Schifferstadt–Wörth Railway
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The Schifferstadt–Wörth railway or Speyer line is a uniformly double track and electrified main line in the
German state The Federal Republic of Germany is a federation and consists of sixteen partly sovereign ''states''. Of the sixteen states, thirteen are so-called area-states ('Flächenländer'); in these, below the level of the state government, there is a ...
of
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
. Between
Schifferstadt Schifferstadt (; , ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), Schifferstadt is t ...
and
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
it is part of the network of the
Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn The Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn ''(S-Bahn RheinNeckar)'' forms the backbone of the urban rail transport network of the Rhine Neckar Area, including the cities of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen. The S-Bahn operates over of route in the states of ...
. Between Germersheim and
Wörth am Rhein Wörth am Rhein (, ) is a town in the southernmost part of the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is on the left bank of the Rhine approximately 10 km west of the city centre of Karlsruhe and is just north of the G ...
it is part of the network of the
Stadtbahn Karlsruhe The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connections to neighbo ...
. The first section between Schifferstadt and
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
was opened on 11 June 1847 and it was extended to Germersheim in 1864. The opening of the last section to Wörth am Rhein was opened in 1876. From 1906 to 1914, it was served by long-distance services, which ended after the First World War and the subsequent reincorporation of Alsace-Lorraine into France. Electrification was begun in 2006 and completed in 2010.


History


Beginnings and emergence of the Schifferstadt–Germersheim section

Originally the administration of the
Circle of the Rhine The Circle of the Rhine or Rhine Circle (), sometimes the Bavarian ( or ), was the name given to the territory on the west bank of the Rhine from 1816 to 1837 which was one of 15 (later 8) administrative districts of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Befo ...
(''Rheinkreis''), which was part of
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
, planned that its first railway line would be first in the north–south direction. Instead, the
Palatine Ludwig Railway A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
(''Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn'') was built between 1847 and 1849 from Rheinschanze (
Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...
from 1853) to
Bexbach Bexbach () is a town in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Blies, approximatively 6 km east of Neunkirchen, and 25 km northeast of Saarbrücken. The Saarländisches Bergbaumuseum (Saarland Minin ...
; this mainly served the transport of coal. A route via
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
, which was then the capital of the Circle of the Rhine (similar to the modern concept of the Palatinate), was considered instead of a route via Rheinschanz island, on which the city of
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
had built a fortification on the opposite bank of the Rhine. This alternative was dropped, since the main traffic flowed towards Mannheim at that time. In 1838, however, it was determined that Speyer should be linked to the main line via a branch line. The Palatine Ludwig Railway Company (''Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn-Gesellschaft'') opened a branch line from
Schifferstadt Schifferstadt (; , ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), Schifferstadt is t ...
to
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
with the commissioning of the Rheinschanze– Neustadt section of the Ludwig Railway on 11 June 1847. Plans for a north–south connection were subsequently developed. There were two options for discussion: one would run from Neustadt via
Landau Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...
to
Wissembourg Wissembourg (; South Franconian: ''Weisseburch'' ; German: ''Weißenburg'' ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Wissembourg was a sub-prefecture of the department until 2015. The name ''Wissembourg'' ...
in
Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
and continue from there to
Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
. The other would have extended the branch to Speyer via
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
and
Lauterbourg Lauterbourg ( or ; ) (historically in English: Lauterburgh) is a commune and Bas-Rhin department in the Grand Est administrative region in north-eastern France. Situated on the German border and not far from the German city of Karlsruhe, it i ...
to Strasbourg. The first option prevailed, because France hesitated and because the former option passed through territory that was more densely settled than a route along the Rhine valley. The section to Germersheim was opened on 14 March 1864 at a cost of a total of one million gulden, after being delayed by difficulties on agreeing on a route past its fortress.


