The Nuremberg–Würzburg Railway is a
German trunk line railway in northern
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, connecting the city of
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
with
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg is ...
, the two largest cities in
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
, and passing through
Fürth
Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...
,
Neustadt an der Aisch
Neustadt an der Aisch (officially: ''Neustadt a.d.Aisch'') is a small town of around 13,000 inhabitants in the northern part of Bavaria (Germany), within the Franconian administrative region Middle Franconia.
"Neustadt an der Aisch" (mapping), ...
and
Kitzingen
Kitzingen () is a town in the Germany, German state of Bavaria, capital of the Kitzingen (district), district Kitzingen. It is part of the Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants. Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County i ...
. In addition to hourly
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 average speed at about 70–90 km/h (top speed often 160 km/h) as it calls at f ...
trains and numerous freight trains, it is served by
Intercity-Express
The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
trains during the day at half-hourly intervals with some gaps.
Route description
![Siebenbogenbrücke mit ICE 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Siebenbogenbr%C3%BCcke_mit_ICE_1.jpg)
On its total length of just over 100 kilometres, the railway line has a total of 18 stations. The two endpoints of the line,
Nuremberg Hbf and
Würzburg Hbf, are served by fast long-distance services.
The line runs through more than 80 curves in a landscape of low ranges.
History
The 86 km stretch from Fürth to
Rottendorf near Würzburg was built in as a shortcut between the
Ludwig South-North Railway The Ludwig South-North railway (''Ludwig-Süd-Nord-Bahn''), built between 1843 and 1854, was the first railway line to be constructed by Royal Bavarian State Railways. It was named after the king, Ludwig I, whose infrastructure priorities had ear ...
in Nuremberg and
Ludwig's Western Railway
The Ludwig Western Railway () is a German railway line that was originally funded by the Kingdom of Bavaria. It runs from Bamberg via Würzburg to Aschaffenburg and on into the former " Kurhessian" Hanau.
History
In the 1840s it was already cle ...
line in Wurzburg. This shortened the 155 km-long indirect route via
Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
and
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban agg ...
. The state railway initially had little interest in the connection, so initially private Committees considered plans for such a route. At first, in 1857, a proposal via Siegelsdorf, Windsheim, Marktbreit and Ochsenfurt had been favoured, which led to an alternative route being put forward from the Neustadt and Kitzingen area, which ultimately prevailed.
Initially, short sections were built as sections of other rail lines:
* 1 July 1854: Rottendorf–Würzburg, 8.0 km long, as part of the Ludwig Western Railway
* 1 October 1862: Nürnberg–Fürth, 7.7 km long, with the partial relocation of the Ludwig South-North Railway on this section
* 1 July 1864: the entrance to the new Würzburg station with the closing of the old Ludwig station.
![Lokschuppen2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Lokschuppen2.jpg)
Construction began in 1861 and was completed in 1864. Only the viaduct in Emskirchen was not finished due to the difficult ground conditions. The Nuremberg–Würzburg railway was finally completed with opening of the 86.6 kilometre-long Fürth–Rottendorf section on 19 June 1865. At the same time the eight km-long section between Rottendorf and Würzburg was duplicated. In the summer of 1985 a third track was added to this section.
On 1 July 1886, a heavy head-on collision of two trains took place between Würzburg and Rottendorf, causing the death of 16 people.
On 8 December 1889, the Bavarian State Parliament approved the doubling of the single-track line between Fürth and Rottendorf, which was completed by 1891.
On 10 June 1928 at 02:30, the locomotive of the night train D 47, a
class S3/6, derailed while crossing the Zenngrund bridge shortly before the entry to Siegelsdorf station. The locomotive crashed down the embankment and the carriages followed it. This killed 24 people.
The Aurach viaduct in Emskirchen was renovated 1939, with the previous “fish-bellied” bridge (having lens-shaped iron trusses, similar to the
Royal Albert Bridge
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge which spans the River Tamar in England between Plymouth, Devon and Saltash, Cornwall. Its unique design consists of two lenticular iron trusses above the water, with conventional plate-girder app ...
) replaced by a steel box construction.
