Viersen station
Encyclopedia
Viersen station is a station in the city of Viersen
in the west of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
.
as part of its Ruhrort–Gladbach line near Alte Bruchstraße.
On 4 March 1850, the company was made subordinate to the Royal Division
of the Aachen-Dusseldorf-Ruhrort Railway based in Aachen
by a royal decree. In 1862 the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) took over company in order to extend its network on to the western bank of the Rhine. In 1866 the management of both companies were merged and the station was renamed Viersen BME station.
In the same year, the BME gained its own access to the Dutch railway network with its line to Venlo
, a year after its rival, the Rhenish Railway Company
(Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE), opened its line to Nijmegen and ten years after the Cologne-Minden Railway Company
(Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) opened its line to Arnhem.
On 1 November 1878, the RhE extended its line from Neuss to a terminal station at approximately the site of the modern Viersen station. After the nationalisation of the main Prussia
n railways, all traffic was moved in 1887 to the BME station, which was connected to the RhE route from Neuss by a long curve to the south from the RhE station, after which the RhE station was closed and demolished.
In 1917, there was another restructuring of the lines, which largely reversed the 1887 changes. The formerly straight line connecting to the Gladbach route was abandoned in favour of a new route and the connecting curve built in 1887 was dismantled. The former RhE line was reactivated and the present trackwork at the station with a separate passenger station and freight depot was built at the site of the former RhE station. Now the former BME line was connected in a long curve from the east to the new station and the old BME station was demolished.
The line to Venlo
has never achieved genuinely international significance, but today it is used by passenger and freight traffic.
The line from Duisburg-Ruhrort, which had been part of the inter-regional line between Aachen and Dortmund lost much of its importance after the establishment of the Duisburg-Hochfeld Railway Bridge
in 1873. After the closing of the Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
in 1885, the northern section of line between Uerdingen and Homberg became virtually useless.
The Prussian state railways
linked the line from Mönchengladbach with the Rhenish Ruhr line from Osterath via Uerdingen and Duisburg-Hochfeld Süd to Duisburg Hauptbahnhof
. This line remains one of the main lines of the Lower Rhine. Despite this the line is now no longer significant for long-distance passenger rail traffic after most of the express trains on it were discontinued.
lines:
Viersen
Viersen is the capital of the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Viersen is situated approximately 8 km north-west of Mönchengladbach, 15 km south-west of Krefeld and 20 km east of Venlo ....
in the west of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
History
The first Viersen station was opened on 5 October 1849 by the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway CompanyAachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company
The Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company was a German railway company founded in 1850 and taken over by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company in 1862...
as part of its Ruhrort–Gladbach line near Alte Bruchstraße.
On 4 March 1850, the company was made subordinate to the Royal Division
Railway divisions in Germany
In Germany and Austria, the running of railway services for a railway administration or the regional network of a large railway company was devolved to railway divisions, variously known as Eisenbahndirektionen , Bundesbahndirektionen or Reichsbahndirektionen ...
of the Aachen-Dusseldorf-Ruhrort Railway based in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
by a royal decree. In 1862 the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) took over company in order to extend its network on to the western bank of the Rhine. In 1866 the management of both companies were merged and the station was renamed Viersen BME station.
In the same year, the BME gained its own access to the Dutch railway network with its line to Venlo
Viersen–Venlo railway
The Viersen–Venlo railway is a railway line running from Viersen in Germany to Venlo in the Netherlands. The line was opened in 1866 by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company. Formerly used by international passenger trains between The Hague and Cologne, it is now only used by the...
, a year after its rival, the Rhenish Railway Company
Rhenish Railway Company
The Rhenish Railway Company was along with the Cologne-Minden Railway Company and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Foundation :The...
(Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE), opened its line to Nijmegen and ten years after the Cologne-Minden Railway Company
Cologne-Minden Railway Company
The Cologne-Minden Railway Company was along with the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company and the Rhenish Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding :The founding of the...
(Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) opened its line to Arnhem.
On 1 November 1878, the RhE extended its line from Neuss to a terminal station at approximately the site of the modern Viersen station. After the nationalisation of the main 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 railways, all traffic was moved in 1887 to the BME station, which was connected to the RhE route from Neuss by a long curve to the south from the RhE station, after which the RhE station was closed and demolished.
In 1917, there was another restructuring of the lines, which largely reversed the 1887 changes. The formerly straight line connecting to the Gladbach route was abandoned in favour of a new route and the connecting curve built in 1887 was dismantled. The former RhE line was reactivated and the present trackwork at the station with a separate passenger station and freight depot was built at the site of the former RhE station. Now the former BME line was connected in a long curve from the east to the new station and the old BME station was demolished.
