Friedrichroda Railway

The Friedrichroda railway, known as well as Waldsaumbahn, is a single-track non-electrified railway line in the German state of Thuringia. It is now only used for regional passenger transport, using Class 641 (Alstom Coradia A TER) diesel multiple units. The line was opened in 1848 and is the oldest branch line in Thuringia and one of the oldest lines in Germany.

Fröttstädt–Georgenthal
Overview
Line number	6702
Locale	Thuringia, Germany
Service
Route number	606
Technical
Line length	18.8 km (11.7 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed	50km/h (max)
Route map Operating points and lines from Eisenach 0.00 Fröttstädt (Keilbahnhof) to Erfurt 1.00 Hörselgau 3.57 Waltershausen Thuringian Forest Railway 6.13 Waltershausen Schnepfenthal 8.77 Reinhardsbrunn-Friedrichroda Friedrichrodaer Tunnel (279 m) 9.85 Friedrichroda 10.51 current end of line 12.50 Schweizerhof 14.24 Schönau-Ernstroda from Gotha 18.84 Georgenthal (Thür.) to Tambach-Dietharz / to Gräfenroda

History

The line was opened on 28 May 1848 as a spur of the Thuringian Railway (German: Thüringer Bahn) from Fröttstädt to Waltershausen. It is the oldest branch line in Thuringia. An extension to Friedrichroda was opened on 2 July 1876. On 1 November 1896 the line from Friedrichroda to Georgenthal was opened to connect with the Ohra Valley Railway, but on 2 November 1947 the extension was closed and dismantled as reparations to the Soviet Union.

Current situation

After the loss of freight traffic the terminus at Friedrichroda is now very run-down. The abandoned and overgrown rail tracks and the now oversized station building with its very large goods shed testify to the former importance of the line and the Friedrichroda station. While a youth club is located in part of the entrance building, the rest of the building along with the entire entrance building at Reinhardsbrunn-Friedrichroda is now disused and subject to decay and vandalism.

• 
  A Class 641 train in Fröttstädt station
• 
  The entrance hall of Waltershausen station
• 
  The entrance hall of Reinhardsbrunn-Friedrichroda station

References

• Weiser, Michael; Möller, Mario (1998). Von der Waltershäuser Pferdebahn zur Waldsaumbahn Fröttstädt-Georgenthal 1848-1998 (in German). Bad Langensalza: Rockstuhl. ISBN 978-3-929000-89-4.
• Fromm, Günter (2002). Die Geschichte der Friedrichrodaer Eisenbahn 1876-1896 (in German). Bad Langensalza: Rockstuhl. ISBN 978-3-934748-98-9.