Branch Line News International (ISSN 1354-0947), a newsletter about the world's railway geography and infrastructure 1995 archived text (BLN 745 - BLN 768) BLN 745.01] Belfast Central - Belfast Yorkgate: (BLN 738.0248) A new timetable was introduced with the opening of the section from Belfast Central (Lagan Junction) to Yorkgate on Monday 28 November 1994. While most Larne line services terminate in Belfast, there is some through running, including four Monday to Friday Larne - Belfast - Lisburn - Londonderry trains. NIR's free buses between Central and Yorkgate are cut back to become a Central to city-centre circular service. The bridge over the river Lagan is named the Dargan Bridge after the Irish engineer and entrepreneur, William Dargan (1799-1867). During summer 1994, NIR removed the signalling control panel from the upper storey of the former York Road station building to a new signalling centre at Belfast Central which will control the Lisburn, Bangor and Larne lines, plus Bleach Green Jn to Antrim. The foreword to the new timetable forecasts that "... by September 1995 passengers will be able to travel to ... Great Victoria Street Station." (BLN 741.0317). BLN 745.02] Shanes Castle Railway: (BLN 736.0193) The owner, Lord O'Neill, was persuaded to reopen this 914mm-gauge 2.5km tourist line near Antrim for another summer, but patronage did not rise to expectations. The line is reported to have closed finally at the end of the 1994 season. BLN 745.03][GB][FR][BE] Eurostar Discovery: (BLN 742.0339) Four Eurostars (two Paris, two Bruxelles) are now scheduled to run each way daily including Saturdays and Sundays. Eurotunnel had previously required Saturday and Sunday-morning possessions for continuing testing work ordered by the intergovernmental safety authorities, but paths became available and a second edition of the Eurostar timetable appeared with effect from the start date of public service on 14 November 1994. Perhaps the first passenger working from Waterloo to Haute Picardie was on Tuesday 29 November, when the 0823 London - Paris train ran wrong-line through the tunnel as far as the British crossover, then reverted to the normal route before becoming a complete failure on the up running line at TGV-Haute Picardie station. The set shunted to the down platform loop via an emergency crossover and passengers were detrained. A replacement Eurostar was fetched from Paris, arriving there 122 minutes late. BLN 745.04][FR] TGV openings: TGV properly refers to high-speed trains (Trains à Grande Vitesse) while LGV refers to lines (Lignes à Grande Vitesse), but the term TGV has become so much part of the language that the French, including SNCF people, often say TGV even when talking about lines. Stations have the TGV label prefixed (TGV-Haute Picardie) or suffixed (Satolas TGV; Aéroport Charles de Gaulle TGV-RER). TGV-Haute Picardie station, at Ablaincourt-Pressoir (BLN 730.0122; Ball 15A2), opened for business on 29 May 1994, when a BLS reporter saw off the first connecting bus from St.Quentin station, with about half a dozen passengers. Presumably TGV-Haute Picardie was then rather far from being finished, for the formal opening did not occur until 6 October 1994. Because of its location in open fields near nowhere in particular, it is known as 'Sugar-Beet station' (Gare des Betteraves) by its detractors, who would have preferred a station at Chaulnes, giving interchange with the Amiens - Tergnier line. SNCF however chose a site near an autoroute interchange. Similar greenfield stations are planned on the new LGV Est to Strasbourg, whose proposed alignment was recently unveiled. The opening of Aéroport Charles de Gaulle TGV (Ball 81B3) was deferred until 13 November 1994. The high-speed link under construction north-west of the triangle de Coubert on the LGV Jonction (BLN 736.0195) will have two spurs at Valenton. One, the raccordement TGV de Valenton, crosses two-thirds of Valenton yard to face west on to the Grande Ceinture, giving access thence via Massy TGV to the LGV Atlantique, while the other crosses the whole width of the yard to reach a north-facing junction, bifurcation de Creteil (also referred to as Pompadour), about 1.5 km south of Vert de Maisons station, giving access to Paris Gare de Lyon. BLN 745.05][FR] Paris RER: (BLN 718.06; Ball 81A1) An extension of SNCF's Réseau Express Régional Ligne A from Cergy-St.Christophe to Cergy-le-Haut opened on 29 August 1994. (La Vie du Rail, #2460) BLN 745.06][FR] Motteville - St Valéry en Caux: (BLN 739.0277; Ball 13A2) Closure and bus substitution are reported to be from 5 September 1994 until completion of work in 1996, but doubts have been expressed about whether the line will in fact reopen. (L'Echo du Rail, 9/1994) BLN 745.07][FR] Dieppe - Serqueux: (BLN 740.0303; Ball 13B2-14A2) This line, still rusting away in 1994, closed to passengers from 22 August 1988, according to a contemporary issue (#2159) of La Vie du Rail, but freight traffic continued for some time after, at both ends if not throughout. At the Serqueux end, both tracks certainly showed the polish of regular use when seen on several occasions over the next couple of years, only becoming rusty more recently. BLN 745.08][FR] Strasbourg trams: CTS, the Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois, were to open their first tram route (the 9.8km line A between Hautepierre Maillon and Baggersee) on 26 November 1994 with four (futuristic-looking, York-built) trams an hour, later increasing to twelve an hour. Dummy running without passengers began on 21 October. Full operation will be marked by wholesale revision of surrounding bus services, to complement the trams, from 27 February 1995. (CTS Trans Lignes, 10/1994) BLN 745.09][FR] Nantes trams: (Ball 32B1) Tram line 2 opened from Cinquante Otages to Trocadière (Réze) in September 1992; extended Cinquante Otages - Université de l'Erdre in September 1993; extended Université de l'Erdre - Bourgeonnière in March 1994; and extended Bourgeonnière - Orvault Grandval on 3 September 1994. There is a proposal to construct a line on SNCF alignment between Réze-Pont Rousseau (on the Ste.Pazanne line) and Sucé (on the freight-only Châteaubriant line, north of La Chapelle sur Erdre), via the direct freight spur between those two lines, not shown in the Ball atlas, from bifurcation de Segre to Doulon. (La Vie du Rail, #2460) BLN 745.010][FR][CH] Belfort - Delle SNCF (- Boncourt CFF - Porrentruy): (Ball 40B2) Belfort - Delle passenger services were withdrawn from 27 September 1992 (BLN 698.04) and the Morvillars - Delle section was closed completely from 23 May 1993, so that the line is no longer available as a through route for international freight, though the threatened Swiss local trains still, for the moment, reach Delle (BLN 743.0363). Morvillars is not shown in Ball, but it was the junction for the line via Fesches-le-Châtel to Montbéliard. BLN 745.011][FR] Fort-l'Écluse-Collonges - Divonne-les-Bains: (Ball 49B1-50A2) A tourist operation is proposed on (?part of) this branch in the Pays de Gex. (advertisement in La Vie du Rail, #2462) BLN 745.012][FR] Cannes - Ranguin: (BLN 715.03, 736.0201; Ball 77A3) Passenger trains are operated by an SNCF railcar in the livery of Syndicat Intercommunal des Transports Publics de Cannes-Le Cannet, the local authority-owned bus service. Passengers receive a standard bus ticket for their flat-rate fare, collected on board. The service is still running, but will be suspended for engineering work during the month of February 1995. However, the SNCF national timetable book (table 509), wall timetables and local leaflets (fiches horaires) are unable to agree on the precise start and finish dates of the work. BLN 745.013][LU] Luxembourg - Howald: Howald station (not shown in the Ball atlas at 18A2) is a recent single-face platform at PK (pointe kilométrique) 14.385, apparently built to serve an industrial estate and retail park, with exit to the street over the roof of a supermarket. Rail access from the north is by one of the ground-level tracks (usually the easternmost one, #102) in the yard which stretches from Luxembourg station to Howald. The main line by contrast is on embankment at this point so as to fly over the west-to-south goods spur from Hollerich. To the south, trains from Howald can use a ladder-junction to gain access to the main line by the signal-box at PK 14.2. The timetable valid from 27 September 1992 showed a Sundays-excepted service of seven southbound and five northbound shuttle trains between Luxembourg and Howald, with four northbound on Saturdays. The station does not seem to have been as successful as hoped, for by the May 1994 timetable, lunchtime trains had been withdrawn and the service was down to three southbound workings Mondays-Fridays (two on Saturdays, reducing to one in winter 1994-95) with two northbound Mondays-Saturdays. However, three of these services had become Howald calls of trains between Luxembourg and the Esch-sur-Alzette line, thus using not only track 102 but also the connection to the main line at the south end of Howald. BLN 745.014][DE][FR] Winden (Pfalz) - Kapsweyer DB - Wissembourg SNCF: (BLN 743.0356; Ball 57A2 (DE), 30B3 (FR)) At Wissembourg on 9 November 1994, there was no evidence of a passenger service from Germany. The report that passenger reopening was due in September 1994 seems to have been