Stuttgart Rack Railway

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Stuttgart Rack Railway
Stuttgarter-zahnradbahn-zacke haltestelle-haigst.jpg
Rack Railway at Haigst
Overview
Native nameZahnradbahn Stuttgart
Owner Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen
Service
Route number10
Operator(s) Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen
History
Opened23 August 1884 (1884-08-23)
Technical
Line length2.2 [1]  km (1.4 mi)
Rack system Riggenbach system
Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge [1]
Electrification 750 V DC [2]
Maximum incline 17.8% [1]
Route map

Contents

BSicon KBHFa.svg
Marienplatz Logo Stadtbahn Stuttgart.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon KDSTeq.svg
Depot
BSicon HST.svg
Liststraße
BSicon HST.svg
Pfaffenweg
BSicon BHF.svg
Wielandshöhe
BSicon HST.svg
Haigst
BSicon HST.svg
Nägelestraße
BSicon HST.svg
Zahnradbahnhof
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Degerloch Logo Stadtbahn Stuttgart.svg
Rack Railway at Marienplatz Stuttgart zahnradbahn1.jpg
Rack Railway at Marienplatz

The Stuttgart Rack Railway (German: Zahnradbahn Stuttgart) is an electric rack railway in Stuttgart, Germany, known affectionately as the Zacke (spike) by the local residents. [3] The line opened on 23 August 1884 and links Marienplatz in the city centre to Degerloch on the Filder plateau. It is integrated with the Stadtbahn network of the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen (SSB) as Line 10. At Marienplatz it connects with lines U1 and U14 and at Degerloch it connects with lines U5, U6, U8 and U12. [4] Ordinary VVS tickets are valid.

The line one of only four rack railways operating in Germany, along with the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway, the Drachenfels Railway and the Wendelstein Railway, and is the only one used primarily as public transport. [1] The rack railway is one of two working railway lines that are tourist attractions in Stuttgart; the other being the Stuttgart funicular railway that leads to the forest cemetery, and operates as SSB line 20.

Route

The line connects the urban districts of Stuttgart South (Marienplatz) and Degerloch (Albplatz). The route runs along the Alte Weinsteige, which was historically the main route to the Filder towns until the Neue Weinsteige was built in 1826.

Over its first 1.7-kilometre (1.1 mi) route the line climbs a height of 205 metres (673 ft) (from 260 to 465 metres (853 to 1,526 ft) AMSL), before descending slightly to the terminus at Degerloch. The maximum grade on the route is 17.8% (between Liststraße and Pfaffenweg). From Liststraße there is a branch line to the depot with a maximum gradient of 20.0% (1 in 5). The line is entirely single track except a passing loop at Wielandshöhe. [5] Between the stops at Pfaffenweg and Wielandshöhe there is a view of Stuttgart's city centre.

Bicycle Transport

Each of the third and fourth generation railcars has a trailer for the transport of bikes. These are flat wagons which are always on the uphill side of the railcar. [5] Bikes can only be carried in the uphill direction and only for the entire journey from Marienplatz to Degerloch. [6]

Rolling Stock

ZT 4.1

ZT 4.1 railcar heading downhill between Pfaffenweg and Liststrasse stations, with wagon to transport bicycles Stuttgart Zahnradbahn Pfaffenweg.jpg
ZT 4.1 railcar heading downhill between Pfaffenweg and Liststraße stations, with wagon to transport bicycles

The rack railway was modernised in 1982 with the third generation of electric railcars. [2] These bogie railcars are type ZT 4.1 and as well as being numbered 1001-1003 were named Heslach, Degerloch and Helene. The bodies were built by MAN, and have a similar design to the SSB DT 8 built at the same time, while the rack bogies were supplied by SLM. [5] Each of the railcars had a special low wagon for transporting bikes, with a capacity of 10 bikes. [6] Following their replacement by the ZT 4.2 railcars one of the ZT 4.1 (1003, Helene) is in the Stuttgart Tram Museum  [ de ]. [2]

ZT 4.2

A ZT 4.2 railcar with a new bicycle trailer in front. Zahnradbahn Stuttgart Liststrasse 1102 2.JPG
A ZT 4.2 railcar with a new bicycle trailer in front.

The fourth generation of electric railcars were built by Stadler Rail, with the first delivered to Stuttgart in Autumn 2021 and entering service in October 2022. [7] [8] They are type ZT 4.2 and are numbered 1101-1103. The railcars look similar to the DT 8.12 vehicles, also built by Stadler, but the rack railway vehicles are only single cars and have a low-floor section in the centre, to improve accessibility for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Each railcar has 51 seats and a total capacity of 115 passengers. [2]

Three new bike trailers were also built for use with the new railcars. These are more than twice as long as the previous bike trailers and have capacity for 20 bikes and one cargo bike. [2]

History

Steam Rack Railway 1897 Degerloch, Dampfzahnradbahn (PK 1897).jpg
Steam Rack Railway 1897

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Zahnradbahn". ssb-ag.de (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen . Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Haas, Andreas (April 2022). "Zackige Zukunft". Straßenbahn Magazin (in German). GeraMond.
  3. "Just arrived in Stuttgart: The city's first new rack-railway unit". urban-transport-magazine.com. Urban Transport Magazine. 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  4. "Stadtbahn Liniennetz" (PDF). ssb-ag.de (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen. 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  5. 1 2 3 Kochems, Michael (August 2019). "Zacke vor Wandel". Straßenbahn Magazin (in German). GeraMond.
  6. 1 2 "Regeln Zahnradbahn" (PDF). ssb-ag.de (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  7. "Zahnradbahn: Erster neuer Zug jetzt im Linienverkehr". ssb-ag.de (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen. 2022-10-08. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  8. "Stuttgart places LRV order as rack railcar enters service". Metro Report International. 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2024-07-31.

48°45′19″N9°10′20″E / 48.75528°N 9.17222°E / 48.75528; 9.17222