View source for Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg railway

{{short description|Railway in Germany}}
{{Hatnote|This article deals with the Ruhr line of the [[Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company]], for other lines on this route see [[Dortmund–Duisburg railway (disambiguation)|Dortmund–Duisburg railway]].}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = auto
| name = Witten–Bochum/Dortmund railway
| gauge = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}
| electrification = [[15 kV AC railway electrification|15 kV/16.7 Hz]] AC overhead catenary
| speed={{convert|160|km/h|mph|1|abbr=on}} (maximum)
| image         = BergMärkEisenbNetz.png
| image_width   = 250px
| caption       = [[Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft]] network
| linenumber =* 2140 (Witten–Bochum-Langendreer)
*2125 (Witten–Dortmund)
| routenumber = *440 (Witten–Essen)
*427 (Witten–Dortmund)
| locale=[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
| map=
{{Routemap|inline=1|title =|footnote=Source: German railway atlas<ref name=Eisenbahnatlas >{{cite book|title=Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas) |publisher= Schweers + Wall | year= 2009 |isbn= 978-3-89494-139-0|pages=136-9, 54-5, 122, 150}}</ref>|map=
STR+l\ABZq+l~~ ~~ ~~Line to Dortmund-Lütgendortmund (see below)
ABZr+r\STR~~0.0~~Bochum-Langendreer~~(see below)
KRZo\KRZo~~ ~~ ~~[[Osterath–Dortmund Süd railway|Osterath–Dortmund Süd line]]
ABZg+r\STR~~1.0~~Bochum-Langendreer Bez Kreuz
KRZo\KRZo~~ ~~ ~~Bochum–Dortmund S-Bahn line {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|1}} (see below)
STR2\tSTR3ua~~ ~~ ~~Oberstraße Tunnel (565m)
tSTR+1ue\STR+4~~1.0~~Bochum-Langendreer Kreuz junction
STR\eABZgl~~ ~~ ~~Former [[Dortmund-Löttringhausen–Bochum-Langendreer railway|line to DO-Löttringhausen]]
BS2l\BS2r~~2.6~~Stockumer Straße junction
ABZg+l~~ ~~ ~~[[Elberfeld–Dortmund railway|S-Bahn line from Dortmund]] {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|5}}
S+BHF~~6.8~~'''[[Witten Hauptbahnhof|Witten Hbf]]'''
ABZgr~~ ~~ ~~[[Witten–Wengern Ost/Schwelm railway|Line to Wengern-Ost and Hagen]]
STR~~ ~~ ~~[[Elberfeld–Dortmund railway|Line to Wetter and Hagen]] {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|5}}
}}
}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = auto
| name = Dortmund–Duisburg railway
| linenumber = *2184 (Duisburg–Mülheim-Styrum)
*2300 (mainline: Mülheim-Styrum–Essen)
*2160 (mainline: Essen–Bochum)
*2158 (mainline: Bochum–Dortmund)
*2290 (S-Bahn: Duisburg–Mülheim-Styrum)
*2291 (S-Bahn: Mülheim-Styrum–Bochum)
*2190 (S-Bahn: Bochum–Dortmund)
| routenumber = *415 (Duisburg–Dortmund)
*440 (Essen–Witten)
*450.1 (S-Bahn: Duisburg–Dortmund)
*450.3 (S-Bahn: Oberhausen–Essen-Steele Ost)
*450.9 (S-Bahn: Essen-West–Essen-Steele)
| map= {{Dortmund–Duisburg railway}}
}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = auto
| name =Mülheim-Styrum–Oberhausen/Duisburg-Ruhrort
| linenumber = *2183 (Oberhausen–Mülheim-Styrum)
*''2188 (Altstaden–Mülheim-Styrum)''
*''2300 (Duisburg-Ruhrort–Mülheim-Styrum)''
| routenumber =450.3 (Oberhausen–Essen-Steele Ost)
| map=
{{Routemap|inline=1|title =|footnote=Source: German railway atlas<ref name=Eisenbahnatlas/>|map=
STR\\~~ ~~ ~~[[Bochum–Essen/Oberhausen railway|Line from Oberhausen-Osterfeld Süd]]
