1396i

BRANCH LINE NEWS INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT TO BLN 1396 05 March 2022

This newsletter covers the World outside the British Isles from information supplied by members.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Compilers or of the Society.
International Editor: Pete Skelton, 1 rue Traversière, 16450 BEAULIEU SUR SONNETTE, France
to whom all email contributions should be sent. Email: [email protected]
Postal Contributions should be sent to: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX
Deputy International Editor: Derek Woodward, 68 Church Street, MATLOCK, DE4 3BY

Email: [email protected]

EUROPE
[086] Albania – Latest Passenger Timetable
It has been reported on Facebook that the only passenger service in Albania is 06:30 Elbasan – Durrës
returning as 13:55 Durrës to Elbasan. The Kashar – Durrës and return service is presently replaced by a
bus due to engineering work.

[087] Austria - Achenseebahn reopens on 30 April 2022
Following a EUR 5 m investment by Land Tirol, the Achenseebahn (Jenbach to Achensee Seespitz) is
due to reopen on 30 April with a weekend-only service of three train pairs, having had no service at all
during 2020 or 2021. Weekday services are due to start on 4 June, except Tuesdays, and a full daily
(except Tuesdays) service of five train pairs starts on 25 June and runs until 18 September. See this
article https://tirol.orf.at/stories/3141720/ for details.
By 2024, the total investment is expected to be EUR 10 million.

[088] Belgium - SNCB rare track and a concert 19.03.2022
Bookings have opened for a special train from Schaarbeek directly into the SNCB Centraal Werkplaats
at Mechelen on Saturday 19 March. On arrival guests will be treated to a “prelude for 2 diesel locomo-
tives and harp”, the former being advertised as 5404 and 6041. Further “extraordinary audio and
visual performances by contemporary artists” are promised. The special train departs from Schaerbeek
at 17:30, returning from CW Mechelen at 21:45.
Book online at www.nona.be/en/program/la-fleche-et-lelephant

Centraal Werkplaats Mechelen

[089] Czech Republic – Narrow gauge railway at railway museum in Lužná u Rakovníka
Within the grounds of the railway museum at Lužná u Rakovníka is an oval shaped 800 mm gauge
railway offering rides between 09:30 and either 15:00 or 17:00 from mid-April to the end of October.
There are a variety of narrow gauge exhibits on display.
More information at https://www.cdnostalgie.cz/muzeum-luzna/muzeum/-32734/ .

[090] Denmark – The end of Rødby Færge
The construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel to replace the ferry from Puttgarden to Rødby Færge, and
the associated rebuilding of the lines on either side has led not only to the closure of Puttgarden later
this year (see later item), but also the disappearance from the start of the current Timetable of the
stub to Rødby Færge on the Danish side. In fact buses had replaced trains from 12 December 2021.
Re-opening of Rødby Færge station is no longer planned and instead a new station, as yet unnamed,
will be built south of Holeby.

Rødby Færge station and ferry terminal

[091] France – Narbonne avoiding line loses service
This West-South curve bypassing Narbonne was used by a pair of night trains between Paris-Austerlitz
and Port Bou via Toulouse until December 2021. From the timetable change the curve has no
passenger use.
[092] Germany – For the really dedicated track basher
Trains between Heilbronn and Eppingen starting or finishing at Eppingen platform 1 must use the
northern track of line 4201 for about 2.5 km and the DB/AVG connection at Eppingen-Stebbach.
Departures from Eppingen are currently at 04:48, 05:39, 06:53, 07:04, 11:05, 11:53 and 19:05. Arrivals
are not known.
Those who require (or prefer) overlap should note that after a 1½ year break, the approximately 500
metre connection from Freiburg (Breisgau) to the Münstertal branch platform at Bad Krozingen has a
service again, but only on Sunday mornings. The trains are: SWE 77498 Münstertal d. 08:11 - Bad
Krozingen 08:28/34 - Freiburg Hbf a. 08:48 and SWE 77437 Freiburg Hbf d. 09:01 - Bad Krozingen
09:18 - Münstertal a. 09:34.
[093] Germany – Hamburg area diversions
Hamburg Hbf - Dammtor - Altona will be entirely out of service from 5 to 17 March 2022. Some
services will already be diverted from 4 March.
IC 2212/2213/2216/2217 will be diverted via Harburg-Bergedorf.
ICs from the south to Kiel will be diverted via Harburg-Neumünster.
Services from Flensburg will be diverted via Bad Segeberg-Bad Oldesloe.
IC and RE services from Westerland/Neumünster-Elmshorn will be diverted via the northern goods
diversion line to Hbf.

