Limburg-Staffel–Siershahn railway

TheLimburg-Staffel–Siershahn railwayis a railway line betweenLimburg-Staffel,MontabaurandSiershahnin theWesterwald.The line, which is also known as theUnterwesterwaldbahn(Lower Westerwald Railway), runs through the German states ofRhineland-PalatinateandHesse.

Siershahn–Limburg-Staffel railway
Overview
Line number	3071
Locale	Rhineland-Palatinate,Hesse,Germany
Service
Route number	629
Technical
Line length	29.8 km (18.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in)standard gauge
Operating speed	50 km/h (31.1 mph) (maximum)
Route map Holzbach Valley Railway from Altenkirchen 29.5 Siershahn Brexbach Valley Railway to Engers(heritage railway) 27.2 Wirges 25.8 Dernbach (Westerw) A 3 (former route until July 2000) HSL from Cologne 21.8 Montabaur (former / current station) HSL to Limburg Süd (former route until July 2000) A 3 Westerwaldquer Railway to Wallmerod 17.2 Goldhausen 14.9 Girod 12.1 Steinefrenz (268 m) 10.5 Dreikirchen 9.9 Steinefrenz siding 5.9 Niedererbach RP/Hessestate border 1.4 Elz Süd Upper Westerwald Railway from Westerburg A 3 Montabaur–Limburg Süd HSL 0.0 Staffel Upper Westerwald Railway to Limburg Source: German railway atlas

History

TheRhenish Railway Company(Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft,RhE) planned the line and also received the concession to build it. It was opened to Staffel on 30 May 1884, by which time thePrussian state railwayshad taken over operations of the RhE. ThePrussiangovernment took control of the RhE on 1 January 1886.

The Lower Westerwald Railway connected to theHadamar–Limburg linein Staffel. The Lower Westerwald Railway connected with theBrexbach Valley Railway(Brexbachtalbahn), which connected to theEast Rhine Railway(Rechte Rheinstrecke) in Siershahn.

Operations

Old Montabaur station (2005)

While theDeutsche Bundesbahnceased passenger services on theHolzbach Valley Railwayon 1 June 1984, it continued to operate services on the Lower Westerwald Railway. Since 12 December 2004, services have been operated byVectus Verkehrsgesellschaftevery hour or every two hours usingLINTdiesel multiple units.

The modernMontabaur stationwas opened in 2002 to provide interchange with theCologne-Frankfurt high-speed railway.

Due to an accident at a level crossing nearGirodon 30 September 2011, the line was severely damaged over a length of 7 km to Montabaur. During the period required for its repair, a steam-hauled freight train of the Hanau railway museum (Museumseisenbahn Hanau) railway ran over theTaunustoSteinefrenzstation to supply the concrete sleepers. After the restoration of the line, services were resumed on 19 October 2011.