Saxon-Franconian trunk line ( German : Sachsen-Franken-Magistrale ) is a modern term for a double-track railway route between the German cities of Dresden and Nuremberg . It is 390 kilometres long and currently electrified from Dresden to Hof . The concept of the Saxon - Franconian trunk route was developed in the transport policy debate in the 1990s during consideration of direct rail services connecting Dresden and Görlitz with Karlsruhe and Oberstdorf . The term is not traditionally used in relation to the railway lines now described by it.
53-722: The route runs from Dresden to the southwest through the Saxon Uplands , running from Dresden to Zwickau parallel with the Ore Mountains . Between Plauen and Hof it passes through the Vogtland . The route then cuts through the Fichtel Mountains , the Franconian Jura and Franconian Switzerland . See: See: The modern Saxon-Franconian trunk line is formed from several sections. The first section
106-683: A Bistro Cafe (buffet car) instead of a restaurant or no on-board catering at all, although this is as much a reflection of the changing habits of modern passengers than it is a change in the status of Intercity trains. Until 2023, Lines 30 and 31 – Hamburg to Frankfurt / Stuttgart were closest in character to a 'classic' Intercity train, but these have now been abolished, with sections of these services reallocated to lines such as 43 and 55. Deutsche Bahn's long distance services are operated over numbered routes. If they are operated by Intercity-Express rolling stock they are considered to be Intercity-Express lines . Lines operated by Intercity rolling stock or
159-562: A day on the line. At the change these were replaced by Interregio-Express (IRE) trains operating as the Franken-Sachsen-Express , running eight times a day each way, which could be used with regional fares. These trains are operated by DB Regio as part of DB's long-distance services, using class 612 tilting trains and reducing the Nuremberg–Dresden travel time by 40 minutes compared to the previous situation. In
212-490: A famous figure from one of the cities along the route. Nowadays, fewer services are named, usually those that serve the extremities of the rail network. Names are usually taken from a geographical location along the route. The original Intercity services were hauled by the Class 103 electric locomotives, built in the early-1970s and capable of 200 km/h. Lesser routes were operated by Class 110 and 111 locos, but these had
265-578: A lower maximum speed, and with line speeds increasing, their use became untenable. A new Class 120 was introduced in 1987, and these classes were relegated to Regional duties. In the mid-1990s the Class 101 was introduced, and these locomotives now dominate Intercity services, with the 103s having been largely retired in the early-2000s. On non-electrified Intercity routes, such as Hamburg to Westerland , or Ulm to Lindau , Class 218 diesel locomotives are used, usually double-headed . For cross-border services, multi-voltage electric locos are needed, such as
318-427: A mixture of Intercity and Intercity-Express sets are listed below (as of 2022). IC line 17 was established on 15 December 2019. This is a service that has been served every two hours since 9 March 2020. Between Rostock and Berlin, IC line 17 is the successor to Interregio line 14, which operated here until 2002. Some services of trains on IC line 28 are replaced here by line 17. On the section between Berlin and Dresden,
371-558: A result, the new ICE line 10 was established from Berlin to Cologne/Bonn. At the same time, the branch to Basel, which was previously served by IC line 5, was abandoned. The line now ended in Nuremberg. From 1998 the trains of ICE line 6 and ICE line 10 ran over the new Berlin–Hanover line. The next major change to Intercity services came about in 2002, with the opening of the Cologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line largely to replace
424-586: A small number of services have been operated by multiple units : early services were operated by the VT 11.5 and Class 403 (1973) TEE units, while Nuremberg to Dresden route, was briefly operated by Class 612 DMUs in Intercity livery. This service was later classified as an Interregio-Express (part of DB Regio ) and the units were painted in standard DB red. Through service on that route has since been withdrawn altogether with Mitteldeutsche Regio Bahn serving
477-630: A train pair on line 32. Line 56 starts in Norddeich Mole and runs every two hours via Braunschweig to Leipzig. A few trains use an alternative route from Emden Außenhafen station . Peine is served by two trains in the direction of Leipzig and one in the direction of Emden. One pair of trains runs from Magdeburg via Potsdam and Berlin to Cottbus; it is the only long-distance service to stop at some stations. The other trains run via Köthen and Halle to Leipzig. Intercity 2 sets have been in service since December 2015. Between Norddeich Mole and Bremen,
