Esslingen (Neckar) station
Encyclopedia
Esslingen station is the most important station in the town of Esslingen am Neckar
in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
and is located 13.2 kilometres from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
on the Fils Valley Railway.
, the Württemberg Central Railway , connecting Esslingen, Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg
. Benefitting from the flat route along the Neckar
, the work went forward quickly and Eßlingen station was opened to traffic on 20 November 1845. It had a two-storey entrance building and a locomotive depot. Later a residence for railway officials was added.
Not all members of the district’s council saw the new transport mode as an advantage. It was the end of the line, but it was not long before construction of the Fils Valley line continued. They feared that Eßlingen station would become a minor maintenance station on the Eastern Railway between Stuttgart and Ulm. Due to the geographical location in the valley between the Filder plateau and Schurwald
range, there was no question of it becoming a railway junction. Nevertheless, Eßlingen subsequently industrialised along with the rest of Germany. The numerous old factory buildings in the western part of Esslingen still bear witness to the industrialisation in the late 19th and early 20 century.
In 1852 the Royal Württemberg State Railways
(Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen, KWStE), built a second track on the Fils Valley line between Cannstatt
and Plochingen
.
The station was overloaded and had to be enlarged. This resulted in a shift of the entire complex to the west. The KWStE constructed of a new entrance building on Friedrichstraße (now called Berliner Straße). Now there were ten tracks and four platforms. The freight yard had several sheds. In 1884, the city built the Bahnhofsplatz (“railway forecourt”) in front of the station. The depot premises at 2 Bahnhofsplatz 1899 is obliquely across from the post office that was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1901 and demolished in 2001. In 1909 the customs house in Eisenbahnstraße (now Fleischmannstraße) was added in the Art Nouveau
style.
At the beginning of the 20th century a new railway was proposed to relieve the busy Fils Valley line, especially of freight traffic. The line would run along the south bank of the Neckar through Esslingen with a station south of the Neckar in the Pliensauvorstadt district. In 1909, decided the Württemberg State Railways decided for cost reasons not to build the new line as far as Plochingen, but only up to the existing Eßlingen station, running over a 260 metre-long bridge over the Neckar. Since the proposed railway line was always in competition with proposals to quadruplicate the Fils Valley line, it was postponed and ultimately never built.
In 1912, the Eslingen Tramway (Eßlinger Städtische Straßenbahn) was opened. The tram stop on Bahnhofsplatz served both of its lines: the through line from Obertürkheim to Oberesslingen and the city line, running on a ring through the old town. The latter ran only until 1915. Trams ran on the through line until 1944, when it was replaced by the Esslingen am Neckar trolleybus system
.
The Esslingen–Nellingen–Denkendorf Tramway (Straßenbahn Esslingen–Nellingen–Denkendorf GmbH, END) terminated at a return loop in the Bahnhofsplatz from 1926 to 1978. The interurban
tramway linked the communities on the Filder plateau, Nellingen and Denkendorf
with Esslingen. In 1929, a branch to Scharnhausen and Neuhausen auf den Fildern
was added.
From 14 October 1931, the Fils Valley line between Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and Esslingen was made four-track. Electrification was inaugurated on the line on 15 May 1933 and suburban services were subsequently established to Stuttgart; these later developed into the Stuttgart S-Bahn
. On 15 May 1939 Eßlingen station was renamed Eßlingen (Neckar) station. The station was renamed Esslingen (Neckar) station on 27 September 1965, after the city had similarly changed its spelling in the previous year.
It appears that the statement of the skeptical city officials in the mid-19th century has become true in part. Although Esslingen station is now a transfer point between the S-Bahn and regional trains, all long-distance trains pass by without stopping. Nevetheless, it is not an insignificant station.
Construction of the first single-storey station building in 1846 was probably led by George Morlok to a design by Michael Knoll. Knoll’s design was in a simple style and a slim, eight-axis construction with a gable roof. On the city side there was an entranceway through an arcade.
In the 1880s, Esslingen had over 20,000 inhabitants and was the fourth largest city in Württemberg. Therefore, the state railway built a magnificent new entrance building in response to the otherwise frugal station. It was built from 1882 to 1883 in an Italian renaissance style. The building consists an elongated 15-axis, single-story central building and two two-story wing buildings. The central section is preceded by a portico.
