Leipzig–Geithain Railway
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The Leipzig–Geithain railway is a main line in the German state of
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
. It runs from
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
via Bad Lausick to
Geithain Geithain () is a town in the Leipzig district, in Saxony, Germany. Geography Geithain is northwest of Chemnitz and southeast of Leipzig. It lies in hilly country by the wooded area Wickershain and the river Eula. History The first documented ...
. It is part of a long-distance railway from Leipzig to
Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt (); ; ) is the third-largest city in the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East Be ...
. The line is not electrified and is essentially single track. The only section of double-track is an about 900 m-long section between the Leipzig-Paunsdorf crossover and Leipzig Werkstättenstraße.


History

Leipzig had a railway connection since the end of the 1830s and Chemnitz was connected to the railway network at the beginning of the 1850s, but a long detour via Riesa was necessary for traffic running between the two cities. Therefore, in the 1850s, the first railway committees were formed, calling for the construction of a line from Leipzig to Chemnitz. In addition to the industrial Mulde valley, other towns such as Borna, Burgstädt, Lausigk ( Bad Lausick) and Limbach would have benefited from the line. Each committee presented its own proposal for a route, which would have benefited its own location as much as possible. As the Borsdorf–Grimma section of the
Borsdorf–Coswig railway The Borsdorf–Coswig railway is a mainline railway in the German state of Saxony, originally built and operated by the Leipzig-Dresden Railway Company. It runs mostly along the Freiberger Mulde from Borsdorf via Döbeln and Meißen to Coswig, Sax ...
was opened in 1866, a railway connection to the area south of Leipzig became more and more urgent as many companies moved their production to the new line. The Leipzig–Lausigk–
Rochlitz Rochlitz (; , ) is a major district town (Große Kreisstadt) in the district of Mittelsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. Rochlitz is the head of the "municipal partnership Rochlitz" (Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Rochlitz) with its other members being the mu ...
stagecoach service had also been closed. That led to vehement demands for a Leipzig–Geithain–Chemnitz railway. However, the Saxon government showed little interest in this new rail connection, while the city of Borna built a short branch line to the
Leipzig–Hof railway The Leipzig–Hof railway is a two-track main line in the German states of Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria, originally built and operated by the Saxon-Bavarian Railway Company. It runs from Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Leipzig through Altenburg station, Al ...
at its own expense. This line was opened in 1867. The Kieritzsch–Borna line was extended to Chemnitz in 1872, but also proposed direct Leipzig–Chemnitz connections from Leipzig via Lausigk and/or Grimma were not implemented. The opening of the Glauchau–Wurzen railway between 1875 and 1877 further delayed the building of a railway through the area around Lausigk. The railway committee of Lausigk did not give up and sent further submissions to the Saxon Landtag (parliament). Of course, the proposal was not very well received at first. On the one hand there were innumerable submissions from all over Saxony. On the other hand, the railway connections to the existing lines through the rather agricultural area around Lausigk were not profitable. The building of the line as a narrow-gauge line was considered, but decisively rejected by the affected area and by the Saxon Finance Minister Léonçe von Könneritz. It was only when Chemnitz and Leipzig supported an even shorter link between the two cities, that construction of a railway seemed realistic. The second chamber of the Landtag approved the route in 1883, but it still failed in the first chamber. It was only after a conciliation between the houses that railway construction was approved on 20 March 1884. Initial preparations had begun before the final approval of the construction of the railway. The formal groundbreaking took place on 11 November 1885 in Liebertwolkwitz. The general route ran through level terrain and did not cause any problems for construction, but several very swampy places had to be crossed south of Liebertwolkwitz. The excavation work was carried out mainly by Bohemians and Poles, with the rest carried out by Italians. The long-lasting winter of 1885/86 brought the works to a complete standstill. Some already finished sections of the track were destroyed by heavy rain in the summer of 1886. The police examined the line on 26 April 1887 and no building defects were found. The ceremonial opening was held on 30 April 1887, attended by a large part of the population, and the opening train was hauled by a locomotive of type IIIb. Actual operations commenced on 2 May 1887. In Leipzig, the line ended at the Dresdner Bahnhof (the terminus of the line to Dresden) in 1887, which had been extended for this purpose. With the reconstruction of the Leipzig stations and approaches in 1913, the terminus of the line was moved to the
Hauptbahnhof Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
. This resulted in an extension of the line by 270 metres.


