Gera Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is the main station of the Thuringian town of Gera
. Gera is one of the largest cities in Germany with no long-distance rail connections and no electrified lines. The station is a significant regional transport hub. The station is classified by Deutsche Bahn
as a category 3 station
.
to Gera via Zeitz
(the Weißenfels–Zeitz and Leipzig–Probstzella lines). At that time, the first station was built at the site of today's Hauptbahnhof as the Prussian station (Preußische Bahnhof), as distinct from the Saxon station (Sächsischen Bahnhof) at today's Gera Süd station. In the following years further lines were built converging on Gera Hauptbahnhof: in 1865 the connection with the Leipzig–Hof line at Gößnitz
to the east, in 1871 to Saalfeld in the south-west (Leipzig–Probstzella line), in 1873 to Leipzig
in the north (Leipzig–Probstzella line), in 1875 to Plauen
in the south (Elster Valley Railway
), in 1876 to Erfurt
in the west (Weimar–Gera line) and to Zwickau in the south-east (Werdau–Weida–Mehltheuer line), in 1880 to Eisenberg
in the northwest (Crossen–Porstendorf line) and in 1883 to Zeulenroda-Triebes
and Hof
in the south east (Werdau–Weida–Mehltheuer line). Located north of the passenger station was a combined marshalling and yard, connected to a railway depot, both of which are now closed. In 1892, shortly after the opening of the tram network, a facility was built in the freight yard for transferring freight wagons, supported by metre-gauge tram bogies, over the tram lines to factories in Gera. A tram line was opened in 1893 from the station to the central city.
In 1881 the reception building was built by the architects of Hude & Hennicke. During the reconstruction of 1958/63 several ornaments were removed from the facade.
The heyday of the station was between the two world wars, after the glass concourse was completed in 1911. At that time some of the Berlin
–Leipzig–Munich
traffic ran via Gera and the lines to Saalfeld, Erfurt and Leipzig were double track.
After the Second World War, the second track was removed as war reparations
to the Soviet Union
. Gera lost its importance as a junction because of the division of German. The major north-south traffic from Berlin to Bavaria
no longer stopped at the station.
After German reunification
, some secondary lines were closed down (to Zwickau via Wünschendorf and to Eisenberg), while the building of new infrastructure has also been discussed. Politically, this is highly controversial, especially the Mid Germany Connection (Mitte-Deutschland-Verbindung), running in an east-west direction through Gera.
In the 1990s there were long-distance trains through Gera, but north–south traffic shifted to the electrified, double track and upgraded Saal line
through Jena
and east–west traffic runs on the electrified, double track and upgraded lines through Leipzig, so now only regional traffic runs through the station. Between 2002 and 2006, a private InterConnex
service operated to Berlin and on to Rostock
, but in 2006 it was replaced for cost reasons by an electrically operated service, which therefore had to terminate in Leipzig, rather than Gera.
. The Gera tramway was reconnected to the station and the Garden Show site at the same time.
Thuringia and Vogtlandbahn
stop in Gera Hbf (2010 timetable):
In addition, on Saturdays (during the summer timetable), a pair of RE trains run from Leipzig via Gera and Saalfeld to Blankenstein
(Schiefergebirgs-Express) and to Katzhütte
(Schwarzatal Express).
(light rail) line 1 of the Gera tramway has run through a tunnel under the platforms of the station.
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
. Gera is one of the largest cities in Germany with no long-distance rail connections and no electrified lines. The station is a significant regional transport hub. The 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....
.
History
The railway was extended in 1859 from WeißenfelsWeißenfels
Weißenfels is the largest town of the Burgenlandkreis district, in southern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approximately south of Halle.-History:...
to Gera via Zeitz
Zeitz
Zeitz is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.-History:...
