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Trier West Railway

Trier West Railway
Trier Gleisnetz 1937.jpg
Overview
Native name Trierer Weststrecke
Locale Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany and Luxembourg
Line number
  • 3140 Ehrang–Igel
  • 3141Ehrang–Biewer
Technical
Line length 14 km (8.7 mi)
Electrification 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed 90 km/h (55.9 mph) (maximum)
Route number last: 627; 263g (before 1970)
Route map
from Gerolstein and Koblenz
0.0 Ehrang
1.5 Ehrang Rbf
to Trier Hbf
Mäushecker Weg
Biewer junction
3.1 Biewer
B 53
5.8 Pallien
Kölner Straße/Martinerfeld (full barrier)
7.7 Trier-West
from Trier workshop
Siding of the French Army
Eisenbahnstraße (half barrier)
9.6 Euren
Zeppelinweg (call barrier)
to Trier-Euren industrial area
12.6 Zewen
Kantstraße (half barrier)
Lane (call barrier)
B 49
14.2 to Konz Mosel bridge, Trier and Saar
from the Hindenburg Bridge (1912–1945)
15.7 Igel
to Nims-Sauer Valley Railway (until 1969)
19.1 Igel/border (Sauer; to Luxembourg)
to Luxembourg
Source: German railway atlas

The Trier West Railway (German: Trierer Weststrecke) a 14 km-long railway line running from Trier-Ehrang in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate to Wasserbillig in Luxembourg via Trier-West. The double-track, electrified section between Trier-Ehrang and the Moselle bridge at Konz forms a bypass of the Trier rail node.

The track was built from 1860 to 1870 and since 1983 is has been used only for freight traffic. The Zweckverband Schienenpersonennahverkehr Rheinland-Pfalz Nord (municipal association for rail transport in northern Rhineland-Palatinate) plans to use the line again for passengers with an hourly Regionalbahn connection from Wittlich to Luxembourg. Currently, it lacks the necessary stations.

In 1856, Prussia decided to build a railway line between Saarbrücken, Trier and Luxembourg. This decision was taken partly for military reasons, that is to connect the garrison at Trier and the Prussian Federal Fortress at Luxembourg with the Palatine Ludwig Railway opened in 1849, and partly for economic reasons. Firstly, it did not want international rail traffic to run via the French railway on the MetzThionville–Luxembourg route, which was under construction. Secondly, Prussia wanted to create new export opportunities for coal mining on the Saar, and specifically for the Dillinger Hütte (steelworks) and the Boch pottery in Mettlach.

Construction of the Saar Railway (Saarstrecke) started on 25 June 1856. The first section to Merzig was opened on 16 December 1858 and the remaining section to Trier was opened on 25 May 1860. At first, an express, three stopping trains and two freight trains a day operated between Trier and Saarbrücken. 15 months later, the remaining section between the Moselle bridge at Konz and the city of Luxembourg was opened on 29 August 1861. The total cost was approximately 5.6 million thalers.


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Wikipedia

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