ABZg+r\\~~ ~~ ~~[[Oberhausen–Arnhem railway|Line from Amsterdam]]
ABZg+l\ABZq+l\~~ ~~ ~~[[Duisburg–Dortmund railway|Line from Essen-Altenessen]] {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|2}}
S+BHF\S+BHF\~~4.0{{0|000,0}}~~{{BSto|'''[[Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof|Oberhausen Hbf]]'''|(formerly ''Oberhausen BME'')}}
STR\STR\~~ ~~ ~~(terminus of {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|3}})
ABZgr\STR\~~ ~~ ~~[[Oberhausen–Duisburg-Ruhrort railway|Line to Duisburg-Ruhrort]]
KRZu\STRr\~~ ~~ ~~[[Duisburg–Dortmund railway|Line to Duisburg]] {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|2}}
STR\STR+l\STR+l~~ ~~ ~~{{BSto|Line from Mülheim (Ruhr) {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|1}}{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|3}}|(see above)}}
STR\SBHF\DST~~0.0 116.4~~[[Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum station|Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum]]
STR\ABZgl\ABZgl~~ ~~ ~~Line to Duisburg {{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn|1}} (see above)
STR\xABZgl\ABZg+r~~0.9{{0|000,0}}~~{{BSsplit|Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum junction|western part}}
eABZgl\exABZgr\STR~~114.7~~Hiberniastr junction~~ ~~(route until 1888)
STRl\xKRZu\xABZgr~~ ~~ ~~ ~~(route since 1888)
\exABZg+l\exSTRr
xKRZu~~ ~~ ~~[[Duisburg–Dortmund railway|Oberhausen-Duisburg line]]
exBHF~~113.8~~Alstaden
exABZgl~~ ~~ ~~former line to Duisburg-Ruhrort Hafen
exHST~~113.1~~Duisburg-Dümpten
xKRZu~~ ~~ ~~[[Duisburg-Wedau–Bottrop Süd railway|Oberhausen West–Sigle junction line]]
exhKRZWae~~ ~~ ~~{{BSsplit|[[Rhine–Herne Canal]]|''([[gauntlet track]] on the bridge)''}}
exHST~~111.8~~Duisburg-Ratingsee
xABZg+r~~ ~~ ~~[[Oberhausen–Duisburg-Ruhrort railway|Line from Oberhausen]]
BHF~~110.8~~{{stn|Duisburg-Meiderich Süd}}
eABZg+r~~ ~~ ~~former [[Duisburg-Ruhrort–Dortmund railway|line from DU-Meiderich Nord]]
DST~~108.8~~Duisburg-Ruhrort Hafen alt
eABZgl~~ ~~ ~~{{BSsplit|former line to Duisburg-Ruhrort|ports goods station}}
KHSTxe~~107.3~~[[Ruhrort|Duisburg-Ruhrort]]~~''(former station)''
exTRAJEKT~~former [[Ruhrort-Homberg train ferry]]
exBHF~~(105.9)~~[[Duisburg|Homberg]]
exSTR~~ ~~ ~~former [[Duisburg-Ruhrort–Mönchengladbach railway|line to Mönchengladbach]]
}}
}}
The '''Witten/Dortmund, Oberhausen/Duisburg railway''' is one of the most important [[rail transport in Germany|railways in Germany]]. It is the main axis of long distance and regional rail transport on the east–west axis of the [[Ruhr]] and is served by [[Intercity-Express]], [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|InterCity]], [[Regional-Express]], [[Regionalbahn]] and [[Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn|S-Bahn]] trains.
Strictly speaking, the line today consists of two parallel two-track lines, one for mainline trains and the other for S-Bahn trains. On several sections of the line the long-distance tracks and S-Bahn tracks follow separate routes. The long-distance tracks follows the historical route built between 1860 and 1862 by the [[Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft|Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company]] as an extension of its trunk line between [[Elberfeld]] and [[Dortmund]].
