Württembergische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft

Horst Wrench

The Württemberg railway mbH (WEG ) is a private railway company in Germany. Since the sale of the shares in EnBW it is 100 % for the Veolia group.

History

The Württemberg Railroad Company was incorporated on 13 May 1899 in Stuttgart. It built until 1907 seven branch lines and a local railway in Württemberg with a total of more than 100 km length. The routes of the WEG did not form a coherent whole, as only there private railway could be built where it was not worth the state railway. These were mostly peripheral areas who wanted to be connected to the emerging industrial centers Württemberg.

Ownership

In 1909, the AG for railway construction and operation ( BBB) acquired a 95 % majority share in the Württemberg Railway Company. The BBB was acquired by the AG of Transportation ( AGV ) in 1928 and was called from 1929 German Railway Company ( DEGA, later DEG). As part of the reorganization of the AGV AGV group had now 95 % of the shares of AWAY. 1966 WEG was converted from a public company into a GmbH.

Between the DEG and the WEG since 1968 an ever stronger connection, has taken over most of the management tasks in the course of DEG was born. A formal transfer of shares on WEG DEG only took place in the nineties, when the AGIV completely gave up their investments in transport companies.

In 2000, the EnBW sold its 40% share in DEG at the since 1996 with 60 % involved the French company Vivendi, which thus became the sole owner. WEG was incorporated as all subsidiaries of DEG in the Vivendi subsidiary Connex Transport GmbH. Since 2006, Connex operates in Germany under the name Veolia Transport.

Pioneer in the Verdieselung

WEG was the pioneer in the private railways in the Verdieselung their routes. In order to maintain the long-term operation, procured the WEG in 1952 their first diesel railcar at the Maschinenfabrik Esslingen, Esslingen two railcars. Nor did the German Federal Railroad (DB) acquired DMUs used and modernized, the VT 70900-901. These vehicles then completed all the traffic on the route. Freight cars were simply appended, correspondingly strong, the vehicles were motorized.

Modernization

In the early 80 's began the WAY to modernize many of their vintage machines. It has introduced a new logo and uses a custom paint job. The vehicles were painted in a light gray tone. The roof was painted silver, the window belt orange and attached a light blue Absetzrahmen the frame.

The WEG presented a popular destination for lovers of old railcars dar. So drove to a few years ago railcars from the 50s and 60s on the tracks of the PATH that were produced by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen and MAN. On the upside Tälesbahn to 2000 unique, an acquired by DB four-axle truck from 1928, whose strong Büssingmotoren made ​​him irreplaceable in freight transport. Today he is a railway friends in the possession of Ulm and is to be used on the museum route from Amstetten to Gerstetten. On the Vaihingen city train departed to setting a former DB railcar from 1926.

Setting of routes

After the Württemberg branch lines GmbH (WN ) with their remaining two routes in 1984 went up in the WAY, the federal government slashed gas oil aid. This allowed the WEG their only narrow gauge route from Amstetten to Laichingen not operate below cost. She was hired in 1985 and mined from Laichingen until shortly before the Oppingen station. Of the former 22.6 kilometers length of the route, there are still 5.7 km as a museum railway Albbähnle from Amstetten to Oppingen.

Until the mid- 90s, WEG operation most of the side tracks on their own, that is, almost without subsidies. The smaller farms usually came with only a railcar plus sidecar without reserve vehicles. Thus, the expenditure could be covered by revenue. Swabian frugality kept these routes alive, but then the gradual end of many railway lines became apparent. In the superstructure of the most routes has not been investing, the German railway provided a general cargo traffic and the WEG was sold to the Connex Group. Thus, the routes were Jagstfeld - Ear Mountain (1993 ), Amstetten - Gerstetten (1996 ), Ebingen - Onstmettingen ( Talgangbahn, 1998) and Gaildorf - Untergröningen (2000) in passenger and set the Vaihingen light rail ( 2002).

A light rail concept for the line Jagstfeld - Hardthausen failed because of the costs, as well as the re-opening of Talgangbahn by the Hohenzollerische State Railways in 2002.

The WEG today

Today WEG has only two separate routes with regular operation, the Strohgäubahn of Korntal to Weissach and Tälesbahn from Nürtingen to Neuffen.

There are also two other routes on which the WEG drives on behalf of the owner: Since 1994, the PATH operates on behalf of the administration union Transport Association Wieslauftal line the lower Wieslauftal line of Schorndorf to Rudersberg, later extended to the subsite -Oberndorf. In 1996, the Schönbuchbahn of Böblingen was reopened after Dettenhausen by the purpose association Transport Association Schönbuchbahn. In both cases, the PATH was selected as operators because they could present the best concept for the operation of this branch lines. Also, the ownership of the Strohgäubahn to be transferred in the near future to the purpose established municipal purpose association on a similar model, the operation will however continue to take the PATH.

All four operated by the PATH lines are integrated into the Transport and Tariff Association Stuttgart ( VVS). The PATH is a member of the collective organization of the federal treasury and non-federally owned railways in Germany ( TBNE ).

In addition, the WEG services for the German railway in the logistics sector provides.

In 1993, the seat of the company from Stuttgart was moved to Waiblingen- leg rock where the PATH moved into the office building acquired from her bus traffic Ruoff.

Route network

Bus companies

From 1928 the Württemberg Railway Company in-house motor vehicle lines and made part of their own paths even competition by bus routes were established parallel to the railway lines. 1955 WEG motor transport - GmbH was founded (WEG - CCG), which included a trucking company with own truck to about 1996.

It is worth mentioning that the PATH has restored two dilapidated bus companies: in 1987 the Heidenheim Transport Company ( HVG) and the 1990 bus transport Ruoff (OVR ) in Waiblingen.

The WAY - CCG was merged on January 1, 2008 to the sister company OVR. The four bus depots of the former WEG in CCG Albstadt, Hemmingen, New City and Neuffen with a total of about 60 buses and about 115 employees, business ran until 2012 under the brand name WAY. In spring 2012 WEG logos were replaced by OVR logos. Thus, the OVR shall now closed to all 6 locations under a single branding.