Rhine-Main Railway

Last updated
Rhine-Main Railway
Overview
Native nameRhein-Main-Bahn
Line number
  • 3520 Mainz–Mainz-Bischofsheim
  • 3530 Mainz-Bischofsheim–Darmstadt
  • 3540 Weiterstadt Stockschneise–Darmstadt Nord
  • 3557 Darmstadt–Aschaffenburg
Locale Bavaria and Hesse, Germany
Service
Route number651
Technical
Line length77.7 km (48.3 mi)
Number of tracks2 (throughout)
Electrification 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph) (max)
Route map

Contents

BSicon STR.svg
BSicon BS2+l.svg
BSicon BS2+lr.svg
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon S+BHF.svg
0.000
Mainz Hbf
BSicon tSTRa.svg
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Mainz Hbf Tunnel (northbound line)
BSicon tSTR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
New Mainz Tunnel (southbound line)
BSicon tSTRe.svg
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Mainz South Tunnel (northbound line)
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon S+BHF.svg
1.800
Mainz Römisches Theater
(formerly Mainz Süd)
BSicon eABZg+l.svg
BSicon eKRZo.svg
line to the former Mainz Hauptbahnhof
BSicon ABZqr.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon exBOOT.svg
BSicon hKRZWae+GRZq.svg
3.076
South Bridge at Mainz, Rhine
RP/Hesse state border
BSicon exKBHFaq.svg
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
former terminus
transfer to the ferry
BSicon SBHF.svg
4.580
Mainz-Gustavsburg
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
5.600
Mainz-Gustavsburg port siding
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
Freight diversion line,
to the Taunus Railway Frankfurt S9.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon S+BHF.svg
7.780
Mainz-Bischofsheim
BSicon BS2rc.svg
BSicon BS2r.svg
to Mz-Bischofshm We
(see rail bypass)
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
from Mz-Bischofshm O
(see rail bypass)
BSicon BST.svg
11.100
Mainz-Bischofsheim crossover I
(station part)
BSicon BHF.svg
16.475
Nauheim (b Groß Gerau)
BSicon BHF.svg
19.739
Groß Gerau
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
Klein-Gerau Eichmühle branch
from Mannheim–Frankfurt railway
BSicon HST.svg
22.013
Klein-Gerau
BSicon HST.svg
26.646
Weiterstadt
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon STR+r.svg
29.652
Weiterstadt Stockschneise junction
BSicon exSTR+r.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
former Riedbahn
from Riedstadt-Goddelau
BSicon KBSTxa.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Griesheim Röhm
(siding)
BSicon STRl.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
30.668
Darmstadt Bergschneise
(junction)
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
former Riedbahn to
Darmstadt freight yard
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon ABZr+r.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon KRZu.svg
Main-Neckar Railway
from Frankfurt Frankfurt S3.svg
BSicon DST.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
34.950 31.861
Darmstadt freight yard
BSicon S+BHF.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
33.960 33.360
Darmstadt Hbf
Frankfurt S3.svg
BSicon STRr.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Main-Neckar Railway to Heidelberg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
from Darmstadt-Arheilgen
BSicon KRZu.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Darmstadt Hbf – Darmstadt Nord line
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eABZgr.svg
to former Hbf (until 1912)
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon BST.svg
37.850
Darmstadt Nord
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eKRZu.svg
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
former link to the Odenwald Railway
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon DST.svg
40.374
Darmstadt-Kranichstein
Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon STRr.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
45.594
Messel
(Messel mine)
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
Rodgau Railway from Reinheim
BSicon BHF.svg
53.200
Dieburg
BSicon ABZgl.svg
Rodgau Railway to Offenbach
BSicon HST.svg
57.647
Altheim (Hess)
BSicon HST.svg
59.876
Hergershausen
BSicon eHST.svg
Sickenhofen
(planned)
BSicon ABZg+r.svg
63.1
BSicon BHF.svg
63.711
Babenhausen (Hesse)
BSicon ABZgl.svg
64.8
BSicon BHF.svg
71.685
Stockstadt (Main)
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
72.202
BSicon ABZgl.svg
73.232
Mainaschaff junction
to the Main-Spessart Railway
BSicon HST.svg
73.54
Mainaschaff
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon DST.svg
76.100
Aschaffenburg Hbf exit
(station part)
BSicon BHF.svg
77.7
Aschaffenburg Hbf
BSicon STR.svg
Source: German railway atlas [1]

The Rhine-Main Railway (German : Main-Rhein-Bahn), is a railway line in southern Germany from Mainz via Darmstadt to Aschaffenburg. It was built by the Hessian Ludwig Railway (Hessische Ludwigsbahn) and opened on 1 August 1858 and is one of the oldest railways in Germany. Until 1862, when the railway bridge over the Rhine river constructed and assembled by MAN-Werk Gustavsburg was finished, [2] a train ferry operated on the river.