[094] Germany – Last chance for Puttgarden?
The Neustadt (Holst) Gbf to Puttgarden section (this includes services to Burg (Fehmarn)) only has a
timetable until 31 August 2022 after which it will close with bus replacement until the commissioning
of the fixed Fehmarnbelt link, probably in 2029. The final 2km into Puttgarden will be bypassed by the
new route through the tunnel, so will probably close as without the ferry port Puttgarden has only a
few houses which would not justify a station.

Puttgarden Station

[095] Germany – Line to Aue finally integrated into Chemnitz tram network
This project has been ongoing for some time. In May and June 2017 the tram services from lines C13,
C14 and C15 (Burgstädt, Mittweida and Hainichen respectively) were extended from Bernsbachplatz to
a temporary terminus at Stadlerplatz. There was a further 1.5km extension from Stadlerplatz to a loop
at Technopark which opened 10 December 2017.
On 29 January 2022 a final connection from Technopark to Chemnitz Süd Strab junction (km 3.68) was
opened, allowing trams from C13 and C14 to join the former heavy rail line from Chemnitz Hbf to
Thalheim and Aue. C14 trams to Thalheim are half-hourly Mondays to Saturdays but terminate at
Technopark on Sundays. C13 trams to Thalheim and Aue run hourly throughout the week.
The old route between Chemnitz Hbf and Chemnitz Süd Strab junction has lost its passenger service,
thereby joining the line from Chemnitz Hbf to Stollberg as freight only.
The map at https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/c/chemnitz.htm makes this clearer.
[096] Germany – Sande to Schortens Weißer Floh
A diversion of the Sande - Esens line has been built to improve access for freight to Jade-Weser-Port in
Wilhelmshaven. A new 4.7 km double-track alignment from Sande towards the junction with the port
line at Abzw. Weißer Floh runs to the east of the existing single-track line through Sanderbusch. With
the opening of this line, now planned for 24 June 2022, the existing line will be closed and the halt at
Sanderbusch abandoned. [In BLNI 1391.610 it was stated that this diversion would come into effect at
the December 2021 timetable change, but the correct date is the one above. Your editor wishes to
apologise for this error.]

[097] Germany – Yet another short extension towards Beeskow
The line from Fürstenwalde to Beeskow closed in 1998, but reopened after renovation
from Fürstenwalde to Bad Saarow-Pieskow in October 1999. From 21 October 2011 the passenger
service was extended 1.1km to the newly constructed Bad Saarow Klinikum station.
Now there has been a further extension. From 12 December 2021 services have reached a new Bad
Saarow-Pieskow station some 1.3km further towards Beeskow, meaning the writer has to make a third
journey down this short branch! That should be the last one however, as it appears there is no
prospect of further extension.

[098] Hungary – Changes at the Felsőtárkány narrow-gauge railway
This isolated 760mm gauge railway north east of Eger did not operate in 2021 and now it seems it will
not operate in 2022 due to an extensive renovation which includes sleeper replacement, a deviation
for a road crossing and a new terminus station at the lakeshore. Two locomotives are to be converted
to hybrid operation and six carriages renovated. All this is financed by the government. Reopening
should be in 2023.
[099] Hungary – Budapest avoiding line
Russia is considering helping to finance the construction of railway line ‘V0’ (the Hungarian bypass to
Budapest) that will connect the border with Ukraine to the border with Austria. It is one of the first
showcases of the Hungarian, Russian and Austrian cargo joint venture that was signed last year. The
willingness of the Russian government was expressed by Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev in a video
call with the Hungarian Innovation and Technology Minister László Palkovics. The commitment would
not only be expressed in financial terms, but the Russians also in technical assistance. The V0 railway
line will link Győr in the west with the city of Cegléd, in central Hungary and is being built to reduce the
traffic load on Budapest’s southern railway bridge. Trains on the electrified line would be able to travel

at speeds of 120-160kph. A feasibility study was launched in April 2021, and is expected to be
completed in summer 2023. In the meantime, an environmental permit for the V0 railway line has
been requested, and according to the Hungarian minister, this could be obtained by spring 2023.