Closing the gap to Wörth and further development

In the same year, a committee met in
Rülzheim Rülzheim is a municipality in the Germersheim (district), district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km south-west of Germersheim. Rülzheim is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective ...
, which called for an extension of the line to Wörth. Apart from representatives from Rülzheim, it included representatives of Germersheim,
Bellheim Bellheim is a municipality in the district of Germersheim in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is situated west of the Rhine, approximately east of Landau and northwest of the city of Karlsruhe. It is home to the Bellheimer Brauerei ...
,
Rheinzabern Rheinzabern is a small town in the south-east of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany near the Rhine river. Currently, Rheinzabern, that belongs to the District of Germersheim has approx. 5000 inhabitants living on an area of 12,75 square kilometres. ...
, Wörth and Maxau. It was at first unclear whether the town of Germersheim should be bypassed to the west or east. The former option would have been longer and more expensive. The
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
delayed the implementation of the project. The municipality of
Kandel Kandel () is a town in the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France and approximately 18 km north-west of Karlsruhe, and 15 km south-east of Landau. Kandel is twinned wi ...
, which since 1864 had been served by the line from Winden to Karlsruhe campaigned for a route that passed through its territory. The administration of the
Palatinate Railway The Palatine Railways (), often abbreviated to Palatinate Railway (''Pfalzbahn'') was the name of the railway division and administration responsible for all private railway companies in the Bavarian Palatinate from 1844 to 1908. The railway d ...
(''Pfälzische Eisenbahnen''), to which the Ludwig Railway Company had belonged since 1870, rejected this proposal on 20 November 1871 since such a route would have required a detour which would have reduced traffic on the line. Kandel, however, did not give up immediately, and had its plan rewritten. Nevertheless, the chosen route went through Wörth. This was approved on 15 March 1874. The construction of the line went forward without any major problems and it was opened on 25 July 1876, along with its continuation via Lauterbourg to Strasbourg. Unlike the Schifferstadt–Germersheim section, the newly opened section of the track was owned and operated by the
Palatine Maximilian Railway A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
(''Pfälzische Maximiliansbahn-Gesellschaft''). The line from Schifferstadt to Lauterbourg had two tracks from 1906. The express trains from
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
to Strasbourg, which had previously run via Neustadt and the
Neustadt–Wissembourg railway The Neustadt–Wissembourg railway, also called the ''Pfälzische Maximiliansbahn'' ("Palatine Maximilian Railway"), ''Maximiliansbahn'' or just the ''Maxbahn'' - is a railway line in southwestern Germany that runs from Neustadt an der Weinstras ...
, now ran via Speyer and Germersheim as this route was shorter and the new track provided sufficient capacity. The line, along with the other railways within the Palatinate, was absorbed into the
Royal Bavarian State Railways The Royal Bavarian State Railways (''Königliche Bayerische Staats-Eisenbahnen'' or ''K.Bay.Sts.B.'') was the state railway company for the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded in 1844. The organisation grew into the second largest of the German ...
(''Königlich Bayerische Staatseisenbahnen'') on 1 January 1909.


Development after the First World War

After the First World War, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France and the long-distance services to it also ended, since the newly founded
Deutsche Reichsbahn The ''Deutsche Reichsbahn'' (), also known as the German National Railway, the German State Railway, German Reich Railway, and the German Imperial Railway, was the Weimar Republic, German national Rail transport, railway system created after th ...
wanted trains to run as far as possible within Germany. Instead, the long-distance services ran over the
Rhine Valley Railway The Rhine ( ) is one of the major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Swiss-Austrian border. From Lake Const ...
. The Reichsbahn allocated the line to the newly created ''Reichsbahndirektion'' ( railway division) of Ludwigshafen in 1922. In 1936 the route line was reallocated during the dissolution of the latter – with the exception of Wörth station – to the railway division of Mainz.
Deutsche Bundesbahn Deutsche Bundesbahn (, ) or DB () was formed as the state railway of the newly established West Germany (FRG) on 7 September 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG). The DB remained the state railway of West Germany u ...
(DB), which was responsible for railway operations from 1949, assigned the line to the railway division of Mainz, which was responsible for all railway lines within the newly created state of Rhineland-Palatinate. In the course of the staged dissolution of the railway division of Mainz from 1 August 1971, its counterpart in Karlsruhe took responsibility for the station. Up to 1980, an express train ran from Strasbourg to Ludwigshafen, which served the French military in particular. The line to Germersheim was electrified and the stations and halts were modernised with the establishment of S-Bahn operations between Schifferstadt and Germersheim.
Karlsruhe Stadtbahn The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining Karlsruhe trams, tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connec ...
services have operated between Germersheim and Wörth, continuing to/from
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
, since December 2010. Between Germersheim and Wörth, the platforms of the stations that already existed before 2010 differ from the other
Stadtbahn (; German for 'city railway'; plural ) is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that co ...
platforms in the area of the ''Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund'' (Karlsruhe transport association, KVV) in having a length of 160 m to allow the commuter trains to and from
BASF BASF SE (), an initialism of its original name , is a European Multinational corporation, multinational company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters are located in Ludwigshafen, Ge ...
to stop there. The usual platform length for a triple set is 120 m. Both tracks, including all points, were completely replaced over the whole Germersheim–Wörth section during the summer holidays of 2007. Because of finds of unexploded bombs from the Second World War in the track bed in the area of
Jockgrim Jockgrim is a municipality in the Germersheim (district), district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approximately 15 km north-west of Karlsruhe. Jockgrim is the seat of the ''Ver ...
the construction work was extended by a week. The line was also completely closed during the Easter break of 2010. At this time the platforms were partly renewed and the electrification started. Furthermore, the line was blockaded because of the construction from 5 July 2010 until 12 December 2010.


