Cologne–Mönchengladbach railway
Overview
Line number
  • 2611 (Rheydt–Cologne-Ehrenfeld Gbf)
  • 2612 (Cologne-Ehrenfeld Westkopf)
  • 2613 (Cologne-Ehrenfeld Gbf–Pbf)
LocaleNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Termini
Service
Route number465
Technical
Line length49.4 km (30.7 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed120 km/h (74.6 mph) (maximum)
Route map
Line from Mönchengladbach
49.4
 Rheydt Hbf
freight bypass from Viersen
Former line from Rheydt freight yard
Former line from Mönchengladbach
46.4
 Rheydt-Odenkirchen
 Rheydt Gbf
Iron Rhine to Roermond
Line to Aachen
41.5
 Hochneukirch
Former line to Stolberg
38.7
 Jüchen
35.0
 Gubberath
A 46
Erft Railway from Neuss
31.3
 Grevenbroich
Erft Railway to Bedburg
27.6
 Erftwerk
24.3
 Oekoven
20.0
 Rommerskirchen
Former line to Holzheim
Freight line to Niederaußem
15.5
 Stommeln
11.5
 Pulheim
5.6
 Köln-Bocklemünd
3,5
 Köln-Ehrenfeld Gbf Westkopf
Bft
HSL from Aachen (grade separated)
 Köln-Müngersdorf Technologiepark
1.7
 Köln-Ehrenfeld freight yard
0.0
 Köln-Ehrenfeld
HSL to Cologne Hbf
Source: German railway atlas[1]

The Rheydt-Cologne railway is a mostly double-track electrified railway in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia between Rheydt and Cologne-Ehrenfeld. Only the section between Rheydt Hauptbahnhof and Rheydt-Odenkirchen is single track.

History

A steam train in Odenkirchen station in 1874

The first part of the line was built as part of the Mönchengladbach–Stolberg railway, which was built in stages between 1870 and 1875 by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (German: Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft) from the current Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof (central station) via Geneicken, Mülfort, Odenkirchen and Hochneukirch and continuing to Jülich, Eschweiler and Stolberg. In 1889, a connection was built from Hochneukirch station, which was located on this line, to the Erft Railway near Grevenbroich station. The direct link from Grevenbroich to Köln-Ehrenfeld station was opened in 1899. The direct link between Odenkirchen and Rheydt Hauptbahnhof was finally opened in 1908. This meant that the 1870 line through Geneicken, which ran to Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof parallel with the line through Rheydt Hauptbahnhof and which had already been duplicated, was sidelined. This section of line, which was electrified in 1968, initially continued to be used for trains from Mönchengladbach to Cologne, but it was finally closed in May 1985 and dismantled between Odenkirchen and Geneicken.

Operations

The line is served by Regional-Express service RE 8 (Rhein-Erft-Express), operating with class 425 electric multiple units, and Regionalbahn service RB 27 (Rhein-Erft-Bahn) operating with a class 143 electric locomotive and three double-deck coaches. Each service operates hourly.

  1. ↑ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2009. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.

NRW Railways archive of André Joost (in German):

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