High Rhine Railway

High Rhine Railway
High Rhine Railway
	Deutsche Bahn trainset near Lauchringen
Overview
Native name	Hochrheinbahn
Owner	DB Netz, SBB Infrastruktur (Basel-Stadt, Schaffhausen)
Line number	730 (DB); Erzingen (Baden)–Kreuzlingen: 763 (SBB CFF FFS);
Locale	Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Basel-City and Schaffhausen, Switzerland;
Termini	Basel Bad Bf ; Konstanz ;
Stations	45
Service
Type	Suburban railway (IRE, RE, S-Bahn)
System	DB ; Tri-national S-Bahn Basel ; OSTWIND ;
Route number	4000
Operator(s)	DB Regio, SBB GmbH, Thurbo
Technical
Line length	144.3 km (89.7 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	expected 2027
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	Switzerland
	Germany
	Germany
	Switzerland
	Switzerland
	Germany
	Germany
	Switzerland
	Source: German railway atlas

Last updated November 26, 2024

The High Rhine Railway (German : Hochrheinbahn) is a Deutsche Bahn railway line from Basel Badischer Bahnhof in the city of Basel to Konstanz on Lake Constance. It was built by the Grand Duchy of Baden State Railways as part of the Baden Mainline, which follows the Rhine upstream from Mannheim Hauptbahnhof to Konstanz. The line derives its name from the High Rhine (Hochrhein), which it follows between Basel and Waldshut and on a short section in Schaffhausen.

The line crosses the Germany–Switzerland border three times and passes through Swiss territory two times within the canton of Basel-Stadt and whilst crossing the main part of the canton of Schaffhausen. The other sections of the line run through the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Schaffhausen station is congruemtly owned by Deutsche Bahn (DB) and SBB Infrastructure, while the line is operated throughout by DB, and parts by SBB GmbH and Thurbo.

History

The High Rhine Railway was opened on 4 February 1856 from Basel Bad Bf to Bad Säckingen and extended to Waldshut on 30 October 1856. Construction then stopped for a while, but on 15 June 1863, the whole line to Konstanz (Constance) was completed. Meanwhile, the Turgi–Koblenz–Waldshut railway was opened on 18 August 1859, connecting to the Swiss railway network across the Rhine at Koblenz. On 1 July 1871, the Swiss Northeastern Railway (NOB) opened the Lake Line section between Romanshorn and Konstanz. On 17 July 1875, the Swiss National Railway (SNB) opened the Winterthur–Etzwilen railway, Etzwilen–Konstanz/Kreuzlingen Hafen railway and Etzwilen–Singen railway lines, which connect to the High Rhine railway line in Konstanz and Singen, respectively.

The whole line — including the sections on Swiss territory — was owned under treaty by Baden State Railways and still belongs to Deutsche Bahn. The 1852 treaty allows Switzerland to reclaim ownership of the section on Swiss territory on five year's notice. Although this possibility was discussed after the First World War, it was never implemented. In the Second World War, cross-border traffic was severely limited and military traffic did not pass through Switzerland. In 1944/45, four pairs of passenger services each day ran all the way between Basel Bad Bf and Singen. In the timetable, however, it was expressly stated: "transit through the canton of Schaffhausen only permitted with passport with exemption (visa)". Between 8 June 1945 and 1 August 1953 the German railway infrastructure in Switzerland was managed by a trust authority established by the Swiss Federal Council.

Between 1873 and 1899, train ferries operated from Konstanz over Lake Constance to ports in Germany and Austria.

Route

The railway follows the High Rhine upstream between Basel and Waldshut. It crosses the Germany-Switzerland border for the first time between Basel and Grenzach-Wyhlen. East of Waldshut, the tracks divert from the river and run in northeastward direction towards Klettgau valley. It crosses the German-Swiss border between Erzingen and Trasadingen. The highest elevation is reached near Beringerfeld. At the eastern end of Klettgau valley, the line runs through Engi, a narrow valley between Beringen and Neuhausen. Between Neuhausen and Schaffhausen, the line approaches the High Rhine and follows it for a short distance before turning northwards just south of Schaffhausen station, again diverting from the river. The line then runs in northeastward direction and crosses the Swiss-German border between Thayngen and Bietingen. Passing through the Hegau region, the line turns southeastwards east of Singen. It runs along the western shore of the Bodanrück peninsula, along the Gnadensee part of Lower Lake Constance. Shortly before reaching Konstanz, its eastern terminus, the line crosses the Seerhein over the Old Rhine Bridge.