premature. German sources say the proposals are still tentative, with finance not yet agreed. BLN 745.015][DE] Stendal - Niedergörne: (BLN 714.014; Ball 28A3-28B3) The Russian-design nuclear power-station at Niedergörne is being demolished. The office blocks appear to be seeking a new life as an industrial estate, but the branch is thought likely to close after the demolition is completed. BLN 745.016][DE] To Berlin-Tegel by French military train: (BLN 738.0259; Ball 31B3) The TMFB (train militaire français de Berlin), which conveyed French military personnel to and from Strasbourg, made its final runs on 28 and 29 September 1994, ending its career on arrival back at its base, the French military station at Berlin-Tegel, just south of the closed S-Bahn station on the Kremmbahn, the currently freight-only branch from Schönholz to Heiligensee, soon to be reopened to passengers and extended through to Hennigsdorf. The station and the 16 coaches (which had in effect been paid for with German money) were then handed over to the German authorities - the former to become an historic monument, the latter almost certainly for sale to a railway further east. (La Vie du Rail, #2466) BLN 745.017][DE] Betzdorf - Daaden: (BLN 730.0112, 742.0347; OEIS 9464; Ball 38B1-39A1; KBS463) The branch is understood to have reopened to passengers on 2 November 1994, a Monday-Saturday service being provided by the Westerwaldbahn. BLN 745.018][DE] Delitzsch north-to-west curve: (Ball 42B3) This chord, between the south end of the lower station and the west end of the upper station at Delitzsch, is in use for all trains between Bitterfeld and Halle (KBS251) until 27 May 1995, during a period of reconstruction work on the direct Bitterfeld - Halle line. It is thought likely to close when the diversions cease. Single-track and electrified, the curve seems a relatively modern addition to the layout, though it had been in use long enough for the track to require considerable fettling-up before the diversions could begin. It crosses on the level the only road access to Delitzsch Oberer Bahnhof, so intending passengers may find their route to the station obstructed at times during the present diversions. BLN 745.019][CZ][PL] Tanvald - Harrachov CD - Jakuszyce PKP - Jelenia Gora: (BLN 739.0293; Ball 36A1) The cross-border section beyond Harrachov into Poland is reported as having been used by special trains on at least one weekend during 1994, though it has no booked service. (LCGB Bulletin, #1/95) BLN 745.020][TR] Istanbul: (Ball 53A2) As forecast in BLN 722.019, the 1435mm-gauge street tramway has been extended several km westwards from Cevizlibag, with alternate workings from Sirkeci station now going further out to Zeytinburnu. The Aksaray tram branch and turning-circle seem to be used for stabling purposes only. Both the present outer terminating-points require reversals over crossovers and all workings are pairs of single-ended articulated cars coupled back-to-back. The turning triangle at Sirkeci is not used. The metro line starting from the underground station at Aksaray has also been extended outwards from the junction near the large new Otogar (= bus station) over the valley south-westwards on the surface to Zeytinburnu and one stop beyond, with further construction work well in evidence on the line towards the city's Atatürk airport at Yesilköy. The other leg of this metro line still runs to the temporary terminus near the depot at Esenler, but here too construction works can be seen for an extension to the north-west. At Zeytinburnu there is a connecting line between the street tramway and the metro. As noted in BLN 722, the stock is very similar, but the street-running cars as well as having skirted wheels have fewer seats, to give more standing-room, and the metro has some intermediate non-driving trailers. On the other side of the Golden Horn, all five cars of the metre-gauge heritage tramway were seen in service during a three-day period. At Taksim, the new metro line to the north is still just a very large hole, plus a hoarding with a not-too-easy-to-follow map of the proposed new works. Inflation has savaged the value of the Turkish currency since BLN 722. Fares in November 1994 were: TCDD Sirkeci - Halkali TRL9000 (16p for 28km); tram or metro TRL10,000 (18p); Tünel or heritage tram TRL5000 (9p). BLN 745.021][YU] Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: On 29 November 1994, the Macedonian Railways in Skopje telexed the Union Internationale des Chemins de fer (copy to most European railways and BLN) to say that they had settled their share of the wagon fleet of the old federal Yugoslav Railways (JZ). Macedonian wagons now bear the initials MZ and UIC number 65. BLN 745.022][US][CA] Amtrak axe: The National Railroad Passenger Corporation - a US nationalised industry which trades as Amtrak and receives USD952M federal subsidy to run all of the country's passenger trains other than commuter and metro lines - is to eliminate three complete routes plus segments of others, cutting back many train frequencies, reducing train-km by 21% and full-year costs by USD340M, shedding 5500 jobs or about 25% of its work-force, and retiring most of its elderly 'heritage fleet', the passenger cars it took over from the private-sector railroads when it was formed in 1971. From 1 April 1995 Chicago - Milwaukee (the Hiawatha service); Chicago - Grand Rapids (the Pere Marquette); and San Jose - Sacramento - Roseville (the Capitols) will no longer run. Segments of route to be eliminated are St.Louis - Kansas City; Birmingham - Mobile; Detroit - Pontiac; Detroit - Toledo; Philadelphia - Atlantic City; Philadelphia - Harrisburg; Springfield - Boston; and one international New York - Montréal train (the Montrealer via Vermont). The New York - Montréal Adirondack, which uses a different route, via Schenectady, is apparently to survive. (Amtrak press release, 15 December 1994, via Internet) BLN 745.023][ZM][ZW][MZ][BW][ZA] Southern Africa: Zambia Railways have changed the timings of their international passenger shuttle from Livingstone across the NRZ-maintained Zambezi bridge to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the service which was re-introduced in September 1994 (BLN 740.0314). The new times posted up in Livingstone station on 12 December 1994 were: km 0630 1600 0 Livingstone ZR 0815 1800 0700 1630 13 Victoria Falls NRZ 0745 1730 Three out of a sample of five workings ran to time, and a fourth, northbound, one waited at Victoria Falls for passengers off the late-running overnight National Railways of Zimbabwe train from Bulawayo. The trains, comprising a rather battered ZR diesel locomotive with bright-red passenger coach and guard's/baggage-van, also convey any suitable cross-border freight traffic, such as coal from Hwange. The more hazardous commodities such as petrol and sulphuric acid in tank-wagons were however seen to travel in separate freight trains across the bridge. As described in BLN 719.07, NRZ's 15th-class 4-6-4+4-6-4 Garratts still shunt at Bulawayo and haul the Rail Safaris charter train over the beautifully-maintained, deep-ballasted 472km of 1067mm-gauge track between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. This well-run, comfortable set of traditional carriages met with the approval of a BLS team travelling in mid-December on the company's normal holiday package, which includes intermediate stops to see big game in Hwange National Park and can be recommended. For those in search of rarer track, Rail Safaris, following the ending of the civil war in Moçambique, are planning a 'seaside excursion' in April 1995, running their train from Victoria Falls via Bulawayo and Harare to Mutare, then via the Caminhos de Ferro do Moçambique to the port of Beira on the Indian Ocean, a journey totalling 1560km one way. Rail Safaris' UK agent is on 01734-472830. Bulawayo, as well as being the last stronghold of big Garratts in the world, is unusual in being a through main-line station converted into a terminus, this being done when level-crossings in the south of the town became inconvenient. All the passenger facilities are concentrated on the north side of platform 1, though there are four other long platform faces. The sparse NRZ passenger services, which run overnight, seem well-supported, loading up to twenty or so vehicles, sometimes with relief trains at busy weekends. Fares are cheap: one-way 1st-class Bulawayo - Harare is ZWD79.10 including bedding (= £6.50 for 482km). NRZ has no short-haul or commuter trains. Apart from the handful of domestic services to Victoria Falls, Chiredzi, Harare and Mutare, international trains run (a) from Bulawayo by the traditional route via Plumtree to Francistown, Gaborone and Lobatse in Botswana, now again continuing, it is understood, into South Africa and terminating at Mafikeng; (b) from Bulawayo via Somabhula, Rutenga, Beit Bridge and Pretoria to Johannesburg; and (c) from Harare also via Somabhula etc to Johannesburg. Electrification at 25kV 50Hz extends 310km from Harare (the capital, once Salisbury) to Dabuka yard, just south of Gweru. BLN 746.024][GB][FR][BE] Eurostar: From next Monday, 23 January 1995, Eurostar service will step up from two to four London - Paris trains each way daily, with a fifth working each way on Friday and Sunday evenings. London - Brussel/Bruxelles will have three instead of two trains each