Frankenwaldbahn The Bamberg – Marktzeuln–Probstzella – Leipzig railway line, also known as the Frankenwaldbahn, is a double-track, electrified main line in Bavaria and Thuringia. It runs from Hochstadt-Marktzeuln near Lichtenfels over the ridge of the Frankenwald near Steinbach am Wald to the Thuringian border near Ludwigsstadt, where it merges into the Leipzig–Probstzella railway line. The line is part of the main regional connection from Berlin via Leipzig/Halle and Nuremberg to Munich. Also suitable for the ICE T for tilting technology. Section Part 1: Bamberg - Hochstadt-Marktzeuln Route length: 40.1 km Track gauge: 1435 mm (standard gauge) Route class: D4 Power system: 15kV, 16.7Hz ~ Maximum gradient: 29 ‰ refers to Minimum radius: 300 m Maximum speed: 160 km/h Train control: PZB, ZUB262 Double track: continuous + Section Part 2: Hochstadt-Marktzeuln - Probstzella (Frankenwaldbahn): Line length: 52.950 km Track gauge: 1435 mm (standard gauge) Line class: D4 Power system: 15kV, 16.7Hz ~ Maximum gradient: 29 ‰ Minimum radius: 300 m Maximum speed: 160 km/h T rain control: PZB, ZUB262 Double track: continuous + Section Part 3: Probstzella - Leipzig HBF: Length of track: 159.97 km Track gauge: 1435 mm (standard gauge) Power system: Leipzig-Leutzsch–Leipzig-Plagwitz, Saalfeld–Probstzella: 15 kV, 16.7 Hz ~ Maximum speed: 120 km/h Train control: PZB, ZUB262 (only from/to Saalfeld) Double track: Leipzig-Leutzsch–Zeitz Gera Hbf–Gera-Zwötzen Unterwellenborn–Probstzella Total length: 253 kilometers Story: 1859–1885, The Beginnings The railway line considered here consists of several sections with different histories. The second quarter of the railway line was opened in 1859. At that time, a line was built from Weißenfels (there connection to the Thuringian Railway built in 1846) via Zeitz to Gera. It was the first line to reach Gera, the capital of the Principality of Reuss Younger Line, which had around 14,000 inhabitants at the time. The northern section between Zeitz and Leipzig was opened to traffic in 1873. The core sections, the Gera–Eichicht railway line (Gera-Eichicht Railway), was opened on December 20, 1871, initially as a joint-stock company. It was of great importance for the surrounding towns. It enabled the textile and leather industries in the Orla Valley, especially in Pößneck, to grow rapidly before the First World War. As a result, Pößneck became the centre of the Thuringian textile industry alongside Apolda and Greiz, but the unfavourable topographical location of the railway later limited the growth of the industry. Since no connecting tracks could be built directly into the factories, Pößneck ultimately lagged behind Zeitz or Gera in industrial development. This section was and is also important for the Maxhütte (Unterwellenborn) and today's Thuringia steelworks. When the line was built in 1871, it led through the following states (from Gera): Reuss younger line, Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach, Prussia, Saxony-Meiningen, Prussia, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Saxony-Meiningen. The provisional end point in Eichicht was chosen because the continuation and connection to Bavaria were still unclear. In 1882, the line was nationalised[3] and the connection was incorporated into the Prussian state railways. In 1885, the entire line was finally completed with the connection to the Franconian Forest Railway near Probstzella. Until the connecting curve between the Halle–Bebra railway line and the Großheringen–Saalfeld railway line near Großheringen was put into operation in 1900, it was the most important connection between Prussia and Bavaria alongside the Saxon-Bavarian Railway. Although the 25 km shorter Großheringen–Saalfeld railway line developed into the more important north-south connection, it remained a long-distance route from Leipzig in the north to Nuremberg in the south. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story from 1993 to today: After German reunification, the section between Saalfeld and Probstzella was expanded to two tracks again, electrified and upgraded for the use of active tilting technology. The electrification of Leipzig–Gera–Saalfeld and the complete reconstruction of the second track were also planned in 1990, and the opening was to take place around 1996. This project was no longer pursued after the takeover by Deutsche Bahn AG. The switch to a regular timetable was still under the direction of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, which significantly improved the train service, even if the express and fast trains were no longer available. On the more important main line between Munich/Nuremberg and