Murg Valley Railway

Murg Valley Railway
Overview
Native nameMurgtalbahn
Line number4240
LocaleBaden-Württemberg, Germany
Termini
Service
Route number710.41
Technical
Line length58.2 km (36.2 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead
Maximum incline5%
Route map

Legend
Rhine Valley Railway from Karlsruhe S 71S 81
Rhine Railway from Karlsruhe S 7S 8
0.0
 Rastatt
120 m
Rhine Valley Railway to Basel S 7S 71
1.4
 Rastatt Beinle
4.4
 Kuppenheim
125 m
6.0
 Bischweier
128 m
8.0
 Bad Rotenfels Schloss
8.6
 Bad Rotenfels
136 m
9.5
 Bad Rotenfels Weinbrennerstraße
10.4
 Gaggenau
142 m
11.3
 Gaggenau Mercedes-Benz Factory
12.3
 Ottenau
13.1
 Hörden-Ottenau
13.3
 Hörden
13.7
 Hörden
15.5
 Gernsbach
160 m
16.1
 Gernsbach Mitte
18.2
 Obertsrot
19.1
 Hilpertsau
183 m
20.0
 Reichentaler Straße
until 1921
20.7
 Weisenbach
197 m
21.8
 Au im Murgtal
22.8
 Au (Murgtal)
22.9
Füllen Tunnel (215 m)
23.3
Hart Tunnel (158 m)
23.9
 Langenbrand
24.4
Brach Tunnel (160 m)
24.8
Tennetschlucht Viaduct (183 m)
25.3
Stiehl Tunnel (355 m)
25.7
Rappen Tunnel (95 m)
25.9
Hacken Tunnel (177 m)
26.1
 Gausbach
26.4
Gausbach Tunnel (180 m)
26.8
 Forbach (Schwarzwald)
303 m
28.6
Haul Tunnel (364 m)
31.4
 Raumünzach
391 m
32.0
Spielrain Tunnel (104 m)
34.2
 Kirschbaumwasen
36.5
 Schönmünzach
462 m
37.9
 Schwarzenberg
473 m
38.2
Mähderbuck Tunnel (215 m)
39.9
 Huzenbach
481 m
43.0
 Röt
495 m
45.2
 Heselbach
46.4
 Klosterreichenbach
515 m
48.9
 Baiersbronn Schule
49.7
 Baiersbronn
547 m
51.3
 Friedrichstal/Württ.
52.2
 Friedrichstal
52.4
 Friedrichstal iron works
55.4
 Freudenstadt Stadt
739 m
56.2
 Freudenstadt Schulzentrum/Panoramabad
57.5
 Freudenstadt industrial estate
Gäu Railway from Eutingen im Gäu S 8S 81
58.2
 Freudenstadt Hbf
terminus S 8S 81
664 m
Eutingen im Gäu–Schiltach railway line to Schiltach
Source: German railway atlas[1]

The Murg Valley Railway (German: Murgtalbahn) is a 58 kilometre long railway line in the Northern Black Forest in Germany, that links Rastatt and Freudenstadt. It was opened in stages from 1868 to 1928 being built outwards from both Rastatt and Freudenstadt. The route through the narrow Murg Valley required the construction of numerous tunnels and bridges. The section between the stations of Baiersbronn and Freudenstadt Stadt is a steep ramp which is why it had to be operated until 1926 as a rack railway. Even today it can only be worked by vehicles that have the required approval.

After the occasional long-distance passenger services had been withdrawn in the 1990s, the Murg Valley Railway was integrated into the network of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn between 2002 and 2004. Since then it has been operated by Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), using their fleet of tram-trains. At Freudenstadt, these meet the services of the Ortenau S-Bahn (OSB), operating over the Kinzig Valley Railway to Offenburg.[2]

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2009. pp. 93, 102. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  2. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2009. p. 102. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.