way daily, two of the three making calls at Lille-Europe. By about the end of 1995, London - Paris Eurostars should be running approximately hourly. In their first six weeks, the London - Paris trains have been running 85% full during the week, and nearly 100% full on Friday and Sunday evenings, hence the extra weekend trains now being deployed. British ticket sales have been 50% of the total, against SNCF's 35% and SNCB/NMBS' 15%. (La Vie du Rail, #2477, 4 January 1995) BLN 746.025][FR] Les Ifs - Etretat: (Ball 13A2) Spring 1995 is expected to see the official opening of 5.5km of the CF Touristique Etretat - Pays de Caux between Les Loges and Etretat in Seine-Maritime. The line from Les Ifs to Etretat opened on 22 June 1895 and lost its passenger service on 30 June 1951, but the rails remained in place after complete closure on 3 April 1972, gradually disappearing under vegetation. A preservation group has been working on the line's rehabilitation since 1993, and has secured finance from the département and the European Regional Development Fund, formally launching the tourist project at Les Loges on 17 October 1994. (Connaissance du Rail, #164, Dec. 1994) BLN 746.026][FR, CH] Pontarlier - Vallorbe: (Ball 50A3 (FR), 90B2 (CH)) The 23km single-track line from Pontarlier in France to Vallorbe in Switzerland closed to passengers on 18 April 1939 and was completely closed by 1975, but 2km has been restored as the CF Touristique Pontarlier - Vallorbe using an 0-4-0T borrowed from the CFT du Rhin. The preservation group hopes to lay a further 2.5km in 1995 and 3km more in 1996. (Connaissance du Rail, #164, Dec. 1994) BLN 746.027][FR] Nice - Digne: (BLN 743.0368; Ball 66B1-67A1-77B3) Severe flood damage closed the line throughout on 5 November 1994. An autorail began running the 8km from Nice to Lingostière on 7 November, and the 20km between Nice and St.Martin-du-Var were open by 23 December. All other services are by bus. The 150km metre-gauge line, built between 1890 and 1912 through difficult but scenic terrain, has never been remunerative and is currently operated by Chemins de fer de Provence, a subsidiary of CFTA, on behalf of a consortium of regional, departmental and local authorities. Its future is very much in doubt, for it might cost some FRF30 to 40 million (= £3.6M to £4.8M) simply to repair the track and bridges destroyed, and FRF135 million (£16M) to implement the full modernisation plan drawn up in 1990, including extension of the metre-gauge from Digne over 22km of disused SNCF standard-gauge trackbed to St.Auban on the Briançon - Aix line. (La Vie du Rail, #2477, 4 January 1995) BLN 746.028][FR] Pau funicular: (not shown in Ball at 70A1) The short (103m) metre-gauge funicular closed for repairs on 14 September 1993, supposedly for two months. The cars were duly overhauled, but problems were then encountered with a 1906 cast-iron pulley-wheel. The local authority who operate the line are considering what to do, but meanwhile the line remains out of use. (La Vie du Rail, #2462) BLN 746.029][FR] La Tour de Carol-Enveitg - Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains: (Ball 79B3; SNCF table 547) Improvements at several stations to meet tourist demand, and a new (resited) halt at Thuès-Carança for walkers and climbers, seem to indicate a brighter future for the SNCF's third-rail dc metre-gauge Ligne de Cerdagne and its stock, known as le petit train jaune or le canari. (Connaissance du Rail, #164, Dec. 1994) BLN 746.030][DE] Neustadt (Dosse) - Brandenburg: (Ball 19B1-28B3; KBS266) The Kursbuch for both summer 1994 and winter 1994-95 has continued to show through trains between Rathenow Nord and Rathenow, though a footnote does indicate that one should enquire about the effect of engineering works. The line was not broken from 29 May 1994 as suggested in BLN 729.090, and the Schnellfahrstrecke work may not now necessitate such an interruption. BLN 746.031][DE] Rostock: (Ball 12B1; McDougall p.99) Rostock's original station, the Friedrich-Franz Bahnhof, for 88 years the city's goods station, was to be reopened experimentally as a passenger terminus from 26 September to 3 October 1994. Hourly S-Bahn trains from Warnemünde were to run forward from the Hauptbahnhof to terminate closer to the city centre, near the Steintor. Permanent reopening is likely to follow. The old station was opened in 1850 as the terminus of the Bad Kleinen - Rostock Friedrich-Franz Eisenbahn, but in 1866 the Deutsche-Nordische-Lloyd company built the Neustrelitz - Warnemünde line with its own through station in Rostock, which subsequently became the Hbf. (Blickpunkt Strassenbahn, #6/94) The Rostock Seehaven branch has a freight-only north-to-east curve from Rostock Dierkow to Bentwisch, not shown in Ball. The area between Rostock Hbf, Kassebohm and Dalwitzhof is also rather more complex than shown by Ball, though McDougall's map 78 gives a fuller version of the layout. In spring 1994 the Güterbahnhof north-to-east curve appeared to be out of use. Warnowbrücke Ost is the junction at the east end of this curve, even though the junction is west of the river Warnow bridge. Warnowbrücke West is the junction at the north end of the Rostock avoiding line (McDougall G131). Rostock Gbf Süd controls the two (north- and south-facing) junctions in the middle of this avoiding line. Rostock B1 signal-box controls the junctions at the east end of Rostock Hbf, including the west curve into Gbf. The two passenger lines, from Hbf to Schwerin and from Hbf to Plaaz and Tessin, run from a junction at B1 box southwards as two parallel single tracks. On the Plaaz/Tessin line is an unadvertised staff halt just before Dalwitzhof signal-box, located in the east angle by the Plaaz-line bridge over the freight line. Dalwitzhof box controls the junction at the south end of the Rostock avoiding line and the Schwerin line, and also the junction between the freight line, the Plaaz line and the Tessin line. BLN 746.032][DE] Rostock - Tessin: (BLN 717.06; Ball 12B1; KBS162) As already reported, though the line might have some prospect of attracting commuter traffic into Rostock, the poor condition of the sizeable bridge over the river Warnow enforces a severe speed restriction and continues to cause concern for its future. Sanitz has the one intermediate crossing-loop on the branch, and from the junction there the closed line to Tribsees runs east, with track still in place and not yet overgrown as far as can be seen. BLN 746.033][DE] Velgast - Tribsees: (BLN 717.06; Ball 13A2-A1; KBS168) This threatened branch, one of the Pommern Landesbahnen standard-gauge lines until absorbed by DR after 1945, immediately betrays its light-railway origins as it starts from its own platform across the station approach from Velgast main-line station. Beyond the freight connection with the main line the railbus proceeds in leisurely fashion along 30.3 km of very dubious track, not much better than Bord na Mona's railways in Irish peat-bogs. At Neu Seehagen, 5km from Velgast, a facing junction for the Franzburg branch remains in place, with disused trackbed stretching eastward. The 1944 Kursbuch does not show this line, but it was in the timetables in 1959 and 1962. Private sidings at Semlow may or may not still be in use. At Tribsees too, occasional freight traffic is reported. No wagons were seen, but something had used some of the sidings. The condition of the track would certainly require any use by a locomotive to be at very low speed. Tribsees booking-office, the only one on the line, has been unstaffed since 1 October 1993, but the station is quite grand for a light railway. Tribsees once had two other light railways, the now-defunct Stralsund-Tribseer Eisenbahn and the Greifswald-Grimmener Eisenbahn, as well as being the terminus of the closed DR line from Sanitz on the Rostock - Tessin branch. BLN 746.034][DE] Stralsund - Pasewalk (- Berlin): (Ball 13A2-21A3; McDougall G133) Stralsund's triangular junction with the Rügen line has three signal-boxes with the following codes: the northern apex is 'B3', the southern apex is 'Srg' and the eastern apex, just before Rügendamm station, is 'Rüf'. Clearly visible north of Ducherow station is the embankment of the flying junction with the former line to Wolgaster Fähre and Swinemünde (now Swinoujscie, in Poland). Abzweigung Charlottenhof, the western apex of the triangle made by the Neubrandenburg line at Pasewalk, is just a signal-box, not a passenger station as shown in Ball. When seen during 1994, the west-to-north chord was still mostly in place and signals at the Charlottenhof end were lit, but Abzw. Belling, the northern junction, had already been removed. Belling appeared to have had at some earlier date another west-to-south chord, replaced no doubt by the present line between Charlottenhof and Pasewalk W5 box. BLN 746.035][DE] Greifswald - Lubmin: (BLN 717.06; Ball 13B1; KBS194) On the Stralsund - Berlin main line the junction for the Lubmin branch is Schönwalde, a signal-box with no passenger station. Greifswald Süd station is about halfway between Greifswald Hbf and Schönwalde, and not as shown in Ball. The branch was built after 1962 to serve a nuclear power-station, known as Greifswald but located at Lubmin. A narrow-gauge Pommern Landesbahnen line once ran from Greifswald via Lubmin to Wolgast Hafen, but the standard-gauge line appears to have been built anew on