In the Nazi period, the first preliminary work began to connect the line from
Mainbernheim
Mainbernheim is a municipality in Bavaria, Germany,4 kilometers to the south of Kitzingen (''Landkreis'', district of Kitzingen) in the direction of Nürnberg. It was first recorded in the chronicles of 889, during the reign of King Arnulf, the ...
via a
wye with the
Würzburg–Treuchtlingen railway (near
Marktbreit
Marktbreit am Main () is a town in the district of Kitzingen in the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated at the most southern point of the Main river. Marktbreit is the birthplace of Alois Alzheimer who first identi ...
). Because of the Second World War, this project, which had already been considered in 1868 by the Royal Bavarian War Ministry, remained unfinished.
Despite being bombed in February 1945, the bridge over the Main in Kitzingen was passable, but Wehrmacht soldiers blew it up along with the neighbouring bridge on the
Kitzingen–Schweinfurt railway. Some wagons of a coal train that had broken loose fell into the Main. The northern abutment of the Aurach Bridge in Emskirchen was also blown up. The line was probably back in traffic from 15 October 1945.
The electrification of the line began on 8 August 1952 with the installation of the first catenary mast in Neustadt (Aisch) station and it was formally opened on 2 October 1954 with a special train.
A pilot installation of train radio, which had been approved in 1959, was introduced in 1962; this culminated in the nationwide introduction of the ''ZBF 70'' system in 1974.
In the 1960s, a number of level crossings were abolished or replaced by bridges and underpasses.
Between 1965 and 1968, the previous push-button interlockings were replaced by
automatic block signaling
Automatic block signaling (ABS), spelled automatic block signalling or called track circuit block (TCB ) in the UK, is a railroad communications system that consists of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of sections, ...
. As a result, the hand-operated block and junction signal boxes at Kohlenhof, Rothenburger Straße and Neusünderbühl on the Nuremberg–Fürth section were replaced. Subsequently, the branches were remotely controlled from Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof. The investment of
DM 900,000 produced a return of 40 percent with the saving three old signal boxes and 15 signalmen.
The stations of Sickershausen, Mainbernheim, Markt Einersheim and Hellmitzheim were closed for passenger operations in 1982 and Langenfeld station was closed in 1992.
As one of the oldest railway lines in Germany, the line was declared overloaded in 2008.
A new station was opened between Emskirchen and Neustadt (Aisch) as ''Neustadt (Aisch) Mitte'' ("central") station on 10 December 2012. It complements Neustadt (Aisch) station, which is poorly on the town's western outskirts.
Development
The line is double track throughout. The section between Nürnberg and Fürth was electrified on 15 May 1939 and Fürth to Wurzburg was electrified on 3 October 1954. The 19th century line had a
minimum railway curve radius
The minimum railway curve radius is the shortest allowable design radius for the centerline of railway tracks under a particular set of conditions. It has an important bearing on construction costs and operating costs and, in combination with ...
of 2,000
Bavarian feet (about 600 m) causing numerous speed limits of 100 km/h.
Thus, today (as of 2015) the stations of Neustadt (Aisch) Rottendorf (Einfahrkurve) and Kitzingen can only be passed at 100 km/h.
The first Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (''Bundesverkehrswegeplan'', 1973) identified the line from Würzburg to Nuremberg and continuing to
Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
as one of eight railway development projects.
The same route was included in its update, "the coordinated investment program for federal transport" in 1977 as one of six development projects. The upgrade package consisted of 115 individual measures.
The aim of the project was, above all, in the capacity expansion.
Further development was foreseen as part of the ''ABS/NBS Würzburg–Nürnberg–München'', which was included as one of 13 new projects that were identified as urgent needs in the 1985 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. The Nuremberg–Würzburg line was designated as project ''ABS 8/2''.
Planning for line improvements was underway by 1990.
Different parts of the line were upgraded from 1992. The line was upgraded for operations with active
tilting technology
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train (or other vehicle) rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide abo ...
in 2007. The
ICE T
DBAG Class 411 and Class 415 are German tilting electric multiple-unit high-speed trains in service with DB Fernverkehr, commonly known as ICE T.
Development
Following the successful inauguration of the Intercity-Express system in 199 ...
, which has operated on the line since December 2007, was thus able to operate on sections faster than trains without tilting technology, before
problems with their axles put an end to high-speed operations in 2008.
