Backnang–Ludwigsburg railway

Backnang–Ludwigsburg railway
Overview
Locale	Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Line number	4931 (Backnang–Ludwigsburg) 4902 (Freiberg–Bietig.-Bi.)
Technical
Line length	Backnang–Ludwigsburg: 24.5 km (15.2 mi) Freiberg–Bietigh.-Bi.: 6.3 km (3.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Freiberg–Ludwigsburg: 2
Minimum radius	400 m (1,312 ft)
Maximum incline	1%
Route number	790.31 (Backnang–Marbach) 790.4-5 (Marbach–Ludwigsburg)
Route map Murr Railway from Crailsheim 0.0 BacknangTerminus of S 3 and S 4 278 m Murr Railway to Stuttgart S 3 4.7 Burgstall (Murr)241 m 8.5 Kirchberg (Murr)217 m 11.0 Erdmannhausen-Rielingshausen234 m 13.7 Marbach (Neckar)223 m Bottwar Valley Railway Viaduct (Length: 335 m) Siding to Marbach power station Neckar 15.2 Benningen (Neckar)221 m 19.4 Freiberg (Neckar)251 m Franconia Railway from Stuttgart S 5 25.7 Bietigheim-BissingenTerminus of S 5 220 m Franconia Railway to Würzburg Western Railway to Bruchsal EnBW substation Hoheneck siding 22.4 Favoritepark278 m Franconia Railway from Würzburg S 5 Ludwigsburg–Markgröningen railway 24.5 Ludwigsburg295 m Franconia Railway to Stuttgart S 4, S 5 Source: German railway atlas

Source: German railway atlas

The Backnang–Ludwigsburg railway is a line on the northern edge of the Stuttgart region in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, linking Backnang and Ludwigsburg. The Backnang–Bietigheim line was opened in 1879 as a branch of the Murr Valley Railway from Waiblingen to Hessenthal and left the current route at Beihingen-Heutingsheim (now part of Freiberg am Neckar). The section between Beihingen-Heutingsheim and Bietigheim (now called Bietigheim-Bissingen) was damaged during the Second World War and was never returned to operation.

Between Ludwigsburg and Marbach the line has been part of the Stuttgart S-Bahn network since 1980. The Marbach–Backnang section is currently being rebuilt so that it can be integrated into the S-Bahn. The Ludwigsburg–Backnang line is sometimes referred to as the Kleine Murrbahn ("Little Murr Railway"). The fully electrified and partially double track line is of considerable importance for freight transport as a link between the Kornwestheim marshalling yard (Kornwestheimer Rangierbahnhof) and Nuremberg.

The line starts in the heights above the Murr at Backnang station. While the Murr Railway runs to the southwest and, after separating from the Little Murr line to Ludwigsburg under the B 14 highway, leaves the Murr valley, swinging south towards Waiblingen. The Little Murr line follows the twisting valley of the Murr to Kirchberg. Thereafter, the line leaves the floor of the valley and after Erdmannhausen runs through a 2 km long and up to 11 m deep cutting through the watershed between the Murr and the Neckar. After Marbach station a siding branches off to the north of the line and runs to Marbach power station—until 1989 there was a remnant here of the former 750 mm gauge Bottwar Valley Railway (Bottwartalbahn).

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