Wikipedia Article Moien and welcome to the Moselstrecke. This line connects the cities of Koblenz and Trier via the Mosel valley, which is known for its beautiful landscape, vineyards and small medieval villages along the river. Whilst crossing a very sparsely populated region of Germany, this rail line is a very important corridor, connecting the city of Trier and the nearby country of Luxembourg to the rest of Germany. Quick Facts: Length: 113km Max. Speed: 130km/h Track Gauge: 1435mm (Standard Gauge) Catenary Voltage: 15kV 16.7Hz Safety Systems: PZB Route: Koblenz Hbf This is Koblenz, where the Mosel feeds into the Rhine. We already know this station in its 90s form from Linke Rheinstrecke, but it was modernised since then to enable step-free access to the platforms, replaced the old roofs, and renovated the old station building. We exit the station to the north, immediately turn west and cross the Mosel on the Gülser Eisenbahnbrücke. Cochem For the first ~50km, the route runs on the left side of the river until Cochem. With only 5000 inhabitants, Cochem is the smallest County capital in Germany and is known for its medieval city centre and castle. The station was constructed in 1877 in the "Heimatstil" and was the terminus of the Moselstrecke until the extension to Trier was finished. Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel 600m after the end of the platform in Cochem, we enter the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tunnel, which was the longest railway tunnel in Germany until 1988, when the Landrückentunnel was finished. With a total length of 4.2km, the tunnel cuts through a very curvy section of the river. After a 9-year-long modernisation, a second tube was opened right beside the existing tunnel, and the track number was reduced to only one per tube. Bullay After the tunnel, we cross over the river and reach Bullay. The station's name, "Bullay DB," reminds us of a second railway station that existed in Bullay. As the Moselstrecke leaves the twitsty river basin after Bullay and takes a more direct route towards Tier, the Moselbahn ran on the right side of the river Mosel and connected the small towns and villages to the main line. The same naming scheme can be found at the stations in Pünderich and Ürzig, south of Bullay. In Bullay also starts the RB85 service to Traben-Trabach (for more details, look under "Optional Extras"). Doppelstockbrücke Bullay & Pündericher Hangviadukt After Bullay, we switch back to the left side of the Mosel. The unique double-decker bridge lets trains cross the river on the upper level, whilst cars use the lower level. The railway directly enters another tunnel after crossing the bridge. On the far side of Pünderich, we find an 800m long viaduct, on which the railway traverses the steep mountain slope next to the river. Constructed between 1877 and 1879, and a total number of 92 arches, this viaduct is the longest slope viaduct in Germany. Wittlich Hbf Behind Pünderich, the line leaves the river basin and continues towards Wittlich. Here, two branch lines towards Bernkastell-Kues and Daun used to branch off, but both were disused in the 1980s. Today, Wittlich is only important, as here a Remote Signal Control Centre controls all signals from Bullay up to Schweich, right before Trier. Trier Hbf Finally, we arrive in Trier, where our journey ends. Trier is the oldest city in Germany, originally being founded by the Romans in 17 BC as "Augusta Treverorum". To this day, many Roman structures still stand in the city, which were listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1986. From here you can continue towards Saarbrücken, Lëtzebuerg, as well as Perl and further into France or Gerolstein towards Köln. Services: IC37 (one train per day and direction): [Düsseldorf - Köln - Bonn - Remagen - Andernach -] Koblenz Hbf - Kobern-Gondorf - Treis-Karden - Cochem - Bullay - Wittlich - Schweich - Trier Hbf [- Wasserbillig - Lëtzebuerg] RE1 (runs combined with RE11): Koblenz Hbf - Treis-Karden - Cochem - Bullay - Wittlich - Schweich - Trier Hbf [- Merzig - Saarbrücken - Homburg - Kaiserslautern - Neustadt - Mannheim] RE11 (runs combined with RE1): Koblenz Hbf - Treis-Karden - Cochem - Bullay - Wittlich - Schweich - Trier Hbf [- Wasserbillig - Lëtzebuerg] RB81: Koblenz Hbf - Winningen (Mosel) - Kobern-Gondorf - Treis-Karden - Cochem - Ediger-Eller - Bullay - Wittlich - Föhren - Schweich - Trier Hbf RB82 (only on weekdays): Wittlich - Trier Hbf [- Konz - Wellen - Wehr - Perl] RB83 (only on weekdays): Wittlich - Tier Hbf [- Trier Süd - Konz - Igel - Wasserbillig - Lëtzebuerg] Rolling Stock: DB BR 429.1 FLIRT 3 These trains are a 5-car EMU and are used on the RE1 service. Developed by Stadler Rail in Switzerland, the FLIRT has become one of the most common EMUs in all of Europe. Since 2015, these trains operate regional express service in the south-west of Germany, connecting cities like Frankfurt, Koblenz, Trier, Saarbrücken, Kaiserslautern, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. The trains are operated by DB under the brand name SÜWEX. CFL Serie 2300 KISS 160 The KISS is a 3-car double-decker EMU and is used on the RE11 service. The KISS is an evolution of the FLIRT and therefore features many similar parts. On the section between Koblenz and Trier, the RE1 and RE11 services run together, meaning that one SÜWEX FLIRT and one CFL KISS are running together as one train. The trains are operated by CFL, which is owned by the country of Luxembourg. DB BR 442.2 Talent 2 (layer from SKA) The Moselstrecke was the premier route for the Talent 2, which entered service here in 2009. Whilst they are officially out of service since the end of 2024, you can still find some of them operating RB services on the route. Both 4-car and 2-car variants operate here, with the latter just being two cab cars coupled together. DB BR 425.3 Quietschie (layer from BRO) The old familiar 425 is used on some RB service, replacing the BR442. Optional Extras: Moselweinbahn DLC: The Moselweinbahn connects the town of Traben-Trarbach to the Moselstrecke. This 10km branch line is only served by one regional train, which drives as a shuttle service between Bullay and Traben-Trarbach with stops in Reil and Kövenig. Due to the low line speed of only 60km/h and a slow section through the town of Kövenig, the train needs ~20min from Bullay to Traben-Trarbach. VEN BR 650 Regioshuttle RS1 Built in the late 90s and early 2000s, the Regioshuttles were the backbone for many branch lines in southern and eastern Germany. Due to their lightweight construction and powerful engines, the Regioshuttles are fast accelerators, beating even trains like the BR 425 in a drag race to 70km/h (Acceleration Video). The trains are operated by Transdev under the brand name Rhenus Veniro. New Trains DLC: DB BR 3428 FLIRT 3 XL These trains are a 4-car EMU and will be used on the RB services. For the XL variant, Stadler extended the car body length. So even though this version has only four cars, it is almost as long as its five-car sibling. These trains will operate regional service in the Trier region. The trains are operated by DB under the brand name MoselLux. Erzbomber DLC: Besides its stunning landscape, the Moselstrecke is also known for a special freight train. The Erzbomber is a unit train which transports ore and coal from the ports in Rotterdam and Hamburg to the steelworks in the Saarland. With a total weight up to 6000t and up to 50 wagons per train, the Erzbomber is the heaviest and one of the longest trains in Germany. Due to the high pulling forces, the normal screw couplers would break on such a heavy train, so the Erzbomber uses an automatic coupler, similar to the American Janney Coupler. DB BR 189 ES64F4 The BR 189, aka Siemens ES64F4, is the first freight locomotive that supports all four voltages found on the European Main Lines. Equipped with the C-AKv coupler, the BR 189 is used in tandem to pull the Erzbomber through the Mosel valley. DB Falrrs 152 The Falrrs 152 is a special bulk freight wagon for the Erzbomber. Its high load limit and AK69e coupler enable it to carry up to 141.5t of load per wagon on the Moselstrecke.
One of my favourite routes in TSC. Would love to see it make a comeback in TSW. Especially if it includes the branch line to Traben-Trarbach, like the TSC version did.
i hope if we ever get this route in tsw that the br103 will layer onto it for railtours since br103-113 which is housed at DB museum koblenz did some railtours from koblenz all the way to trier with the rheingold coaches
Absolute +100 on this route. Far more iconic and wider appeal to fans outside Germany than some of the more recent titles.