530-451: Is a service approximately every hour. Since 16 June 2020, a pair of Railjet services have operated as ICE 27 between Berlin and Graz. Norddeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft Niebüll [ de ] runs through coaches from Niebüll to Dagebüll Mole via the following stations. They do not run as IC services, but as NEG regional services: Only a few trains run on line 28, which connects Nuremberg with Munich via Augsburg. Since
583-679: Is a strip of countryside of about 200 m to 500 m above sea level (NN) high, in the German state of Saxony , that lies immediately north of the German Ore Mountains and runs mainly through the areas of Zwickauer Land , Zwickau , Chemnitzer Land , Chemnitz , Mittelsachsen and the country south of Dresden . It borders on the Upper Pleißeland to the extreme west, the Ore Mountain Basin in
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#1732772470146636-513: Is also another new line 5, running from Dortmund to Munich. It was opened since 2 May 1985. The InterCity for 3a is also part of the TransEuropExpress: Some ICs switched between lines 4 and 5, 2 and 5 (Essen or Wuppertal), or 2 and 3 (Basel or Stuttgart). The network continued to evolve throughout the 1980s, and in the early 1990s it saw major changes. One major driving force for this was German reunification , which saw
689-468: Is based on ICE 50 and supplements it with relief journeys on Fridays and Sundays as well as journeys on the " Mid-Germany Railway " ( Mitte-Deutschland-Verbindung , MDV). It was called line 50 between 2018 and December 2022. Line 51 MDV runs three pairs of trains between Düsseldorf/Cologne and Gera/Leipzig via Dortmund, Hamm, Soest, Lippstadt, Paderborn, Altenbeken, Warburg, Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, Bebra, Eisenach, Gotha and Erfurt. The services that relieve
742-520: Is mainly dependent on further upgrades, particularly the upgrading of the track in Chemnitz station , where the maximum train speed is 40 km/h. Studies indicate that a new 10 km-long railway line between Plauen and Hof would significantly reduce travel times. The electrification of the section between Reichenbach and Nuremberg is the highest priority and would also allow for shorter travel times, as electric vehicles have significant advantages on
795-540: Is offered between Stuttgart and Zurich. Every two hours it is served by Deutsche Bahn IC2 runs from Stuttgart to Singen. Two pairs of trains continue to Konstanz from Monday to Friday. To continue to Zurich, it is usually necessary to change trains in Singen to a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) service. In the other hour there is a direct connection operated by SBB from Stuttgart to Zurich, but with fewer intermediate stops. Line 87 will be fully converted to Intercity 2 trains when
848-426: Is only served from March to October. A pair of trains runs from Norddeich Mole to Bonn-Bad Godesberg and from Bad Godesberg to Emden. A pair of trains runs daily from Koblenz (on weekends from Cologne) to Bremerhaven-Lehe or from Bremerhaven-Lehe to Cologne. All IC trains running between Leer and Norddeich Mole can be used with local tickets. Since December 2023, some train pairs have been running as ICE 35 . Since
901-628: Is required so that services between Leipzig and Plauen can operate through the new City-Tunnel in Leipzig , where no diesel vehicles will be allowed. It is unclear when the remaining 170 km of line between Nuremberg and Hof will be electrified. In particular, the section in the upper Pegnitz valley has many engineering structures that would be difficult and expensive to electrify. Saxon Uplands The Saxon Uplands , Saxon Hills or Ore Mountain Foreland ( German : Erzgebirgsvorland )
954-663: Is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the Intercity Express (ICE). Intercity services are locomotive-hauled express trains , usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany and routes generally operate every other hour, with multiple routes giving a more frequent service on core routes. Intercity services are operated by the DB Fernverkehr division of Deutsche Bahn , Germany’s national railway. The Intercity name
1007-587: The Class 181 to France and Luxembourg or the Class 180 into the Czech Republic and Poland . After German reunification , former Deutsche Reichsbahn locomotives could be found on Intercity services – not only the Class 180s, but the 112 (electric) and 219 (diesel) locos. While the 219s have been retired, the 112s are now solely used on Regional-Expresses due to their top speed of 160 km/h. While most Intercity trains have been loco-hauled,
1060-638: The Dresden Basin ( Elbtalkessel ) and the eastern section of the Ore Mountains. The Ore Mountains are often divided into the following areas (main units based on Meynen, and, in brackets, the Federal Office for Nature Conservation ( Bundesamt für Naturschutz or BfN ): This Saxony location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Intercity (Deutsche Bahn) Intercity , often shortened to IC ,
1113-509: The InterRegio – was created in the late-1980s, replacing the old D-Zug services, providing semi-fast services to complement Intercity trains. The new changes on 31 May 1992 were as follows: From 1996, IC line 8 was connected from Berlin to Hamburg, which together with IC line 7 between the two cities, which ran until 1998, created an hourly service. IC line 5 ran from 1997 via Hanover Magdeburg and Leipzig to Dresden instead of Berlin. as
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#17327724701461166-536: The West Rhine Railway , a major trunk route for Intercity services. While previous high speed lines in Germany had been designed for mixed usage, and could be used by Intercity trains, this line can only be operated by new ICE 3 units. This, along with the introduction of another generation of ICEs, the ICE T , saw large numbers of Intercity routes converted to ICE . Meanwhile, the InterRegio classification
1219-592: The years of the division of Europe , the route retained some significance. After the political changes in East Germany , the route was examined for work that could be carried out quickly to expand trade between southern Germany and Saxony. Shortly after 1990 there was considerable political efforts to upgrade what was now called the Saxon-Franconian trunk line for higher speeds to make it more competitive for rail connections. The first stage of this work
1272-528: The 2018 annual timetable, a daily pair of trains has again been running between Düsseldorf and Luxembourg. Until December 2014, this section was part of line 35. ( Stadler KISS ) double-deck multiple units of the CFL are used. On the Koblenz–Trier railway , the train runs as an RE, between Koblenz and Düsseldorf as an IC on behalf of DB Fernverkehr with the option of reserving seats and taking bicycles. Line 51
1325-481: The 2024 annual timetable, the IC has been running between Westerland, Dagebüll and Berlin as part of line 29. Keitum and Klanxbüll are only served by the southbound train, while Dagebüll Kirche, Maasbüll and Deezbüll are only served by the northbound train. Since the start of the 2024 annual timetable, the line only consists of IC 2012/2013 train pair ( Allgäu ). ICE train pair ICE 32 118/119 ( Bodensee ) also runs on
1378-552: The Chemnitz–Flöha section was opened. In 1869 the last Saxon section of the line was completed from Freiberg to Chemnitz. Although the Pegnitz Valley Railway was not yet completed, the line via Kulmbach and Lichtenfels provided a direct east–west link from Silesia to the south and southwestern parts of the country. In the following decades, the line was an important rail link for east–west traffic. Even in
1431-407: The IC 2238/2239 train pair, which also connects Leipzig with Rostock via Magdeburg and Schwerin, but runs beyond Rostock to Warnemünde Line 60 ran between Karlsruhe and Munich every two hours until December 2022. It is now operated as ICE 60 . Line 61 runs every two hours between Karlsruhe and Leipzig. Schorndorf is only served by two trains in the morning towards Nuremberg and by two trains in
1484-534: The ICE line during peak hours are grouped as line 51 E . The "E" stands for Entlastungsverkehr (relief traffic). Line 55 runs every two hours from Dresden via Leipzig, Magdeburg, Hanover, Dortmund, Hagen and Wuppertal to Cologne. With the annual timetable change in December 2022, the line was extended to Stuttgart as a replacement for line 30. Since December 2023, one train pair has continued to/from Tübingen, replacing
1537-724: The Netherlands with some operating under the EuroCity brand. The idea for Intercity services on the Deutsche Bundesbahn network was first proposed in 1967, inspired by the success of British Rail 's InterCity brand. After some planning, the proposal was approved in 1969, and the services were finally introduced in September 1971, after some delays in delivery of new coaching stock. The original network consisted of four lines, operating every two hours, and connecting
1590-806: The completion of the Göltzsch Viaduct on 15 July 1851. On the Bavarian side, the Neuenmarkt–Hof section was opened on 1 November 1848 as part of the Ludwig South-North Railway and it was extended to the border to meet the Saxon-Bavarian railway from Plauen also on 20 November 1848. The line from Neuenmarkt to Bayreuth was opened by the Royal Bavarian State Railways on 28 November 1853. It
1643-491: The evening towards Stuttgart. Since the line runs via Pforzheim, it only uses part of the Mannheim–Stuttgart high-speed railway . Since December 2018, the line has been gradually converted to operation with Intercity 2 sets. Between Frankfurt and Stuttgart and between Stuttgart and Salzburg, the line runs every 2 hours. Since December 2023, the trains pairs operated by DB have been running as ICE 62 services and only
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1696-670: The first year of operation, 1.4 million passengers used the new rail service. Passengers on the Franken-Sachsen-Express increased by about 20 percent on working days in the first half of 2008 compared to the previous year, and by about 17 percent on weekends. Since the timetable change on 15 December 2013, all trains run as Regional-Express services. When running via Bayreuth, trains must now be changed in Hof, as electric locomotives are used with bi-level cars between Dresden and Hof. Services via Marktredwitz continue to run as through trains from Dresden to Nuremberg. The further development of services