a different alignment. Confirmation that none of the old trackbed was used would be welcome, however. BLN 746.036][DE] Minden - Nienburg: (Ball 25B2-26A3) Not shown in Ball are what appear to be DB branches (rather than private sidings) both diverging westwards to power-stations on the river Weser, from a south-facing junction at Lahde and a north-facing junction just south of Landesbergen. BLN 746.037][DE] Hannover - Stendal - Berlin: (BLN 739.0282; Ball 28A3-28B3) The Land of Brandenburg has ceased to oppose construction of the Schnellfahrstrecke high-speed line through its territory, so the route should open throughout in May 1997. The compromise: a 19km section through the breeding-area of some unspecified rare bird is to be double instead of quadruple track, and trains are to run at a maximum of 200km/h. (Teletext on German satellite TV, Sat-Eins, 28 December 1994) BLN 746.038][CH][FR] Porrentruy - Boncourt CFF - Delle SNCF: (BLN 743.0363, 745.010; Ball 86A2-85B2 (CH), 40B2 (FR)) On Mondays to Fridays only, three Swiss Federal Railways train régional emu workings on the Porrentruy - Boncourt line run forward the extra kilometre or so to the frontier station of Delle, just inside France. Delle yard and the line beyond to Belfort are out of use, seemingly in place but well hidden by undisturbed snow on 3 January 1995. Two other passengers alighted from the 1655 arrival and one joined the 1659 return working. The Swiss conductor said this level of usage was normal, and that the trains were to be withdrawn (supprimés) in the next timetable period. The CFF Porrentruy - Boncourt trains seemed to have reasonable usage, however, with more traffic at that particular time than the Chemins de fer du Jura single railcar had on the neighbouring Porrentruy - Bonfol branch. If the CJ succeed with their bid to take over from CFF the Boncourt passenger service, the junction layout would allow through Boncourt - Porrentruy - Bonfol workings without reversal. Both Boncourt and Bonfol branches appear to have freight traffic, and there is an electrified branch or siding striking off north-west from Courtemaîche for about a km over a long newish concrete viaduct, possibly to a military installation. Porrentruy retains a turntable. BLN 746.039][CH, FR] Dornach - Basel - Flüh - Leymen - Rodersdorf: (Ball 86B2) Baselland Transport's yellow trams run through Basel's city streets on metre-gauge tracks shared with the green urban trams, but have their own reservation in the Basel suburbs and become a rural light-rail line out towards Rodersdorf in the neighbouring canton of Solothurn. An unusual feature of the line is that the last-but-one station, Leymen, lies in France, so BLT's Swiss trams cross in and out of the European Union without ceremony every twenty minutes. BLN 746.040][CH] Bière - Apples - Morges: (Ball 90B1) A bière at Bière seemed a good idea for 1 January 1995, and indeed the BAM timetable just permitted one to be taken also at L'Isle-Mont-la-Ville, the other branch terminus on this T-shaped metre-gauge system. At the pleasantly rural middle junction, Apples, the village bar was shut for the public holiday, so cider could not alas be ordered, but inspection of the station showed that a good deal of freight traffic had been handled there during the recently-ended sugar-beet season, at a siding equipped with a beet-loader and a winch and chains for shunting. Similar loading facilities were at Bière and L'Isle. More warlike freight was seen on the line on 5 January when a train of Swiss army tanks on standard-gauge flat wagons supported on metre-gauge bogies sat behind BAM locomotive #22 at the main-line junction, Morges. No doubt the beet traffic is also handled thus in standard-gauge wagons. Morges station is being extensively remodelled, affecting both the CFF and the BAM layout there. BLN 746.041][CH] Lausanne: (Ball 91A1; CH timetables 101-104) The very short Lausanne-Gare (LG) rack line (BLN 739.0287), from the centre, Lausanne-Flon, down to the CFF station serving this rather hilly city, is now described as Métro-Gare. The longer LO rack line, also standard-gauge but locomotive-worked, which runs from Lausanne-Flon on a parallel track in the same tunnel down a longer distance past the Gare CFF to the steamer pier at Ouchy on Lac Léman, has become Métro-Ouchy. Also from Lausanne-Flon, heading out westwards to end in a pair of west-facing bay platforms at the CFF station of Renens in the canton of Vaud, runs the TSOL line described as Métro-Ouest. This interesting line (not shown in Ball) has new stations and light-rail Class 558 stock. It is well-used, running for the 18-minute journey on a single reserved track mostly alongside roads, with loops at all the stations except Provence-TL, UNIL-Sorge and Bassenges. The system's planners seem addicted to station-names made up of initials, which are not explained on the system map or at the stations themselves, so presumably the Lausannois all know what they mean! EPFL station uniquely has an island platform and is near the line's quite sizeable depot. The poor relation in the city is the metre-gauge Lausanne - Echallens - Bercher line, which used to work into the city centre on the tracks of the now-defunct urban tramway. There are some signs that it may one day do so again, but for the present it is exiled to Lausanne-Chauderon, the rather tatty and inconvenient station (several blocks to the west of Flon and 15 minutes' walk from the Gare CFF) where its reserved track out to Bercher begins. BLN 746.042][CH] Genève: (Ball 97A3) CFF know their eight-platform main station simply as Genève, but the buses of Transports Publics Genevois use its more specific title of Gare CFF de Cornavin, and SNCF ticket-issuing computers seem to know it better as Genève-Voyageurs. Most main-line trains from the rest of Switzerland run through Genève to and from Genève-Aéroport, which is on a short double-track stub branch to the north-west of the city. The airport line physically branches off the main line heading west to the border between La Plaine CFF and Bellegarde SNCF, but the former is electrified at the CFF's standard 15kV 16²/3Hz while the latter has French 1500V dc, so there are parallel tracks and incompatible sets of wires westward out of Genève for a short distance. The CFF local service to La Plaine has perforce to use the French electrification, and new Class 550 light-rail vehicles, the CFF's only 1500V dc stock, began operating in September 1994 under the title of Rhône Express Régional (echoing the Paris RER) and sharing the tracks with TGVs for Paris and TALGOs for Barcelona. Each of the Class 550 vehicles has a small auxiliary diesel engine to enable it to trundle slowly to the depot under unfriendly 15kV ac overhead. The city's secondary station is SNCF's quiet single-platform terminus, Genève Eaux-Vives, whence local emus make the ten-minute international journey on the single track eastward. (BLN 692.05) The intermediate suburban station of Chêne-Bourg on the Swiss side is no longer served, so there is now only one halt, at Ambilly on the French side of the border, before reaching the adjoining French town of Annemasse, to connect with SNCF trains further east to Evian-les-Bains, south to La Roche-sur-Foron and west to Bellegarde. Genève Eaux-Vives goods yard is in place but seems out of use except for a CFF dining-car and couchette-car parked there as a winter shelter for the homeless, run by the Red Cross. Worth a visit is the Eaux-Vives station buffet, serving excellent meals. A wooden building, it was once a pavilion at the Swiss National Exhibition of 1896, being re-erected at Eaux-Vives about the turn of the century, and still more or less in its original condition. It is said (Eisenbahn Amateur, #8/94) that it remained unrenovated because its location would have required it to be dismantled had a proposed link across town between Eaux-Vives and the La Praille freight branch (not shown in Ball) ever materialised. Eaux-Vives is near Genève's sole existing tram route, #12, and a few peak-hour trams on short workings use the turning circle in the station forecourt. Trams do not at present serve the main station, but tracks for a route #13 are now being laid again in the Place de Cornavin, and during 1995 it should become possible to go from one station to the other on trams. BLN 746.043][ZA] Aliwal North - Barkly East: Spoornet, the nationalised South African railway company, threatened closure of this spectacular 1065mm-gauge line, which includes eight reversing sidings, but was eventually persuaded to lease it for three years from 1 April 1992 to a local private-sector company, NECRail (= North East Cape Rail), as a commercial venture, retaining both freight and steam-hauled excursions. Early in its operation a tragic accident cast some doubt over its future. With the lease understood to come up for renewal in March 1995, further news would be welcome. BLN 747.044] Timetables on disk and on line: New Zealand rail timetables are now available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waikato.ac.nz/nz/rail/timetable.html and a range of European railway material is at http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/home.html. BLN 747.045][GB][FR] Le Shuttle station nomenclature: Quizzed by a persistent BLN reporter, Sir Alastair Morton, co-chairman of Eurotunnel, wrote to say that Le Shuttle's