Route

The 50 km-long railway line begins in Schifferstadt, where it branches to the left from the
Palatine Ludwig Railway A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
. It runs directly to the southeast to the outskirts of Schifferstadt and continues through the woods between Schifferstadt and Speyer. A few hundred metres after a junction with part of the former Heidelberg–Speyer railway that is still used as an industrial railway, the line curves to the south. While still in the city of Speyer it curves again to the southwest and runs almost straight, passing the community of
Römerberg Römerberg is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approximately southwest of Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spire ...
to the west of its built-up area. Shortly before Lingenfeld it curves left and runs south between the built-up areas of Lingenfeld and Lingenfelder Altrhein. On this section of the line used to converge with the Germersheim–Landau railway, which came from the right and ran parallel with the Speyer line as far as Germersheim. In Germersheim the line takes an odd course: after its exit from the station it makes an S-shaped double curve and runs around the east of the town, instead of passing Germersheim to the west, which would have been possible at the time because the old town was far enough to the east. The
Bruhrain Railway The Bruhrain Railway () is a railway line running from Bruchsal to Germersheim in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Whilst it was part of a national trunk line (''Magistrale'') and handled long-distance traffic; to ...
branches off the line at Germersheim station and runs parallel to the left of the Speyer line about halfway around the town before turning east to cross the Rhine. The Speyer line makes another S-curve and leaves Germersheim behind. The line then runs to Sondernheim, where it curves to the west to
Bellheim Bellheim is a municipality in the district of Germersheim in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is situated west of the Rhine, approximately east of Landau and northwest of the city of Karlsruhe. It is home to the Bellheimer Brauerei ...
, where it turns back to the south and runs to
Rülzheim Rülzheim is a municipality in the Germersheim (district), district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km south-west of Germersheim. Rülzheim is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective ...
. In northwestern Rülzheim, it makes a lazy S-curve and then continues south, cutting through
Rheinzabern Rheinzabern is a small town in the south-east of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany near the Rhine river. Currently, Rheinzabern, that belongs to the District of Germersheim has approx. 5000 inhabitants living on an area of 12,75 square kilometres. ...
and
Jockgrim Jockgrim is a municipality in the Germersheim (district), district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approximately 15 km north-west of Karlsruhe. Jockgrim is the seat of the ''Ver ...
to connect with the
Palatine Maximilian Railway A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times.
and the
Bienwald Railway The Bienwald is a large forested area in the southern Palatinate (region), Pfalz region of Germany near the towns of Kandel and Wörth am Rhein. The western edge defines the eastern extent of the Wissembourg Gap, a corridor of open terrain be ...
in Wörth am Rhein.


Operating points


Schifferstadt

Schifferstadt station is the starting point of the Schifferstadt–Wörth railway. It is located on the north-western outskirts of
Schifferstadt Schifferstadt (; , ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), Schifferstadt is t ...
. It was opened at the same time as the branch from the RheinschanzeNeustadt section of the Ludwig Railway to
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
, making Schifferstadt the first railway junction in the Palatinate.


Schifferstadt Süd

The halt of Schifferstadt Süd (south) is located on the southern outskirts of Schifferstadt, near the school centre. It was built after the Second World War.