Currently the only double-track bridge across the Danube is located between Kelenföld (pictured) and Ferencváros,
the other bridge being a single-track structure on a suburban line. The double-track bridge carries significant
volumes of domestic and transit freight and is also used by international and long-distance passenger services.

[100] Hungary – New logistics terminal near Záhony
The Hungarian government is going to invest 12.4 billion Hungarian forint (around 35 million euros) in
the Záhony region, which is the region bordering Ukraine. This was announced three days after Russia
had committed its backing of the Budapest Bypass line. Less than a week later, Eurogate announced a
whole new network of rail services to and from Fényestlitke, where the border terminal East West
Gate is currently being built.
The Záhony region has got the attention of the international logistics industry. The border region was
neglected for a long time, but it could play an important role on the New Silk Road, as an alternative
gateway to especially the South-Eastern countries of Europe. This is now being realised by more
players than just a few pioneers.
The Hungarian government published its new plans in the Hungarian Gazette on 4 February. It details
that in total, 2,970 metres of broad gauge track and 4,618 metres of standard gauge track will be
constructed in the area. Moreover, 18 sidings will be upgraded and the existing railway lines will be
modernised.
This, according to the official note, will benefit the infrastructure of Záhony broad gauge station and
Fényestlitke station. The 12.4 billion HUF fund must be included in this year’s budget, and the
Hungarian national railway company MAV is responsible for carrying out the project.
The management of East West Gate, a new modern facility in Fényestlitke that is to be operational in
April this year, anticipated that it could offer a capacity of a million TEUs, provided that the Hungarian
infrastructure improvements were made.
Hamburg-based Eurogate announced this week that it has set up a network of services to
Fényestlitke, from Hamburg, Duisburg, Wien, Milano and Arad. “Our rail services are now ready for
use, ahead of the East-West Gate terminal’s operational start. Our seamless, non-stop rail

connections are available as a block train service to all destinations. In addition, if you are interested
in services to other locations, our team is more than happy to support your individual requests”, the
company writes on its Linkedin page.
[Note that this item and the previous one were based on announcements made at the beginning of
February. It is not presently known whether they will be affected by recent developments in Ukraine. –
Ed.]
[101] Hungary – Part of Pápa to Tatabánya to close but part to reopen
The railway from Pápa to Tatabánya lost its passenger service from 4 March 2007, which meant that
only two sections retained traffic. These were the Tatabánya to Környe section (part of the Tatabánya
to Oroszlány branch) and from Pápa to Franciavágás for freight. The remainder of the line was
abandoned.

Pápa Military Airbase

The military airport in Pápa is to have its runway extended south, thereby severing the line between
Pápa and Franciavágás, which is to close. Instead, the other end of the line to Franciavágás, from
Veszprémvarsány, is to be reactivated and is being renovated to allow freight to pass at 20 km/h.
[102] Lithuania – Electrification approved
The government has approved the Ministry of Transport & Communications’ plans for 25 kV 50 Hz
electrification of the 309 km Kaišiadorys – Klaipėda – Draugystės route, which will complete
electrification of the 376 km corridor between Vilnius and the port city.
[103] The Netherlands / Italy – New intermodal service
In a good example of a company wanting to take greater control of its own destiny, CLdN Cargo
commenced running its own intermodal rail connection between Rotterdam and Montirone (Italy)
from 14 February. The service initially operates three times a week connecting CLdN’s own Rotterdam
RO/RO terminal with the Magli Intermodal Service (MIS) Terminal in Montirone, 13 km south of

Brescia (in northern Italy). CLdN Cargo uses its own trailer and container equipment, combined with
other types of equipment sourced by CLdN’s forwarding division. The MIS Terminal has been upgraded
and refurbished in 2021, at a cost of €20 million, to facilitate longer trains and increased handling
capacity. CLdN Cargo is a European door-to-door logistics provider. As an asset-based operator, it is
split into three business units: containers, trailers and development. It has a fleet of 5,500 trailers and
containers.

