Landrückentunnel
Encyclopedia
The Landrücken Tunnel is a railway tunnel
on the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line. With a length of 10779 metres (35,364.2 ft) it is the longest tunnel
in Germany
.
n between the stations of Fulda
and Würzburg
. Between the northern tunnel entrance of Kalbach (50° 24′ 22″N, 9° 39′3″E) and the southern end at Mottgers (50° 18′35″N, 9° 39′47″E) it crosses the Landrücken range which forms the Rhein-Weser drainage divide dividing the river basins of the Fulda and Main.
Landrücken Tunnel was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling method
working from the north portal
, known as "Baulos Nord" and two side accesses ("Baulos Mitte" and "Baulos Süd"). In addition, three shafts were established for ventilation during tunnel boring.
The tunnel opened in 1988 with a total tunnel cross section
of 100 to 110 m² (119.6 to 131.6 ) and a maximum 1.25% gradient
. It surpassed the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel near Cochem
as the longest railway tunnel in Germany.
Outside the north portal of the tunnel, at 380m altitude
is the summit
of the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line.
On April 26, 2008, at 9:05pm, ICE train 885 derailed at 215 kilometres per hour (133.6 mph) inside the tunnel on its way from Hamburg
to Munich
with 170 people on board. The train collided with a herd of sheep that strayed in the tunnel. 25 people were injured, 12 of the 14 cars were derailed.
-Elm on the Kinzig Valley Railway
, was the first railway to traverse the Landrücken drainage divide.
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...
on the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line. With a length of 10779 metres (35,364.2 ft) it is the 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...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Geography
The tunnel is in east HesseHesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
n between the stations of Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. Between the northern tunnel entrance of Kalbach (50° 24′ 22″N, 9° 39′3″E) and the southern end at Mottgers (50° 18′35″N, 9° 39′47″E) it crosses the Landrücken range which forms the Rhein-Weser drainage divide dividing the river basins of the Fulda and Main.
Description of tunnel
The double-trackDouble track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
Landrücken Tunnel was built using the New Austrian Tunnelling method
New Austrian Tunnelling method
The New Austrian Tunnelling method was developed between 1957 and 1965 in Austria. It was given its name in Salzburg in 1962 to distinguish it from old Austrian tunnelling approach. The main contributors to the development of NATM were Ladislaus von Rabcewicz, Leopold Müller and Franz Pacher...
working from the north portal
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
, known as "Baulos Nord" and two side accesses ("Baulos Mitte" and "Baulos Süd"). In addition, three shafts were established for ventilation during tunnel boring.
The tunnel opened in 1988 with a total tunnel cross section
Cross section (geometry)
In geometry, a cross-section is the intersection of a figure in 2-dimensional space with a line, or of a body in 3-dimensional space with a plane, etc...
of 100 to 110 m² (119.6 to 131.6 ) and a maximum 1.25% gradient
Gradient
In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar field is a vector field that points in the direction of the greatest rate of increase of the scalar field, and whose magnitude is the greatest rate of change....
. It surpassed the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel near Cochem
Cochem
Cochem is the seat of and the biggest place in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just under 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the like-named district, as Germany's second smallest district seat...
as the longest railway tunnel in Germany.
Outside the north portal of the tunnel, at 380m altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
is the summit
Route summit
A route summit is the highest point on a transportation route crossing higher ground. The term is often used in describing railway routes, less often in road transportation...
of the Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line.
Technical data
- length: 10779 m (35,364.2 ft)
- year of opening: 1988
- tracks: two
- track separation: 4.7 m (15.4 ft)
- tunnel cross sectionCross section (geometry)In geometry, a cross-section is the intersection of a figure in 2-dimensional space with a line, or of a body in 3-dimensional space with a plane, etc...
area: 100 square metre - steepest gradient: 1.25%
- speed limit: 250 km/h (155.3 mph)
- equipment: Electrified, LZB signallingRailway signalA signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
, "Zugfunk" radioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, GSM-RGSM-RGSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System , it is used for communication between train and railway regulation...
, BOS-Funk, C-Netz (from 1992 to 2000), GSM900/1800 (T-mobileT-MobileT-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, VodafoneVodafoneVodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
and Eplus since the middle of 2006), FM radio, wind direction measuring system, two emergency exits)
Accidents
Hamburg
-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...
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...
with 170 people on board. The train collided with a herd of sheep that strayed in the tunnel. 25 people were injured, 12 of the 14 cars were derailed.
Distelrasen-Tunnel
A few kilometers west of the Landrücken Tunnel, the Distelrasen-Tunnel built in 1914, near SchlüchternSchlüchtern
Schlüchtern is a town in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hessen, Germany. It is located on the river Kinzig at the southwest of a hill called Landrücken, approx. 30 km southwest of Fulda.-History:...
-Elm on the Kinzig Valley Railway
Kinzig Valley Railway (Hesse)
The Frankfurt–Bebra Railway runs from Bebra to Frankfurt am Main via Fulda, Gelnhausen, Hanau and Offenbach am Main in south central Germany. The southern section between Fulda and Frankfurt is known as the Kinzig Valley Railway due to the route it follows through the Kinzig Valley.This important...
, was the first railway to traverse the Landrücken drainage divide.