Niedernhausen station
Encyclopedia
Niedernhausen station serves the municipality of Niedernhausen
in the German state of Hesse
. It is the most important station on the Main-Lahn Railway between the stations of Frankfurt-Höchst
and Eschhofen in Limburg an der Lahn
. It is the terminus of the Ländches Railway running from Niedernhausen to Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof
and of line S2
of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn
from Frankfurt
.
with the Main-Lahn Railway (Main-Lahn-Bahn) from Frankfurt to Limburg
in 1877. The last section of the route between Frankfurt-Höchst and Idstein
was opened on 15 October 1877. This completed the link between the Rhine-Main area
and the Limburg Basin. With the opening of the Ländches Railway (Ländchesbahn) between Niedernhausen and Wiesbaden in 1879, Niedernhausen became the main station between Höchst and Eschhofen in Limburg, where the Main-Lahn Railway connects with the Lahn Valley Railway. As a railway junction station Niedernhausen received a roundhouse
(now converted into six loft
apartments) with a turntable, a water tower, a coal bunker and sidings for the operation of steam locomotives. The engine shed and water tower now have heritage protection. The first station building was built in 1880. It was replaced on 1 January 1906 by a prestigious new building. The station was instrumental in the revival of the small town and its neighboring communities. From the turn of the century, Niedernhausen became a health resort as its spa
guests could now easily arrive by train. In 1913, with the construction of the second track, the level crossing to the neighbouring community of Königshofen was replaced by a modern railway overbridge.
In the Second World War, the station was the target of several air attacks. The heaviest of them was on 22 February 1945, destroying the station building, large parts of the railway tracks, 30 locomotives and about a dozen parked carriages. After the war, reconstruction began. A new station building was built with an interlocking
. The number of railway employees rose to 100 people. The shift of freight transport to trucks later led to the closure of freight services at the station. With the end of the steam locomotive era in October 1973, the no longer needed facilities were dismantled. On 25 August 1975, the Rhine-Main S-Bahn commenced operations and Niedernhausen was the terminus of line R2 (renamed S2 in 1978). From 1978, it ran through the new Frankfurt S-Bahn tunnel from the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof low level
to Hauptwache
. In 1983, the Frankfurt S-Bahn tunnel was extended from Hauptwache to Konstablerwache
and in 1990 to Frankfurt South station. In 1993, the S2 was diverted to run from Konstablerwache to Mühlberg station, before finally being extended in 2003 through a tunnel under Offenbach and connected over the Rodgau Railway
to Dietzenbach. The electrification of the line to Limburg was completed in 1988. Since 2004 the Ländches Railway has been operated by vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft. The central bus station of the municipality is in front of to the station building.
During construction of the Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed line, a track ran temporarily from the station to the high-speed line. This temporary connection was used for track laying on the new line. It climbed gradients of up to 5.5 percent.
area and is served by the Wiesbaden public transport and two regional bus routes:
Niedernhausen
Niedernhausen im Taunus is a municipality in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany, with almost 15,000 inhabitants.-Location:...
in the German state of Hesse
Hesse
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...
. It is the most important station on the Main-Lahn Railway between the stations of Frankfurt-Höchst
Frankfurt-Höchst station
The Frankfurt-Höchst station is an important station in the Frankfurt district of Höchst and is the second largest station in the city with twelve tracks. It is currently mainly used by S-Bahn, suburban and regional services...
and Eschhofen in Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Limburg lies in western Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn....
. It is the terminus of the Ländches Railway running from Niedernhausen to Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof
Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Wiesbaden, the state capital of the German state of Hesse. It is a terminal station at the southern edge of the city center and is served by over 500 long-distance and regional trains and used by more than 30,000 travelers each day.-History:The current station...
and of line S2
S2 (Rhine-Main S-Bahn)
The S2 service of the S-Bahn Rhein-Main system bearing the KBS number 645.2 is a railway connection between the small Taunus town Niedernhausen and Dietzenbach.Usually DBAG Class 423 railcars are used on this service...
of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn
Rhine-Main S-Bahn
The Rhine-Main S-Bahn system is an integrated rapid transit and commuter transport system for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, which includes the cities Frankfurt am Main, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Offenbach am Main, Hanau and Darmstadt...
from Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
History
Niedernhausen station was opened by the Hessian Ludwig RailwayHessian Ludwig Railway
The Hessian Ludwig Railway or HLB with its network of 697 kilometres of railway was one of the largest privately owned railway companies in Germany.- Early history :...
with the Main-Lahn Railway (Main-Lahn-Bahn) from Frankfurt to Limburg
Limburg (Lahn) station
Limburg station is a station of the city of Limburg an der Lahn in the German state of Hesse. It is on the Lahn Valley Railway , running between Koblenz and Gießen. The only section of this that is electrified in the Limburg area is between Limburg freight yard and Eschhofen station...
in 1877. The last section of the route between Frankfurt-Höchst and Idstein
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
was opened on 15 October 1877. This completed the link between the Rhine-Main area
Frankfurt Rhine-Main
The Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region, often simply referred to as Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main area or Rhine-Main area is the second largest metropolitan region in Germany, with a total population exceeding 5.8 million...