end-points are properly known as "UK Terminal" and "Terminal France". ("That is official.") Meanwhile Le Shuttle tickets printed by Eurotunnel's computer say "Folkestone" to "Calais". It seems likely that the train operators (and people like the emergency services) use Sir Alastair's nomenclature, but that Eurotunnel's marketing department prefer the names of the nearby towns as being more helpful to their road-borne customers. BLN 747.046][FR] Denain - Arenberg: (OEIS 9445) Though the railway is not shown in the Ball atlas (7B1), Train Touristique du Hainaut service began on 21 January 1990 over 8km of colliery lines from Denain to Arenberg, which lies between Waller and Raismes stations on the SNCF Douai - Valenciennes line. Because of track work there was no service in summer 1994, but 1995 information may be available from Cercle d'Études Ferroviaires Nord Denain, 6 chemin du Moulin, F-59144 Jenlain, France. BLN 747.047][FR] Languedoc rural station closures: From 25 September 1994, the first day of the SNCF winter timetable, passenger trains were to cease calling at 17 little-used stations in rural Languedoc. A new train-plus-taxi service was to be offered, at a supplement of FRF10-40, to those reserving to or from certain remaining stations designated as gares zone de desserte, such as Chanac, Mende and Bagnols-Chadenet. Le Monastier - La Bastide Ball 63B2-64A3 Le Villard-Salelles; Le Bruel; Barjac; Balsièges; Badaroux; Allenc; (Ligne Translozérienne) Larzalier; Belvezet; Daufage-Le Goulet. Nîmes - Langogne Ball 64B1-64A3 Boucourain; Vézénobres; St.Hilaire de Brethmas; Tamaris; Malbosc; (Ligne des Cévennes) Concoules-Ponteils; Prévenchères-Gorges du Chassezac. Béziers - St.Chely d'Apcher Ball 73B3 Joncels. (Ligne des Causses) (Connaissance du Rail, #164, Dec. 1994) BLN 747.048][DE] Wismar - Hornstorf - Blankenberg - Karow (Mecklenburg): (Ball 12A1-19B3; McDougall G130; KBS156) In addition to the junctions listed in BLN 742.0342, Blankenberg has two distinct stations side by side, one on the Wismar - Karow line, one on the Ludwigslust - Rostock main line. The 1993-94 timetable required a meet of five trains to be accommodated on four platform faces at Karow just after 1400. Platform 1 has a middle lead to allow two trains - KBS172 workings, to Ludwigslust and to Waren - to stand tail to tail. Observed on two different days in 1993, none of the trains carried more than a handful of passengers. The spectacle was retimed to 1000 in the 1994-95 timetable. BLN 747.049][DE] Strasburg - Prenzlau and Prenzlau - Gramzow: (BLN 716.014-5; Ball 20B3-21A2; KBS291-2) These branches, which may close on 27 May 1995, are all that remains of the Prenzlau und Angermünde Kreisbahn, owned by the Land of Brandenburg until absorbed by DR after 1945. BLN 747.050][DE] Hamburg Hbf - Aumühle: (Ball 22B2-B3; KBS100, 101.22) Trains from Hamburg Hbf to Büchen and beyond use the Bad Oldesloe line as far as a junction (not shown in Ball) at Berliner Tor station, and then the electrified S-Bahn track east of there. The parallel track to the south is used for freight, and gives access to a recent freight and container terminal between Billwerder-Moorfleet (not as spelled in Ball) and Mittlerer Landweg. There is a link with the S-Bahn at signal-box 'Ba' west of Nettelnburg and at 'Bk' box, shown in Ball as Bergedorf, though Bergedorf station is perhaps 1km beyond the junction, towards Reinbek. At Aumühle, the S-Bahn terminates in separate platforms, to the north of the station on the main line. BLN 747.051][DE] Berlin Spandau - Westkreuz: (BLN 735.0178, 737.0231; Ball 31B2) Three different routes from Spandau to Westkreuz have all seen recent use by passenger trains. Until the end of May 1995, IC services from Hamburg to Berlin Zoo will continue to use the old S-Bahn route via Olympiastadion while works are completed on the usual main-line Fernbahn route. The R5 Nauen - Westkreuz service uses neither of these routes, but keeps heading east as far as the closed Siemensstadt-Fürstenbrunn S-Bahn station, where it diverges round a west-to-south curve (not shown in Ball) on to tracks running parallel to the Jungfernheide - Westend Südring S-Bahn line, to terminate at a recently-constructed wooden platform on the single-track Südring freight line, alongside the S46 high-level platforms at Westkreuz. Its top-and-tailed push-pull stock continues empty to Halensee between trips. BLN 747.052][DE] (Berlin-Wilhelmsruh -) Rosenthal - Blankenfelde - Abzw. Schönwalde: The Wilhelmsruh - Schönwalde line, not shown in Ball at 32A3, was severed at the Wilhelmsruh end where Berlin was divided by the Wall. Railcar charters by Pro-Bahn ran on part of the line on 1-2 September 1990, and there were occasional trips later, for example in autumn 1993. According to the Kursbuch der deutschen Museums-Eisenbahnen 1994, the line was to have a Eurovapor Berlin passenger train on certain dates in summer 1994, running inward from Basdorf to Märkisches Viertel and back out to Basdorf before doing trips over both the somewhat-threatened passenger branches (BLN 729.091; Ball 20B1; KBS204.8) from Basdorf to Gross Schönebeck and to Liebenwalde. However this train seems not to have run as planned, though a Berliner Eisenbahnfreunde steam special on 11 September 1994 certainly did run, from a Haltestelle at Wilhelmsruher Damm, just south of the Quickborner Strasse level-crossing in the Märkisches Viertel/Rosenthal area, out to Basdorf and back. Are any comparable operations on the line planned in summer 1995? Until 1 September 1995 ABB-Henschel-Waggon-Union are to use a short section of the Wilhelmsruh - Schönwalde line for testing new Berlin U-Bahn trains. From the point where the Berlin outer ring railway crosses it (near Mühlenbeck-Mönchmühle S-Bahn station) out towards Schönwalde, a third rail is to be laid, fed from the S-Bahn substation at Mühlenbeck. (Blickpunkt Strassenbahn, #6/94) BLN 747.053][DE] Berlin - Leipzig diversions: (BLN 713.07; Ball 29B2-44-43-42B2) Diversions are continuing during the 1994-95 winter timetable, including the use of the Doberlug spur. BLN 747.054][DE] Bad Hersfeld - Heimboldshausen - Gerstungen: (BLN 708.03, 723.031; Ball 40B1-51B3) From Bad Hersfeld (where the junction with DB was north of the two stations, not south as shown in Ball) the Hersfelder Eisenbahn GmbH line ran only as far as the junction with DB at Heimboldshausen. All HEG rail operations ceased after 31 December 1993, though DB uses a short section of HEG track to work potash from the private siding at Nippe to their own line at Heimboldshausen and on to Gerstungen. The track from Werk Hattorf to Heimboldshausen was and is DB. Western potash traffic started to work over the HEG only when politics made it difficult to send it via DR at Gerstungen, to which route it eventually reverted after unification. HEG continues to run its buses, and the company is under the management of Hessische Landesbahn GmbH. Before partition there were two lines running west from Vacha, one via Philippstal and Hattorf to Heimboldshausen, and the other via Unterbreizbach to Wenigentaft-Mansbach, where it split, one branch continuing to Eiterfeld and Hünfeld and the other heading south via Tann to Hilders on the Fulda - Seiferts branch, closed 1 September 1993 (BLN 721.010). BLN 747.055][DE] Böblingen - Dettenhausen: (Ball 57B1-58A1) The 17km Schönbuchbahn is to reopen to passengers in 1996, worked by the Württembergische Eisenbahn (WEG). Nearby, two closed DB lines, Calw - Weil der Stadt and (Tübingen -) Entringen - Gültstein - Herrenberg, the latter already partly dismantled but partly in tourist use (BLN 729.096), have been bought by the local district councils for a symbolic one Deutschmark (plus tax!) against the possibility that they too may be reopened for passenger services, run by either DB or another operator. (Eisenbahn Amateur, #9/94) BLN 747.056][IT] Casalecchio di Reno - Bazzano: (Ball 47B2) This 17km section of line in the Bologna area is at present being completely renewed with a view to reintroduction of passenger services, for which two Firema E122 railcars have been ordered. (Eisenbahn Amateur, #9/94) BLN 747.057][CZ, PL] Tanvald - Harrachov CD - Nowy Swiat PKP - Jakuszyce - Jelenia Góra: (BLN 737.0241, 739.0293, 745.019; Ball 36A1) A German source confirms that this cross-border line goes through Harrachov and does not branch off at Korenov as shown on the Quail maps. The route across the mountains, opened throughout in 1902, has an interesting history, with various changes of names, frontiers and electrification, closely reflecting events in this corner of Mitteleuropa. Station name in German in Czech in Polish Tanwald = Tanvald Polaun = Korenov Strickerhäuser = Harrachov Neuwelt = Nový Svet = Nowy Swiat Jakobsthal (Riesengebirge) = Jakuszyce Ober Schreiberhau = Szklarska Poreba Górna Hirschberg (Riesengebirge) Hbf = Jelenia Góra Riesengebirge (the mountain range) = Krkonoše = Karkonosze To begin with only the German station names were in use. Polaun was the Austrian-German frontier station, and became the Czech-German frontier station when Czechoslovakia was set up after 1918. Between Polaun and Neuwelt, the line crossed the actual border more than once. Strickerhäuser station was in Germany, but the village it served, Harrachsdorf (now Harrachov), was in Austria, later Czechoslovakia. Neuwelt station was in Germany. After 1945 what had