For the design of the entrance portal in the centre of the middle section, the architect was probably inspired by a Roman triumphal arch. The Württemberg coat of arms surrounded by oak leaves and laurels is clearly visible above the entrance. Above that is inscribed MDCCCLXXXIII (1883). On the buttress below is inscribed in large letters the word Bahnhof (station). The old station building, which stood at the end of the street of Bahnhofstraße was closed. Part of it was acquired by the Friedr. Dick Company, which rebuilt it on its factory premises as an office building. It were demolished in the late 1980s.
The entrance building was rehabilitated with energy-saving measures under the 2009 economic stimulus package. In addition to the platforms were made more accessible by lifts.
. Track 1 and the main platform no longer exist. No trains are scheduled to stop on track 2. Track 3 is used by regional trains running to Bad Cannstatt
. Track 4 has no platform, and is used by fast-moving long-distance and freight trains. Tracks 5 and 6 are used by regional trains running towards Plochingen. Track 7 is used by regional and S-Bahn trains towards Bad Cannstatt and track 8 is used for services towards Plochingen. Tracks 9 and 10 are used by freight and terminate at a buffer in the Plochingen direction.
Esslingen (Neckar) station is classified by Deutsche Bahn
as a category 3 station
.
Esslingen am Neckar
Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest city in the district....
in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
and is located 13.2 kilometres from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Stuttgart, the capital of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany. It is the largest regional and long-distance railway station in Stuttgart, the main node of the Stuttgart S-Bahn network, and, together with the halt at Charlottenplatz, the main...
on the Fils Valley Railway.
History
The former imperial city of Esslingen (then spelt Eßlingen) was at the end of the first railway line in WürttembergWürttemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, the Württemberg Central Railway , connecting Esslingen, Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg station
Ludwigsburg station is in Ludwigsburg in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on the Franconia Railway and the Backnang–Bietigheim line. It is served by regional trains and the Stuttgart S-Bahn. Until 2005 the Ludwigsburg–Markgröningen lines also connected to the station...
. Benefitting from the flat route along the Neckar
Neckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
, the work went forward quickly and Eßlingen station was opened to traffic on 20 November 1845. It had a two-storey entrance building and a locomotive depot. Later a residence for railway officials was added.
Not all members of the district’s council saw the new transport mode as an advantage. It was the end of the line, but it was not long before construction of the Fils Valley line continued. They feared that Eßlingen station would become a minor maintenance station on the Eastern Railway between Stuttgart and Ulm. Due to the geographical location in the valley between the Filder plateau and Schurwald
Schurwald
The Schurwald is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany, which at its highest point is 513.2 m above sea level.It is one of the most important Recreation areas for the Stuttgart area...
range, there was no question of it becoming a railway junction. Nevertheless, Eßlingen subsequently industrialised along with the rest of Germany. The numerous old factory buildings in the western part of Esslingen still bear witness to the industrialisation in the late 19th and early 20 century.
In 1852 the Royal Württemberg State Railways
Royal Württemberg State Railways
The Royal Württemberg State Railways were the state railways of the Kingdom of Württemberg between 1843 and 1920...
(Königlich Württembergische Staats-Eisenbahnen, KWStE), built a second track on the Fils Valley line between Cannstatt
Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt station
Bad Cannstatt station is the second largest station of the German city of Stuttgart after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and has eight platform tracks. Together with Untertürkheim station, it is the oldest station in Württemberg.-History:...
and Plochingen
Plochingen station
Plochingen station is the only station in the town of Plochingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the most important railway junction of the Esslingen district...
.
The station was overloaded and had to be enlarged. This resulted in a shift of the entire complex to the west. The KWStE constructed of a new entrance building on Friedrichstraße (now called Berliner Straße). Now there were ten tracks and four platforms. The freight yard had several sheds. In 1884, the city built the Bahnhofsplatz (“railway forecourt”) in front of the station. The depot premises at 2 Bahnhofsplatz 1899 is obliquely across from the post office that was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1901 and demolished in 2001. In 1909 the customs house in Eisenbahnstraße (now Fleischmannstraße) was added in the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style.
At the beginning of the 20th century a new railway was proposed to relieve the busy Fils Valley line, especially of freight traffic. The line would run along the south bank of the Neckar through Esslingen with a station south of the Neckar in the Pliensauvorstadt district. In 1909, decided the Württemberg State Railways decided for cost reasons not to build the new line as far as Plochingen, but only up to the existing Eßlingen station, running over a 260 metre-long bridge over the Neckar. Since the proposed railway line was always in competition with proposals to quadruplicate the Fils Valley line, it was postponed and ultimately never built.
