Ausserfern Railway
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The Ausserfern Railway is a cross-border railway line in the German state of Bavaria
and the Austrian state of Tyrol. The single-tracked branch line starts from Kempten in Germany, before crossing into Austria just after passing through Pfronten
. It then transits the Außerfern
area around Reutte
, before passing back into Germany in order to terminate at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
.
The line provides the only rail access to Reutte and the Außerfern, albeit one that requires any journey to or from the rest of Austria to pass through German territory. The line connects with the Mittenwald Railway and the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with the former providing a link to the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck
. It connects with the Bavarian Allgäu Railway and the Iller Valley Railway
at Kempten.
The line was built in stages, between 1895 and 1913. Although the Austrian section of the line is maintained by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), all train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn
(DB).
to Innsbruck surfaced in the second half of the 19th century. On 1 December 1895 the first section from Kempten to Pfronten-Ried was opened, followed in 1905 by its extension to Schönbichl. From Schönbichl there was a Lokalbahn branch line to Reutte.
A further extension of the line was discussed. There were three variants: Reutte–Ehrwald
–Gaistal–Leutasch
, Reutte–Fern Pass–Imst
(Fernbahn) or Reutte–Ehrwald–Garmisch. Because Garmisch already had a connexion to Munich
at the time, a direct link from Munich to Innsbruck, and hence the development of the Außerfern region, suggested itself. The Mittenwald Railway from Garmisch to Innsbruck was opened in 1912 and the Garmisch–Reutte line on 29 May 1913. Both routes were electrified from the start.
Time and again there were discussions about building a line over the Fern Pass or to a junction with the line to Füssen
only four kilometres away, but these plans were never realised.
At various times the closure of the line was also discussed, last time in 2001, when the catenary
was in a poor condition. In 2003 DB Regio
was tasked with operating passenger services through the state of Tyrol. The catenary was dismantled and operations switched to the use of diesel trains. Soon after the catenary was reinstalled. Today (2010) the line is worked hourly by electric multiples.
before crossing back to Germany between Ehrwald
and Griesen. Its longest tunnel
is the 512 metre long Katzenberg Tunnel, which is also called the Klausen Tunnel (after the Ehrenberger Klause) or Kesselwang Tunnel, between Reutte and Heiterwang
. Its maximum gradient is 37.5‰ or 3.75%
.
Today the railway is important for school, commuter and holiday traffic, but also handles a considerable amount of goods for a cement works and a wood yard in Vils. These goods trains only use the section from Vils to Garmisch however.
The section between Kempten and Reutte is mainly worked by diesel multiple unit
s of classes 628
and 642; between Reutte and Garmisch electric multiple unit
s of classes 425 and 426
are employed. The operators for the entire route are Deutsche Bahn
(DB) (on the Tyrolean section BahnCard
s, Werdenfelstickets, Bayerntickets and Schönes-Wochenende-Tickets are valid), the maintenance of the infrastructure is the responsibility of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
and Reutte
in Tyrol (Griesen
, Ehrwald
, Lermoos
, Lähn
, Bichlbach
-Berwang
, Heiterwang
-Plansee, Pflach
) are start points for mountain tours in the Ammergau Alps
(Friederspitz
and Frieder, Schellschlicht
, Daniel, Hochschrutte, Plattberg, Säuling
), in the Miemingen Mountains (Ehrwalder Sonnenspitze) and in the Lechtal Alps
(Thaneller, Roter Stein, Pleisspitze).
On 28 January 2007 the Hausbergbahn halt at the valley station of the Hausberg Gondola Lift
, which serves a ski area, was opened again on a seasonal basis for winter sport tourists. In the first quarter of 2007 and in the winter of 2007/2008 only special winter sport trains from Munich via Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the Hausbergbahn stopped at weekends. From 14 December 2008 to the end of the ski season at Hausberg on 19 April 2009 all passenger trains on the Ausserfern Railway called at the station, which is why the halt in Griesen was dropped.
The Ausserfern Railway is a cross-border railway line in the German state of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and the Austrian state of Tyrol. The single-tracked branch line starts from Kempten in Germany, before crossing into Austria just after passing through Pfronten
Pfronten
Pfronten is a municipality in the district of Ostallgäu in Bavaria in Germany.-External links: German Wikipedia article...
. It then transits the Außerfern
Außerfern
Außerfern refers to the district of Reutte in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol.- Etymology :The name is probably derived from Außer dem Fern...
area around Reutte
Reutte
Reutte is a market town in Tyrol, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Reutte district . Reutte is located on the Lech river, and has a population of 5,738 .- Neighbouring municipalities :...
, before passing back into Germany in order to terminate at Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
.
The line provides the only rail access to Reutte and the Außerfern, albeit one that requires any journey to or from the rest of Austria to pass through German territory. The line connects with the Mittenwald Railway and the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, with the former providing a link to the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
. It connects with the Bavarian Allgäu Railway and the Iller Valley Railway
Iller Valley Railway
The Iller Valley Railway , route no. KBS 975 is a non-electrified, single-tracked line running from Ulm via Memmingen and Kempten im Allgäu to Oberstdorf in southern Germany, the section from Kempten to Immenstadt being shared with the Allgäu Railway....
at Kempten.
The line was built in stages, between 1895 and 1913. Although the Austrian section of the line is maintained by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), all train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(DB).
History
The first plans for a mainline railway (Fernbahn) from Kempten over the Fern PassFern Pass
- Geography :Fern Pass is a mountain pass in the Tyrolean Alps in Austria. It is located between the Lechtal Alps on the west and the Mieming Mountains on the east. The highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze is only 13.5 km away to the northeast...
to Innsbruck surfaced in the second half of the 19th century. On 1 December 1895 the first section from Kempten to Pfronten-Ried was opened, followed in 1905 by its extension to Schönbichl. From Schönbichl there was a Lokalbahn branch line to Reutte.
A further extension of the line was discussed. There were three variants: Reutte–Ehrwald
Ehrwald
Ehrwald is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol.Ehrwald lies at the southern base of the Zugspitze , Germany's highest mountain, but which is shared with Austria. The town is connected to the Zugspitze with the Tyrolean Aerial Tramway .-References:...
–Gaistal–Leutasch
Leutasch
Leutasch is a municipality in the northern part of the district Innsbruck-Land and is located approximately 30 km northwest of Innsbruck. The beautiful valley lies within a 16 km long high-lying valley and possesses 2073 inhabitants and 26 hamlets....
, Reutte–Fern Pass–Imst
Imst
Imst is a city in the Austrian federal state of Tyrol. It lies on the River Inn in western Tyrol, some 55 km west of Innsbruck and at an altitude of 828 m above sea-level...
(Fernbahn) or Reutte–Ehrwald–Garmisch. Because Garmisch already had a connexion to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
at the time, a direct link from Munich to Innsbruck, and hence the development of the Außerfern region, suggested itself. The Mittenwald Railway from Garmisch to Innsbruck was opened in 1912 and the Garmisch–Reutte line on 29 May 1913. Both routes were electrified from the start.
Time and again there were discussions about building a line over the Fern Pass or to a junction with the line to Füssen
Füssen
Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu situated from the Austrian border. It is located on the banks of the Lech river. The River Lech flows into the Forggensee...
only four kilometres away, but these plans were never realised.
At various times the closure of the line was also discussed, last time in 2001, when the catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
was in a poor condition. In 2003 DB Regio
DB Regio
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates short and medium distance passenger train services in Germany, and operates light and heavy rail infrastructure in the United Kingdom.-Germany:...
was tasked with operating passenger services through the state of Tyrol. The catenary was dismantled and operations switched to the use of diesel trains. Soon after the catenary was reinstalled. Today (2010) the line is worked hourly by electric multiples.
Route
The railway begins in Kempten in the rolling Alpine Foreland and crosses the border with Austria between Pfronten and Schönbichl. It continues through Reutte and the surrounding Außerfern area around ReutteReutte
Reutte is a market town in Tyrol, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Reutte district . Reutte is located on the Lech river, and has a population of 5,738 .- Neighbouring municipalities :...
before crossing back to Germany between Ehrwald
Ehrwald
Ehrwald is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol.Ehrwald lies at the southern base of the Zugspitze , Germany's highest mountain, but which is shared with Austria. The town is connected to the Zugspitze with the Tyrolean Aerial Tramway .-References:...
and Griesen. Its longest tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
is the 512 metre long Katzenberg Tunnel, which is also called the Klausen Tunnel (after the Ehrenberger Klause) or Kesselwang Tunnel, between Reutte and Heiterwang
Heiterwang
Heiterwang is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol....
. Its maximum gradient is 37.5‰ or 3.75%
Percent sign
The percent sign is the symbol used to indicate a percentage .Related signs include the permille sign ‰ and the permyriad sign , which indicate that a number is divided by one thousand or ten thousand respectively...
.
Traffic
The section between Kempten and Reutte is mainly worked by diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s of classes 628
DB Class 628
The DB Class 628 is a twin-car, diesel multiple unit operated by the Deutsche Bahn AG for local passenger rail services.- Design :...
and 642; between Reutte and Garmisch electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s of classes 425 and 426
DBAG Class 425
The Classes 425 and 426 EMUs are a class of electric multiple units built by a consortium of Siemens, Bombardier and DWA and operated by DB Regio in Germany...
are employed. The operators for the entire route are Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(DB) (on the Tyrolean section BahnCard
BahnCard
BahnCard is a loyalty card offered by Deutsche Bahn , the German national railway company. Unlike airline loyalty programs, but similarly to the UK Young Persons Railcard, the BahnCard entitles the passenger to a discount price and must be purchased prior to travel.Like most contracts in Germany,...
s, Werdenfelstickets, Bayerntickets and Schönes-Wochenende-Tickets are valid), the maintenance of the infrastructure is the responsibility of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
Tourism
The stops on the Ausserfern Railway between Garmisch-PartenkirchenGarmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
and Reutte
Reutte
Reutte is a market town in Tyrol, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Reutte district . Reutte is located on the Lech river, and has a population of 5,738 .- Neighbouring municipalities :...
in Tyrol (Griesen
Griesen
Griesen is a village and a former municipality in the district of Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Oranienbaum-Wörlitz....
, Ehrwald
Ehrwald
Ehrwald is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol.Ehrwald lies at the southern base of the Zugspitze , Germany's highest mountain, but which is shared with Austria. The town is connected to the Zugspitze with the Tyrolean Aerial Tramway .-References:...
, Lermoos
Lermoos
Lermoos is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol. It consists of 2 places. Unterdorf and Oberdorf, which are separated from each other.Lermoos has a wide variety of shops including 2 supermarkets...
, Lähn
Bichlbach
Bichlbach is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol....
, Bichlbach
Bichlbach
Bichlbach is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol....
-Berwang
Berwang
Berwang is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol....
, Heiterwang
Heiterwang
Heiterwang is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol....
-Plansee, Pflach
Pflach
Pflach is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol....
) are start points for mountain tours in the Ammergau Alps
Ammergau Alps
The Ammergau Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Bavaria and Tyrol . They cover an area of about 30 x 30 km and begin at the outer edge of the Alps...
(Friederspitz
Friederspitz
Friederspitz is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
and Frieder, Schellschlicht
Schellschlicht
Schellschlicht is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany....
, Daniel, Hochschrutte, Plattberg, Säuling
Säuling
Säuling or Saulingspitze 2047m & 2038m is a twin peak mountain of the German Allgau however part of the peak is also in Austria....
), in the Miemingen Mountains (Ehrwalder Sonnenspitze) and in the Lechtal Alps
Lechtal Alps
The Lechtal Alps are a mountain-range in western Austria, and part of the greater Northern Limestone Alps range. Named for the Lech River which drains them north-ward into Germany, the Lechtal Alps occupy the Austrian states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg and are known for their diverse rock...
(Thaneller, Roter Stein, Pleisspitze).
On 28 January 2007 the Hausbergbahn halt at the valley station of the Hausberg Gondola Lift
Hausberg Gondola Lift
The Hausberg Gondola Lift runs from Garmisch-Partenkirchen in South Germany up to the Hausberg mountain and the "Classic" ski area of Hausberg-Alpspitze. It belongs to the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn company and is only operated in winter....
, which serves a ski area, was opened again on a seasonal basis for winter sport tourists. In the first quarter of 2007 and in the winter of 2007/2008 only special winter sport trains from Munich via Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the Hausbergbahn stopped at weekends. From 14 December 2008 to the end of the ski season at Hausberg on 19 April 2009 all passenger trains on the Ausserfern Railway called at the station, which is why the halt in Griesen was dropped.
Sources
- Siegfried Bufe: Außerfernbahn. Kempten, Reutte, Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Bufe-Fachbuch-Verlag, Egglham 2001, ISBN 3-922138-75-6.
- Wolfgang Krutiak: Mittenwaldbahn. Innsbruck – Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Geschichte, Technik und Landeskunde der Mittenwald- und Außerfernbahn Innsbruck – Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Reutte. 1 Übersichtskarte. Slezak, Vienna 1976, ISBN 3-900134-30-8.
- Günter Denoth (Red.), Helmuth Petrovitsch: … über den Fern. Die Mittenwaldbahn Innsbruck – Garmisch – Reutte, aufgelegt anlässlich "90 Jahre Ausserfernbahn" 14 September 2003. Specialist railway publications, Vol. 1. Eigenverlag Eisenbahnarchiv Tyrol, Neugötzens 2003.