been German Silesia became Poland. The frontier itself also changed and the line now crosses it only once between Harrachov station (in the Czech Republic) and Nowy Swiat station (in Poland - though the village, Nový Svet, is Czech). The steep Czech portion of the line, once Austrian, was partly rack-equipped between Tanvald and Harrachov, but though the rack remains regular traffic has not used it since 1984. On 15 January 1923 the Deutsche Reichsbahn inaugurated electric operation at the German standard 15kV 16²/3Hz between Polaun and Hirschberg, but in 1945-46 the overhead wire was confiscated by the victorious Red Army invaders. Not until 30 September 1987 did PKP re-electrify the section from Szklarska Poreba Górna to Jelenia Góra, at the Polish standard 3000V dc, using some of the old German pylons. PKP now runs a reasonably frequent passenger service on this section. After 1945, passenger service on the Czech side resumed from Tanvald to Korenov in 1958 and on to Harrachov in 1963. The border section from Harrachov to Nowy Swiat lay out of use from 1945 till 1992, when volunteers renovated it, and some special trains ran from Tanvald to Jelenia Góra. During 1994 one special ran over the whole line, as reported in BLN 745, and a PIBSE railtour is planned to go this way in April 1995. BLN 747.058][AT] Austrian closures?: (BLN 739.0292; OEIS 9466) The passenger services below were reported as to be withdrawn from 31 December 1994, but visits to Eisenerz and Engelhartstetten in late December showed no obvious signs of imminent closure, and someone doing a travel survey on an Engelhartstetten train said the line was threatened, but not about to close at the end of the year. The closure deadline may have been an ÖBB tactic to persuade local authorities to reconsider financial support. Meanwhile the lines seem to remain open, at least until the timetable change in May, but up-to-date news would be welcome. Ball ÖBB timetable Hieflau - Eisenerz 74A1-74B1 13b Mürzzuschlag - Neuburg Ort 75A1 53 Siebenbrunn - Leopoldsdorf - Engelhartstetten 76A3 71a Launsdorf-Hochosterwitz - Klein St.Paul 82B2 64 (BLN 736.0220) St.Paul - Lavamünd 83A2-83A1 62b (BLN 736.0221) Hieflau - Eisenerz still has frequent iron-ore trains and will presumably remain open for that traffic. On Saturday 17 December 1994 several trains were operating. Empties are propelled by an ÖBB electric locomotive up the steep gradient from Eisenerz to the mine-workings in the mountains, using specially-adapted vans fitted with electric head- and tail-lights for these movements. BLN 747.059][AT, SK] Wien - Wolfsthal ÖBB (- Bratislava Petrzalka ZSR): (Ball 76B3 (AT), 41B1 (SK)) Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, is in German called Pressburg (and indeed to the Magyar-speaking minority in Slovakia it has a third name, Poszony, having once been the Roman town of Posonium). The railway from Wien to Wolfsthal is in consequence the Pressburgbahn, though it no longer extends beyond Wolfsthal across the river Donau/Dunaj into Slovakia. Rather slow and congested, due to its origins as an electric light railway, the line would, if restored as planned, be the most direct route and would give Bratislava a useful airport link to Flughafen Wien Schwechat. Nevertheless Wien - Parndorf Ort - Kittsee - Bratislava is planned to be the principal electrified route over the relatively short distance between the two capitals. (BLN 736.0218) BLN 747.060][AT] Wien Südbahnhof: (BLN 736.0219; McDougall A4) ÖBB staff organised an excursion from Gross Schweinbarth (Ball 65A1) to Mödling (77A1) for the Christkindlmarkt on 24 December 1994. The leaflet said the route was via Gänserndorf, Stadlau, Erdberg and Wien Süd, implying that the train used the connection through the sidings between the Ostbahn and the Südbahn at Wien Süd. BLN 747.061][JP] Kobe earthquake: The earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, which struck at 0546 local time on Tuesday 17 January 1995, badly affected four railways between Osaka and Kobe: the 1435mm-gauge shinkansen line, JR's 1067mm-gauge line and two private lines, the Hanshin Electric Railway and the Hankyu Electric Railway. Shinkansen structures - elevated in places more than 40m above ground and crossing densely populated residential districts - collapsed in nine locations between the two cities, leaving tracks suspended in the air. The quake hit just fourteen minutes before the first morning bullet-train would have left Shin-Osaka station heading westwards to Kobe on its 240km/h journey. By 18 January shinkansen shuttles were operating between Tokyo and Kyoto and between Okayama and Fukuoka, but with all seat reservations cancelled. By 19 January the emergency schedules amounted to 60% or 70% of the full service: Tokyo - Kyoto Two Hikari expresses per hour One Kodama all-stations per hour Tokyo - Maibara One Kodama all-stations per hour Tokyo - Nagoya One Hikari express per hour Okayama - Hakata/Fukuoka Two Hikari expresses per hour Himeji - Hakata/Fukuoka Two Kodama all-stations per hour Kyoto - Shin-Osaka reopened on the afternoon of 20 January and JR-Tokai announced resumption on Saturday 21 January of full Tokyo - Kyoto - Shin-Osaka shinkansen services to the ordinary timetable with seat reservation facilities restored. Shin-Osaka - Shin-Kobe is unlikely to reopen for at least six months. The JR 1067mm-gauge line is closed between Amagasaki and Nishi-akashi, and indeed no through rail route is open along the Inland Sea coastal strip. JR plan to divert some expresses from Kyoto or Osaka via local lines towards the Sea of Japan coast and back to Himeji, adding 120km or 2 hours to journeys. Some Hanshin trains were derailed where their elevated track was destroyed near Sannomiya station in Kobe, and more stock was trapped when their elevated Amagasaki train depot was badly damaged. Hankyu's Itami station, also on elevated track, completely collapsed. A shinkansen structure fell across Hankyu's Imazu line, as also did an elevated road. Both railway companies have restarted some operations, though it will be months before repairs are completed. Operations are disrupted even on intact trackage since about 100 out of 400 drivers on one line understandably failed to report for duty. All Kobe's and Osaka's city subway lines were stopped on the morning of 17 January, but Osaka's were running again by the early evening. Two other private railways running into central Kobe, the Sanyo Electric Railway and the Kobe Electric Railway, were closed all day, and the Nagata - Kobe section of the former remains closed, though other parts of the two lines were to reopen on the 18th. (via Internet from Hiroshi Naito at 100221.2721@compuserve.com) BLN 747.062][JP] Hokkaido: (BLN 738.0272) In December 1994, JR Hokkaido announced their decision to close 'the most costly line in Japan', the 122km Shinmei line from Fukugawa to Nayoro, which once carried 4000 passengers a day but is now down to 300. (via Internet from Masaaki Emi at g410177@komaba.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp) BLN 748.063] Inter-Rail: Inter-Rail tickets for the over-26s seem to continue to be available until the end of May 1995 with the same prices and conditions as shown in the leaflet valid until the end of December 1994. BLN 748.064][GB][FR] Eurostar: (BLN 746.023; Ball 6A2) Calais-Fréthun saw its first advertised stops by Eurostars working the new service pattern from Monday 23 January 1995. Only the first Paris - London train and the last London - Paris train call, so a day trip is at present possible only from Calais to London and not vice versa. The APEX second-class return fare London - Calais is £66.20. A day trip from London to Lille-Europe is now possible, however, since calls are made morning and evening in each direction by London - Bruxelles trains. BLN 748.065][FR] Rouen Métrobus: (BLN 731.0121; Ball 13B1) Rouen's new tramway, bizarrely called Métrobus, opened officially on 16 December, and to the public as planned on 17 December 1994, running south from Boulingrin via Gare Rive-Droite to St.Sever with lines to both Grand Quevilly and Sotteville. BLN 748.066][FR] Dunières - Montfaucon - Tence - St.Agrève: (BLN 716.04; OEIS9447; Ball 56A1) Tourist services over this northern section of the metre gauge Vivarais line have had a somewhat unstable history. The final train under CF Régionaux ran on 26 September 1986. The local authorities then took over the line and eventually leased it to SOFITEC, a private-sector company which had previously been involved in running or marketing the CF de la Mure. On 21 August 1993 SOFITEC began running trains between Montfaucon and Tence only, trading as the CF Velay-Lignon, but ran into financial problems and went out of business. A volunteer organisation, Voies Ferrées du Velay, which had been in existence and anxious to run the line ever since the 1986 closure, had assisted SOFITEC in 1993, but in 1994 took over operation under the title VFV Ligne Touristique Velay-Lignon. Summer services commenced between Dunières and Tence on 19 June 1994. A 1995 service is planned. For details contact VFV, 22 rue de la Croix, F-43220 Dunières, France. BLN 748.067][NL] Schin op Geul - Simpelveld - Kerkrade: (Ball 9B2-10A2) NS closed the Miljoenenlijn between Simpelveld and Kerkrade in 1988, and then between Schin op Geul and Simpelveld in May 1992 when the Maastricht - Schin op Geul - Simpelveld - Aachen passenger service was diverted to run Heerlen - Herzogenrath - Aachen. The Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij have acquired three Swedish steam locomotives (two 4-6-0 and an 0-8-0) to run on the line, which is to reopen for tourist trains. (via Internet, European Railway News, January 1995 on http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/news.html) BLN 748.068][DE] Merzig - Losheim (Saarland) - Neukirchen: (Ball 55B3) The Merzig-Buschfelder Eisenbahn, a standard-gauge light railway, opened in 1903 to connect rural northern Saarland with the Saar valley main line between Trier and Saarbrücken, but closed to passengers in 1961 and freight in 1988. A preservation group, the Museumseisenbahnclub Losheim now runs trains with steam and diesel traction on 15km of the line. From Merzig DB station to the MECL's Merzig-Brotdorf station up the branch is a 5km walk. There is no bus service, but pick-up can be arranged for groups. Further information can be obtained by telephoning + 49 68 72 61 69. BLN 748.069][ES] Alicante - Denia: (BLN 729.097; Ball 32A1-32B2) The 93km metre-gauge line along the Costa Blanca seems to be thriving, and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana have opened some seven new intermediate stations since 1991, with another one to come shortly. Two or three of them have names obviously reflecting the nature of the traffic. New stations, names underlined, were noted between older stations as follows: Alicante - Albufereta - Condomina - Feria (under construction) - Discotecas - Palmeral - ... - Calapiteres - Cala d'Or - La Mercé - ... - Hospital Vila Joiosa - Hipermercado Finestrad - Benidorm - Disco Benidorm - Cami Coves - ... - Garganes - Cap Negret - Olla Altea - ... - La Jara - Hospital Denia - Alqueries - Denia. Some FGV station signs have already been, or are now being, altered from Castilian Spanish to the local Valencian versions of the place-names, for example, from Villajoyosa to La Vila Joiosa and from Camino Cuevas to Cami Coves. BLN 748.070][PT] Portugal: Today's Railways #5 for February-March 1995 reports that "much of the deep rural railway is already under threat of closure. Services on the Figueira da Foz - Pampilhosa, Tua - Mirandela and Póvoa de Varzim - Famalicao lines are all to be withdrawn." The first is 1668mm-gauge (Ball 17A2); the others both metre-gauge (8A1; 7A1-7B1). A third metre-gauge line, Régua - Vila Real (8A1), is also threatened. The broad-gauge Régua - Tua service would become a single-train shuttle. On the broad-gauge Douro valley line Tua is now the easternmost junction with a metre-gauge branch, and has a preserved Mallet. In 1994 the Linha do Tua to Mirandela had five workings a day each way, using Bo-Bo diesel locomotives hauling a bogie van and a pair of bogie coaches. From Santa Luzia to Abreiro up the river Tua gorge the scenery is dramatic with much flange-squealing on curves. Beyond Mirandela to Bragança, the rail passenger service is technically suspended rather than closed, but trains seem unlikely to return to supplant road transport through the sparsely populated countryside. The slow rail-replacement bus ignores the new main road and wanders round visiting the tiny stations, all still standing, some with their goods sheds and water towers. Track is in place throughout. At Bragança the yard is full of abandoned bogie stock, mainly freight wagons, and the quarter-roundhouse has become an attractive museum with an engaging curator and two well-cared-for locomotives. Down the Douro valley, Régua has extensive mixed-gauge track, sometimes with a shared rail, sometimes metre-gauge within the broad-gauge. Just upriver is a derelict bowstring-girder bridge, heavily rusted and without rails of either gauge. Was there once a railway to Lamego? In 1994 one could wander freely in the station area, viewing the plinthed 0-4-0T and nine rusting 2-4-6-0T metre-gauge Mallets abandoned round the turntable. Their successors, the two-car metre-gauge dmus on the surviving Linha do Corgo, thread their way round curves up the river gorge to Vila Real five times a day, but no longer run to Chaves (BLN 697.08). Chaves still has a pleasant station, but track has been lifted in from the station throat. A museum there, reputedly with two locomotives, looked derelict but was said to be open on weekdays. Downstream, the Lisboa - Porto main line crosses the river Douro at Porto on a new concrete bridge, and trains no longer have to slow to a crawl to traverse Gustave Eiffel's striking and slender iron arch-girder bridge of 1877, from which CP have now removed the track. A river trip is a good way to appreciate the four different bridges into the city across the deep and wide gorge. Old railway trackbed and a tunnel can be seen below Eiffel's Maria Pia bridge. Porto's city-centre station, São Bento, is reached by reversing direction at Porto Campanha, the 'country' station where Intercidades trains from Lisboa terminate, down an incline in tunnels somewhat reminiscent of the approach to Glasgow Queen Street. Unique to Porto São Bento however are the magnificent murals and frieze made up of traditional blue tiles (azulejos). Many Portuguese stations make attractive use of these tiles, but none does so on such an impressive scale. Porto's latterly much reduced and long-threatened tramway may now have closed completely, but Lisboa's extensive 900mm-gauge tram system remains full of character, with many elderly four-wheel cars, the world's steepest adhesion tram tracks (15%) and many photogenic locations including what must be the narrowest streets with regular services (round the Graça loop). Flat fare in 1994 was PTE140 (56p). Day tickets are also available, valid on the three street funiculars and the distinctive public elevator as well as the trams. Tourist tram tours of the city are on offer. Travelling on the Lisboa metro, run by a separate company, is dull by comparison, but it is efficient and cheap. If you buy your metro ticket from a booking-clerk rather than a machine, it is slightly more expensive, with a flat fare in 1994 of PTE60 from a ticket machine or PTE65 (about 26p) from booking clerks. Beware however their common scam, of withholding a PTE100 coin from change for a note, on the grounds that tourists don't notice. Three times a BLN reporter had to request the correct change! Just off Lisboa's busy Avenida Cinco de Outubro (but not shown in Ball at 25B1) is the two-track dead-end station called Terminal (Av. 5 de Outubro) in the timetable, but Apeadeiro (= alighting-place, halt) Av. 5 de Outubro, according to the name on the front of the building. Opened appropriately enough in the month of October 1992, it serves as a city-business-district terminus for a Monday-to-Friday suburban shuttle service, via the Campolide avoiding line, to and from Cacém on the Sintra line (not out as far as Sintra itself, as BLN 728.080 said). The branch from Campolide to Alcântara-Terra (see description and sketch-map in BLN 728) reopened to passengers in October 1992. Its trains call at a single platform at Campolide west of the main platforms there, and they can proceed to Sete Rios via an overbridge without conflicting with Rossio - Sintra trains. BLN 748.071][CH, FR] Genève: (BLN 746.042; Ball 97A3) Genève-Eaux-Vives - Annemasse is electrified at 25kV 50Hz, not the 1500V dc of the Genève - Bellegarde line. SNCF emus deployed in the area can use either voltage. Four different rail electrification systems are thus to be found in the city, including CFF's standard 15kV 16²/3Hz and the low-voltage dc street tramway. There are trolleybuses too. (But there cannot be many places to challenge Stratford in eastern London for diversity of electrification in one single station: Railtrack 25kV 50Hz overhead; Railtrack top-contact third-rail dc; London Underground fourth-rail dc; and Docklands underside-contact third-rail 750V dc.) BLN 748.072][PL] Polish closures?: Some twenty secondary and branch services, especially in the Wroclaw area and in the north-east of Poland, were thought likely to be withdrawn from 1 January 1995, but in practice no lines seem to have closed completely to passenger trains. PKP appear to be economising by fairly deep cuts in services, and many timetabled trains are cancelled, so intending travellers should be wary. BLN 748.073][PL] Warszawa metro: A 12.6km section of metro has opened, from Kabaty to Politechnika, being Phase 1 of the 90km network of four 1435mm-gauge third-rail 825V dc lines long-planned for Poland's capital. (Railway Gazette International, January 1995) BLN 748.074][CA][US] Sherbrooke (Quebec) - Mattawamkeag (Maine) - St.John (New Brunswick): (BLN 721.012) The Atlantic, a VIA Rail passenger train between Montréal and Halifax which ran overnight thrice-weekly across northern Maine on the Canadian Atlantic Railway, a US line owned by CP Rail, ceased after 15 December 1994. The Océan, VIA Rail's train between the same cities over the all-Canadian CN route via Rivière du Loup, began running six days a week instead of three from 16 December. Instead of closing to all traffic, however, the CP trackage in Maine has been bought by the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad. (Railway Gazette International, December 1994 & January 1995) BLN 748.075][BR] Rio de Janeiro - São Paulo: Surrendering to competition from