In 1912, the Eslingen Tramway (Eßlinger Städtische Straßenbahn) was opened. The tram stop on Bahnhofsplatz served both of its lines: the through line from Obertürkheim to Oberesslingen and the city line, running on a ring through the old town. The latter ran only until 1915. Trams ran on the through line until 1944, when it was replaced by the Esslingen am Neckar trolleybus system
Trolleybuses in Esslingen am Neckar
The Esslingen am Neckar trolleybus system serves the city of Esslingen am Neckar, in the Land of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.Opened on 10 July 1944, the system had two lines, and nine trolleybuses, as at 2011.-See also:*Esslingen station...
.
The Esslingen–Nellingen–Denkendorf Tramway (Straßenbahn Esslingen–Nellingen–Denkendorf GmbH, END) terminated at a return loop in the Bahnhofsplatz from 1926 to 1978. The interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
tramway linked the communities on the Filder plateau, Nellingen and Denkendorf
Denkendorf, Baden-Württemberg
Denkendorf is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located 5 km south of Esslingen, and 14 km southeast of Stuttgart.-References:...
with Esslingen. In 1929, a branch to Scharnhausen and Neuhausen auf den Fildern
Neuhausen auf den Fildern
Neuhausen auf den Fildern is a municipality in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located 13 km southeast of Stuttgart.-References:...
was added.
From 14 October 1931, the Fils Valley line between Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and Esslingen was made four-track. Electrification was inaugurated on the line on 15 May 1933 and suburban services were subsequently established to Stuttgart; these later developed into the Stuttgart S-Bahn
Stuttgart S-Bahn
The Stuttgart S-Bahn is a suburban railway system serving the Stuttgart Region, an agglomeration of around 2.6 million people, consisting of the city of Stuttgart and the adjacent districts of Esslingen, Böblingen, Ludwigsburg and Rems-Murr. It consists of seven lines numbered S1 through S6 and...
. On 15 May 1939 Eßlingen station was renamed Eßlingen (Neckar) station. The station was renamed Esslingen (Neckar) station on 27 September 1965, after the city had similarly changed its spelling in the previous year.
It appears that the statement of the skeptical city officials in the mid-19th century has become true in part. Although Esslingen station is now a transfer point between the S-Bahn and regional trains, all long-distance trains pass by without stopping. Nevetheless, it is not an insignificant station.
Entrance building
Construction of the first single-storey station building in 1846 was probably led by George Morlok to a design by Michael Knoll. Knoll’s design was in a simple style and a slim, eight-axis construction with a gable roof. On the city side there was an entranceway through an arcade.
| Entrance building in 1882/83, city side |
In the 1880s, Esslingen had over 20,000 inhabitants and was the fourth largest city in Württemberg. Therefore, the state railway built a magnificent new entrance building in response to the otherwise frugal station. It was built from 1882 to 1883 in an Italian renaissance style. The building consists an elongated 15-axis, single-story central building and two two-story wing buildings. The central section is preceded by a portico.
For the design of the entrance portal in the centre of the middle section, the architect was probably inspired by a Roman triumphal arch. The Württemberg coat of arms surrounded by oak leaves and laurels is clearly visible above the entrance. Above that is inscribed MDCCCLXXXIII (1883). On the buttress below is inscribed in large letters the word Bahnhof (station). The old station building, which stood at the end of the street of Bahnhofstraße was closed. Part of it was acquired by the Friedr. Dick Company, which rebuilt it on its factory premises as an office building. It were demolished in the late 1980s.
The entrance building was rehabilitated with energy-saving measures under the 2009 economic stimulus package. In addition to the platforms were made more accessible by lifts.
Rail services
The station is served by regional trains and line S 1 of the Stuttgart S-BahnStuttgart S-Bahn
The Stuttgart S-Bahn is a suburban railway system serving the Stuttgart Region, an agglomeration of around 2.6 million people, consisting of the city of Stuttgart and the adjacent districts of Esslingen, Böblingen, Ludwigsburg and Rems-Murr. It consists of seven lines numbered S1 through S6 and...
. Track 1 and the main platform no longer exist. No trains are scheduled to stop on track 2. Track 3 is used by regional trains running to Bad Cannstatt
Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt station
Bad Cannstatt station is the second largest station of the German city of Stuttgart after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and has eight platform tracks. Together with Untertürkheim station, it is the oldest station in Württemberg.-History:...