[[File:Bahnbauarbeiten Essen-Kray Süd.jpg|thumb|left|Work at Essen-Kray Süd junction]]
==History ==
The [[Cologne-Minden Railway Company]] ([[German language|German]], old spelling: ''Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft'', ''CME'') planned the route of its [[Cologne-Minden trunk line|trunk line]], built from 1845 to 1847, to avoid the construction costs of a line through the very hilly land along the valleys of the [[Ruhr (river)|Ruhr]] and [[Wupper]] rivers and in order to minimise operating costs. It was thus cut off from the coal mines, which is the mid-19th Century were found on the north bank of the Ruhr.
Between 1847 and 1849 [[Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company]] (''Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft'', BME) built its own trunk line in the highly industrialised area in the Wupper valley and the [[Bergisches Land]] and decided to extend it to the west through the area between the Ruhr and the [[Emscher]] rivers. In particular it wanted to connect the coal mines north of the Ruhr with a port on the [[Rhine]].
===Construction of the original line ===
On 26 October 1860, the first section was opened from [[Witten Hauptbahnhof|Witten BME]] to [[Bochum Hauptbahnhof|Bochum BME]] (at one time called ''Bochum Sud'' station). On 1 March 1862 the section from Bochum to [[Essen-Steele station|Steele]], [[Essen Hauptbahnhof|Essen BME]] [[Mülheim (Ruhr) Hauptbahnhof|Mülheim BME]], [[Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum station|Styrum]] and [[Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof|Oberhausen BME]] was opened. A few weeks later on 1 May 1862, the section from Styrum to [[Duisburg Hauptbahnhof|Duisburg BME]] opened. In the same year, the route from [[Bochum-Langendreer station|Langendreer BME]] east to [[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof|Dortmund BME]] was rebuilt and opened for passenger traffic on 5 October 1862.
=== Styrum—Ruhrort line ===
In later years the line was steadily improved and branches were built. In 1864 the BME took over the management of the lines of the [[Aachen-Dusseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company]] (formally the ''Königliche Direction der Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrorter Eisenbahn''). On 8 January 1866, it took over the company, including the [[Ruhrort-Homberg train ferry]]. It opened a line on 4 December 1867 to Ruhrort from Styrum via Meiderich (Sud), partly parallel with the [[Oberhausen–Duisburg-Ruhrort Railway|older line of the CME from Oberhausen]] crossing the [[Rhine-Herne Canal]] on a bridge constructed with [[gauntlet track]].<ref>{{cite web|title=(Archivbild) Duisburg Obermeiderich: Die Gleisverschlingung und die Kanalbrücke, März 1996 (Blick Richtung Meiderich Süd) (archive photo)|publisher=Railtrash |url=http://www.railtrash.fotopic.net/p46777393.html|access-date=13 March 2010}}</ref>
=== Essen—Bochum—Herne line ===
On 1 November 1874 the BME opened an additional line parallel to the existing track from Essen BME to Wattenscheid BME and Bochum BME and from there to Riemke, Herne Rottbruch and Herne BME ([[Bochum–Essen/Oberhausen Railway|Bochum–Essen/Oberhausen line]]). The line was initially used for freight with passenger services commencing on 1 January 1875. After the transfer of the station from the former Bochum BME station to the current Bochum Hauptbahnhof in 1957 the connection from Bochum West to the line to Herne was closed. Instead, a connecting line was built a kilometre east in 1979 from the new Hauptbahnhof to Bochum West.
The route is now divided into two completely different sections. The western section is now used by long-distance services between Duisburg and Dortmund (other services follow the original route), while the northern section is now only used by regional trains to [[Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof|Gelsenkirchen]] via the [[Bochum–Gelsenkirchen railway]] and freight trains.