The scenic route along the river includes towns with historic town centers, such as Rheinfelden, Laufenburg, Waldshut, Schaffhausen, Radolfzell and Konstanz. The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall) can also be seen on route.

Infrastructure

Since 1987, most of the route has been double-tracked; only the section between Waldshut and Erzingen and a very short section in Konstanz, between Konstanz-Petershausen and Kostanz station, is single tracked. The section between Laufenburg and Murg was duplicated a few years ago.^{[ when? ]}

The line is 143 kilometres (89 mi) long and standard gauge. As of 2024, the line between Basel Bad Bf and Erzingen is not electrified, whilst the rest of the line (between Erzingen and Constance) is electrified at 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC supplied by overhead line. The state of Baden-Württemberg and the canton of Schaffhausen have been asked to fund electrification of the part of the route between Basel Badischer Bahnhof and Schaffhausen. In 2013, the section between Erzingen and Schaffhausen was electrified. There are plans to electrify the entire line in the near future.^[2]

Operations

Up to the 1990s, express services ran from Basel Bad Bf, or Freiburg, to Lindau-Insel, with some continuing to München Hbf. As of the December 2023 timetable change,^[update] the route is served by Interregio-Express (IRE) trains, IRE 3 , on the Basel Bad Bf–Singen and Basel Bad Bf–Friedrichshafen Hafen (previously until Ulm Hauptbahnhof) routes. A Regionalbahn (RB), RB30 ,^[3] runs hourly between Basel Bad Bf and Waldshut, with most trains continuing to Lauchringen. During peak hour, services between Basel and Waldshut run every half-hour. DMUs are used on this section. At Basel Bad Bf, connections exist to the S6 to Zell (Wiesental) and Basel SBB, RB 27 to Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof and RB 35 to Offenburg. Most of these regional services are part of the tri-national Basel S-Bahn.

The section between Waldshut and Lauchringen is used by the RB 37 , which continues northwards to Weizen/Stühlingen on the Wutach Valley Railway line. The S27 of Aargau S-Bahn and S36 of Zürich S-Bahn use a short section of the line east of Waldshut before crossing the Rhine on the Turgi–Koblenz–Waldshut railway line.

Since 2013, EMUs of THURBO operate as S64 of Schaffhausen S-Bahn between Erzingen and Schaffhausen. Between Schaffhausen and Singen (Hohentwiel), more than one train an hour operate during the day. This section is operated by the S62 of Schaffhausen S-Bahn and S24 of Zürich S-Bahn (until 2015 by the S22 service) in addition to InterCity (IC) trains, IC 87 , running between Zürich HB and Stuttgart Hbf. EMUs are used on this section since its electrification in 1989. In Schaffhausen. the line connects with the Rheinfall Railway line (linking it with the Eglisau–Neuhausen railway line) and the Lake Line.

Between Singen and Konstanz, Regional-Express (RE) service RE 2 and SBB GmbH's Seehas ( S6 ) operate. In Singen, they continue northwards on the Black Forest Railway. In Singen, the line also connects with the Etzwilen–Singen railway line, which is a heritage railway since 2007. Between 1913 and 1966, it also connected with the now dismantled Randen Railway (Randenbahn) to Beuren-Büßlingen. In Radolfzell, the line connects with the Radolfzell–Mengen railway line, which links it with the Stahringen–Friedrichshafen railway line.

Konstanz station is close to the Germany–Switzerland border. Towards South, the line merges with the Lake Line (with branches in both directions). Fom Konstanz station, there are connections to the S14 and S44 of St. Gallen S-Bahn, a RegioExpress (RE), RE1 , as well as InterRegio (IR) trains of Swiss Federal Railways.

The section between Waldshut and Basel is mainly used by commuters in the industrial conurbation of Basel. The section of the line in the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and adjacent German towns has its own services operated by the Swiss Federal Railways' subsidiaries SBB GmbH and THURBO (in addition to the S24 ). The section between Schaffhausen and Singen, which connects the Gäubahn and the Swiss rail network and carries significant long-distance passenger and freight traffic. On the section between Singen and Konstanz, local services operate as part of Bodensee S-Bahn, while IRE services connect with Karlsruhe.

