Bonn–Oberkassel train ferry

The Bonn–Oberkassel train ferry was a German train ferry operated by the "Rheinische Eisenbahngesellschaft" (Rhine Railway) from 1870 to connect its right and left Rhine railways. It was the last of six train ferries to begin operations across the Rhine in Germany and the second last to close.

Construction of the railway

After the take over of the "Bonn-Cölner Eisenbahn" (Bonn-Cologne Railway) by the "Rheinische Eisenbahngesellschaft" on 1 January 1857 it built the left Rhine railway in sections to Bingerbrück. With the opening of the last section on 15 December 1859, it connected to the Hessian Ludwig Railway to South Germany. In 1864, it built the Pfaffendorfer Rhine bridge below the Festung Ehrenbreitstein fortress and the bridge over the Lahn at Oberlahnstein to connect with the Nassauische Rheinbahn (Nassau Rhine Railway) at Niederlahnstein, completed on 3 June 1864, creating a second railway next to the Rhine from the Rhineland to southern Germany. The Prussian Government encouraged the Rheinische to extend the right bank railway to from Niederlahnstein to Oberkassel (opposite Bonn and Troisdorf). The company was also given a concession to connect the new line with the left Rhine railway with Bonn by means of a train ferry.

Construction of the train ferry

The building of the train ferry began immediately. The right bank railway was extended north to Neuwied in 1869 and on 27 October 1869 to Oberkassel and the train ferry wharf.

The train ferry was similar to the two established train ferries of the Rheinische railway, between Spyck and Welle (near Emmerich and Kleve) and between Rheinhausen and Hochfeld (in Duisburg), which went into service in 1865 and 1866 respectively. The Bonn–Oberkassel ferries similarly crossed the river using their own engines, guided by two wire cables, although they operated at an angle of 45° against the river toward Oberkassel. The three routes were finished in 1868, 1870 and 1873. The ramps from the riverbank stations to the water were inclined at 1:38. The three ferry pontoons on each side were 70 meters long and 9.5 m wide. Each could carry as many as ten freight wagons, seven passenger carriages or one locomotive.

The train ferry line turned to the left after Oberkassel station to reach the bank. On the Bonn side, the Bonn train ferry station was near the bank and it still served industry there until the Second World War. The line reached the main line near Kessenich and from 1870 had its own track into Bonn Hauptbahnhof. Part of this track still exists, but it is no longer fit for operations; it lies beside the Bad Godesberg-Bonn railway near Bereich Straßburger Weg and Kaiserstraße for a short section before the Hauptbahnhof.

Train ferry traffic

In the opening year the timetable included, in addition to freight trains, six daily passenger trains from Niederlahnstein to Bonn. The crossing took about 20 minutes, including the push on to the ferry, uncoupling, crossing, coupling and the pull from the ferry.

Traffic levels carried on the ferry for selected years are set out below:

1871: 45,280 wagons and 132 locomotives

1873: 93,107 wagons and 274 locomotives

1879: 47,841 wagons and 39 locomotives

End of the train ferry

Train ferry operations stopped temporarily with the beginning of the First World War and permanently from 1 January 1919. The ferry wharves in Bonn were demolished in the same year and the line was lifted between the Bonn riverside and the goods station. A shipyard was built on the Oberkassel bank, which used the former train ferry track to connect to the mainline.

References

* Klaus Kemp: "Das Trajekt Bonn-Oberkassel" in VdEF-Mitteilungen No 9/1973. de icon
* Rheinische Eisenbahn, Geschäftsberichte der Jahre 1861–1882, Köln de icon