Prussian military railway

Royal Prussian Military Railway

Overview

Native name

Königlich Preußische Militär-Eisenbahn (1875–1918/19)

Locale

Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany

Termini

Berlin (military station)
Jüterbog

Line number

6514 Zossen–Jüterbog

Technical

Track gauge

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

Route map

0.0

Berlin (military station) dismantled in 1945

Line between km 0.0 and 30.5 dismantled about 1919

7.5

Berlin-Marienfelde

14.5

Mahlow

22.0

Rangsdorf

Connection near 30.4 to the Dresden Railway (until 1919)

30.5

Zossen (military station)

Line between 30.5 and 40.0 closed since 1998

Borsig I. siding

Borsig II. siding

35.0

Mellen-Saalow (now Mellensee-Saalow)

Borsig III. siding

37.5

Rehagen-Clausdorf (now Rehagen-Klausdorf)

Clausdorf brickworks siding

Rehagen brickworks siding

Sperenberg metal works siding (until 1918/19)

40.0

Sperenberg

Line between 40.0 and 70.5 closed since 1996

Sperenberg airstrip siding (until 1918/19)

Sperenberg gypsum works siding (until1918/19)

45.5

Schießplatz (Kummersdorf) (now Kummersdorf-Gut)

Firing range siding

Firing range camp siding (until 1918/19)

Schönefeld woodworking siding (until 1918/19)

49.0

Schönefeld (now Schönefeld b. Luckenwalde)

56.0

Jänickendorf

60.0

Kolzenburg (station dismantled by 1970)

Heidehof parade ground siding

65.0

Werder-Zinna (now Werder b. Jüterbog)

from km 70.0 to Jüterbog station/state railway (until 1919)

70.5

Jüterbog (military station) (out of service from 1922)

Source: German railway atlas

The Royal Prussian Military Railway (German: Königlich Preußische Militär-Eisenbahn), also called the Königliche Militär-Eisenbahn (Royal Military Railway, KME), was a Prussian state railway, operated by the army, between Schöneberg (now part of Berlin) and Kummersdorf (now in the municipality of Am Mellensee), later extended to Jüterbog.

After the Franco-Prussian War, it was decided to build a line where railway troops could practise, as the strategic importance of the railways had increased considerably. On 9 January 1873, the Berlin-Dresden Railway Company (Berlin-Dresdener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) entered into a contract with the Prussian War Ministry, to build a line west of its tracks to be used exclusively by the Railway Battalion for military purposes. It was agreed on 26 February 1874 to build a 45.6 km long railway line from the Militärbahnhof (Schöneberg) (Military Station, Schöneberg) to the Artillerie-Schießplatz (artillery firing range) at Kummersdorf and it was opened on 15 October 1875. The route ran for 30 km to Zossen parallel with the Berlin–Dresden railway and then turned off to the southwest. It was extended by another 25 km to Jüterbog military station on 1 May 1897. The finances of the railway were managed by the Königlichen Direction der Militäreisenbahn (Royal Railway Division of the Military Railway).

Also in 1897, a third rail was inserted in the track between Rehagen-Klausdorf and Klausdorf to permit tests of narrow-gauge operations. This was discontinued in 1900 and the third rail was removed.

In the interests of neighbouring communities and at the urging of the Berlin-Dresden railway and the public, civilian operations were approved by the military railway first for freight between Berlin and Zossen and then for passengers between Zossen and Kummersdorf Schießplatz. Passenger traffic was also approved between Berlin and Zossen from 1 November 1888. A special suburban fare was introduced on the line between Berlin and Zossen on 1 October 1891.

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Wikipedia