Main-Lahn Railway

Main-Lahn Railway
Overview
Native name Main-Lahn-Bahn
Type Heavy rail, Passenger rail
Regional rail, Commuter rail
Status Operational
Locale Hesse, Germany
Termini Frankfurt (Main) Hbf
Eschhofen
Stations 21
Line number 3610
Operation
Opened Stages between 1875-1877
Owner Deutsche Bahn
Operator(s) DB Bahn
Technical
Line length 66.5 km (41.3 mi)
No. of tracks Double track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
Electrification 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed 120 km/h (75 mph)
Route number 627
645.2 (S Bahn)
Route map

Legend
Lahn Valley Railway from Koblenz
Limburg–Altenkirchen Railway to Au (Sieg) and
Limburg-Staffel–Siershahn Railway
Limburg (Lahn)
Cologne–Frankfurt HSL
66.5 Eschhofen
Lahn Valley Railway to Wetzlar
63.4 Lindenholzhausen
60.8 Niederbrechen
58.2 Oberbrechen
54.1 Niederselters
49.3 Bad Camberg
44,6 Wörsdorf
39.7 Idstein (Taunus)
36.5 Niederseelbach(1903–1971)
31.9 Niedernhausen (Taunus)terminus of S2
Ländches Railway to Wiesbaden
28.6 Eppstein-Niederjosbach
27.1 Eppstein-Bremthal(since 2001)
25.7 Eppstein Tunnel (200 m)reconstruction: 339 m
25.4 Eppstein
21.2 Lorsbach
17.0 Hofheim (Taunus)
14.6 Kriftel
12.4 Frankfurt-Zeilsheim(since May 2007)
11.3 Frankfurt-Höchst Farbwerke Ültg junction
Taunus Railway from Wiesbaden S1
10.4 Frankfurt-Höchst Farbwerke
Königstein Railway from Königstein
9.3 Frankfurt-Höchst
Soden Railway to Bad Soden
Taunus Railway to Frankfurt Hbf
Nidda
7.3 Frankfurt-Nied
4.5 Frankfurt-Griesheim
Connecting line from Frankfurter Osthafen
Frankfurt Airport loop S8S9
Main Railway from Mainz and from Mannheim S7
Taunus Railway from Frankfurt-Höchst
2,1 Frankfurt Kleyerstr. junction
Frankfurt Außenbf
To Frankfurt marshalling yard
Main-Neckar Railway from Darmstadt
South Main line from Offenbach
Main-Weser Railway from Gießen
Homburg Railway from F–West S3S4S5S6
0.0 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf(since 1888) S7
Frankfurt (Main) Hbf tief(since 1978)
City Tunnel to Frankfurt South and Offenbach
S3S4S5S6 / S1S2S8S9
Frankfurt western stations(until 1888)

Source: German railway atlas[1]

Main-Lahn railway near Idstein

The Main-Lahn railway (German: Main-Lahn-Bahn), also called the Limburg railway (Limburger Bahn), is a double-track, electrified main railway line in Germany. The 66.5-kilometer (41.3 mi) long line extends from Frankfurt Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) to Eschhofen, a borough of Limburg an der Lahn.

From Frankfurt to Niedernhausen, it operates as Rhine-Main S-Bahn S-2 and carries Deutsche Bahn route number 645.2. From Frankfurt Central Station to Frankfurt-Höchst, it also carries S-Bahn S-1 (which then follows the Taunus railway to Wiesbaden). From Niedernhausen to Eschhofen, it takes over Route number 627 from the Ländches Railway (Ländchesbahn). From Eschhofen, the line leads into the Lahn Valley Railway (Lahntalbahn).

History

Eschhofen station

A middle route through the Taunus between the Main and Lahn River valleys had been considered since 1850. However, construction was only begun under Prussian rule on 25 March 1872. The concession was awarded to the Hessian Ludwig Railway (Hessische Ludwigsbahn, or HLB). The construction began from Eschhofen and each finished section initially served mainly to transport material to the construction further forward.

The first section between Eschhofen and Niederselters was opened to traffic on February 1, 1875. The entire track was completed on 15 October 1877. The line from Niedernhausen to Wiesbaden Central Station, called the Ländchesbahn Railway, was launched on 1 July 1879.

Between 1911 and 1913, the single-track line was converted to double track. In 1971, the track was electrified between Frankfurt-Höchst and Niedernhausen, and in 1986 between Niedernhausen and Limburg.

Eastern portal of the old Eppstein tunnel

Starting in 2009 the tunnel in Eppstein was replaeced with a new tunnel because the old tunnel needs to be restored urgently and doing this with full operation of services would lead to years of disruption of rail services. In addition, a new tunnel would be cheaper in the long run, as a new concrete lining inside the tunnel would reduce the cross-section to the extent that it could no longer be operated as two tracks, and therefore a new tunnel would have to be built for traffic in the opposite direction anyway. Easter 2013 the track was rerouted through the new one and the old tunnel will be filled.

In this context, Eppstein station is being rebuilt. The old station, which is a heritage-listed building, is no longer used by the railway. It was refurbished in 2007 and is now used as a government shopfront and a restaurant. The freight hall, which was also a heritage-listed building has been demolished.

Operations

The operation of steam locomotives ended in 1972. In 1978, S-Bahn line S 2 opened between Frankfurt Hbf and Niedernhausen. The S-Bahn line is now usually operated with class 423 electric multiple units, with some class 420 sets used for peak hour shuttle services. Regionalbahn and Regional-Express services have been operated with class 143 locomotives since early 2006 and modern double-deck carriages since 2008. In addition services on the section from Limburg to Niedernhausen are operated with LINT by vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft, which usually continue over the Ländches Railway to Wiesbaden.

Notes

  1. Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2009. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.

References

External links

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