Operations

At first, three pairs of trains ran over the line each day, while on Sundays there was a fourth. Platform gates were installed at all stations in 1898. The line developed increasingly as the main line between Chemnitz and Leipzig, because among other things it was around 8 km was shorter than via Kieritzsch. It could also relieve the heavily used Leipzig–Altenburg section of the
Leipzig–Hof railway The Leipzig–Hof railway is a two-track main line in the German states of Saxony, Thuringia and Bavaria, originally built and operated by the Saxon-Bavarian Railway Company. It runs from Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Leipzig through Altenburg station, Al ...
. In order to increase capacity, the Leipzig–Liebertwolkwitz section was upgraded to two tracks from 1914 onwards. Operations using two tracks commenced in 1916. The construction of a second track to Belgershain at an estimated cost of about 800,000 Marks had already been approved in 1920, but this project was aborted because of a new cost estimates. The line was largely undamaged by the Second World War. After the war, it was initially planned to dismantle the Liebertwolkwitz–Bad Lausick section of the line for
reparations Reparation(s) may refer to: Christianity * Reparation (theology), the theological concept of corrective response to God and the associated prayers for repairing the damages of sin * Restitution (theology), the Christian doctrine calling for re ...
to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. As mining operations had already begun in Liebertwolkwitz, as a short-term measure, the Borna–Großbothen railway was dismantled instead of the Liebertwolkwitz–Bad Lausick section. The second tracks on the Engelsdorf Werkstätten–Liebertwolkwitz section was also dismantled in 1946. Since about 1970, many of the mechanical full-barrier level-crossing gates, in particular those on the open line, have been replaced by systems using train-operated half-barriers and stoplights. Most of the approach and several entrance signals were replaced by colour-light signals in the 1980s. In 1990, the tracks consisted entirely of a few sections of continuously welded rail on concrete sleepers. In addition to a pair of goods trains in the 1980s, express and stopping passenger trains ran between Leipzig and Karl-Marx-Stadt and once a day to and from Cranzahl (now in
Sehmatal Sehmatal is a municipality in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany, which was created in 1999 through the union of ''Neudorf'', ''Cranzahl'' and ''Sehma''. The three villages are located along the Sehma river, aligned in a north-so ...
) in the
Ore Mountains The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...
(''Erzgebirge''), as well as a pair of night fast trains (D728/729) to and from Karl-Marx-Stadt–Rostock.


Since 1990

Between June 2003 and December 2004, the Leipzig to Chemnitz via Bad Lausick line was modernised to increase the maximum speed to 160 km/h. More than €100 million were invested. This included the installation of an electronic interlocking of the Alcatel design in Geithain to control the section from Mölkau, while the section from Leipzig-Dresdener freight yard to Leipzig Werkstättenstraße is now controlled by the Leipzig Ost electronic control centre. The second track between Leipzig Hbf and Leipzig-Paunsdorf was reduced to a crossing loop in the Leipzig-Dresdener freight yard and all connections to the Engelsdorf freight yard and all other facilities previously used for freight transport were dismantled. All level crossing protection systems were replaced by those of the RBÜT type. Since the middle of the 1990s, the track infrastructure has been prepared for an increase in speeds. Missing bridges were also replaced during the track possession, although no consideration was given to restoring two tracks between Leipzig and Liebertwolkwitz.


Outlook

After options for upgrading the rail infrastructure between Leipzig and Chemnitz on the Leipzig–Neukieritzsch–Borna–Geithain–Chemnitz route had been examined several times between 2008 and 2012 and the announcement of the beginning of the preliminary planning for the upgrade of the line via Borna, the state of Saxony and Deutsche Bahn signed a contract for the extension and electrification of the Chemnitz–Leipzig line in January 2013. Routes via both Bad Lausick and Borna were to be investigated. As a result of the preliminary investigation, the route via Bad Lausick (and thus the inclusion of the Leipzig–Geithain railway) was selected as the preferred option. The main advantages of this option were a travel time of 50 minutes and convenient connections for passengers to the other long-distance lines in Leipzig Hauptbahnhof. In July 2013, the State of Saxony and Deutsche Bahn signed a planning agreement for the further upgrade and the electrification of the Leipzig–Chemnitz railway. The Free State of Saxony provided funding of around €2.4 million for this purpose. The preliminary planning was completed in the summer of 2014 and presented to the public in August 2014. In addition to the electrification, the restoration of the second track on the Leipzig–Geithain railway is also planned between Leipzig Werkstättenstraße and Liebertwolkwitz as well as four selective measures to increase the speed of the line. This includes track laying near Lauterbach-Steinbach station and the accompanying replacement of a level crossing by a road overpass. According to media reports, commissioning is expected at the earliest after eight years. The State of Saxony intends to commission the other projects in a timely manner and to finance them on a pro rata basis. The project was nominated for the Federal Transport Plan (''Bundesverkehrswegeplan'') 2030.