A long-distance service between Basel and Herisau, via St. Gallen, is scheduled to begin operations with the December 2027 timetable change. This service, named the Hochrhein-Bodensee-Express (HBE, lit. 'High Rhine-Lake Constance Express'), will be operated by SBB GmbH, Swiss Federal Railways' German subsidiary. It will use the entire High Rhine Railway line and continue over the Lake Line to Romanshorn and from there over the Bodensee-Toggenburg railway line until Herisau. It will replace the RE1 (Konstanz–Herisau). Before the HBE can be introduced, the section between Basel Bad Bf and Erzingen will be electrified.^[4]^[5]

Notes

↑ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas) (10 ed.). Schweers + Wall. 2017. pp. 101, 110–12. ISBN 978-3-89494-146-8.
↑ "Die Hochrheinbahn [The High Rhine Railway]" (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2024.
↑ "On the go in northwestern Switzerland with Tri-national S-Bahn Basel". Bern, Switzerland: SBB CFF FFS. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
↑ "Basel und Ostschweiz rücken näher zusammen – für 330 Millionen" (in German). SRF.ch. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
↑ "Vorlage zur Unterzeichnung der Grundlagenvereinbarung zur Einführung des Hochrhein-Bodensee-Express verabschiedet" (in German). Bahnonline.ch. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

Related Research Articles

The canton of Schaffhausen, also canton of Schaffhouse, is the northernmost canton of Switzerland. The principal city and capital of the canton is Schaffhausen. The canton's territory is divided into three non-contiguous segments, where German territory reaches the Rhine. The large central part, which includes the capital, in turn separates the German exclave of Büsingen am Hochrhein from the rest of Germany.

High Rhine is the name of the part of the Rhine between Lake Constance and the city of Basel, flowing in a general east-to-west direction and forming mostly the Germany–Switzerland border. It is the first of four named sections of the Rhine between Lake Constance and the river delta at the North Sea.

Thurbo is a railway company with mostly S-Bahn-style services in Switzerland, southern Germany, and northwestern Vorarlberg, Austria, jointly owned by Swiss Federal Railways (90%) and the canton of Thurgau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wil–Kreuzlingen railway</span> Railway line in Switzerland

The Wil–Kreuzlingen railway is a largely single-track standard-gauge line in northeastern Switzerland. It was built by the Mittelthurgaubahn; MThB), which was a Swiss private railway based in Weinfelden. It was liquidated in 2003, including its subsidiary Lokoop, and its activities and the infrastructure it owned were mainly taken over by a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) subsidiary, Thurbo, which was originally formed as a joint venture between the MThB and the SBB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baden main line</span> German railway line

The Baden main line is a German railway line that was built between 1840 and 1863. It runs through Baden, from Mannheim via Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Offenburg, Freiburg, Basel, Waldshut, Schaffhausen and Singen to Konstanz. The Baden Mainline is 412.7 kilometres long, making it the longest route in the Deutsche Bahn network and also the oldest in southwest Germany. The section between Mannheim and Basel is the most important northern approach to the Swiss Alpine passes, whilst the section between Basel and Konstanz is only of regional significance. The stretch from Karlsruhe to Basel is also known as the Rhine Valley Railway (Rheintalbahn) and the Basel–Konstanz section as the High Rhine Railway (Hochrheinstrecke).

The Lake Line, as it is referred to by the SBB in English, is the Swiss railway line running from Rorschach via Romanshorn, Konstanz (Germany), Kreuzlingen, Steckborn, Stein am Rhein and Diessenhofen to Schaffhausen. The scenic route follows the southern border of Lake Constance and the High Rhine. It forms the Swiss section of the ring railway around Lake Constance.

Konstanz station is the largest passenger station in the German city of Konstanz (Constance). It is served by regional and long-distance services operated by Deutsche Bahn and Swiss Federal Railways. It is the end of the High Rhine Railway and the beginning of the Lake Line.

Waldshut station is a railway station in the city of Waldshut-Tiengen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Tiengen (Hochrhein) station is a railway station in the town of Tiengen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The station lies on the High Rhine Railway and was opened on 15 June 1863. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn.

Lauchringen station is a railway station in the town of Lauchringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The station is located at the junction of the lies on the High Rhine Railway and Wutach Valley Railway, although there is no service over the latter from this station. Passengers continuing east on the High Rhine Railway to Erzingen (Baden) and beyond must change trains at Tiengen (Hochrhein).

Schaffhausen railway station is a railway station in Schaffhausen, the capital of the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen. The station is jointly owned by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB CFF FFS) and Deutsche Bahn (DB), and is served by trains of both national operators, as well as trains of the Swiss regional operator Thurbo.