Leipzig via Jena, the first Interregio trains on the territory of the Deutsche Reichsbahn ran in the Saalfeld – Probstzella section as early as 1990, and an Intercity line was set up here from 1992. In the 1990s there was also international traffic to Warsaw and Zagreb at times. Gera Hbf station was extensively rebuilt after 2000 and connected to the Gera tram. In addition, the tracks in Gera were largely renewed. Modern connection points between tram and railway were created in both Gera-Süd and Gera-Zwötzen. From 2002 to 2007, the Interconnex ran as a private long-distance train between Gera and Rostock via Leipzig and Berlin. In 2010/11, the passenger stops in Leipzig-Großzschocher, Reuden (Kr. Zeitz), Bornitz (b. Zeitz), Haynsburg and Marktgölitz were closed. At the timetable change in 2011/2012, the Traun stop was also canceled. The acceleration made it possible to create better connections at the junctions and shorten travel times. Passenger numbers have increased by 20 percent since then.[13] Due to the need for renovation of the Liebschwitz viaduct on the Gera Süd–Weischlitz railway line (slow speed section with 10 km/h), the DB examined various options for replacing the viaduct. In 2016, a new branch from the Leipzig–Probstzella line was finally created near Wolfsgefärth, which went into operation on 24 October 2016 as planned after eight months of construction. In this context, the Gera-Debschwitz–Gera-Zwötzen section was expanded to two tracks again and Gera-Zwötzen was again established as a station. It received a second platform, which was designed as a dead-end track and is to be used for trains from the direction of Gera. The through trains to Zeulenroda, Hof and Saalfeld as well as the trains to Greiz and Weischlitz share the renovated existing platform edge. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description of the route - course: The railway line begins in Leipzig-Leutzsch and leads south out of the city, then through the flat Leipzig lowland bay along the Elster through the former Central German lignite mining area. In this area it was previously used to transport lignite to the surrounding power plants. However, this freight traffic has declined significantly. The kilometering begins together with that of route 6367 to Großkorbetha in Leipzig main station. Zeitz is reached on the southern edge of the lowland bay. Here the railway line meets other routes, some of which have been closed since 1990. The hills on both sides of the White Elster become steeper behind Zeitz and the state border between Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia is crossed near Ahlendorf (administrative community of Heideland-Elstertal-Schkölen). The railway line now leads in a curve of the Elster valley past the communities of Crossen an der Elster (Saale-Holzland district) and the brewery town of Bad Köstritz (Greiz district) to the northern outskirts of Gera. Until 1998, the branch line (Crossen–Porstendorf railway line) branched off from Crossen an der Elster station via Eisenberg and Bürgel to Porstendorf (north of Jena). At Gera-Langenberg, the A4 federal motorway is crossed under before the line from Weimar joins it from the west in a tight curve. Panorama at Gera station The line leaves Gera main station in a southerly direction. In the city, it runs along the banks of the White Elster and separates from the lines to Gößnitz and Weischlitz before following the Weida valley. This is left in the city of the same name in a westerly direction to head towards the peak, which is crossed at Triptis at a height of around 375 metres above sea level. The railway line now leads down into the Orla valley and continues in a straight line in a southwesterly direction through the town of Neustadt an der Orla, then past Oppurg, where the Orla railway branches off towards Pößneck lower station (until 1946 – Orlamünde), then through Pößneck to Saalfeld, where after a long curve it meets the Großheringen–Saalfeld railway line and the Arnstadt–Saalfeld railway line. South of Saalfeld, the line follows the course of the Saale to Eichicht and the Loquitz to Probstzella. In Hockeroda, the branch line branches off to Unterlemnitz, before behind Probstzella station the line merges into the Hochstadt-Marktzeuln–Probstzella railway line at the state border with the Free State of Bavaria. I would be very happy if this route could also be included in Train Simulator 2024. The reason for this is that individual train models such as the ICE T, BR 193 can drive with tilting technology, among other things, there are a lot of freight trains on this section and it is also a well-known trainpotting route. Best regards BR430
