by the Bergisch- Märkischen Railway Company through a 5.6 km long branch line to the Ohligsberg station (then Ohligsberg Forest, from 2006 Solingen Hbf) at the same year opened railway line Gruiten -Cologne- Deutz connected.
The track ended in a terminal station in Solingen- Weyer mountain and thus quite far outside the city center, but the railway was built primarily for freight and offered only modest passenger.
Branching point Weyersberg - Wuppertal- Vohwinkel
Solingen was over 20 years later with the " corkscrewing " said railway Solingen -Wuppertal- Vohwinkel after Vohwinkel on February 12, 1890 a much better connection in the direction of the Ruhr.
Passenger traffic to Solingen - Weyer mountain was abandoned in connection with the opening of the " corkscrew coaster," the trains ran from the branching point Weyersberg in a wide arc around the southern Solingen city center around which, together with the track newly opened railway station Solingen South this route was also significantly closer to the city of Solingen.
The station Solingen- Weyer mountain served from now on only the freight and was shut down along with the branch line from the branching point Weyersberg 1912.
Wuppertal- Barmen - Remscheid ( main station)
On September 1, 1868 Remscheid connection received on the railway line opened in 1849 Elberfeld- Dortmund in Wuppertal- Barmen. The Bergisch- Märkische Railway Company (BME ) opened at this time their range of Rittershausen over to Remscheid Lennep. The last part, from Lennep and Remscheid was there originally intended only as a branch line of the railway line Wuppertal- Barmen -Opladen and was built as the BME won the concession for a railway between Bergisch Born and Opladen only on 12 June 1872.
Solingen ( main station) - Remscheid ( main station)
In the remaining section between Remscheid and Solingen, the railway construction due to the topography designed very difficult, the section could be opened after the construction of several bridges until the year 1897.
From Solingen South Railway Station, first one opened on December 14, 1893 Transport Railway was built to the site of Müngstener bridge, which then becomes part of the July 15, 1897 completed link to Remscheid was.
Already on 17 May 1897 and the second track between Ohligsberg Solingen South Station was inaugurated, the doubling up Remscheid should continue until 1907. 1913 Solingen South Station was eventually expanded and renamed itself in Solingen Hbf. Only in 1914 the Remscheid Remscheid station finally received the name of the central station
Further development
Both the passenger and freight traffic on the route rose steadily in Remscheid- Lennep originated with the Wipper Switchback after Wipperfuerth and Marie Heath, of the branch to the station Krebsöge at the Wuppertal train from Radevormwald to Wuppertal- Barmen and the railway line Lennep -Opladen a large crossing station. In Lennep also a depot for the operation of the then outgoing routes was built.
After the Second World War, the operation was converted from steam to diesel -, since the 1970s, takes freight traffic significantly. Only a few companies are now operated from Wuppertal / Remscheid and Solingen in freight traffic while the passenger is considerable and is now handled with diesel railcars.
Operation
The range is from 15 December 2013 its entire length - in addition to Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof and - 7 sailed by the S -Bahn line S The Müngstener. Previously, wrong on the same routes at the local train with the line number RB 47 The name of this line indicates the former location Müngsten in the border area of the three cities, the railway line crosses near which the Wupper valley on the famous Müngstener bridge.
On weekdays the trains run at 20- minute intervals, during evenings and weekends every 30 minutes. However, not all trains travel the entire route, some additional trips end ( from both sides ) already in Remscheid. In the trains of the tariff of the transport association Rhein- Ruhr, from Solingen Hbf to Remscheid- Lüttringhausen also the tariff of the transport association Rhein-Sieg applies.
For use came on the track from 1994 to 2013 DMU Class 628 of Deutsche Bahn AG. Due to the weak engine of vehicles and demanding route with numerous slopes were encountered mainly in autumn often caused problems to cancellations. After the call the line from November 2009 to July 2010 Abellio Rail NRW took from December 2013, with plenty of motorized vehicles for this path ( LINT 41) with stepless entry, the operation on. At the same time, the line was converted from a regional train in a subway.
Since there still are problems with the Müngstener bridge, this is expected to be operational again until June 4, 2014.
Modernization
For several years, the stations along the route to be modernized. This is particularly evident in Solingen, where the former main railway station was closed completely in May 2006. In return, the first breakpoint Solingen Grünewald was opened as a replacement which is not far from the old main station away and is much better connected to the city and bus services. With the timetable change in December 2006, the second newly built railway station was opened in mid- Solingen.
The name of Solingen Hauptbahnhof called since the former railway station Solingen- Ohligs, which is the only stop for regional trains, Regional Express and Intercity or Intercity Express on Solingen city.
Structures
Due to the mountainous countryside of the railway line could not just be " placed in the landscape ", but had to be built numerous structures such as bridges and tunnels. Beyond the borders of the Bergisch Land also known is the highest at 107 m railway bridge in Germany, the Müngstener bridge between Remscheid and Solingen on the valley of the Wupper is crossed. Every autumn it hosts the so-called " Bridge Festival " takes place, which also operate special trains on the railway line. The bridge was inaugurated in 1897 and is the largest engineering structures along the route.
Next to her there, especially on the section between Solingen and Remscheid a number of other bridges, so is just a few hundred meters from the bridge, so to speak Windfelner the " little sister" of Müngstener bridge.
Another notable building is the Rauenthaler tunnel in Wuppertal, which passes under the railway between Oberbarmen and Ronsdorf a range of hills and the residential area thereon. For the double-track line, two parallel tunnels were carved into the mountain.
At the southern portal is right next to the two tunnel tubes is a third, this is part of the former Langerfelder tunnel that connected the freight station Wuppertal- Rauenthal with the container station in Wuppertal-Langerfeld/Schwelm, but is now closed.
Also the eastern tube of the Rauenthaler tunnel is blocked for security reasons since 2005, the trains use only the western tunnel tube. Both tubes are redeveloped in the future and be accessible again. South of the tunnel closes to Rauenthal station still in a deep cut.