Speyer Nord-West

The halt of Speyer Nord-West (northwest) connects the suburbs of Speyer-Nord and Speyer-West to the rail network.


Speyer Hauptbahnhof

Speyerer Hauptbahnhof was the terminus of the branch line beginning in Schifferstadt from 1847 to 1864. Its entrance building was destroyed in the Second World War and a new one was built at the end of the 1950s. The former freight shed is still preserved and is located south of the station building. Although there are still freight operations, it is no longer used for railway operations and it is currently vacant.


Speyer Süd

The development programs for ''Rheinland-Pfalz-Taktes 2015'' (the Rhineland-Palatinate integrated regular interval timetable for 2015) and for the second stage of construction of the
Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn The Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn ''(S-Bahn RheinNeckar)'' forms the backbone of the urban rail transport network of the Rhine Neckar Area, including the cities of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen. The S-Bahn operates over of route in the states of ...
included the construction an additional halt in the south of the city of Speyer, called Speyer Süd. After ten years of delay, the city council of Speyer decided in August 2012 to build the halt at ''Dr.-von-Hörmann-Straße'' in the immediate vicinity of the Speyer-Südwest special area.


Berghausen (Pfalz)

The former station and current halt of Berghausen (Pfalz) is located on the western edge of Berghausen, a district of
Römerberg Römerberg is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approximately southwest of Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spire ...
. The former entrance building and the freight shed are no longer used for railway operations.


Heiligenstein (Pfalz)

The former station and the present halt of Heiligenstein (Pfalz) is located on the western edge of Heiligenstein, a district of Römerberg. The former entrance building and the freight shed are no longer used for railway operations.


Lingenfeld

The former Lingenfeld station has now been restored as a halt. For historical reasons – the village grew very quickly after the railway was opened – it is located at the extreme north-eastern edge of the village. Its former entrance building and the freight shed are no longer used for railway operations. The former Germersheim–Landau railway also ran through the centre of Lingenfeld but it never had a station in the village.


Germersheim

The railways formerly branched in both directions from Germersheim station, but the lines now only branch to the south. It is at the extreme northern end of the city and its track layout is partly in the municipality of Lingenfeld. The original entrance building, which is to the east of the railway tracks, is also under heritage protection. It was opened as a terminal station in 1864. With the commissioning of the Germersheim–Landau railway in 1872, trains had to reverse in the terminus to continue along the other line. This situation did not change until the Schifferstadt–Germersheim line was completed to Wörth to the south in 1876. A year later the
Bruhrain Railway The Bruhrain Railway () is a railway line running from Bruchsal to Germersheim in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Whilst it was part of a national trunk line (''Magistrale'') and handled long-distance traffic; to ...
from
Bruchsal Bruchsal (; South Franconian: ''Brusl'') is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Bruchsal is the lar ...
to Rheinsheim was extended to Germersheim. Thus, it became an important junction station for long-distance traffic in the east–west direction and from 1906 also in the north–south direction. When Alsace-Lorraine returned to France after the First World War, it lost importance for north–south traffic. It has been part of the
Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn The Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn ''(S-Bahn RheinNeckar)'' forms the backbone of the urban rail transport network of the Rhine Neckar Area, including the cities of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen. The S-Bahn operates over of route in the states of ...
since 2006 and integrated into the network of the
Karlsruhe Stadtbahn The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining Karlsruhe trams, tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connec ...
since 2010. In this context, its platforms have been adapted for the disabled.


Germersheim Mitte/Rhein

The halt of Germersheim Mitte/Rhein (middle/Rhine) is located in the east of Germersheim and serves to give closer access to the city centre. It is also served by the
Bruhrain Railway The Bruhrain Railway () is a railway line running from Bruchsal to Germersheim in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Whilst it was part of a national trunk line (''Magistrale'') and handled long-distance traffic; to ...
. It is served by services of the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn. It was opened at the end of 2010 during the integration of the Germersheim–Wörth line in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn and is – since the Bruhrain Railway is slightly elevated on an embankment – like
Ludwigshafen Hauptbahnhof Ludwigshafen (Rhein) Hauptbahnhof is a railway station at Ludwigshafen am Rhein in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. A combination of a wedge-shaped station and a two-level interchange, the station is at the junction on the lines from Main ...
in having diverging platforms on different levels.