(the Weißenfels–Zeitz and Leipzig–Probstzella lines). At that time, the first station was built at the site of today's Hauptbahnhof as the Prussian station (Preußische Bahnhof), as distinct from the Saxon station (Sächsischen Bahnhof) at today's Gera Süd station. In the following years further lines were built converging on Gera Hauptbahnhof: in 1865 the connection with the Leipzig–Hof line at Gößnitz
Gößnitz
Gößnitz is a town in the Altenburger Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Pleiße, 12 km south of Altenburg, and 20 km northwest of Zwickau....
to the east, in 1871 to Saalfeld in the south-west (Leipzig–Probstzella line), in 1873 to 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...
in the north (Leipzig–Probstzella line), in 1875 to Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
in the south (Elster Valley Railway
Elster Valley Railway
The Elster Valley Railway is a main railway line in the German federal states of Thuringia and Saxony that runs along the valley of the White Elster from Gera via Greiz and Plauen to Weischlitz.- History :...
), in 1876 to Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
in the west (Weimar–Gera line) and to Zwickau in the south-east (Werdau–Weida–Mehltheuer line), in 1880 to Eisenberg
Eisenberg, Thuringia
Eisenberg is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Saale-Holzland.Neighboring municipalities are Jena and Gera . West of Eisenberg runs the motorway A 9 from Berlin to Munich...
in the northwest (Crossen–Porstendorf line) and in 1883 to Zeulenroda-Triebes
Zeulenroda-Triebes
Zeulenroda-Triebes is a German town in the district of Greiz in the state of Thuringia.Zeulenroda-Triebes is situated in the south of Greiz in the mountains of the Thuringian Slate Mountains , on the border with Saxonia. The population of Zeulenroda-Triebes in 2006 was about 18000. The largest...
and Hof
Hof Hauptbahnhof
Hof Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Hof in southern Germany and is situated at the intersection of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line and the Munich–Regensburg–Leipzig–Berlin line...
in the south east (Werdau–Weida–Mehltheuer line). Located north of the passenger station was a combined marshalling and yard, connected to a railway depot, both of which are now closed. In 1892, shortly after the opening of the tram network, a facility was built in the freight yard for transferring freight wagons, supported by metre-gauge tram bogies, over the tram lines to factories in Gera. A tram line was opened in 1893 from the station to the central city.
In 1881 the reception building was built by the architects of Hude & Hennicke. During the reconstruction of 1958/63 several ornaments were removed from the facade.
The heyday of the station was between the two world wars, after the glass concourse was completed in 1911. At that time some of the Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
–Leipzig–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...
traffic ran via Gera and the lines to Saalfeld, Erfurt and Leipzig were double track.
After the Second World War, the second track was removed as war reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Gera lost its importance as a junction because of the division of German. The major north-south traffic from Berlin to 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...
no longer stopped at the station.
After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
, some secondary lines were closed down (to Zwickau via Wünschendorf and to Eisenberg), while the building of new infrastructure has also been discussed. Politically, this is highly controversial, especially the Mid Germany Connection (Mitte-Deutschland-Verbindung), running in an east-west direction through Gera.
In the 1990s there were long-distance trains through Gera, but north–south traffic shifted to the electrified, double track and upgraded Saal line
Saal Railway
The Saal Railway is a 153 kilometre-long double-track main line in the German state of Thuringia. It connects the Thuringian Railway at Großheringen with the Franconian Forest Railway at at Saalfeld and is part of the north-south main line, Munich–Nuremberg–Halle / Leipzig–Berlin...
through Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
and east–west traffic runs on the electrified, double track and upgraded lines through Leipzig, so now only regional traffic runs through the station. Between 2002 and 2006, a private InterConnex
Veolia Verkehr
Veolia Verkehr GmbH is a private operator of passenger buses and trains in Germany. On April 3, 2006, Connex Verkehr GmbH was renamed Veolia Verkehr GmbH, but the sister companies kept their current names....
service operated to Berlin and on to Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, but in 2006 it was replaced for cost reasons by an electrically operated service, which therefore had to terminate in Leipzig, rather than Gera.
2005–2007 reconstruction
From 2005 to 2007 the station was extensively renovated and formally re-dedicated in April 2007, shortly before the opening of the 2007 Federal Garden ShowBundesgartenschau
The Bundesgartenschau is the biennial Federal horticulture show in Germany. It also covers topics like landscaping. Taking place in different cities, the location changes in a two-year cycle....
. The Gera tramway was reconnected to the station and the Garden Show site at the same time.
Operations
The following lines of DB RegioDB 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:...