1976–1987 upgrade
115 individual measures were planned in the first stage of the upgrade, as part of the ''ABS 8'' project. In addition to the upgrade of the Würzburg–Rottendorf section to three-tracks, eleven new platform accesses that avoided crossing railway tracks, continuous
bi-directional signalling, shorter
signalling blocks and adjustments and upgrades to the traction power supply were provided.
Step-free platform access was created at the stations of Dettelbach, Kitzingen, Iphofen, Markt Bibart and Emskirchen.
The third track between Würzburg and Rottendorf went into operation in July 1985. It is considered a continuation of the new line between Hannover and Würzburg.
The section between Würzburg and Rottendorf was congested in the early 1980s. Although the line between Würzburg and Rottendorf had a nominal capacity of 240 trains per day (both ways), 290 passenger and freight trains operated on it on weekdays. During peak hours many freight trains had to be diverted or kept in sidings. In order for the line to deal with the expected increase in traffic as a result of the planned
Hanover–Würzburg high-speed line, plans were developed in 1976 for a third track on the 8 km-long section. On 13 July 1979, the Federal Minister of Transport granted a permit to upgrade the track in accordance with the Federal Railway Act. The planning approval process that had been initiated at the beginning of 1979 was completed on 15 May 1980 with approval for the plan.
After a lawsuit was settled out of court, the plan approval became legally binding on 11 May 1981.
Construction began in 1980. The planned investment in 1984 was around DM 145 million (about €74 million, as of 1984).
[ (14-sided Leporello list)] The third track is operated as a single track line. The idea of building it in a balanced middle position between the two existing tracks had been rejected.
Around DM 184 million was invested in the entire package of measures. The project was completed at the end of the 1980s with the exception of some finishing details. The cost of the third track was estimated at DM 71 million in 1989; DM 66 million of this was funded by the federal government.
1987–1999 upgrade
A number of measures were envisaged within the scope of the further upgrades envisaged in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan of 1985: in addition to the provision of alignment improvements and the shortening of blocks, short overtaking loops, level crossings and slow points (especially in Würzburg Hauptbahnhof) were to be eliminated. New and extended substations were planned as well as reinforced power supply. The
Linienzugbeeinflussung
Linienzugbeeinflussung (or LZB) is a cab signalling and train protection system used on selected German and Austrian railway lines as well as on the AVE and some commuter rail lines in Spain. The system was mandatory where trains were allowed t ...
cab signalling and train protection system would be installed and a freight detour route (
Würzburg–Ansbach–
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
) would be developed. The cost of the project was estimated to be DM 272 million at 1985 prices.
The ''ABS 8/2'' upgrade project was divided into three sections:
*On the 40.9 km-long section between Nuremberg and Neustadt (Aisch), worthwhile investments would raise the permissible speed by up to 30 km/h to 160 km/h. Exit speeds in Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof would be raised from 30–40 to 80 km/h by the installation of more gradual turnouts.
*The core of the project was the upgrading of the 28.8 km-long section between Neustadt (Aisch) and Iphofen. With 14 line improvements, a continuous top speed of 200 km/h would be achieved. Movements of 20 to 65 m were required at six curves and movements of at most 4 m were required at the remaining curves. In Neustadt (Aisch) station, the passing track would be extended to an effective length of 750 m. Four level crossings would be eliminated.
*On the 32.5 km-long and especially curvy section between Iphofen and Würzburg greater speed increases were not possible. On five sections, speed increases of 10 km/h to 140 km/h were intended. In Kitzingen station, the effective length of the passing track would be extended to around 750 m.
*In Würzburg Hauptbahnhof, exit speeds for long-distance trains to Nuremberg would be increased from 40 to 60 km/h and parallel entry options from Nuremberg and Bamberg would be created.
The preliminary plans for the project was submitted to the Bundesbahn headquarters on 31 May 1987 and planning approval was granted on 18 November 1988. Completion was scheduled for 1996.
Work on the line began with a formal groundbreaking ceremony on 3 April 1992 and was scheduled to be completed by 1997.
Upgrade works in Würzburg Hauptbahnhof had begun as early as 1989.
