Biebermühl Railway

Kaiserslautern–Pirmasens

Overview

Locale

Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Line number

3300 (Kaiserslautern–Pirmasens Nord)
3310 (Pirmasens Nord–Pirmasens)

Technical

Line length

35.9 km (22.3 mi)

Track gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge

Route number

672

Route map

Palatine Ludwig Railway from Ludwigshafen

Alsenz Valley Railway from Bad Münster

0.0

Kaiserslautern Hbf

Lauter Valley Railway to Lauterecken-Grumbach

Palatine Ludwig Railway to Saarbrücken

1.8

Kaiserslautern-Galgenschanze

5.5

Hohenecken (Reactivation planned)

8.5

Gelterswoog

11.6

Karlsthal

13.1

Schopp

277 m

19.1

Steinalben

23.7

Waldfischbach

256 m

25.5

Burgalben

Queich Valley Railway from Zweibrücken

29.1

0.0

Pirmasens Nord

246 m

Queich Valley Railway to Landau

(new route since 1939)

4.0

New/old Fehrbach Tunnel (887/914 m)

(old route until 1996)

6.8

Pirmasens Hbf

368 m

Source: German railway atlas

The Biebermühl Railway (German: Biebermühlbahn)—sometimes called the Moosalbbahn (Moosalb Railway)—is a 35.9 km long railway line from Kaiserslautern to Pirmasens in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which was built between 1875 and 1913. The first section between Biebermühle (now Pirmasens Nord station) and Pirmasens connected the city of Pirmasens to the railway network, which could only be achieved via a branch line due to the topography. In 1905, another branch was opened from Biebermühle to Waldfischbach, which was extended in 1913 to Kaiserslautern. It was subsequently used by national services, which operated until 1990. Since then, it has been used only by local services.

The Biebermühl Railway runs along the western edge of the Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald), through the Sickingen Heights (Sickinger Höhe). It is largely surrounded by forest over the whole route. From the abandoned Karlsthal station it runs along the Moosalb until its confluence with the Schwarzbach in Waldfischbach-Burgalben. The line then runs to Pirmasens Nord station. The remaining nearly seven kilometres of line cuts through relatively steep terrain and includes the 887 metres long New Fehrbach tunnel to reach the terminal station of Pirmasens.

From Kaiserslautern Hauptbahnhof to the abandoned Gelterswoog station the line is located within the boundaries of the urban district of Kaiserslautern and from Karlsthal to Schopp in the district of Kaiserslautern. Between Steinalben and Pirmasens Nord it runs through the district of Südwestpfalz, while the remainder of the line is located on the territory of the city of Pirmasens.

Gelterswoog and Karlsthal stations mainly served natural attractions and were thus primarily served by tourist services. For this reason, both have been abandoned. Groups can stop at the latter on request.

...
Wikipedia