Rail services

The only services on the Leipzig–Geithain line are passenger services contracted and financed by the ''Zweckverband für den Nahverkehrsraum Leipzig'' (municipal association for local transport in the Leipzig area). With the
Regional-Express In Germany, Luxembourg and Austria, the Regional-Express (; RE, or in Austria: REX) is a type of regional train. It is similar to a semi-fast train, with a top speed of and an average speed of about as it calls at fewer stations than ''R ...
RE 6 (Chemnitz-Leipzig-Express) (operated since the timetable change in December 2015 by
Transdev Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a France-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020. Transdev was formed on 3 April 2011 via the merg ...
Regio Ost (eastern region) under the marketing name of ''Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn'' (
Central German Central German or Middle German () is a group of High German languages spoken from the Rhineland in the west to the former eastern territories of Germany. Central German divides into two subgroups, West Central German and East Central Ger ...
Regional Railway)) there is an hourly, fast train service between Leipzig Hbf, Bad Lausick and Geithain. These trains continue to Chemnitz Hbf. This service is supplemented by stopping trains on the Leipzig–Bad Lausick route, which are extended to Geithain every two hours (operated since 12 June 2016 by
DB Regio DB Regio AG () is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and therefore part of the DB Regio business segment, which also includes DB Regionn ...
Südost, but operated previously for many years by ''Transdev Regio Ost'').


Route description


Course

The starting point of the line is at Leipzig Hauptbahnhof. The line initially runs to the east parallel with the
Leipzig–Dresden railway The Leipzig–Dresden line is a German railway line. It was built by the Leipzig–Dresden Railway Company between 1837 and 1839. It was the first long-distance railway and the List of the first German railways to 1870, first railway using only st ...
. In the suburb of Stünz, the line turns to the south. From Liebertwolkwitz, the line runs south-east to Geithain station.