Current situation
The line from Neuss was closed on 23 May 1971, after passenger services were abandoned on 29 September 1968.The line to Venlo
Viersen–Venlo railway
The Viersen–Venlo railway is a railway line running from Viersen in Germany to Venlo in the Netherlands. The line was opened in 1866 by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company. Formerly used by international passenger trains between The Hague and Cologne, it is now only used by the...
has never achieved genuinely international significance, but today it is used by passenger and freight traffic.
The line from Duisburg-Ruhrort, which had been part of the inter-regional line between Aachen and Dortmund lost much of its importance after the establishment of the Duisburg-Hochfeld Railway Bridge
Duisburg-Hochfeld Railway Bridge
The Duisburg–Hochfeld Railway Bridge spans the Rhine in the German city of Duisburg on the Duisburg-Ruhrort–Mönchengladbach line. The first bridge was built by the Rhenish Railway Company and put into operation at the end of 1873...
in 1873. After the closing of the Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
The Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry was a German train ferry on the Rhine between Ruhrort and Homberg, now districts of Duisburg.-History :While the Cologne-Minden Railway Company was building its trunk line between Cologne and Minden via Duisburg between 1843 and 1847, the shareholders of the...
in 1885, the northern section of line between Uerdingen and Homberg became virtually useless.
The Prussian state railways
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
linked the line from Mönchengladbach with the Rhenish Ruhr line from Osterath via Uerdingen and Duisburg-Hochfeld Süd to Duisburg Hauptbahnhof
Duisburg Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Duisburg in western Germany. It is situated at the meeting point of many important national and international railway lines in the Northwestern Ruhr valley.- Lines :...
. This line remains one of the main lines of the Lower Rhine. Despite this the line is now no longer significant for long-distance passenger rail traffic after most of the express trains on it were discontinued.
Services
The station is now only served by the following Regional-Express and RegionalbahnRegionalBahn
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...
lines:
| Line | Line name | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Rhein-Hellweg-Express | Hamm (Westf) – Dortmund Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the central station for the city of Dortmund in Germany.The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centre in 1847. That station was replaced by a new station, erected in 1910 at the current site.... – Bochum Bochum Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bochum in western Germany. In its current incarnation, it was built from 1955 to 1957 and is one of the most notable 1950s railway stations in Germany.... – Essen Hbf Essen Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Essen in western Germany. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway.It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn... – Duisburg Hbf Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Duisburg in western Germany. It is situated at the meeting point of many important national and international railway lines in the Northwestern Ruhr valley.- Lines :... – Krefeld Hbf Krefeld Hauptbahnhof Krefeld Hauptbahnhof is the largest station of the city of Krefeld in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The double-track and electrified Duisburg-Ruhrort–Mönchengladbach railway and the Lower Left Rhine Railway cross at the station. A line to Rheydt formerly began at the station, but... – Viersen – Mönchengladbach Hbf Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof is a railway station in the city of Mönchengladbach in western Germany.-Overview:The station is the largest railway station in the city and, along with Rheydt Hbf, one of the two Hauptbahnhof stations in Mönchengladbach... |
|
| Maas-Wupper-Express | Venlo Venlo railway station Venlo is the railway station for the city of Venlo in the province of Limburg, The Netherlands. It is situated on the Maastricht–Venlo railway, the Viersen–Venlo railway, the Venlo–Eindhoven railway and the Nijmegen–Venlo railway.... – Viersen – Mönchengladbach Hbf Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof is a railway station in the city of Mönchengladbach in western Germany.-Overview:The station is the largest railway station in the city and, along with Rheydt Hbf, one of the two Hauptbahnhof stations in Mönchengladbach... – Düsseldorf Hbf Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Düsseldorf in Germany, state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The station was opened on 1 October 1891 opened as Düsseldorf Central Station... – Wuppertal Hbf – Hagen Hbf Hagen Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections.... – Hamm (Westf) |
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| Rhein-Niers-Bahn | (Wesel – Oberhausen Hbf –) Duisburg Hbf – Krefeld Hbf – Viersen – Mönchengladbach Hbf (– Aachen Hbf Aachen Hauptbahnhof Aachen Central Station is the train station for the city of Aachen, in the far west of Germany near the Dutch and Belgian border. It is the largest of the four currently active Aachen stations, and is integrated into the long-distance network.- History :... ) |