Thuringia and Vogtlandbahn
Vogtlandbahn
The Vogtlandbahn is a private railway company in Germany, which runs diesel trains on regional lines in the states of Saxony, Thuringia, Bavaria, Brandenburg, and Berlin and as well as routes into the Czech Republic...
stop in Gera Hbf (2010 timetable):
- Regional-Express (RE) 1: ChemnitzChemnitz Hauptbahnhofis the Hauptbahnhof of Chemnitz in Germany.-Station building :The station has a combination of terminating and through platforms. Platform tracks 1 to 9 terminate and tracks 10 to14 continue to the west of Chemnitz towards Zwickau, Nuremberg and Göttingen. Tracks 11 to 14 are reached by a passenger...
–ZwickauZwickau Hauptbahnhofis the main railway station of Zwickau in the German state of Saxony.-History :On 18 September 1845 Zwickau was connected by a branch line to the Leipzig–Reichenbach railway line...
–Gera–ErfurtErfurt Hauptbahnhofis the central railway station of Erfurt in Germany. It is an important junctions of the German railways and is served by numerous local and long-distance rail services. Immediately north of the station, is Erfurt's city center. It had approximately 12.5 million passengers in 2006, that is an...
–MühlhausenMühlhausen (Thür) stationMühlhausen station is a well served passenger station in the Unstrut-Hainich district and the only station in Mühlhausen in the German state of Thuringia...
–Göttingen - RE 3: Erfurt–Gera–AltenburgAltenburg stationAltenburg station is on the Saxon-Bavarian Railway from Leipzig to Hof in the city of Altenburg in the German state of Thuringia. South of Altenburg, in Lehndorf, the line to Gera branches to the west. Passenger services on other lines have been closed to Zeitz and to Narsdorf.-Terminal station...
- RE 4: Gera–WeidaWeida, ThuringiaWeida is a town in the district of Greiz, in Thuringia, Germany, situated 12 km south of Gera.-External links:*...
–Saalfeld (Leipzig–Probstzella line) - RE 12: Leipzig–Gera
- RE 37A: Gera–GößnitzGößnitzGößnitz is a town in the Altenburger Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Pleiße, 12 km south of Altenburg, and 20 km northwest of Zwickau....
–GlauchauGlauchau (Sachs) stationGlauchau station is the main station of Glauchau in southwest of the German state of Saxony on the Dresden–Werdau line. Glauchau also has another station at Glauchau-Schönbörnchen.-History :...
(Gera–Gößnitz line ) - RegionalbahnRegionalBahnThe 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) 21: Erfurt–Weimar–Gera (Holzland Railway ) - RB 33: Gera–Saalfeld (Leipzig–Probstzella line)
- RB 51: Gera–Leipzig (Leipzig–Probstzella line)
- RB 103: Gera–MehltheuerMehltheuerMehltheuer is a village and a former municipality in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the municipality Rosenbach....
(Werdau–Weida–Mehltheuer line) - VB 4: Gera–GreizGreizGreiz is a town in Thuringia, and it is the capital of the district of Greiz. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster....
–PlauenPlauenPlauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
–Weischlitz (Elster Valley RailwayElster Valley RailwayThe Elster Valley Railway is a main railway line in the German federal states of Thuringia and Saxony that runs along the valley of the White Elster from Gera via Greiz and Plauen to Weischlitz.- History :...
)
In addition, on Saturdays (during the summer timetable), a pair of RE trains run from Leipzig via Gera and Saalfeld to Blankenstein
Blankenstein
Blankenstein is a municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany.Blankenstein is also a quarter of the city Hattingen....
(Schiefergebirgs-Express) and to Katzhütte
Katzhütte
Katzhütte is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany.-History:Today’s borders of the place were formed by the consolidation of Katzhütte and Oelze to a big municipality in 1950. At the moment of its founding there were about 3800 inhabitants. After the...
(Schwarzatal Express).
Tracks
The station has several tracks, but only six of them have a platform. Trains currently operate (as of 2010) as follows:- Track 1: Trains to GreizGreizGreiz is a town in Thuringia, and it is the capital of the district of Greiz. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster....
/ PlauenPlauenPlauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
/ Weischlitz and ChebChebCheb is a city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic, with about 33,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the river Ohře , at the foot of one of the spurs of the Smrčiny and near the border with Germany... - Track 2: Trains to ErfurtErfurt Hauptbahnhofis the central railway station of Erfurt in Germany. It is an important junctions of the German railways and is served by numerous local and long-distance rail services. Immediately north of the station, is Erfurt's city center. It had approximately 12.5 million passengers in 2006, that is an...
/ LeinefeldeLeinefelde-Worbis“”Leinefelde-Worbis is a town in the district of Eichsfeld, in northwestern Thuringia, Germany. The town was formed on March 16, 2004, from the former independent towns Leinefelde and Worbis along with the municipalities of Breitenbach and Wintzingerode...
/ Göttingen and MehltheuerMehltheuerMehltheuer is a village and a former municipality in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the municipality Rosenbach....
/ HofHof HauptbahnhofHof Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Hof in southern Germany and is situated at the intersection of the Saxon-Franconian trunk line and the Munich–Regensburg–Leipzig–Berlin line...
/ RegensburgRegensburg Hauptbahnhofis the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Regensburg in southern Germany.- Location :Regensburg Hauptbahnhof is located on the southern edge of the old city in the immediate vicinity of Schloss St. Emmeram. In front of the station building are a taxi rank and the regional bus station. A short distance... - Track 3: Trains to LeipzigLeipzig Hauptbahnhofis, at 83,460 m², Europe's largest railway station when measured by floor area. It has 24 platforms housed in six iron trainsheds; a multi-level concourse with towering stone arches; and a 293 metre-long facade...
/ WeimarWeimar stationWeimar station is the main station in the city of Weimar in the German state of Thuringia, located on the Thuringian Railway. It is an Intercity-Express stop on the line between Frankfurt am Main and Dresden. Weimar station is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 2 station. It is officially...
/ Greiz and AltenburgAltenburg stationAltenburg station is on the Saxon-Bavarian Railway from Leipzig to Hof in the city of Altenburg in the German state of Thuringia. South of Altenburg, in Lehndorf, the line to Gera branches to the west. Passenger services on other lines have been closed to Zeitz and to Narsdorf.-Terminal station... - Track 4: Trains to Erfurt / ZeulenrodaZeulenroda-TriebesZeulenroda-Triebes is a German town in the district of Greiz in the state of Thuringia.Zeulenroda-Triebes is situated in the south of Greiz in the mountains of the Thuringian Slate Mountains , on the border with Saxonia. The population of Zeulenroda-Triebes in 2006 was about 18000. The largest...
and Saalfeld - Platform 5: Trains to Leipzig / Weimar / Saalfeld
- Track 6: trains to Leipzig / KatzhütteKatzhütteKatzhütte is a municipality in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, in Thuringia, Germany.-History:Today’s borders of the place were formed by the consolidation of Katzhütte and Oelze to a big municipality in 1950. At the moment of its founding there were about 3800 inhabitants. After the...
/ Saalfeld / ChemnitzChemnitz Hauptbahnhofis the Hauptbahnhof of Chemnitz in Germany.-Station building :The station has a combination of terminating and through platforms. Platform tracks 1 to 9 terminate and tracks 10 to14 continue to the west of Chemnitz towards Zwickau, Nuremberg and Göttingen. Tracks 11 to 14 are reached by a passenger...
, and ZwickauZwickau Hauptbahnhofis the main railway station of Zwickau in the German state of Saxony.-History :On 18 September 1845 Zwickau was connected by a branch line to the Leipzig–Reichenbach railway line...
Hauptbahnhof / Theatre bus and tram stop
The Gera bus station is in front of the station. It is the beginning and end of the regional transport bus routes of the Gera/Land Regional Transport Company (Regionalverkehr Gera/Land GmbH, RVG); the Passenger and Tourist Traffic Company (Personen- und Reiseverkehrs GmbH, PRG); the bus operator, Piehler; the THÜSAC Passenger Transport Company; and the Saale-Orla Rudolstadt Bus Transport Company (Omnibusverkehr Saale-Orla Rudolstadt GmbH, OVS). Since November 2006, the newly opened StadtbahnStadtbahn
A ' is a tramway or light railway that includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the building of tunnels in the central city area....
(light rail) line 1 of the Gera tramway has run through a tunnel under the platforms of the station.