Saarbrücken Railway
Encyclopedia
The Saarbrücken Railway was a divisions
of the Prussian state railways
that was responsible for the construction of the first railways in the Saarland
. The Royal Administration of the Saarbrücken Railway (Königliche Direction der Saarbrücker Eisenbahn) was established on 22 May 1852 with the goal of managing and operating the soon to be opened state railway line from the (then) border with Bavaria
near Bexbach
via Neunkirchen
and St. Johann-Saarbrücken
to the French border at Forbach
. It replaced the Royal Commission for the construction of the Saarbrücken Railway (Königlichen Kommission für den Bau der Saarbrücker Eisenbahn), which had been created at the end of 1847 by the Prussian government with responsibility for the planning and construction of this line.
On 1 July 1859, it was renamed as the Royal Railway Administration at Saarbrücken (Königliche Eisenbahn-Direction zu Saarbrücken). At the same time it took over the management of the private Rhine-Nahe Railway Company (Rhein-Nahe Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft). In the following years the rail network of the Saarbrücken Railway grew to a total length of 365 km when it became part of the Railway Administration in Frankfurt am Main (Eisenbahn-Direction in Frankfurt am Main) on 1 July 1880. Shortly later, on 1 April 1881, these lines became part of the Royal Railway Administration (left Rhine) in Cologne (Königlichen Eisenbahn-Direction (linksrheinisch) in Köln).
(Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn-Gesellschaft) opened its main line from Homburg to the Prussian border on 25 August 1849. On 20 October 1850 the Saarbrücken Railway extended the line to Neunkirchen. Two years later, on 16 November 1852, passenger trains ran on the line, known as the Forbach Railway, via Sulzbach
, Dudweiler
and St. Johann-Saarbrücken to reach the French border at Forbach. Freight trains operated on this line from 1 December 1852.
The next line built was the Saar line down the Saar valley from Saarbrücken to Trier
. It was opened on 16 December 1858 to Merzig and on 26 May 1860 to Trier West on the left bank of the Moselle. On 29 August 1861 the Trier western line was opened from a junction at Konz to the Luxembourg border at Wasserbillig
. Upstream a line was opened on 1 June 1870 to Sarreguemines
in Lorraine
, which was occupied by German troops at the time during the Franco-Prussian War
.
In 1878/79 several line were opened just before the Saar lines' inclusion of the Railway Administration of Frankfurt:
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 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...
that was responsible for the construction of the first railways in the Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
. The Royal Administration of the Saarbrücken Railway (Königliche Direction der Saarbrücker Eisenbahn) was established on 22 May 1852 with the goal of managing and operating the soon to be opened state railway line from the (then) border with Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
near Bexbach
Bexbach
Bexbach is a municipality in the Saarpfalz district, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Blies, approximatively 6 km east of Neunkirchen, and 25 km northeast of Saarbrücken.-International relations:...
via Neunkirchen
Neunkirchen, Saarland
Neunkirchen is a town and a municipality in Saarland, Germany. It is the largest town in, and the seat of the district of Neunkirchen. It is situated on the river Blies, approx. 20 km northeast of Saarbrücken. With about 50,000 inhabitants, Neunkirchen is Saarland's 2nd largest city...
and St. Johann-Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
to the French border at Forbach
Forbach
Forbach is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is located near the German border. Population : 22,784....
. It replaced the Royal Commission for the construction of the Saarbrücken Railway (Königlichen Kommission für den Bau der Saarbrücker Eisenbahn), which had been created at the end of 1847 by the Prussian government with responsibility for the planning and construction of this line.
On 1 July 1859, it was renamed as the Royal Railway Administration at Saarbrücken (Königliche Eisenbahn-Direction zu Saarbrücken). At the same time it took over the management of the private Rhine-Nahe Railway Company (Rhein-Nahe Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft). In the following years the rail network of the Saarbrücken Railway grew to a total length of 365 km when it became part of the Railway Administration in Frankfurt am Main (Eisenbahn-Direction in Frankfurt am Main) on 1 July 1880. Shortly later, on 1 April 1881, these lines became part of the Royal Railway Administration (left Rhine) in Cologne (Königlichen Eisenbahn-Direction (linksrheinisch) in Köln).
Development of the rail network
The Palatine Ludwig Railway CompanyPalatine Ludwig Railway Company
The Palatine Ludwigsbahn Company was a German railway concern that was founded to operate the Palatine Ludwig Railway in the Palatinate, a region of southwest Germany that was once part of the Kingdom of Bavaria within the German Empire.On 1 January 1870, the Palatine Ludwigsbahn Company, the...
(Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn-Gesellschaft) opened its main line from Homburg to the Prussian border on 25 August 1849. On 20 October 1850 the Saarbrücken Railway extended the line to Neunkirchen. Two years later, on 16 November 1852, passenger trains ran on the line, known as the Forbach Railway, via Sulzbach
Sulzbach, Saarland
Sulzbach is a town and a municipality in the district of Saarbrücken, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 10 km northeast of Saarbrücken....
, Dudweiler
Dudweiler
Dudweiler is a borough of Saarbrücken, on the Sulzbach creek. In 977, Dudweiler was first mentioned in official documents of German Emperor Otto II as the location of a chapel .Dudweiler received town privileges on 12 September 1962....
and St. Johann-Saarbrücken to reach the French border at Forbach. Freight trains operated on this line from 1 December 1852.
The next line built was the Saar line down the Saar valley from Saarbrücken to Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
. It was opened on 16 December 1858 to Merzig and on 26 May 1860 to Trier West on the left bank of the Moselle. On 29 August 1861 the Trier western line was opened from a junction at Konz to the Luxembourg border at Wasserbillig
Wasserbillig railway station
Wasserbillig railway station is a railway station serving Wasserbillig, in the commune of Mertert, in eastern Luxembourg. It is operated by Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois, the state-owned railway company....
. Upstream a line was opened on 1 June 1870 to Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is the seat of an arrondissement.-Geography:...
in Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
, which was occupied by German troops at the time during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
.
In 1878/79 several line were opened just before the Saar lines' inclusion of the Railway Administration of Frankfurt:
- on 15 May 1878, the Upper Mosel line from Ehrang via Trier to Perl,
- on 15 May 1879, the Moselle line from KoblenzKoblenzKoblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
via CochemCochemCochem is the seat of and the biggest place in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just under 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the like-named district, as Germany's second smallest district seat...
to Trier - on 15 October 1879, the Fischbach Valley Railway from Saarbrücken via QuierschiedQuierschiedQuierschied is a municipality in the district of Saarbrücken, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 11 km northeast of Saarbrücken.-External links:*...
to Neunkirchen and a link via ScheidtScheidt (Saarbrücken)Scheidt is a borough of the city of Saarbrücken, in the southwest of Germany. Population: 4,183...
to the former terminus of the Palatine Ludwig Railway at St. IngbertSankt IngbertSt. Ingbert is a town in the Saarpfalz district in Saarland, Germany with a population of 37361 . It is situated approx. 10 km north-east of Saarbrücken and 10 km south-west of Neunkirchen. Sankt Ingbert is an old industrial town, but most of its heavy industries have long closed down...
.