The Radolfzell–Mengen railway is a branch line in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It runs from Radolfzell via Stockach to Mengen. The line was built as a mainline connection from Ulm via Lake Constance (Bodensee) to Switzerland. Regular passenger services were abandoned between 1972 and 1982. Passenger services were reactivated on the southern section between Radolfzell and Stockach in 1996 and has since been operated under the brand name of Seehäsle. The northern section from Stockach to Mengen is however only used for freight trains and passenger excursion trains. In 2005, it had to be temporarily closed because of the deterioration of the infrastructure on some sections. Since 2021, trains have once again been running between Stockach and Mengen on Sundays and public holidays under the brand name of Biberbahn.

The St. Gallen S-Bahn is an S-Bahn-style commuter rail in Eastern Switzerland and neighbouring areas. The network connects stations in the Swiss cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus, Grisons, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Thurgau and Zürich, as well as a few stations in Austria and Germany. Some services also operate as part of the Bodensee S-Bahn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germany–Switzerland border</span> International border

The border between the modern states of Germany and Switzerland extends to 362 kilometres (225 mi), mostly following Lake Constance and the High Rhine, with territories to the north mostly belonging to Germany and territories to the south mainly to Switzerland. Exceptions are the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen, the Rafzerfeld and hamlet of Nohl of the canton of Zürich, Bettingen and Riehen municipalities and part of the city of Basel in the canton of Basel-City and the old town of the German city of Konstanz, which is located south of the Seerhein. The canton of Schaffhausen is located almost entirely on the northern side of the High Rhine, with the exception of the southern part of the municipality of Stein am Rhein. The German municipality of Büsingen am Hochrhein is an enclave surrounded by Swiss territory.

Singen (Hohentwiel) station is an important regional railway junction and interchange station in the town of Singen in the south of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Three railways now meet there, but in the past five railways connected to it. The station is served by InterCity trains on the Stuttgart–Zurich route.

Erzingen (Baden) station is a railway station in the Erzingen district of the municipality of Klettgau, located in the Waldshut district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The station is located very close to the German border with Switzerland and is the first stop in Germany for passengers travelling away from Schaffhausen and towards Basel.

Neuhausen Badischer Bahnhof is one of three railway stations in the municipality of Neuhausen am Rheinfall.

SBB GmbH, also known as SBB Deutschland, is a railway company that operates services in Germany and the cantons of Basel-City and Schaffhausen in Switzerland. It is a subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways, the state railway company of Switzerland. It operates various S-Bahn services in Baden-Württemberg near the border with Switzerland, some of which service stations in Switzerland.

Seehas is a regional rail service that operates between Engen and Konstanz in the district of Konstanz, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is managed and operated by SBB GmbH, the German subsidiary of Swiss Federal Railways. It began operation in 1994.

The Schaffhausen S-Bahn is an S-Bahn network in the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen and the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It comprises three services and began operation in 2015. Services are operated by SBB GmbH, Swiss Federal Railways' German subsidiary, and THURBO.

References

Gerber, Rainer (1981). 125 Jahre Basel-Waldshut: Jubiläum der Eisenbahn am Hochrhein, 1981 (in German). Freiburg: Eisenbahn-Kurier Verlag.
Scharf, Hans Wolfgang (1993). Die Eisenbahn am Hochrhein (Series: Südwestdeutsche Eisenbahngeschichte) (in German). Vol. 1: Von Basel zum Bodensee 1840–1939. Freiburg: Eisenbahn-Kurier Verlag.
Scharf, Hans Wolfgang (1993). Die Eisenbahn am Hochrhein (Series: Südwestdeutsche Eisenbahngeschichte) (in German). Vol. 2: Von Basel zum Bodensee 1939–1992. Freiburg: Eisenbahn-Kurier Verlag.

External links

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[Eisenbahnatlas-1] Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas) (10 ed.). Schweers + Wall. 2017. pp. 101, 110–12. ISBN 978-3-89494-146-8.

[2] "Die Hochrheinbahn [The High Rhine Railway]" (in German). Retrieved 10 March 2024.

[3] "On the go in northwestern Switzerland with Tri-national S-Bahn Basel". Bern, Switzerland: SBB CFF FFS. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.

[4] "Basel und Ostschweiz rücken näher zusammen – für 330 Millionen" (in German). SRF.ch. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[5] "Vorlage zur Unterzeichnung der Grundlagenvereinbarung zur Einführung des Hochrhein-Bodensee-Express verabschiedet" (in German). Bahnonline.ch. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

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