Oldenburg–Leer railway

Oldenburg (Ol)–Leer (O)
Route number:	390
Line number:	1520[1]
Line length:	55
Gauge:	1435
Voltage:	15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC
Maximum speed:	120[1]
Legend from Bremen and from Osnabrück 0 Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf to Wilhelmshaven 6 Bloh 10.8 Kayhauserfeld from Edewechterdamm 15.2 Bad Zwischenahn from Westerstede 23.2 Westerstede-Ocholt to Sedelsberg 29.5 Apen 32.2 Augustfehn 39.6 Stickhausen-Felde 42.8 Filsum 47.9 Nortmoor from Emden 55.0 Leer to Rheine and Groningen

Augustfehn station

The Oldenburg–Leer railway is a 55 km single-track electrified main line in the north-west of the German state of Lower Saxony.^[1] It connects the Emsland line near Leer with the city of Oldenburg. Thus, it serves traffic from the direction of Hanover and Bremen to the port of Emden, the Emsland and western East Frisia, including the islands of Borkum, Juist and Norderney, which are important tourist destinations. Together with the Leer–Groningen line, it also has international significance.

The line was opened on 15 June 1869 by the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways and is one of the oldest railways in Germany. During 1992 it was electrified, which made expensive and time-consuming locomotive changes in Oldenburg unnecessary for the route to East Frisia.

In the 2008 timetable, daily InterCity services connect Leipzig and Hanover with Emden and Norddeich Mole. Together with Regional-Express services, trains operate approximately hourly.

The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan makes provision for the duplication of the line in the long-term to improve freight links with ports, but no work has progress has been made on this proposal.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Lower Saxony Ministery for Industry, Works and Transport (2 September 2008). "Zustand und Zukunft des Bahnverkehrs in Niedersachsen" (in German) (PDF). Lower Saxony Parliament. p. 19. http://www.landtag.niedersachsen.de/Drucksachen/Drucksachen_16_2500/0001-0500/16-0422.pdf#page=19. Retrieved 25 September 2008.