Stations

Leipzig Hbf () After the building of ''Leipzig Hauptbahnhof'' from 1902 to 1915, the line now started at the new central station. Previously, the line started at Dresdner Bahnhof (Dresden line station). Leipzig-Liebertwolkwitz station () ''Leipzig-Liebertwolkwitz'' (called ''Liebertwolkwitz'' until 13 December 2003) was originally the most important intermediate station after Lausigk. Liebertwolkwitz was opened as a halt (''Haltestelle'') and reclassified as a station on 1 July 1898. Numerous industrial enterprises were located in the immediate vicinity of the station. The station had to be expanded several times. A
Kleinlok {{Short description, German locomotive A ''Kleinlokomotive'' or ''Kleinlok'' (literally: "small locomotive"; plural: ''Kleinlokomotiven'' or ''Kleinloks'') is a German locomotive of small size and low power for light shunting duties at railway s ...
(small locomotive) was stationed for the extensive freight traffic and a shed was built for it. From 1913 to 1946, the line from Leipzig to Liebertwolkwitz was double track and directional operation (the operation of trains running in different directions on different tracks, in this case on the right) through the station continued until its reconstruction in 2003. Some peak-hour trains ended here and had to make elaborate moves because of the directional operation. The buildings consisted of an entrance building, a goods shed, two mechanical signal boxes of the ''Bruchsal I'' design (which controlled, in addition to numerous sets of points, three mechanical full-barrier systems at level crossings), a signal and telecommunication workshop and an official residence. At one time, a ''Bahnmeisterei'' (track maintenance supervisor’s office) was also based there. Freight trains for local delivery and pick-up (''Übergabezügen'') also operated from Liebertwolkwitz to the former sidings at Holzhausen (Sachs) station that were closed in 1971. With the political changes of 1989/90, the freight traffic drastically declined and the second track at the station was dismantled in two stages. The "Lt" and "Ls" signal boxes were dismantled in 2003 and 2004. Großpößna () Although the municipality of
Großpösna Großpösna (, , in contrast to " Little Pösna") is a municipality in the Leipzig district, in Saxony, Germany. It consists of Großpösna proper and the ''Ortschaften'' (localities) Dreiskau-Muckern, Güldengossa, Seifertshain and Störmthal.< ...
was already campaigning for a station during the construction of the railway, it was only opened on 8 October 1933. Previously, the railway had always directed the locals to Liebertwolkwitz station or later Oberholz. The facilities consist merely of a platform on the ground, which had been prepared for the construction of two tracks, (this was demolished in the 1920s) and a massive waiting room. The railway crossing, which was located directly at the station, has now been replaced by a road underpass slightly further north. Belgershain () ''Belgershain station'' was originally opened as a halt, but was reclassified as a station on 1 May 1905. Since numerous surrounding localities used the station, the station had to be expanded by 1900. A loading road, a freight shed and a side ramp were available for freight transport. The two-storey entrance building housed baggage handling and the ticket office as well as the main signal box "Bn". Guard signal box "Bw" and a railway residence were also built. In the 1930s, the town, which had only about 700 inhabitants, was served by long-distance services with several express trains passing through the station, which had three mainline tracks. The third mainline track was dismantled after the end of the war. Even today, Belgershain still functions as a station where trains pass, although, in the course of work on the line in the 1990s, all remaining tracks were removed except for the two main tracks. The island platform on the main tracks was demolished with the 2003–2004 upgrade, thus only every second of the hourly trains could stop at Belgershain station. This unsatisfactory situation was only resolved in 2009 by the construction of a second external platform and a pedestrian bridge. Bad Lausick () At the start of operations, ''Lausigk station'' was the most important intermediate station on the railway line after Liebertwolkwitz. Initially equipped with five tracks, the station was soon expanded to cope with the increasing traffic. Lausigk developed into a health resort, as a result of its railway connection, among other things, although, until the end of the First World War, the express trains running along the line did not stop there. As early as the beginning of the 1920s, it was planned to rebuild the station for the Borna–Großbothen railway. The line was not opened until 1937, but it was dismantled for reparations in 1947. In the 2000s, the still remaining railway tracks were radically rebuilt, leaving only two tracks, but Bad Lausick still serves as a crossing station. Hopfgarten (Sachs) () The station has had four different names during its operating period: * originally: ''Hopfgarten'' * until 30 June 1911: ''Hopfgarten i Sachsen'' * until 21 December 1933: ''Hopfgarten (Sa)'' * since 22 December 1933: ''Hopfgarten (Sachs)'' At first Hopfgarten was only a halt, but on 1 May 1905 it was reclassified as a station. Apart from a loading track, there were almost no other facilities at the time. Hopfgarten station was expanded when a crossing loop between Bad Lausick and Geithain became necessary in about 1915 because of increased traffic. After the upgrade, Hopfgarten had three tracks with nine sets of points, an entrance building, a signal box and a freight shed. In addition there was a loading road and a loading ramp. Hopfgarten was reclassified as a halt on 1 June 1987 and all the tracks were dismantled except the main track. The station was already practically unused for freight. Because of the need to control the sequence of trains to make the timetable work effectively, a
block post A block post in railway signalling is the signal box at one end of a block section. German practice In Germany, block posts are known as ''Blockstellen'' (abbreviation: ''Bk'') and are defined as railway facilities on the open line that mark the ...
(''Blockstelle'') was established in Hopfgarten in about 2010. Tautenhain () Like Hopfgarten, Tautenhain was originally only a halt. Tautenhain was reclassified as a station on 1 May 1905, but was again reduced to a halt on 1 September 1933. The only track at the halt is now the main railway line. The entrance building and the goods shed still exist. Geithain () Originally only a transit station on the Kieritzsch–Chemnitz line, ''Geithain station'' was completely rebuilt before the opening of the Leipzig–Geithain railway. In addition, a locomotive depot was built. Geithain also became of great importance in freight transport since large quantities of building materials from nearby brickworks and quarries have been loaded at the station since the end of the 19th century. The present appearance was given to the station from 2002 onwards, as large parts of the station were reconstructed with the upgrade of the Leipzig–Chemnitz line. The electronic control centre at Geithain, which was built by Thales, has controlled the whole line from Mölkau since December 2004 and also the
Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz railway The Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz railway is a line in the German state of Saxony. It branches in Neukieritzsch station, Neukieritzsch from the Leipzig–Hof railway and runs via Borna, Leipzig, Borna and Geithain to Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof, Chemnitz Ma ...
between Frohburg and Wittgensdorf Mitte and the
Borsdorf–Coswig railway The Borsdorf–Coswig railway is a mainline railway in the German state of Saxony, originally built and operated by the Leipzig-Dresden Railway Company. It runs mostly along the Freiberger Mulde from Borsdorf via Döbeln and Meißen to Coswig, Sax ...
between Naunhof and Leisnig, which is part of the central Saxony regional network (''Regionalnetz Mittelsachsen'').


References


Footnotes


Sources

* * *
Train Station Geithain

Schlüsseldienst Leipzig
(in German) {{DEFAULTSORT:Leipzig-Geithain railway Railway lines in Saxony Railway lines opened in 1887 1887 establishments in Germany