. Track 4 has no platform, and is used by fast-moving long-distance and freight trains. Tracks 5 and 6 are used by regional trains running towards Plochingen. Track 7 is used by regional and S-Bahn trains towards Bad Cannstatt and track 8 is used for services towards Plochingen. Tracks 9 and 10 are used by freight and terminate at a buffer in the Plochingen direction.
Esslingen (Neckar) station is classified 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...
as a category 3 station
German railway station categories
About 5,400 railway stations in Germany that are owned and operated by the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary DB Station&Service are assigned into seven categories, denoting the service level available at the station....
.
Regional services
| Line | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|
| align="center" style="width:5em" | R1 | Stuttgart Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Stuttgart, the capital of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany. It is the largest regional and long-distance railway station in Stuttgart, the main node of the Stuttgart S-Bahn network, and, together with the halt at Charlottenplatz, the main... – Bad Cannstatt Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt station Bad Cannstatt station is the second largest station of the German city of Stuttgart after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and has eight platform tracks. Together with Untertürkheim station, it is the oldest station in Württemberg.-History:... – Esslingen (Neckar) – Plochingen Plochingen station Plochingen station is the only station in the town of Plochingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the most important railway junction of the Esslingen district... – Göppingen Göppingen station Göppingen station is a station in the town of Göppingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is a transit station and is situated km 42.1) from Stuttgart on the Fils Valley Railway, which was completed in 1850 from Stuttgart to Ulm.-Location :... – Geislingen (Steige) Geislingen an der Steige Geislingen an der Steige is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.-History:Although the area had settlements since the Bronze Age, Geislingen was founded by the counts of Helfenstein as a transit collection station on the important commercial route between the... – Ulm Ulm Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof or central railway station for the city of Ulm, which lies on the Danube, on the border of the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. It is on ICE line from Stuttgart to Munich and the Paris –Budapest Magistrale for Europe line that is supported by the European Union... |
60 minutes |
| align="center" | R8 | Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt – Esslingen (Neckar) – Plochingen – Nürtingen Nürtingen Nürtingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Neckar.-History:The following events occurred, by year:*1046 : First mention of Niuritingin in the document of Speyer... – Metzingen Metzingen Metzingen is a Swabian city with about 22,000 inhabitants, in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany, south of Stuttgart.-History:The city is mentioned for the first time in documents from 1075... – Reutlingen Reutlingen Reutlingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828.... – Tübingen Tübingen Hauptbahnhof is a transport node in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the largest station in the university town of Tübingen and the district of Tübingen.-Location :... |
60 minutes (from noon to dusk: 30 minutes) |
| R1 | Stuttgart – Bad Cannstatt – Esslingen (Neckar) – Plochingen – Göppingen – Geislingen (Steige) (– Ulm) | 30 minutes |
S-Bahn
| Line | Route |
|---|---|
| Kirchheim (Teck) – Wendlingen Wendlingen (Neckar) station Wendlingen station is the only station in the town of Wendlingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is a railway junction on the Neckar-Alb Railway from which the Teck Railway branches... – Plochingen – Esslingen – Neckarpark Stuttgart Neckarpark station Neckarpark station is in the German city of Stuttgart and is located at the chainage of 5.6 kilometres on the Fils Valley Railway and is a station on the network of the Stuttgart S-Bahn.-History : The Cannstatter Wasen has been a fairground and exhibition area since the... – Bad Cannstatt – Hauptbahnhof – Schwabstraße Stuttgart Schwabstraße station Schwabstraße underground station is in Stuttgart-West district, west of the centre of the German city of Stuttgart and was at the end of the first section of the Connection line , the original underground section of the Stuttgart S-Bahn. Several lines of the S-Bahn terminate at the station... – Vaihingen Stuttgart-Vaihingen station Vaihingen station is located on the on the Gäu Railway in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is served by regional services and Stuttgart S-Bahn lines S1, S2 and S3... – Rohr Stuttgart-Rohr station Rohr station is located the chainage of 16.7 km on the Gäu Railway and is a station in the network of the Stuttgart S-Bahn.-History :... – Böblingen Böblingen station Böblingen station is located on the on the Gäu Railway and is at the start of the Rankbach Railway and the Schönbuch Railway . It is served by regional services and Stuttgart S-Bahn line S 1... – Herrenberg Herrenberg station Herrenberg station is located on the on the Gäu Railway and is at the start of the Ammer Valley Railway . Because it is a stop for Regional-Express services and it is a terminus for both Stuttgart S-Bahn line S 1 and Regionalbahn services from Tübingen and Bondorf, it is an important transport node... |