[104] North Macedonia - Current passenger services
Rail services continue to be significantly disrupted. This is partly due to the Pandemic, but also to MZ
not having sufficient serviceable trains to operate all services. The following services remain
suspended until further notice: -
Skopje - Kicevo (Local media claim it’s been suspended since May 2021 due to lack of trains)
Veles - Kocanci (Local media claim it’s been suspended since May 2021 due to lack of trains)
Skopje - Hani I Elezit (Suspended since March 2020 due to lack of trains & Engineering work in
Kosovo.)
The line is currently being rebuilt between Hani i Elezit and Kosovo Polje as part of the Corridor 10
Project. Kosovo Railway’s services on this line are also suspended.
Services which may run are :-
Skopje – Bitola 3 services in each direction
Skopje – Gevgelija 2 services in each direction
Skopje – Tabanovci 4 services in each direction
Full details of MZ’s 2022 Schedules (including suspended services which are listed) can be found at
https://mzi.mk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Возен-ред-2022.pdf
There continue to be no scheduled international trains through North Macedonia. Note that the
Prishtinë service listed is one of those suspended.
Due to the continuing shortage of trains any of the above services may be cancelled or suspended at
short notice depending on availability of trains on the day.

Skopje Station looking somewhat devoid of trains [Photo: ©J Cornelius]

[105] Poland - Diversion through Kraków Prokocim Yard
The 16:11 Katowice - Tarnow is shown in the timetable as not calling at stations between Kraków
Płaszów and Kokotów, which means it must run through Prokocim Yard. Map view shows the northern
route of line 100 to be used, but we know that map view always shows the same route where tracks
with the same line number take different routes, for example at flying junctions.

The screens at Kraków Glówny clearly warned that the train would not stop at intermediate stations to
Kokotów, so that was a good sign. As expected for an eastbound train, the train took the southern
route of line 100 exactly as shown on openrailwaymap. This is very different from the northern
(westbound) route, not used by any passenger trains to our knowledge.
The reason for the diversion is single line working on long sections east of Kraków Glówny on the line
to Tarnów, and from the progress of the engineering works seen this is unlikely to be completed
before the end of the year.
Kokotów is a desolate station with only one platform in use. The 16:11 to Tarnów connects nicely at
Kokotów with the train (identified in EGTRE) for Kraków Olsza and Kraków Glówny with reversal at
Mydlinki. This was 15 late due to a late running eastbound IC service, but duly did the diversion.
People even got off at Olsza.
[106] Poland – Re-openings delayed
The target date for the re-opening of the line between Ostrołęka and Chorzele which was closed in
June 2001 has now slipped to mid-2023. More information (in Polish) can be found at The new railway
bridge over the Narew River – PLK restores the connection Ostrołęka – Chorzele – PKP Polskie Linie
Kolejowe S.A. (plk-sa.pl)
Re-opening of line 285 Wrocław – Sobótka - Świdnica has now been delayed until “June at the
earliest”.
[107] Romania - The București Henri Coandă International Airport to București Nord railway
Henri Coandă International airport was previously known as Otopeni and served by a train/bus link.
Passengers alighted at a very basic station on line 700 north of Odaile known as PO Aeroport, for a bus
connection for the short distance to the airport. Built in 2009 this station was swept away in 2019 by
the doubling of the line between Mogoșoaia and Balotești – part of the airport branch project – and
replaced by a new station called PO Otopeni Nord, further west near national highway DN1. From here
it is possible to walk in about 28 minutes to the airport – a distance of about 2km. Eleven trains a day
stop at PO Otopeni Nord which is a two level station (ground floor and first floor), providing direct
access to the two platforms (each 150 m long and 3 m wide) through an elevator, two escalators and
fixed stairs. It opened on 25 October 2021 and is meant for passengers coming south down line 700
from Urziceni and beyond.