===Redevelopment for the S-Bahn ===
As part of the establishment of the [[Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn]] in the early 1970s, the line was rebuilt to have at least four-tracks continuously. On 23 September 1973, the four line section between Mülheim and Mülheim-Styrum was inaugurated and on 10 December 1973 it was extended to Duisburg Hbf. After the opening of two more sections on 11 March 1974 between Essen Hbf and Essen-Steele and between Essen Hbf and Essen West, the service between Duisburg Großenbaum Bochum Hbf was designated as [[S1 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S-Bahn line S1]] and the service between Oberhausen Hbf and [[Hattingen (Ruhr) station|Hattingen]] designated as [[S3 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S3]].
When the [[Technical University of Dortmund]] was established in 1968, it was deemed necessary to connect it to the S-Bahn network and on 24 September 1983 a completely new route—partly underground—was opened from Bochum-Langendreer to [[Dortmund-Dorstfeld station|Dortmund-Dorstfeld]], where the line joins the historic route to Dortmund Hauptbahnhof.
===Redevelopment for long-distance services===
To relieve the congested [[Elberfeld–Dortmund Railway|Elberfeld-Dortmund line]] between Witten and Dortmund a new line (route number 2125) was opened on 29 May 1988 from a flying junction at Stockumer Straße junction in Bochum-Langendreer to Lütgendortmund junction, including a 565-metre-long tunnel, and connecting to the long-distance lines to Dortmund. Since then, all [[InterCity Express]], [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|InterCity]] and RE4 [[Regional-Express]] trains running between Wuppertal and Dortmund use the new line.
===Partial closure ===
At the beginning of the 20th century the line had up to four parallel tracks used exclusively for freight. With the decline of rail freight traffic after [[World War II]] on the line much of this track was subsequently abandoned. Some of it was brought back into operation as part of the S-Bahn or with the construction of the new long-distance tracks between Witten and Dortmund.
In recent years only [[Accumulator railcar|series 515 battery railcars]] ran on the section between Duisburg-Meiderich Sud and Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum, but these services stopped on 1 April 1995 and the line was closed on 1 May 1996. The southern platform of Duisburg-Meiderich Sud station, the embankment to the east and the bridge over the Rhine-Herne Canal were immediately removed.
==Current situation ==
The Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg railway since its opening has been of immense importance for the railways of the Ruhr area and has therefore been constantly expanded and modernized; six-line sections were not uncommon. Electrification of the line with [[overhead lines]] began in the late 1950s. Today, the main route between Dortmund and Duisburg is a four-track line with a maximum line speed generally between 150 and 160&nbsp;km/h.
The routes to and from Witten are double track and electrified. Its western access is cleared for 120&nbsp;km/h and the eastern approach through the Oberstraße Tunnel is cleared for up to 140 or 155&nbsp;km/h.
==Services ==
All of the various categories of German rail passenger services operate between Dortmund and Duisburg.
===Long-distance services===
[[InterCity Express]] line 10 services (between [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof|Berlin]] and [[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]]) operate hourly on the main east–west ICE line. Line 42 (between Dortmund and [[Munchen Hauptbahnhof|Munich]]) operates every two-hours on the north–south ICE line. Additional ICE services are operated as line 31, line 41 (every hour between Duisburg and Essen) and line 91.
Every two hours [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|InterCity]] trains operate over lines 30 and 51, as well as various services of lines 26, 32, and 55.
{{Further|List of Intercity-Express railway stations}}
===Regional railways===
The line is the main axis of the Ruhr [[Regional-Express]]. Three Regional-Express services run every hour between Dortmund and Duisburg: the ''[[NRW-Express]]'' (RE 1) between [[Aachen Hauptbahnhof|Aachen]] and [[Hamm (Westfalen) station|Hamm]], continuing every two hours to [[Paderborn Hauptbahnhof|Paderborn]]; the ''[[Rhein-Weser-Express]]'' (RE 6) between [[Minden (Westfalen) station|Minden]] and [[Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof|Düsseldorf]] and the ''[[Rhein-Hellweg-Express]]'' (RE 11) between Düsseldorf and Hamm.