1749-715: The installation of ETCS equipment on the Swiss network is completed. Local transport tickets are also valid from Stuttgart to Singen/Konstanz. A few trains have been extended to Frankfurt. A pair of trains (IC 460/461) runs on a side branch of the line to/from Vienna. Six pairs of trains run daily on the EuroCity-Express line 88 operated with RABe 503 multiple units of the SBB, which are classified as Eurocity between Lindau-Reutin and Zurich. Line 89 runs every two hours from Munich to Verona. There are also two pairs of trains in
1802-509: The largest cities in West Germany . At this time, Intercity trains were first-class only. The original lines were: Gradually, the Intercity network started to expand, and with the introduction of the Class 103 locomotives, 200 km/h running was possible. Services were increased in frequency to hourly, and second class accommodation was provided – in 1979 this was promoted with the slogan "every hour, every class". Additionally, there
1855-748: The line supplements the heavily used Eurocity line 27 to Prague and has connected Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) since it opened. Since the Stadler KISS multiple units used on IC route 17 are owned by the Austrian WESTbahn and are serviced in Vienna, a pair of trains runs six times a week overnight between Rostock and Vienna via Nuremberg. Intercity rolling stock is used for one train pair on ICE/IC line 24. It runs from Hamburg via Hanover, Kassel and Würzburg to Augsburg where
1908-773: The line. Trains run every two hours between Frankfurt and Siegen. Two pairs of trains run at high speed from Siegen via Unna and Hamm to Münster and continue via Emden to Norddeich Mole; the other six train pairs take over almost all stops for regional traffic and run to Dortmund or via Dortmund to Münster. These slower trains can also be used between Dillenburg and Iserlohn-Letmathe with local tickets. The first train on Mondays to Fridays towards Dortmund runs from Stuttgart via Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, Mannheim and Frankfurt Airport. Trains run every two hours between Emden and Cologne. Some trains start at Norddeich Mole or Emden Außenhafen . South of Cologne, individual trains continue to Koblenz and on weekends to Konstanz or Stuttgart. Emden Außenhafen
1961-529: The line. That same month, upgrading began of the section between Niederbobritzsch and Freiberg . In June work began on the St. Egidien – Glauchau , Reichenbach – Netzschkau and Herlasgrün – Jocketa sections. In 1997 a total length of 24 km of the line was upgraded. The first completed section of the upgrade between Niederbobritzsch and Freiberg was handed over to the DB on 12 December 1997. The total planned cost for
2014-429: The locomotive change at Bad Bentheim is no longer needed making the train around 30 minutes faster. One to two pairs of trains daily (IC 2241/2242, Sunday IC 2343/2240) do not go to the Netherlands, but instead run from Osnabrück to Münster. Until 2010, this line was run as ICE 87, but as there were not enough ICE T sets available due to several problems, locomotive-hauled Intercity trains were used. An hourly service
2067-483: The morning hours to Bologna. Four pairs of trains run daily between Berlin and Warsaw. These are called the Berlin-Warszawa-Express and are operated by DB Fernverkehr and Polskie Koleje Państwowe . They differ visually from the typical IC cars. In addition, a pair of trains runs via Gdańsk to Gdynia and a pair of trains to Kraków. Originally, all Intercity services had names, usually named after
2120-483: The network expand across the former East Germany , but also the opening of two high-speed lines in 1991: Mannheim to Stuttgart and Hannover to Würzburg . The first generation ICEs were introduced around this time, and took over most services on the Hannover – Fulda corridor, while the remaining services expanded in all directions. The routes on 2 June 1991 were as follows: Meanwhile, a new type of express train –
2173-530: The south and the Mulde Loess Hills to the north and east. Immediately north of the Western and Central Ore Mountains lie the cities of Zwickau and Chemnitz in the Ore Mountain Basin , whose western extension, the Upper Pleißeland is usually considered part of the basin today. Northeast of Chemnitz a narrow strip of land, the Mulde Loess Hills ( Mulde-Lösshügelland ) is squeezed in between
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2226-412: The steeply graded track. In 2007, DB estimated the total cost of the required upgrade between Nuremberg and Reichenbach, including electrification, would be €460 million. In March 2007, the federal government announced that funding for electrification between Reichenbach and Hof would be increased from €50 to 126 million. Work in this section began in 2010 and is expected to be completed in 2014. This work