Route

In Mainz the line crosses the Rhine at its confluence with the Main and continued to Bischofsheim, where the Main Railway branches off towards Frankfurt am Main, and turns to the southeast towards Gross-Gerau. It then proceeds in an easterly direction to Darmstadt and reaches the north end of the track field of Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof (central station). Passenger trains generally run on the Main-Neckar line to Darmstadt Hbf, before reversing to continue their journey on the Rhine-Main line. Nevertheless, the line’s tracks continue under the station's track field, allowing trains to run directly towards Aschaffenburg. This route is almost exclusively used by freight trains. East of Darmstadt the line runs through a contiguous forested area through Messel station to Dieburg, which is also served by trains on the Rodgau line and the Dreieich line to Dreieich-Buchschlag and Frankfurt am Main. The route then runs in a northeasterly direction via Babenhausen, crosses the Main between Stockstadt and Mainaschaff and ends in Aschaffenburg. The whole line is double track and electrified. The Rhine-Main line has the unusual distinction of being served by regional trains that operate through three German states: Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Bavaria.

History

Old railway station of the Hessian Ludwig Railway in Darmstadt, ca. 1875 Ludwigsbahnhof Darmstadt.jpg
Old railway station of the Hessian Ludwig Railway in Darmstadt, ca. 1875

The Rhine-Main line was designed, built and operated by the private Hessian Ludwig Railway. It came to compete with the North Main route (the Frankfurt-Hanau and Taunus Railways) between the Rhine and the Bavarian Ludwig's Western Railway at Aschaffenburg. In contrast to this route, the Rhine-Main line offered an uninterrupted line, while the Taunus and Frankfurt-Hanau lines in the early days still terminated at two different train stations in Frankfurt, which were not linked by rail. The disadvantage of the Rhine-Main line was that at first the crossing of the Rhine to Mainz depended on a train ferry. Apart from the Rhine and Main there were no significant physical obstacles for the railway to overcome.

The basis for the construction of the line was a treaty between the Grand Duchy of Hesse and the Kingdom of Bavaria on 28 March 1852. The concession to build the line in Hesse-Darmstadt was granted on 3 March 1856 and construction began after the harvest of 1856. In February 1856, the section between Mainspitze ("Main spit" on the Rhine opposite Mainz) and Darmstadt was completed. On 19 April 1858 the Grand Duke Louis III visited the construction site at Mainspitze and used a train. Test runs were operated on the line from 18 July. The Rhine-Main line finally opened on 1 August 1858 between Mainspitze and Darmstadt. It was first released for freight trains and a little later for the first passenger trains. The eastern section to Aschaffenburg was opened on 15 November 1858, with scheduled passenger trains operating on 27 December 1858. At the beginning there were three trains each way, each day; a few years later there were eight. The construction of the railway infrastructure cost 3.9 million guilders. The duplication of the line began in 1871. It was praised by passengers for having glass windows in its third class carriages—in contrast to the adjacent Main-Neckar Railway.

The Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, including the Rhine-Main Railway, was nationalised during the formation of the Prussian-Hessian Railway Company (Königlich Preußische und Großherzoglich Hessischen Staatseisenbahnen) in 1897.

The line was electrified in 1958/59 and since 9 May 1960 electric trains have operated on it.

Operations

Freight

The track is important for long distance freight transport as it bypasses the Frankfurt am Main rail node. It connects the Left and Right Rhine line with the Main-Spessart Railway and also to the north to Hanau and the Frankfurt–Bebra railway, the Friedberg-Hanau line and the Main-Weser Railway. The line is also used by Motorail trains and occasionally used for military and nuclear waste transport.

Passengers

Regionalbahn train hauled by class 143 electric locomotive in Mainz-Bischofsheim station on its way to Darmstadt Bischofsheimer (Mainspitze) Bahnhof- auf Bahnsteig zu Gleis 3- Richtung Mainz (RB 143 076) 29.3.2009.JPG
Regionalbahn train hauled by class 143 electric locomotive in Mainz-Bischofsheim station on its way to Darmstadt

The line is operated in passenger transport as route number 651 and is managed by the Rhine-Main Transport Association (Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund, RMV) and served by Regionalbahn line 75. A contract for the operation of the line was awarded for 10 years from December 2008 to DB Regio, which has gradually converted operations since the end of July 2008 from old Silberling sets to modern double-deckers. Trains also run via Mainz to Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof. Services on the line run every hour; at peak hours from Monday to Friday, between 6 and 9 AM and between 4 and 7 PM services operate every half-hour, with only an hourly train operating via Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof.

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References

  1. Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2009. pp. 76–78, 151, 154. ISBN   978-3-89494-139-0.
  2. MAN Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg Bridges Historical advertisement

Further reading