and the Limburg Basin. With the opening of the Ländches Railway (Ländchesbahn) between Niedernhausen and Wiesbaden in 1879, Niedernhausen became the main station between Höchst and Eschhofen in Limburg, where the Main-Lahn Railway connects with the Lahn Valley Railway. As a railway junction station Niedernhausen received a roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
(now converted into six loft
Loft
A loft can be an upper story or attic in a building, directly under the roof. Alternatively, a loft apartment refers to large adaptable open space, often converted for residential use from some other use, often light industrial...
apartments) with a turntable, a water tower, a coal bunker and sidings for the operation of steam locomotives. The engine shed and water tower now have heritage protection. The first station building was built in 1880. It was replaced on 1 January 1906 by a prestigious new building. The station was instrumental in the revival of the small town and its neighboring communities. From the turn of the century, Niedernhausen became a health resort as its spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
guests could now easily arrive by train. In 1913, with the construction of the second track, the level crossing to the neighbouring community of Königshofen was replaced by a modern railway overbridge.
In the Second World War, the station was the target of several air attacks. The heaviest of them was on 22 February 1945, destroying the station building, large parts of the railway tracks, 30 locomotives and about a dozen parked carriages. After the war, reconstruction began. A new station building was built with an interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
. The number of railway employees rose to 100 people. The shift of freight transport to trucks later led to the closure of freight services at the station. With the end of the steam locomotive era in October 1973, the no longer needed facilities were dismantled. On 25 August 1975, the Rhine-Main S-Bahn commenced operations and Niedernhausen was the terminus of line R2 (renamed S2 in 1978). From 1978, it ran through the new Frankfurt S-Bahn tunnel from the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof low level
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof underground
The Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof underground station is a four-track S-Bahn station under Frankfurt central station and together with Hauptwache and Konstablerwache one of the key nodes in the network of the Rhine-Main S-Bahn, a rail network that serves the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region...
to Hauptwache
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptwache station
Hauptwache station is a major station in Frankfurt am Main with 181,000 passengers per day, making it the second busiest rapid transit station in the city and a major hub for rail transport in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region. It is served by eight S-Bahn lines—S1–S6 and S8/S9—and 6 U-Bahn...
. In 1983, the Frankfurt S-Bahn tunnel was extended from Hauptwache to Konstablerwache
Frankfurt (Main) Konstablerwache station
Konstablerwache station is a major station in Frankfurt am Main with 191,000 passengers per day. It is situated at the eastern end of central Frankfurt’s main shopping street, the Zeil in the Konstablerwache plaza—named after the "constable watch-house" that was once located here. The Hauptwache ...
and in 1990 to Frankfurt South station. In 1993, the S2 was diverted to run from Konstablerwache to Mühlberg station, before finally being extended in 2003 through a tunnel under Offenbach and connected over the Rodgau Railway
Rodgau Railway
The Rodgau Railway is a railway line in south Germany that runs from Offenbach Hauptbahnhof via Rodgau to Rödermark-Ober-Roden with a secondary line branching off in Offenbach-Bieber to Dietzenbach.- Remaining level crossings :...
to Dietzenbach. The electrification of the line to Limburg was completed in 1988. Since 2004 the Ländches Railway has been operated by vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft. The central bus station of the municipality is in front of to the station building.
During construction of the Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed line, a track ran temporarily from the station to the high-speed line. This temporary connection was used for track laying on the new line. It climbed gradients of up to 5.5 percent.
Tracks
- Track 1 (home platform): not regularly used (platform height: 38 cm, platform length: 231 m)
- Track 2: former siding, mostly for freight wagons; now closed
- Track 3 (platform 3/4): 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...
/ Regional-Express/vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft services to Limburg an der Lahn (platform height: 76 cm, platform length: 285 m) - Track 4 (platform 3/4): vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft services to and from Wiesbaden (platform height: 76 cm, platform length: 285 m)
- Track 5 (platform 5/6): S-Bahn line 2 towards Dietzenbach via Frankfurt-Höchst and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (platform height: 76 cm, platform length: 259 m)
- Track 6 (platform 5/6): Regionalbahn/Regional-Express services towards Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof; vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft services to Wiesbaden (coming from Limburg) (platform height: 76 cm, platform length: 259 m)
- Tracks 7–10: sidings, used mainly by vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft and the Rhine-Main S-Bahn.
Buses
Niedernhausen station is one of the central nodes in the IdsteinIdstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
area and is served by the Wiesbaden public transport and two regional bus routes:
- 22: Niedernhause-Oberjosbach–Niedernhausen–Wiesbaden-Naurod–Wiesbaden Pl. der dt. Einheit (ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft)
- 231: Niedernhausen–Waldems-Wüstems (Rheingau-Taunus-Verkehrsgesellschaft) - This line connects the community of WaldemsWaldemsWaldems is a community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. The community’s administrative seat is Waldems-Esch.-Location:...
to the S-Bahn. - 240: Niedernhausen–TaunussteinTaunussteinTaunusstein is the biggest town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It consists of more than 29,000 inhabitants.- Location :...
-Neuhof–Taunusstein-Hahn–(Wiesbaden) (RTV).