2279-423: The timetable change of December 2007, an hourly service was implemented between Dresden and Nuremberg; these services operate alternately by Marktredwitz and via Bayreuth. According to the 2008/09 timetable, Regional-Express services take 4 hours and 20 minutes to run over the whole line via Marktredwitz. IRE services on the longer route via Bayreuth stop less frequently and therefore take the same total time. In
2332-470: The train pairs operated by ÖBB have been running as EC services. One pair of trains runs between Frankfurt and Graz ( Chiemgau ) and Saarbrücken and Graz ( Dachstein ). Three pairs of trains run every four hours on line 75 between Hamburg and Copenhagen, replacing ICE line 75 since the 2018 timetable. Until the 2019 timetable change, they ran via Puttgarden, where they were loaded onto a ferry to Rødby and then continued to Copenhagen. Due to construction work,
2385-470: The train splits, with one portion continuing to Munich and Berchtesgaden and the other continuing to Oberstdorf. Intercity rolling stock are used for some rotations on ICE/IC line 26. On the main route of EC line 27, Intercity and Eurocity services run every two hours between Hamburg and Prague. A pair of trains continue to Budapest. One pair of trains a day runs between Westerland or Dagebüll and Berlin. Between Berlin and Dresden, together with line 17, there
2438-451: The trains have been running across the Danish mainland since December 2019, which, together with line 76, creates a two-hour service between Hamburg and Padborg. Line 77 runs between Amsterdam and Berlin every two hours. Since December 2023, the train does not stop at Almelo , Ibbenbüren , Bad Oeynhausen , Minden , Wolfsburg and Stendal anymore and due to the new Vectron locomotives
2491-490: The trains run one hour later than the Lower Saxony RE 1 services; on this section they can be used with local transport tickets. This also applies to the free ride for severely disabled people. Three pairs of trains are used daily on line 57. The IC 2230/2233 train pair connects Magdeburg with Hamburg. There is also the IC 2234/2235 train pair, which connects Leipzig with Rostock via Magdeburg and Schwerin, and
2544-416: The upgrading of the line was estimated at this time to cost Deutsche Mark 2.8 billion (about €1.4 billion). In 1998, DM 280 million was invested and 55 km was completed by late 1998. The originally planned construction of a long tunnel (the "Vogtland tunnel") between Hof and Plauen has not been realised. At the time of the timetable change of December 2006, DB operated four pairs of InterCity trains
2597-450: Was abolished, and many of its services converted into Intercity routes. As a result, the character of Intercity has changed. Having been on an almost equal footing with the ICE, it is very much secondary. While it still provides a high quality of service, trains now stop more frequently, and are more commonly found on lesser routes. Most current IC trains convey fewer first-class coaches, more open seating as opposed to compartments , and
2650-589: Was included in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan of 1992. The plan provided that by 1998 the line between Hof and Dresden would allow virtually continuous speeds of 160 km/h, reducing the travel time for this section to two and a half hours. On 1 February 1997, the Planungsgesellschaft Deutsche Einheit mbH ("German Unity Planning Company") contracted Deutsche Bahn (DB) to upgrade
2703-857: Was introduced in Germany in 1971, replacing the F-Zug category, and was the top category of train in Germany until the introduction of the high-speed ICE services in the early 1990s. With the proliferation of ICE services, the role of IC trains has diminished slightly. Nonetheless, Intercity trains still offer a high standard of average speed and comfort; all routes offer first class coaches, and most include some sort of catering, though all buffet cars and restaurant cars were retired in 2023. Several IC services are composed of older coaches while being gradually replaced with newer Intercity 2 trainset rolling stock with some lines also being upgraded to ICE services and trainsets. A number of German Intercity services serve destinations outside Germany, usually to Austria and
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#17327724701462756-528: Was opened on 6 September 1845 as part of a branch line connecting the Saxon-Bavarian Railway at Werdau rail triangle junction to Zwickau . On 31 May 1846, the route opened from Werdau rail triangle junction to Reichenbach . While the section between Plauen and the Bavarian border was opened on 20 November 1848, the intermediate section from Reichenbach to Plauen was not completed until
2809-661: Was the first Bavarian railway line to be built and leased to the state. The section from Bayreuth via Hersbruck to Nuremberg, the Pegnitz Valley Railway , was not opened throughout until 15 July 1877. On the Saxon side the Albert Railway opened from Dresden to Tharandt on 18 June 1855. The line was opened from Tharandt to Freiberg on 11 of August 1862 after major difficulties were experienced with construction (ramps, tunnels and viaducts) and finances. In 1866,
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