As a result of line improvements, the speed in the section between Neustadt (Aisch) and Iphofen was raised by 40 to 60 km/h to 200 km/h by May 1999; this also required the installation of the ''Linienzugbeeinflussung'' system. At the same time measures were taken to increase the entry and exit speeds at Würzburg Hauptbahnhof. The improvements allowed a travel time reduction for long-distance traffic of about seven minutes.
Away from the high-speed section, smaller increases in speed were realised, for example, by raising the
cant
Cant, CANT, canting, or canted may refer to:
Language
* Cant (language), a secret language
* Beurla Reagaird, a language of the Scottish Highland Travellers
* Scottish Cant, a language of the Scottish Lowland Travellers
* Shelta or the Cant, a lan ...
up to 160 mm, minor changes to
transition curves and shifts of tracks of up to 60 cm. In the area of Elgersdorf (line-kilometres 19.6 to 20.5) the line was moved by up to 25 m. The maximum speed on the section was raised to 140 km/h.
As part of the upgrade,
Markt Bibart station was equipped with two external platforms and a
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
and a turnback track were built for commuter trains. With the widening of a curve (km 47, previous radius: 1095 m), the maximum speed was raised from 140 to 200 km/h.
The existing central passing loop was removed during reconstruction in 1992/1993. An overtaking facility to be provided as a replacement (with two overtaking tracks) near Oberlaimbach has not been realised (as of 2015).
A passing loop with an effective length of 750 m was built between the main tracks at
Markt Einersheim
Markt Einersheim is a market town and municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria, Germany. On April 5, 1945, at the end of World War II, the town was bombed by United States Army Air Forces P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunder ...
.
Plans to install the ''Linienzugbeeinflussung'' system on the high-speed section to increase capacity have not been implemented. An extension of the high-speed section would have made the ''Linienzugbeeinflussung'' system here unusable. The investment in the high-speed section was about DM 160 million (about €80 million, 1999 prices), with a travel time reduction of about three minutes. About DM 75 million (about €38 million) was invested in the other measures, with a travel time reduction of about one and a half minutes.
Due to a lack of funding, plans for further upgrading of the line estimated to cost €140 million were abandoned at the end of 2004.
New Aurach viaduct
The Aurach viaduct in Emskirchen was rebuilt from May 2014 to November 2016.
This 527.5 m-long and 40 m-high bridge made of reinforced concrete replaced the old bridge and lies about 90 m north of it. The route was changed over a length of 1.75 km.
The solution had been identified in an EU-wide planning competition.
An improvement in the alignment allowed speeds over the new bridge to be raised from 110 to 140 km/h for conventional trains and from 140 to 160 km/h for
tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train (or other vehicle) rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide abo ...
s.
Planned new alignment
The list of "urgent needs" identified in the Federal Transport Plan of 1992 included a new line between Iphofen and Rottendorf as part of proposed upgrades on the Hanau–Nantenbach/Würzburg–Iphofen route, which were estimated to cost DM 1.495 billion.
The 24 kilometre-long new line would run off the existing line west of Rottendorf station and initially pass under a ridge through the 3.5 km-long Galgenberg Tunnel, pass over an overtaking loop at
Biebelried
Biebelried is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, an ...
and cross the Main on a nearly 800 m-long bridge south of Kitzingen. Near
Markt Einersheim
Markt Einersheim is a market town and municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria, Germany. On April 5, 1945, at the end of World War II, the town was bombed by United States Army Air Forces P-47 Thunderbolt
The Republic P-47 Thunder ...
the new line would connect with the section towards Neustadt (Aisch) / Nuremberg, which is designed for 200 km/h operations.
The route, which was originally designed for 300 km/h
and later for 250 km/h operations, would shorten the travel times between Iphofen and Würzburg by a third, from around 20 minutes to 13 minutes, as several tight bends, especially between Kitzingen and Würzburg and near Iphofen, do not currently allow high speeds. The estimated cost was DM 840 million.
The existing line between Rottendorf and Iphofen would have only been used for Regional-Express service after the planned commissioning of the new line in 2003. The new line would have been used by 109 long-distance passenger and freight trains each day and each way.
The affected communities opposed the building of the planned new line during consultations around 2001. The main argument put forward was that it crossed the drinking water protection area of the
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
water supply. Also, the estimated cost of DM 850 million and the ecological sensitivity of the areas crossed by the proposed line were emphasised.