[[S1 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|Line S1]] of the [[Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn]] runs at 15-minute intervals between Dortmund and Essen and at 30-minute intervals between Essen and Duisburg on the whole line between Dortmund and Duisburg, using the old line via Steele between Essen and Bochum and the new route opened in 1983 between Bochum and Dortmund. [[S3 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|Line S3]] runs on the section between Essen-Steele, and Mülheim-Styrum on its route between [[Hattingen Mitte station|Hattingen Mitte]] and [[Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof|Oberhausen]], providing a 15-minute interval S-Bahn service on this section in combination with S1.
The section between Witten and Essen is served by Regional Express service RE16 ''[[Ruhr-Lenne-Express]]'' (Essen to [[Iserlohn station|Iserlohn]] via [[Hagen Hauptbahnhof|Hagen]]) and [[Regionalbahn]] service RB40 ''[[Ruhr-Lenne-Bahn]]'' (Essen–Hagen). The line between Duisburg and Essen is used by the RE2 ''[[Rhein-Haard-Express]]'', with the trains returning to the old [[Rhenish Railway Company|''Rhenish'' line]] between Duisburg and [[Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof|Mönchengladbach]] and between Essen and [[Münster Hauptbahnhof|Münster]].
RE14 ''[[Emscher-Münsterland-Express]]'' (Essen–Bottrop–Gladbeck–Dorsten–Borken / Coesfeld) and [[S9 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|Line S9]] (Recklinghausen / Haltern am See–Gladbeck–Bottrop–Essen–Wuppertal–Hagen) connect [[Bottrop Hauptbahnhof|Bottrop]] with Essen Dellwig on the former [[Mülheim-Heißen–Oberhausen-Osterfeld Nord Railway|Mülheim-Heißen–Oberhausen-Osterfeld Nord line]] and then connect to the line to Essen at [[Essen West station]] (but not at the same platforms). RE14 terminates at Essen-Steele, while S9 continues to the [[Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr Railway|Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr line]] to [[Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof|Wuppertal]] and [[Hagen Hauptbahnhof|Hagen]]. A 15-minute frequency is provided jointly by the RE14 and S9: [[Gladbeck West station|Gladbeck West]]–[[Bottrop Hauptbahnhof|Bottrop Hbf]]–[[Essen-Borbeck station|Essen-Borbeck]]–[[Essen Hauptbahnhof|Essen Hbf]]–[[Essen-Steele station|Essen-Steele]].
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
NRWbahnarchiv of André Joost:<br />
''Long distance:''
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2184.htm | title= Line 2184: Duisburg Hbf – Mülheim-Styrum|work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2300.htm | title= Line 2300: Duisburg-Ruhrort – Essen Hbf|work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2160.htm | title= Line 2160: Essen Hbf – Bochum Hbf |work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2158.htm | title= Line 2158: Bochum Hbf – Dortmund Hbf|work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2140.htm | title= Line 2140: Bochum-Langendreer – Witten Hbf|work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2125.htm | title= Line 2125: Witten Hbf – Dortmund Hbf |work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
''S-Bahn:''
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2183.htm | title= Line 2183: Oberhausen Hbf – Mülheim-Styrum (1888 route) |work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2290.htm | title= Line 2290: Duisburg Hbf – Mülheim-Styrum (1973 route)
|work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2291.htm | title= Line 2291: Mülheim-Styrum – Bochum Hbf |work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2169.htm | title= Line 2169: Essen Hbf – Essen-Steele |work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2195.htm | title= Line 2195: Essen-Steele – Essen-Steele Ost |work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
*{{cite web| url= http://nrwbahnarchiv.bplaced.net/strecken/2190.htm| title= Line 2190: WBochum Hbf – Dortmund Hbf (1983 route)|work=NRW Rail Archive | publisher= André Joost |access-date=6 October 2011 |language=de}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witten Dortmund-Oberhausen Duisburg railway}}
[[Category:Railway lines in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1860]]
[[Category:1860 establishments in Prussia]]