Germersheim Süd/Nolte

The halt of Germersheim Süd/Nolte (south/Nolte) is in the southeast of Germersheim, which offers easy access to the main furniture factory of the Nolte Group in the south-east of Germersheim. It was opened at the end of 2010 during the integration of the Germersheim–Wörth line in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn.


Sondernheim

The halt of Sondernheim is centrally located in the Germersheim district of the same name. Its former entrance building is also a protected monument.


Bellheim Am Mühlbuckel

The halt of Bellheim Am Mühlbuckel is located in the northeast of
Bellheim Bellheim is a municipality in the district of Germersheim in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is situated west of the Rhine, approximately east of Landau and northwest of the city of Karlsruhe. It is home to the Bellheimer Brauerei ...
. It was opened at the end of 2010 during the integration of the Germersheim–Wörth line in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn.


Bellheim station

The former station and the current halt of Bellheim is located in the southeast of Bellheim. Its former entrance building is also a protected monument. Previously, it connecting line to a US oil terminal and one to the ''Büromöbelfabrik Kardex'' furniture factory. During its integration in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, its island platform was replaced by a side platforms.


Rülzheim (station and halt)

The municipality of
Rülzheim Rülzheim is a municipality in the Germersheim (district), district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km south-west of Germersheim. Rülzheim is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective ...
has a halt (Rülzheim Bahnhof) in the middle of an S-curve at the northern edge of the town. It is about 250 metres northeast of the former station. The entrance building of the former station is also a protected monument. It now serves as a restaurant. In addition, the former freight hall still exists.


Rülzheim Freizeitzentrum

The halt of Rülzheim Freizeitzentrum is located near the ''Moby Dick'' water park. It was opened at the end of 2010 during the integration of the Germersheim–Wörth line in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn.


Rheinzabern Bahnhof

The former station and the current halt of Rheinzabern is located in the north of
Rheinzabern Rheinzabern is a small town in the south-east of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany near the Rhine river. Currently, Rheinzabern, that belongs to the District of Germersheim has approx. 5000 inhabitants living on an area of 12,75 square kilometres. ...
.


Rheinzabern Rappengasse

The halt of Rheinzabern Rappengasse is located in the centre of Rheinzabern. It was opened at the end of 2010 during the integration of the Germersheim–Wörth line in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn.


Rheinzabern Alte Römerstraße

The halt of Rheinzabern Alte Römerstraße is located in the south of Rheinzabern. It was opened at the end of 2010 during the integration of the Germersheim–Wörth line in the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn.


Jockgrim

The former station and the current halt of Jockgrim is located in the centre of
Jockgrim Jockgrim is a municipality in the Germersheim (district), district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approximately 15 km north-west of Karlsruhe. Jockgrim is the seat of the ''Ver ...
. Its former entrance building is also a protected monument.


Wörth (Rhein) Zügelstraße

The halt of Wörth (Rhein) Zügelstraße is located in the north of the built-up area of
Wörth am Rhein Wörth am Rhein (, ) is a town in the southernmost part of the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is on the left bank of the Rhine approximately 10 km west of the city centre of Karlsruhe and is just north of the G ...
not far from the separation of the Schifferstadt–Wörth railway line from the line to Winden. It was opened at the regular 2011/2012 timetable change on 10 December 2011 and thus only one year after the commencement of Stadtbahn operations between Wörth und Germersheim.


Wörth (Rhein)

Wörth (Rhein) station is located to the southeast of the centre of Wörth. Originally, it was called ''Wörth i/Pfalz'' (in Palatinate). It was built in 1864 as a through station on the
Winden–Karlsruhe railway The Winden–Karlsruhe railway is a mainline railway in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, which in its present form has existed since 1938 and is electrified between Wörth (Rhein) station, Wörth and Karlsruhe Hau ...
. With the opening of the Schifferstadt–Germersheim line to Wörth in 1876, and its immediate continuation, the line to Strasbourg at the same time, it became a railway junction. The entrance building is a protected monument.