Due to a decline in traffic, preliminary work the project around 2000 was not pursued.
Extra tracks between Nuremberg and Fürth
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 10 August 2006 for the building of two extra tracks between Nuremberg and Fürth to provide four tracks. This is a €162 million project related to the
Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed line project and the extension of the
Nuremberg S-Bahn
The Nuremberg S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn Nürnberg) is an S-Bahn network covering the region of Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen which started operations in 1987 and is now integrated into the Greater Nuremberg Transport Association (Verkehrsverbund Gr ...
to Forchheim.
While the bulk of passenger traffic will continue to be carried on two tracks, a new track is necessary for freight traffic in order to create capacity for the S-Bahn.
A third track has been available between Nuremberg and Fürth for the S-Bahn since 18 December 2010. All four tracks have been in use since 21 November 2011
S-Bahn
In the course of the second stage of the
Nuremberg S-Bahn
The Nuremberg S-Bahn (german: S-Bahn Nürnberg) is an S-Bahn network covering the region of Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen which started operations in 1987 and is now integrated into the Greater Nuremberg Transport Association (Verkehrsverbund Gr ...
(planning status: 1981), it was planned to establish S-Bahn operations on the section between Fürth and Siegelsdorf, which would be upgraded.
[ (12-sided Leporello list)] In addition, planning investigations were carried out in 1987.
[ (29 page brochure with situation of September 1987)] These plans have not been implemented so far (as of 2013). An upgrade to three tracks between Siegelsdorf and Fürth is planned in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan for 2030.
Electronic interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively re ...
s were opened in Siegeldorf and Emskirchen 2014, so that only the Neustadt–Altmanshausen section is not controlled by such interlockings.
Services
Long-distance
In long-distance traffic, the
Intercity-Express
The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...
line 25 (
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
–
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
) operates every two hours and line 41 (Munich–
Ruhr
The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
district) every hour. In addition, services from Frankfurt to Vienna were greatly expanded in December 2007, with
ICE-T services running every two hours from Frankfurt (some continuing from
Dortmund
Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
) to Vienna and vice versa. The
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
train pair, ''Rottaler Land'', running from Hamburg to Passau and Mühldorf, unlike the other long-distance trains, also stopped in Neustadt (Aisch) on Saturdays until December 2014. Different ICE classes are used for the three ICE services; Intercity services are mostly operated as
push–pull train
Push–pull is a configuration for locomotive-hauled trains, allowing them to be driven from either end of the train, whether having a locomotive at each end or not.
A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via ...
s hauled by
Class 101 and
Class 120 locomotives.
Regional and local transport
The former ''Franken-Express''
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 average speed at about 70–90 km/h (top speed often 160 km/h) as it calls at f ...
service ran hourly between Nuremberg and Würzburg. Until December 2006, the trains operated to/from Frankfurt (Main). The direct connections introduced for the summer timetable 2001 were split into two lines with the same interchange connections in Würzburg.
DB-Regio has operated
Alstom Coradia
The Alstom Coradia is a family of diesel multiple unit, diesel and electric multiple units for Inter-city rail, intercity and Regional rail, regional service manufactured by Alstom, with variants operating in Europe, North America, and Africa. ...
Continental (class 440) sets under the brand name ''Mainfrankenbahn'', which has existed since the timetable change 2010, as
Regionalexpress
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 average speed at about 70–90 km/h (top speed often 160 km/h) as it calls at ...
services (between
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
and
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg is ...
) and as
Regionalbahn services (between Nuremberg and Neustadt (Aisch)). These sets are based in Würzburg.
Services are denser in the vicinity of Nuremberg.
LINT sets run between Nuremberg and Siegelsdorf, continuing over the
Zenn Valley Railway
The Zenn Valley Railway (german: Zenngrundbahn) is a branch line in the German free state of Bavaria that branches at Siegelsdorf (Veitsbronn), Siegelsdorf off the Nuremberg–Würzburg railway and runs to Markt Erlbach. It is single-tracked, with ...
to
Markt Erlbach
Markt Erlbach is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim in Bavaria in Germany.
Mayor
Birgit Kreß was elected in 2008 as the new mayor.
References
Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim
{{ ...
.
