Münchberg–Selbitz railway

Münchberg–Selbitz railway
Route number:	853
Line number:	5024 (Selbitz–Helmbrechts), 5025 (Münchberg–Helmbrechts)
Line length:	20.3 km (12.6 mi)
Gauge:	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Route
Legend from Hof Hbf (Bamberg–Hof) 0,0 Münchberg to Bamberg (Bamberg–Hof) A 9 3,1 Unfriedsdorf (since 1956) 5,4 Hildbrandsgrün 7,0 Wüstenselbitz 7,9 Weißenbach (to 1922) 9,3 10,9 Helmbrechts (former station) 8,9 Helmbrechts Freibad 6,6 Volkmannsgrün Selbitz 5,0 Schauenstein 2,5 Eselberg (113 m) 2,2 Weidesgrün from Hof Hbf (Hof–Bad Steben) 0,0 Selbitz to Bad Steben (Hof–Bad Steben)

The Münchberg–Selbitz railway is a branch line in Bavaria in southern Germany. It runs from Münchberg via Helmbrechts to Selbitz. The Helmbrechts–Selbitz section has been since closed and dismantled. Passenger trains still run today between Münchberg and Helmbrechts.

History

The Münchberg–Helmbrechts railway was built by the Royal Bavarian State Railways and opened on 1 June 1887. Its extension to Selbitz was completed by the Deutsche Reichsbahn and services began on 1 March 1924. As a result of falling numbers, passenger services were withdrawn from the Helmbrechts–Selbitz section on 30 May 1975 by the Deutsche Bahn and the line from Selbitz to Schauenstein was lifted in June 1977. Goods traffic continued to work the remaining stretch from Helmbrechts to Schauenstein until 31 March 1987 whilst the section beyond it was dismantled.

Services

Regionalbahn trains on the present-day timetable route no. 853 are operated by the Vogtlandbahn under contract to Deutsche Bahn using diesel multiple units of VT 642 and RegioSprinter railbuses. The journey time between Münchberg and Helmbrechts is 15 minutes.

Future

The route was declared by the Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft on 8 February 2008 to be part of the Upper Franconian Diesel Network (Dieselnetz Oberfranken) which will be launched on 12 June 2011 with new trains and improved levels of service.^[1]

See also

• Royal Bavarian State Railways
• Bavarian branch lines

References

1. ^ Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Technologie: Freistaat Bayern schreibt Diesel-Zugleistungen auf dem Schienennetz in Nordostbayern aus. Press release dated 11 February 2008

Sources

• Andreas Kuhfahl, Wolfram Alteneder: Die Nebenbahnen der BD Nürnberg. Verlag C. Kersting, Bonn 1986, ISBN 3-925250-02-6.
• Siegfried Bufe: Eisenbahn in Oberfranken. Bufe-Fachbuch-Verlag, München 1982, ISBN 3-922138-13-6.
• Robert Zintl: Bayerische Nebenbahnen. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1977, ISBN 3-87943-531-6.
• Deutsche Reichsbahn, Horst-Werner Dumjahn: Die deutschen Eisenbahnen in ihrer Entwicklung 1835–1935. Reichsdruckerei, Berlin 1935 / Nachdruck mit Vorwort von Horst-Werner Dumjahn: Dumjahn Verlag, Mainz 1984, ISBN 3-921426-29-4.
• Roland Fraas, Volker Seidel u. a.: 100 Jahre Lokalbahn Münchberg-Helmbrechts – 1887–1987 – Festschrift zum Jubiläum 6.–8. Juni 1987. Herausgeber: MEC 01 Münchberg e. V.

External links

• 1944 timetable
• Die Lokalbahn Münchberg - Helmbrechts
• There is a relevant English-language forum at Railways of Germany