Glauchau–Gößnitz railway

Glauchau–Gößnitz railway
Overview
Locale	Saxony and Thuringia, Germany
Line number	6265
Technical
Line length
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	398 m (1,306 ft)
Operating speed	100 km/h (62 mph) (maximum)
Maximum incline	1.0%
Route number	540
Route map from Dresden 0.00 Glauchau-Schönbörnchen 258 m to Zwickau–Werdau 0.19 Weststraße (10 m) 0.86 Wirtschaftsweg (12 m) 2.63 Dennheritz 281 m 2.95 Dennheritz 3.52 Meeraner Straße (11 m) 5.76 Hans-Sachs-Straße (18 m) 5.98 Brüderstraße (18 m) 6.53 (11 m) 6.70 Meerane 251 m 10.78 Pleiße bridge (31 m) 10.93 flood bridge (12 m) 11.09 flood bridge (20 m) 11.21 flood bridge (8 m) from Hof 12.37 Gößnitz 208 m to Leipzig to Gera Source: German railway atlas

The Glauchau–Gößnitz railway is a single-track electrified main line railway in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia. It was originally built and operated with the support of the Saxon government and eventually became part of the Royal Saxon State Railways. It opened in 1858 and it is one of the oldest railways in Germany.

The route is an important part of the long-distance connection between the industrial district of west Saxony and western Germany (the Mid-Germany Connection). It runs from a branch on the Dresden–Werdau in Glauchau-Schönbörnchen via Meerane to a branch on the Leipzig–Hof line near Gößnitz.

History

During the planning of a westerly extension of the Riesa–Chemnitz line, several routes were investigated for a connection to the Saxon-Bavarian Railway. Connections towards Zwickau, Crimmitschau and Gößnitz were discussed. A connection to Gößnitz or Crimmitschau would shorten the line from Chemnitz to Leipzig, while a line to Zwickau offered major advantages for coal transport. Ultimately, the route towards Zwickau was selected. In addition it was decided to build a short connecting line from Gößnitz to Glauchau. Its construction began on 25 June 1855 and it was opened on 15 November 1858.

The line was duplicated between 1908 and 1912.

After the Second World War the second track was dismantled in 1946 for reparations to the Soviet Union.

In the mid-1980s the line was electrified. Electric services commenced on 1 June 1986.

The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan lists the rebuilding of the second track as an "additional need”. The last review of the plan in November 2010, however, recommends the abandonment of the construction of a second track, as long-distance transport of this route is not considered as economic and therefore a second track would not to be required.

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons