Salzburg–Berchtesgaden railway

Freilassing–Berchtesgaden
Overview
Locale	Bavaria
Line number	5740 (Freilassing–Bad Reichenhall) 5741 (Bad Reichenhall–Berchtesgaden)
Technical
Line length	33.671 km (20.922 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Maximum incline	4.08%
Route number	954
Route map  Operating points and lines  from Salzburg 0.0 Freilassing 421 m to Mühldorf to Rosenheim Freilassing-Hofham(planned to open in 2012) to Müllum district loading station 3.3 Ainring 431 m Annahütte steel works siding 5.9 Hammerau 441 m 10.8 Piding 453 m Saalach 14.9 0.0 Bad Reichenhall 466 m 0.8 to Neuen Saline 1.7 Bad Reichenhall-Kirchberg 476 m 1.7 Beginning of the steep section 3.4 Bayerisch Gmain 540 m 7,3 End of the steep section 7.4 Hallthurm 693 m 10.2 Winkl 665 m 13.6 Bischofswiesen 614 m 16.8 former Tristram Tunnel (70 m, skylighted) 17.7 Gmund bridge 18.8 Berchtesgaden Central Station 540 m Connecting curve to Königssee Railway to Hangender Stein

The Freilassing–Berchtesgaden railway is an electrified line listed in the Deutsche Bahn timetable as route 954. The 33.671 km long route branches in Freilassing as a single-track line from the double-track Rosenheim–Salzburg railway. It is classified as a line as far as Bad Reichenhall and from there as branch line. The section between Bad Reichenhall-Kirchberg and Hallthurm is considered a steep section with specific operational requirements under Deutsche Bahn’s regulations.

The Freilassing–Bad Reichenhall section was opened in 1866. In 1867, a project for a railway from Reichenhall to Berchtesgaden was approved, with assistance from the Administration of the Bavarian mountains, iron works, and salt works (German: Administration der bayerischen Berg-, Hütten- und Salzwerke). The construction of the Reichenhall–Berchtesgaden section was completed in 1884. On 25 October 1888 a festively decorated first train ran from Reichenhall to Berchtesgaden. The travel time for the entire route was initially 90 minutes and it was later reduced to 70 minutes. In 1914 the line was electrified. The AC power was supplied by the Saalach power station in Bad Reichenhall-Kirchberg, which is fed by lake Saalachsee and still supplies power for trains. The electric train operations started in 1916 with specially designed electric locomotives of class EP 3/6.

There was a 70-metre-long tunnel on a curve near the former Gmundbrücke station at Tristram Gorge until 1933/34, when it was converted into a cutting because the introduction of 4-axle carriages meant that its profile it was too small.

From 1909 to 1965 there was a connection at the end of the line at Berchtesgaden to the Königssee Railway (Königsseebahn) to the lake of Königssee. Another connecting line existed from 1908 to 1938, the Berchtesgaden–Hangender Stein railway, also called the Grüne Elektrische (“Green Electric”). This line was connected in turn to the Salzburg–Hangender Stein railway, which was called the Rote Elektrische (“Red Electric”). During the Third Reich, this rail link was closed as part of the planned duplication of the railway and the upgrading of the main road. Since then buses have run, which are dubbed the Watzmann Express. Work on the railway upgrade was begun but, due to the war, it was never completed. Even today, a tunnel without tracks near Berchtesgaden station is a reminder of that unfinished railway project.

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Wikipedia