S8 (Rhine-Main S-Bahn)

S8
S8 towards Wiesbaden at Mainz Hauptbahnhof
Overview
Service type	Rapid transit, Commuter rail
System	S-Bahn Rhein-Main
Status	Operational
Locale	Frankfurt Rhine-Main
Predecessor	S14, S15
First service	1995 (1995)
Current operator	DB Regio
Route
Termini	Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof Hanau Hauptbahnhof
Stops	29
Distance travelled	70.3 km
Lines used	Main Railway, Citytunnel Frankfurt, Frankfurt Schlachthof–Hanau railway
Technical
Rolling stock	DBAG Class 430, DBAG Class 425 (On supplementary services from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof to Kelsterbach)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line
Depot	Frankfurt Hbf
Timetable number	645.8

The S8 service of the S-Bahn Rhein-Main system bearing the KBS (German scheduled railway route) number 645.8. It is largely concurrent with the S9 service, diverging only to run local through Mainz (which the S9 bypasses). It runs 24 hours, 7 days and serves as a direct airport rail link for the state capitals of Wiesbaden and Mainz to the Frankfurt Airport.

Routes

Main Railway

Main article: Main Railway

City tunnel

Main article: Frankfurt City Tunnel

The city tunnel is an underground, pure S-Bahn route used by almost all services (except for the S7 service which terminates at the central station). In a short section between Mühlberg and Offenbach-Kaiserlei a line parallel with the South Main railway is used.

Frankfurt Schlachthof–Hanau railway

Main article: Frankfurt Schlachthof–Hanau railway

History

Year	Stations	Route
1974 (R14)	15	Wiesbaden Hbf – Frankfurt Hbf
1983 (S14)	18 (+3)	Wiesbaden Hbf – Konstablerwache
1990 (S14)	21 (+3)	Wiesbaden Hbf – Frankfurt Süd
1995	28 (+9, -2)	Wiesbaden Hbf – Hanau Hbf

In 1972 the Frankfurt Airport loop, a new line to connect the recently built Terminal Mitte (Central Terminal) at the Frankfurt Airport to the Central Station and the Main railway, became operational. Two years later the R14 experimental service running between Wiesbaden Central Station and Frankfurt Central Station started. After the opening of the Frankfurt Citytunnel the service was renamed to S14 and extended to the new Hauptwache underground station. In 1980 the new shuttle service S15 running between the Airport station and Frankfurt Central Station started operation. Further extensions of the tunnel followed in 1983 (Konstablerwache) and 1990 (Ostendstraße and Lokalbahnhof) so that the Südbahnhof (South station) became the S14's eastern terminal. In 1995 both services S14 and S15 were renamed to S8 and extended their operation to the east connecting the Central Station of Hanau. Like the S1 the S8 now also used the eastern branch of the Frankfurt Citytunnel as well as the Offenbach Citytunnel.

In 1990 two S14 trainsets collided near the Rüsselsheim station killing 17 and injuring 145 passengers. The conductor of the train bound for Frankfurt ignored the stop signal and crashed into an oncoming, fully occupied train. ^[1]

Operation

S8 at Frankfurt Hbf towards Kelsterbach

S8 at Mainz Hbf towards Wiesbaden Hbf

S8 at the airport station, bound for Wiesbaden

1. Wiesbaden Hbf – Hanau Hbf
2. Wiesbaden Hbf – Offenbach Ost
3. Kelsterbach – Frankfurt Hbf
4. Flughafen Regionalbahnhof – Frankfurt Hbf (former S15 service)
5. Rüsselsheim – Offenbach Ost
6. Rüsselsheim – Frankfurt Hbf

						Journey time		Station		Transfer	S-Bahn service since
1	2	3	4	5	6
						0			Wiesbaden Hbf		1978
						4	+4		Wiesbaden Ost		1978
						7	+3		Mainz Nord		1978
						12	+5		Mainz Hauptbahnhof		1978
						16	+4		Mainz Römisches Theater		1978
						19	+3		Mainz-Gustavsburg		1978
						22	+3		Mainz-Bischofsheim		1978
						25	+3		Rüsselsheim-Opelwerk		1978
						28	+3		Rüsselsheim		1978
						31	+3		Raunheim		1978
						36	+5		Kelsterbach		1978
						42	+6		Frankfurt Flughafen Regionalbahnhof		1978
						44	+2		Gateway Gardens		2019
						46	+2		Frankfurt Stadion		1978
						49	+3		Frankfurt-Niederrad		1978
						53	+4		Frankfurt Hbf		1978
						54	+5		Frankfurt Hbf (tief)		1978
						56	+2		Taunusanlage		1978
						58	+2		Hauptwache		1978
						59	+1		Konstablerwache		1983
						61	+2		Ostendstraße		1990
						63	+2		Mühlberg		1992
						66	+3		Offenbach-Kaiserlei		1995
						68	+2		Ledermuseum		1995
						70	+2		Marktplatz		1995
						73	+3		Offenbach Ost		1995
						77	+4		Mühlheim		1995
						79	+2		Mühlheim-Dietesheim		1995
						82	+3		Hanau-Steinheim		1995
						82	+3		Hanau Hbf		1995

References

1. "Bilder bis heute im Kopf" (in German). FR Online. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30.

External links

• traffiQ Frankfurt – S8/S9 timetable