Henri Coandǎ International Airport Station

The new 2.95km railway line connecting Henri Coandă airport terminal 1 with line 700 near Odaile,
thence to Mogoșoaia and București Nord, opened on 12 December 2020. In August 2021 34 trains a
day ran at 40 minute intervals with nominal journey times of 20-25 minutes.
With the completion of works at Terminal 1, from 12 December 2021 no less than 72 trains a day
started to operate.
The route is single track from Henri Coandă station to the junction with line 700, double track
to Mogoșoaia, then single track for 7.67km to hm Pajura from where it is double track for the
remaining 5.4km into București Nord.
To increase capacity on the single track section, from 12 December 2021 trains between Urziceni and
București Nord (and vice versa) were diverted from Mogoșoaia via the former freight line to Chitila
(station call) and thence to București Nord, with journey times increased by about 10 minutes. This
may have helped, but with the increase in service the long single track section was still immediately
saturated and delays have become the norm, sometimes up to an hour.
Two complementary projects have been developed to resolve the situation.
Between Mogoșoaia and the main line to Chitila and Ploiești there are actually two parallel single
lines. The easternmost is the line to București Nord used by the airport trains. The westernmost goes
under the main line and enters the huge area of București Triaj where it splits into two former through
lines. These are currently disused.
The first project, capable of rapid implementation at relatively low cost, was to be installation of two
new sets of points at km 8.8-8.9, close to where the two parallel lines diverge. This would allow use of
the westernmost track towards Mogoșoaia, effectively double tracking this 4km section. For the
estimated cost, equivalent to €15,000, it is difficult to see why this was not done before.
The second project would double the remaining single track section by reinstating the westernmost
track under the main line as well as the curve from this towards Depoul București Triaj station and
constructing (or possibly renovating, looking at the project cost) some 1.9km of line parallel with the
existing lines into București Nord, as far as the end of the line 700 single track section near hm Pajura.
This map may aid understanding.

The two parallel single lines can be seen heading north towards Mogoșoaia and the two new sets of
points would be near the minor road that runs alongside.
Both projects have been tendered, and both failed to attract acceptable or compliant bids. Re-
tendering produced no bids at all, so both projects will be delayed.

[108] Slovakia – High Tatra narrow gauge line reopens following modernisation
The High Tatra rack-and-pinion line between Štrba and Štrbské Pleso has reopened a year later than
initially planned after closing on 5 July 2020 for reconstruction. The track, superstructure and
permanent way on the 4.75km metre-gauge line have all been renewed.
National passenger operator ŽSSK has replaced the lines two class 405.95 trains with five Stadler GTW
3-car class 495.5 EMUs, the first of which entered service in December. The new trains are able to
operate on both the conventional and rack-and-pinion sections of the network, removing the need to
change trains.

One of the new Stadler Trains [Photo: © Tomáš Mlynarčík]

The line in the High Tatra Mountains runs from Štrba station, which is on the main line between Žilina
and Košice at an altitude of 850m, to Štrbské Pleso, a winter sports and spa town, at an altitude of
1346m. The maximum gradient along the line is 15%.
A 4.75km line along the route first opened in 1896, but closed in 1932 with the infrastructure
removed in the 1940s. Due to a ski championship in 1970 and increasing tourism, the line was rebuilt
in 1968 with a short section rerouted from the original line.

[109] Sweden – Storuman – Lycksele
[BLNI 1391.610] This line did not re-open from the December 2021 timetable change.

[110] Switzerland – Routing Query Answered
In BLNI 1395.080 it was asked which route a service between Basel and the St Gotthard would have
taken in 1963. The answer is that Aarau-Wohlen-Rotkreuz was the standard through route to the
Gotthard (and the main freight route).

It is shown as such in column notes in the Gotthard timetable T70. The one for 1968 can be found
online at www.timetableworld.com and also has the times from London/Channel ports - it will not
differ significantly from a few years earlier. [The same source also has a copy of Cooks Continental
Timetable for December 1958, which can be found under the International tab – Ed]
[111] Switzerland – Station re-opened
The former La Chaux de Fonds Ouest halt, at km 30+640 on the line between La Chaux de Fonds and Le
Locle, which was closed after Traffic on 27 May 1995 re-opened on 12 December 2021 with the new
name of La Chaud de Fonds Les Forges.
La Chaux de Fonds is at km 29+490 and Le Locle is at km 37+067 from Neuchâtel.