A total of eight pairs of Regionalbahn services operate from Monday to Friday during peak hours between Kitzingen and Würzburg. These are operated with
class 425 sets. Because both Regional-Express and Regionalbahn services stop at all stations in this corridor, there are services at 30-minute intervals at times.
With the
Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft
Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft (BEG; German for ''Bavarian Railways Company'') is the passenger transport company for regional railways in Bavaria. Founded in 1995, it is organised as a GmbH wholly owned by the Bavarian Government. The company ...
mbH (Bavarian Railway Company, BEG) putting operations on this line to tender, there has been some increase of services in the off-peak (especially in the evening and at the weekend).
The number of passengers on regional services on the line increased by 220 percent between 2003 and 2012 according to the Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft.
Tenders for public transport services
The ''Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft'', which is responsible for procuring regional passenger services has awarded contracts for all Regional-Express and Regionalbahn services on the Nuremberg–Würzburg railway following the calling of tenders.
First, the operation of the so-called ''Nürnberger Dieselnetzes'' (Nuremberg diesel network)—which also includes the Regionalbahn service from Nuremberg to Neustadt (Aisch)—was advertised on 2 March 2005 and awarded to
DB Regio
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. DB Regio AG, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and there part of the DB Regio bus ...
AG on 21 October 2005. With a view to increasing the attractiveness of the service,
LINT 41
The Alstom Coradia LINT is an articulated railcar manufactured by Alstom since 1999, offered in diesel and hydrogen fuel models.
The acronym ''LINT'' is short for the German ''"leichter innovativer Nahverkehrstriebwagen"'' (light innovative local ...
diesel railcars were procured from
Alstom Transport Deutschland
Alstom Transport Deutschland, formerly Linke-Hofmann-Busch, is a German manufacturing company originally established in Wrocław, Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) to produce locomotives and rolling stock. Its origins lay in the wheelwright business ...
, and regional trains were to be extended via Neustadt (Aisch) to
Steinach (bei Rothenburg) and
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber () is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. It is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the w ...
. In addition, it was planned to uncouple
portions of the trains in Siegelsdorf station and to let a portion run on the Zenn Valley Railway to Markt Erlbach. However, the portion working concept was rejected and instead additional Alstom Coradia Continental services were commissioned. The integration of the services was not possible because not enough diesel vehicles were available. The contract began in December 2008 and has a term of ten years.
The Nuremberg–Würzburg Regional-Express service was tendered by the Bayerischen Eisenbahngesellschaft as part of the ''E-Netzes Würzburg'' (Würzburg electric network) on 7 June 2006. A DB Regio subsidiary won the tender and started operations in December 2009 with new electric railcars. The new contract includes an increase of 132,000 train-kilometres per year, so that a continuous hourly service would be offered until 11 pm. Under the E-Netz Würzburg contract, the new services on the Nuremberg–Würzburg line started in December 2009 and services on the remaining routes started in December 2010 and will all end in December 2021.
Fare zones
When the ''Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg'' (Greater Nuremberg Transport Association, VGN) was established on 27 September 1987, the line between Nuremberg and Neustadt an der Aisch was in its tariff area, it was extended to Markt Bibart on 31 May 1992, to Iphofen on 10 December 2006, to Kitzingen on 9 December 2007 and lastly to Dettelbach Bahnhof on 1 September 2016. Between Iphofen and Dettelbach the line lay in the tariff area of ''Kitzinger Nahverkehrs-Gemeinschaft'' (Kitzing local transport association, KiNG), until the district of Kitzingen joined the ''Verkehrsunternehmens-Verbund Mainfranken'' (Main-Franconia transport association, VVM) on 1 February 2009 after years of coordination problems.
Until the beginning of the year, VVM fares was valid from Rottendorf station. The Dettelbach Bahnhof–Markt Bibart section is now located in the areas of both the VGN and the VVM.
References
Footnotes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nuremberg-Wurzburg railway
Railway lines in Bavaria
Rail transport in Nuremberg
Buildings and structures in Fürth
Buildings and structures in Fürth (district)
Buildings and structures in Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim
Buildings and structures in Kitzingen (district)
Buildings and structures in Würzburg (district)
Buildings and structures in Würzburg
1854 establishments in Bavaria
Railway lines opened in 1854