Cologne–Overath railway

Cologne–Overath railway
Overview
Locale	North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Line number	2655 (Köln-Kalk–Overath) 2621 (Köln-Kalk–Flughafen Nordost) 2692 (Flughafen Nordost–Frankfurter Str)
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route number	459
Route map Sieg Railway from Cologne 1.9 0,0 Köln-Kalk Cologne freight bypass Gremberg–Köln-Kalk Nord Connecting curve from Köln-Kalk Nord 3.3 1.5 Vingst (junction) A 4 4.4 0.0 Flughafen Nordost (junction) Sieg Railway to Troisdorf 1.5 4.1 Köln Frankfurter Straße Former freight line from Köln-Kalk Süd 4.2 Plantage (junction) Airport loop to Troisdorf 5.7 Porz-Heumar (former station) Waste transfer station 7.9 Porz-Heumar Nato (siding) 10.2 Porz-Königsforst (siding, former station) 12.1 Rösrath-Stümpen Former line from Bergisch Gladbach 14.4 Rösrath Sülz 15.9 Hoffnungsthal Former Cologne–Lindlar railway Aqueduct Hoffnungsthal Tunnel (1087 m) 20.2 Honrath Bombach Viaduct (90 m) Former Agger Valley Railway from Siegburg 24.6 Overath Agger Valley Railway to Dieringhausen Source: German railway atlas

The Cologne–Overath railway is a single-track, non-electrified railway in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was opened in 1910 to connect the historic Siegburg–Olpe railway directly to Cologne and required the construction of the Hoffnungsthal tunnel. The section from Hoffnungsthal to Rösrath partly used the track of the Cologne–Lindlar railway, which is now largely disused west of Bergisch Gladbach. The line, like the Siegburg–Olpe line, is also called the Aggertalbahn (Agger Valley Railway), although it leaves the valley of the Agger not far from Overath.

In 1997, Deutsche Bahn abandoned scheduled freight traffic throughout the Oberbergischer Kreis. After that passenger services ran only as far as Gummersbach, but, since 2003, they have been extended to Marienheide. Since May 2007, the Rhein-Sieg-Eisenbahn has occasionally operated freight traffic as required from the junction of the Siegburg–Olpe railway with the Wiehl Valley Railway (Wiehltalbahn) towards Cologne.

The planners of the Siegburg–Olpe railway preferred a direct connection to Cologne from the beginning rather than the indirect route via Siegburg. But at this time, there was still a military base in Cologne, which was in the way of the line. When this site was closed, the line to Cologne was soon planned.

In order to significantly shorten the travel time from Cologne to the Oberbergische district, the connection between Hoffnungsthal and Overath, including the 1,087 m-long Hoffnungsthal tunnel between Hoffnungsthal and Honrath and the connection from Rosrath to Cologne, were completed in 1910. The new line used part of the Sülz Valley Railway at Hoffnungsthal to connect the two extensions together.

As in many other places there were disruptions to the line after the Second World War. Hitler's scorched-earth policy required a temporary diversion over the old line via Siegburg. This was made necessary by the destruction of a bridge between Overath and Cologne by German troops during their retreat. This bridge was repaired in 1946 and trains were then diverted on to the line via Olpe, because the main line to Siegen was much more damaged. This detour lasted until 1949. In these difficult years the line was also used by many of the starving urban population to buy food (on Hamsterfahrten, literally “hamster rides”). Automatic Block Signaling was implemented the line from Köln-Kalk to Dieringhausen on the Siegburg–Olpe line in 1976.

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Wikipedia