REST OF THE WORLD
[112] Australia – Sydney light rail line resumes operation
Services resumed on Sydney’s 12.8km inner-city City – Dulwich Hill light rail line over the weekend of
12/13 February 2022 after being suspended in November 2021 following the discovery of cracks in the
12 Spanish-built CAF LRVs used on the line.
The LRVs are being temporarily replaced by six Alstom Citadis LRVs borrowed from the eastern
suburban light rail line, which will run every 15 minutes from 06.00 to 23.00 daily, apart from on
Fridays when they will operate until 00.00. As the Citadis LRVs as slightly narrower than the CAF LRVs,
creating a larger gap between the vehicle and the platforms, so a temporary “gap filler” has had to be
installed on the platforms.
A spokesperson for Transport for NSW (TfNSW) said that the authority was working with the
manufacturer to fix the affected plates on the LRV bogie boxes that developed fractures. These plates
will be cut out and replaced with new reinforced plates, with the repairs already underway at the
Pyrmont depot.

The six Citadis LRVs are sufficient to meet reduced demand on the Inner West line caused by the
pandemic. However, the LRVs, track and station platforms needed to be modified for safe operation.
The LRVs are slightly narrower, creating a larger gap between the vehicle and the platform, so a
temporary “gap filler” will be installed on platforms.

An Alstom Citadis LRV in Sydney

TfNSW declined to comment on the cause of the cracks, saying the question was a matter for the
manufacturer to answer. In late 2021, the transport authority sent two staff members to Birmingham,
UK, to inspect remedial work on the same model of CAF LRV used in Sydney, which have experienced
similar cracks over the wheel arches.
[113] New Zealand – Long distance passenger services threatened
It was reported in January that the long-distance passenger services which had been suspended
because of Covid were not going to be re-instated. In fact, Tranzalpine (Christchurch - Greymouth)
resumed on 14 January 2022, and https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/explore-nz/our-scenic-nz-
trains/northern-explorer-and-coastal-pacific-restart-22/ from KiwiRail more than implies that the
other two trunk routes (Northern Explorer and Coastal Pacific) will resume from July - but perhaps in a
different format?
[114] Saudi Arabia - Line opening
The final 318km section of the SAR North railway between Al Jouf and Qurriyat is expected to open for
passenger service within the next few weeks. The route has been completed for a further 19km to the
Jordanian border at Al Haditha, with the tracks ending a few hundred metres short of the fence. There
is no station at this point.
This standard gauge route has been built by the Saudi government in stages to connect Riyadh to
Jordan. The section in Jordan, which has not yet been built, would eventually allow Saudi freight access
to the Mediterranean ports via Jordan and Syria.
The first 353km stage connecting Riyadh to Qassim (with intermediate station at Majamah, 190km)
opened in 2017, extending to Hail (622km) later that year. In 2018 the line opened to Al Jouf (924km),
with a weekly overnight train from Riyadh.

A Train arrives in Al Jouf Station

There are two return services each day, one between Riyadh and Hail, and one between Riyadh and
Qassim. Both operate north in the mornings, and return south in the afternoon / evenings. On
Thursdays and Saturdays an additional evening service operates from Riyadh to Qassim and return.
The Al Jouf service operates once a week, northbound on Wednesdays and southbound on Saturdays.
These are overnight services with sleeping berths (4 beds) and seated coaches. If booking a sleeping
cabin, all 4 must be reserved and paid for.
See https://sar.com.sa/en/travel-with-sar/timetable-route-map for the current timetable.
When Qurriyat station (1,242km) opens this will be served by an extension of the weekly overnight
service.
All trains are formed of 200 km/h push-pull CAF Arabia stock, details of which can be found at
https://www.caf.net/en/soluciones/proyectos/proyecto-detalle.php?p=243. After extension to
Qurriyat the night trains will also convey car-carrying vehicles for private cars accompanying
passengers (a motorail service).
[115] South Korea – First Section of Central Inland Railway inaugurated
The first section of the Central Inland Railway between Icheon, southeast of Seoul and Chungju has
opened for revenue service following an inauguration ceremony on 30 December 2021.
The single-track 25 kV 50 Hz electrified line is 54 km long, with an end-to-end journey time of
30 minutes. Services are operated by KTX-Ieum high speed trainsets manufactured by Hyundai Rotem,
which have a maximum speed of 260 km/h. The next section of the line is due to open in December
2023, linking Chungju with Mungyeong, a distance of 39 km.

Chungju Station Entrance