Operations


Passengers

Today the line is largely operated for passenger transport. In the 1950s,
railcar A railcar (not to be confused with the generic term railroad car or railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coa ...
s of class 33.2 based in Landau were used. In operation, the line is divided into the
Schifferstadt Schifferstadt (; , ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), Schifferstadt is t ...
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
and the Germersheim– Wörth sections: the
Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn The Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn ''(S-Bahn RheinNeckar)'' forms the backbone of the urban rail transport network of the Rhine Neckar Area, including the cities of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen. The S-Bahn operates over of route in the states of ...
operates lines S3 ( Karlsruhe HbfWörth (Rhein)
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
Schifferstadt Schifferstadt (; , ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), Schifferstadt is t ...
Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...
Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
Bruchsal Bruchsal (; South Franconian: ''Brusl'') is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Bruchsal is the lar ...
Karlsruhe Hbf) and S4 (Germersheim–Schifferstadt–Ludwigshafen–Mannheim–Heidelberg–Bruchsal), S3 runs a service approximately every thirty minutes and every hour during surgery hours (the S4 only runs in surgery hours, S3 runs hourly between Karlsruhe Hbf and Germersheim via Wörth). These are operated by class 425.2 electric multiple units. Light-rail sets of classes GT8-100C/2S and GT8-100D/2S-M operate at least hourly between Germersheim and Wörth as Stadtbahn lines S51 (Germersheim– Wörth (Rhein)Karlsruhe Albtalbf–Karlsruhe Europaplatz/Post Galerie (Karlstr.)) and S52 (Germersheim–Wörth (Rhein)–Karlsruhe Entenfang–Karlsruhe Marktplatz (Kaiserstraße)). Furthermore,
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 ...
line RE 4 runs every two hours over the Schifferstadt–Wörth railway from
Mainz Hauptbahnhof Mainz Hauptbahnhof ("Mainz main station", formerly known as ''Centralbahnhof Mainz''von Meyer, Arthur (1891). ''Geschichte und Geographie der deutschen Eisenbahnen von ihrer Entstehung bis auf die Gegenwart'', W. Baensch, p. 1131) is a railway st ...
or
Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof, also called Frankfurt Central Station and Frankfurt Main Station, is the busiest train station in the German state of Hesse. Due to its location near the middle of Germany and usage as a transport hub for long and ...
to
Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof is a railway station in the German city of Karlsruhe. The station is classified as a Category 1 station, as it is a major hub where several railways connect. History Old station When the Baden Mainline was built betwe ...
. This only serves the stations of
Schifferstadt Schifferstadt (; , ''Schiffaschdad'', or ''Schiwwerschdadt'') is a town in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. If not including Ludwigshafen (the district free city that is the capital of Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis), Schifferstadt is t ...
, Speyer Hbf and
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
. In Germersheim, the trains change to the
Bruhrain Railway The Bruhrain Railway () is a railway line running from Bruchsal to Germersheim in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Whilst it was part of a national trunk line (''Magistrale'') and handled long-distance traffic; to ...
to continue to
Graben-Neudorf Graben-Neudorf is a municipality in Northern Karlsruhe district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was created when the two communities of Graben and Neudorf were united on January 1, 1972. With this union Neudorf was transferred from the district ...
. They were previously operated with electric multiple units of class 425, as are services on the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn. Since March 2015, this service, which is now part of the new ''Süwex'' network, has been operated with class 429 (
Stadler FLIRT Stadler FLIRT (, ) is a passenger multiple unit trainset made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. The baseline design of FLIRT is an electric multiple unit Articulated car, articulated trainset that can come in units of two to twelve cars with two t ...
) sets.


Freight operations

Freight operations are operated exclusively by private operators. The ports of
Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...
,
Germersheim Germersheim () is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsru ...
and Wörth are served; furthermore, block trains are operated, mainly to the ''Mineralölraffinerie Oberrhein'' oil refinery in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
and to
BASF BASF SE (), an initialism of its original name , is a European Multinational corporation, multinational company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters are located in Ludwigshafen, Ge ...
in
Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...
. The remaining stations are no longer used for freight operations. There was formerly a connecting line to a US oil terminal in Bellheim. The rolling stock formerly used in rail freight operations was based in the Ludwigshafen locomotive depot in particular.


References


Notes


Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schifferstadt-Worth railway Railway lines in Rhineland-Palatinate Anterior Palatinate Railway lines opened in 1847 1847 establishments in Bavaria Buildings and structures in Speyer Germersheim (district) Karlsruhe Stadtbahn Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn