Bremen–Hanover railway
Encyclopedia
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The Hanover-Bremen railway is one of the most important lines in the German state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. It connects the port city of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
via Verden an der Aller, Nienburg
Nienburg, Lower Saxony
Nienburg is a town and capital of the district Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Situated on the scenic German Framework Road, Nienburg lies on the river Weser, approximately southeast of Bremen, and northwest of Hanover...
and Wunstorf
Wunstorf
Wunstorf is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the city of Wunstorf: Blumenau , Bokeloh, Grossenheidorn, Idensen , Klein Heidorn, Kolenfeld, Luthe, Mesmerode, Steinhude, Wunstorf....
with Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. The 122.3 km-long, twin-track main line is continuously electrified. On the line between Bremen and Wunstorf the maximum speed is 160 km/h. Between Wunstorf and Hanover the maximum speed is 200 km/h. The maximum axle load is 22.5 tons, and the line is rated as class D4 (the highest class) in the German system of track classification.
History
The Bremen–Hanover line was built as a branch of the Hanover-Minden railway jointly by Royal Hanoverian State RailwaysRoyal Hanoverian State Railways
The Royal Hanoverian State Railways existed from 1843 until the annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866...
and Bremen State Railway
Bremen State Railway
The Bremen State Railway was a railway line built by the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen on Prussian state territory. In spite of its name and although owned by the state it was operated under Prussian law as a private railway...
and opened on 15 October 1847. Contrary to Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n wishes, the line began not in the Prussian border town of Minden but instead ran from the Hanoverian town of Wunstorf
Wunstorf
Wunstorf is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 22 km west of Hanover. The following localities belong to the city of Wunstorf: Blumenau , Bokeloh, Grossenheidorn, Idensen , Klein Heidorn, Kolenfeld, Luthe, Mesmerode, Steinhude, Wunstorf....
. Following its opening on 12 December 1847, the Wunstorf–Bremen line proved to be one of the most important railway lines in Germany, as it linked the port of Bremen and Lower Saxony to the factories of southern Germany.
It connects with the Bremen-Bremerhaven line (opened in 1862 and extended to Cuxhaven in 1899) and the Oldenburg–Bremen railway line (opened in July 1867 and extended to Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
in September 1867 and to Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
in 1869).
It connects with the America Line
America Line
The America Line is the unofficial name of a railway line in northern Germany which is mainly of regional importance today...
to Stendal
Stendal
Stendal is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark. Its population in 2001 was 38,900. It is located some west of Berlin and around east of Hanover...
and the Weser-Aller Railway
Weser-Aller Railway
The Weser-Aller Railway is an electrified railway line in northwestern Germany, that links Rotenburg in Lower Saxony with Minden in Westphalia. The Deutsche Reichsbahn built the line in 1928...
to Minden
Minden railway station
Minden station is a railway station in Minden. The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway to Hanover, the Hamm–Minden railway to Hamm and the Weser–Aller railway to Rotenburg an der Wümme...
and Rotenburg an der Wümme
Rotenburg an der Wümme
Rotenburg an der Wümme is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Rotenburg.-Geography:...
. Several branch connect (or once connected with the line: from Wunstorf to Stolzenau
Stolzenau
Stolzenau is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Weser, approx. 20 km southwest of Nienburg, and 25 km northeast of Minden.-External links:* * by Norman Streat* *...
(the Steinhuder Meer Railway); from Nienburg
Nienburg railway station
Nienburg is a railway station located in Nienburg, Germany.-History:The station is located on the Bremen–Hanover railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn. Nienburg is served by the S2. It is in the Außenraum zone of Hannover. For Information see www.gvh.de-Train services:The...
to Uchte
Uchte
Uchte is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 25 km southwest of Nienburg, and 25 km north of Minden.Uchte is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Uchte....
and Sulingen
Sulingen
Sulingen is a town in the district of Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximatively 30 km east of Diepholz, and 45 km south of Bremen....
; from Eystrup
Eystrup
Eystrup is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 15 km north of Nienburg, and 15 km south of Verden. Eystrup was the seat of the former Samtgemeinde Eystrup....
via Hoya
Hoya, Germany
Hoya is a town in the District of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left and right bank of the Weser, approx. 20 km north of Nienburg, and 15 km southwest of Verden....
and Bruchhausen-Vilsen
Bruchhausen-Vilsen
Bruchhausen-Vilsen is a municipality in the Diepholz district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southeast of Bremen. The nearby communities of Berxen, Bruchhöfen, Bruchmühlen, Dille, Gehlbergen, Heiligenberg, Homfeld, Nenndorf, Riethausen, Stapelshorn, Wöpse, Oerdinghausen, Scholen,...
to Syke
Syke
Syke is a town in the district of Diepholz, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km south of Bremen....
(Verkehrsbetriebe Grafschaft Hoya); and from Verden an der Aller via Schwarmstedt
Schwarmstedt
Schwarmstedt is a municipality in the Heidekreis in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the confluence of the rivers Aller and Leine, approx. 20 km south of Bad Fallingbostel, and 30 km east of Nienburg...
to Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
(Aller Valley Railway
Aller Valley Railway
The Aller Valley Railway was a railway line of regional importance in Lower Saxony. It ran along the river Aller and linked Gifhorn with Verden via Celle, Schwarmstedt, Rethem and Wahnebergen....
) and to Walsrode
Walsrode
-Middle Ages:986 Foundation of Walsrode Abbey by Count Walo. The first recorded mentionof the town is dated May 7, 986.1383 The dukes of Brunswick and Lüneburg grant Walsrode a town charter.1479 First recorded instance of Walsrode's coat of arms...
(Verden–Walsrode Railway).
Rail services
The route is as mixed traffic route that is heavily frequented by both passenger and freight trains. There is a controversial proposal to construct a high speed Y-line connecting Hanover to HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Bremen, which would somewhat reduce passenger train times and create greater capacity for freight. All passenger services are provided 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...
.
Passengers
Passenger services operate between Bremen and Hanover on Intercity-Express (ICE) run line 25 between Bremen and MunichMunich
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...
and on Intercity
Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)
Intercity is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the ICE. Intercity services are loco-hauled express services, usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany, and routes generally operate with a two-hour frequency, with multiple routes giving a more...
(IC) line 56 between Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
and Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
every two hours during most of the day. ICE trains stop only at Bremen
Bremen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bremen in northwestern Germany. It is the most important rail station for both the city and the state of Bremen; InterCityExpress, Intercity, EuroCity, CityNightLine and DB NachtZug services call at the station, which is situated to the Northeast of the city...
and Hanover Hauptbahnhofs. Some ICE trains operate to or from Oldenburg. The InterCity trains (which run in the hours when the ICE services do not run) stop at Verden and Nienburg. One IC service each day continues to Emden or Norddeich Mole
Norden, Lower Saxony
Norden is a town in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea shore, in East Frisia.-External links:* *...
.
Regional
Wunstorf railway station
Wunstorf is a railway station located in Wunstorf, Germany. The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway and the Bremen–Hanover railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn...
, Neustadt am Rübenberge
Neustadt am Rübenberge railway station
Neustadt am Rübenberge is a railway station located in Neustadt am Rübenberge, Germany.-History:The station is located on the Bremen–Hanover railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn as part of the Hanover S-Bahn. Neustadt am Rübenberge is served by the S2. It is in the Region zone...
, Nienburg
Nienburg railway station
Nienburg is a railway station located in Nienburg, Germany.-History:The station is located on the Bremen–Hanover railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn. Nienburg is served by the S2. It is in the Außenraum zone of Hannover. For Information see www.gvh.de-Train services:The...
, Eystrup
Eystrup
Eystrup is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 15 km north of Nienburg, and 15 km south of Verden. Eystrup was the seat of the former Samtgemeinde Eystrup....
, Dörverden
Dörverden
Dörverden is a municipality in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 8 km south of Verden, and 40 km southeast of Bremen....
, Verden an der Aller, Achim
Achim
Achim is a municipality and the largest town in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 17 km northwest of Verden, and 16 km southeast of Bremen. The mayor is Uwe Kellner.-Geography:Achim lies in a valley of the Weser...
, Bremen-Sebaldsbrück (some trains) and Bremen Hauptbahnhof
Bremen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bremen in northwestern Germany. It is the most important rail station for both the city and the state of Bremen; InterCityExpress, Intercity, EuroCity, CityNightLine and DB NachtZug services call at the station, which is situated to the Northeast of the city...
. These services are operated by DB class146.1 (TRAXX)
TRAXX
Bombardier TRAXX is a modular product platform of electric and Diesel-electric mainline locomotives built by Bombardier Transportation, built in both freight and passenger variants...
trains at speeds up to 160 km/h hauling five (Bremen–Hanover) or six (Norddeich Mole–Hanover) carriages.
Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
(RB) trains run hourly on the northern section between Verden and Bremen-Vegesack
Bremen-Vegesack
-Geography:Vegesack is located at the mouth of the river Lesum, beside the Weser River . Abutting the district of Vegesack to the northwest is the district of Blumenthal, in the southeast the district of Burglesum...
; in the weekday peak hours they run every 30 minutes. Regionalbahn trains stop at all stations of the line. These trains are made up of double-decker carriages hauled by DB Class 111
DB Class 111
The Baureihe 111 is a class of electric locomotives built for the Deutsche Bundesbahn, and now owned by Deutsche Bahn AG.- History :Class 111 is the successor of the Class 110 express Einheitslokomotive...
locomotives. Every two hours Regionalbahn trains run on the America line
Uelzen–Langwedel railway
The Uelzen–Langwedel railway runs through the Lüneburg Heath in north Germany in an east-west direction.- Imperial era :The Bremen State Railway, as it was first called, was originally built by the Bremen Senate and opened in 1873. It runs from Lower Saxon Langwedel eastwards through the Lüneburg...
between Brunswick
Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of the German city Braunschweig. It is about 1.5 km to the southeast the city center and was opened on October 1, 1960, replacing the old passenger station on the southern edge of the old town.-History:...
, Uelzen
Uelzen
Uelzen is a town in northeast Lower Saxony, Germany, and capital of the county of Uelzen. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, a Hanseatic town and an independent municipality....
and Bremen, stopping only at Langwedel and Achim on the Bremen–Hanover line.
In suburban Hanover services are provided by the Hanover S-Bahn
Hanover S-Bahn
The Hanover S-Bahn is an S-Bahn network operated by DB Regio in the area of Hanover in the German state capital of Lower Saxony...
. S-Bahn trains run between Hanover and Seelze
Seelze railway station
-History:The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway and the Bremen–Hanover railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn as part of the Hanover S-Bahn. Seelze is served by the S1 and S2. It is in the Umland zone of Hannover. For Information see www.gvh.de-Train services:The...
on separate tracks. Line S1 runs between Minden
Minden railway station
Minden station is a railway station in Minden. The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway to Hanover, the Hamm–Minden railway to Hamm and the Weser–Aller railway to Rotenburg an der Wümme...
, Hanover and Haste
Haste (Han) railway station
Haste is a railway station located in Haste, Germany. The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn.The S1 service operates a circle through Hannover and finishes here...
and S2 between Nienburg, Hanover and Haste, each running hourly, thus providing a service every 30 minutes on the common section between Wunstorf and Hanover.
Freight traffic
Regular container trains run on the line to and from Bremerhaven. The Seelze marshalling in Hanover yard is a major node for rail freight transport in northern Germany. Between Seelze and Wunstorf freight trains use a separate freight line. Additional freight trains run between Verden and Nienburg running on the Weser-Aller RailwayWeser-Aller Railway
The Weser-Aller Railway is an electrified railway line in northwestern Germany, that links Rotenburg in Lower Saxony with Minden in Westphalia. The Deutsche Reichsbahn built the line in 1928...
between Hamburg and Minden.