Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry

The Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry was a German train ferry on the Rhine between Ruhrort and Homberg, now districts of Duisburg.

While the Cologne-Minden Railway Company (Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) was building its trunk line between Cologne and Minden via Duisburg between 1843 and 1847, the shareholders of the Ruhrort-Crefeld District Gladbach Railway Company (Ruhrort–Crefeld−Kreis Gladbach Eisenbahngesellschaft, RCG) were looking for a way to bring coal from the Ruhr to industries on the western bank of the Rhine cheaply. Technology had not yet developed for building a bridge over the Rhine. In addition, prior to the Austro-Prussian War, the Prussian military opposed the building of a fixed bridge across the Rhine for military reasons, except in fortified cities such as Cologne, Mainz, Koblenz and Düsseldorf. Therefore, the RCG decided to build a train ferry between its left (western) bank terminus in Homberg and the right bank port of Ruhrort.

On 29 March 1847 the RCG entered into a contract with the CME to connect the lines of both companies and for the transport of passenger carriages and freight wagons across the Rhine. In May 1847, the RCG began construction of its line from Viersen via Krefeld to Homberg, which was opened on 15 October 1849. The CME completed its branch line from Oberhausen to Ruhrort on 14 October 1848.

Lack of experience in Germany with train ferries led the RCG to begin the movement of wagons with a simple system of ramps, but using imported facilities that had not been tested in advance. On both sides wagons were lowered, initially using chains and later ropes, from the top of the river banks down a slope of 1 in 12 to the edge of pontoon docks—these railway basins still exist. The wagons were then moved on to pontoons over rails that had been temporarily installed over the water. On the other side the wagons were towed up the ramp by a locomotive using the same system of chains or ropes.

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