frequent and keenly-priced air services, the Rede Ferroviaria Federal SA, Brazil's federal railway network, withdrew from passenger service between these two huge cities, 499km apart, when they ceased to run the Santa Cruz sleeping-car train in 1991. On 8 December 1994 however a private-sector company began to operate a new nine-hour overnight service on the 1600mm-gauge RFFSA route with the Trem de Prata (= silver train) comprising sleeping-cars and a restaurant-car. (Railway Gazette International, January 1995) BLN 748.076][JP] Great Hanshin earthquake 1995: (BLN 747.061) This is now the official term for the disastrous events of 17 January. Reconstruction work proceeds apace. The JR, Hankyu and Hanshin lines run parallel in the populous area between Osaka and Kobe, and have competed for passengers since before World War II, so all three are eager to restore their tracks and be back in business first. All are working on rehabilitating their lines bit by bit. As soon as one section is ready, operations are resuming on that stretch. JR-West estimate that six months will see their 1435mm-gauge shinkansen bullet-trains and their ordinary 1067mm-gauge services running throughout. In the meantime they have decided to revive previously-abandoned 1067mm-gauge sleeper services from Tokyo to Kyushu, and route them round the disaster area by local lines, to compensate for the disruption to their fast daytime shinkansen trains. Hankyu also plan full operations on their Kobe line within six months, but are hoping to open temporarily before that, using provisional passenger facilities in place of two destroyed elevated stations. Kobe's city subway demonstrated an unforeseen vulnerability, damage being done to shallow rather than deep-level stations, which engineers had not expected in the light of previous earthquake experience. More than a year may elapse before the Kobe subway is fully restored. Another unfortunate victim is said to be a preserved JR 4-6-2 steam locomotive, normally operated elsewhere, but under maintenance in a Kobe workshop on 17 January, which suffered severe boiler damage and may not run again. (via Internet from Hiroshi Naito at 100221.2721@compuserve.com) BLN 749.077][IE] (Stranorlar -) Fintown - Glenties: (BLN 717.01) This 914mm-gauge branch, part of the County Donegal system, opened from Fintown to Glenties on 3 June 1895 and closed to scheduled services on 13 December 1947, with occasional turf, livestock and bog iron ore trains for a few years after, according to the local paper. The preservation group Cumann Traenach na Gaeltachta Lar have acquired a small diesel locomotive from Bord na Mona and by the line's 100th anniversary this summer they hope to begin running a tourist train on a restored 3km stretch of track near Fintown, and eventually on the 14km to Glenties. The newspaper's photograph of the first run on the relaid line in December 1994 showed ten persons riding on the diminutive engine! (Donegal Democrat, 15 December 1994) BLN 749.078][IE] Dundalk: (BLN 741.0318) "On the 31st day of March 1995 all services of trains for the carriage of merchandise operating on the railway line known as the Barrack Street Branch Line in .... Dundalk will be terminated. Alternative services ... in the affected area will be provided by the [CIE] Board at its extended rail freight depot situated at Ardee Road in ... Dundalk." (Public notice dated 24 January 1995 in the Irish Press, 27 January 1995) BLN 749.079][IE] Dublin Connolly - Newcomen Jn - Glasnevin Jn: (BLN 741.0320) The low-level line was out of use from 7 February to 21 May 1994 for engineering work, planned but apparently not carried out, to reinstate the lifting bridge in connection with restoration of the Royal Canal. The Dublin - Maynooth services ran satisfactorily via Drumcondra during that period, and normally have continued to do so since. A new station on the low-level line is mooted, however, to serve the Croke Park stadium at present being rebuilt and enlarged, and works at Glasnevin Jn suggest that a former lead there may be reinstated to allow through running off the low-level line via Cabra to Islandbridge Jn and the main line to Cork. BLN 749.080][IE] Dublin: Glasnevin Jn - Islandbridge Jn: The line via Cabra has had no regular scheduled passenger service since July 1989 when a weekly Sunday-morning Dun Laoghaire - Dublin Heuston boat-train ceased. A new regular (or irregular?) service commenced however on 25 October 1993. On Irish public holiday Mondays which are followed by a normal working day, a 1405 Ballina - Dublin Pearse relief train seems to have become established in the working timetable, running non-stop from Athlone to Dublin Connolly via Portarlington and the Cabra line. If the pattern is maintained, it would run on Mondays 17 April, 5 June, 7 August and 30 October 1995, and 1 January 1996. A telephone call to Dublin BLS member Michael Walsh on + 353 1 2853335 on or after the preceding Wednesday should be able to confirm whether the train is planned to run. BLN 749.081][IE] Tralee - Listowel (- Ballingrane Jn): Irish Rail have decided to retain the trackbed of the disused North Kerry line from Tralee to Listowel, and County Kerry's development plan makes provision for a future rail link onward from Listowel to the Ballylongford/Tarbert area. There is thought to be potential for industrial development on the Shannon estuary, perhaps a smelter at Ballylongford to process zinc ore from Co.Kilkenny and Co.Tipperary, or an oil refinery at Tarbert. (Cork Examiner, 5 January 1995) BLN 749.082][IE] Waterford Abbey Jn - New Ross: (BLN 722.016) The branch was not permanently closed in September 1993, only temporarily broken to enable construction of an overbridge for the new Belview port facility. The line was again passable, though not in use, by May 1994 and was visited by the weed-spraying train on 15 June 1994. (Irish Railway News, April and July 1994) BLN 749.083][FR] Noyelles - St.Valéry-Canal (- Cayeux-sur-Mer): (Ball 14A3) The former mixed-gauge section between the main-line junction of Noyelles and St.Valéry-Canal, which belonged to the SNCF even though CFTA metre-gauge locos used to haul the standard-gauge freight wagons on it, was déclassée on 17 October 1994, as a prelude to its acquisition by the preservation undertaking, CFT de la Baie de la Somme. Déclassement is the process whereby the French government formally abandons a piece of intérêt national railway alignment. Services may have long ceased, and the track may have been lifted, but until déclassement takes place the land cannot legally be turned over to other activities. On 10 November 1993, 291.69km were déclassés; on 29 December 1993, 0.34km; on 11 July 1994, 295.315km and on 17 October 1994, 289.797km. (L'Echo du Rail, #135 & #140, August & December 1994) BLN 749.084][FR] Carentan - Baupte - La Haye-du-Puits - Portbail - Carteret: (Ball 11A1) A seasonal tourist service ran from Carentan to Baupte Le Prieure as the Ligne du Marais from 27 May 1989. SNCF closed the line for freight on 1 October 1990. Because closure of a level-crossing at Carentan and sale of land at Baupte to a factory would have limited their operations at both ends, the Train Touristique du Cotentin organisation ceased operations on the section after the 1993 season and abandoned the project finally in June 1994, after the movement of a WD shunting loco as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. This was the only operation here in 1994, hinted at in a stop-press report in Today's Railways #1. Use of the section from Baupte to La Haye-du-Puits seems to be dead, for the local authority are purchasing only the trackbed, not the track, from SNCF. Freight traffic was withdrawn between La Haye-du-Puits and Carteret on 27 May 1979, and the line is now severed between La Haye and Portbail. Between Portbail and Carteret however the Ligne de la Côte des Isles (BLN 719.02; OEIS9447) started operation on 24 June 1990. Each year since, TTC have run trains on Sundays and public holiday afternoons from June to early September, and in 1994 market-day trains on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during July and August. Occasional out-of-season trains are also now being advertised. (partly from L'Echo du Rail #138, November 1994) BLN 749.085][FR, BE] Mont St.Martin SNCF - Athus SNCB: (Ball 17B1) The former electrified freight line, closed on 26 September 1993 to enable construction of the new Athus avoiding line (BLN 741.0325), was formally abandoned (déclassée) on 11 July 1994, thus thwarting local aspirations that it might be restored (BLN 735.0176). (L'Echo du Rail, #135, August 1994) BLN 749.086][FR] Fontoy - Audun-le-Tiche (- Esch-sur-Alzette CFL): (Ball 18A1) BLN 721.02 reported that cross-border freight had ceased by 1992 and that the freight branch from Fontoy to Audun seemed derelict. However the last remaining traffic on the line, block trains of slag from the siding of Arbed d'Esch-Terres-Rouges, is reported not to have ceased until mid-1994. In September 1994 the condition of SNCF freight tracks in the Audun station area, as opposed to the track used by CFL passenger trains, certainly suggested that there had been no freight traffic at that extremity of the line, still less any freight interchange with CFL, for a very long time. The French military however have an unloading ramp at Audun-le-Tiche and may be the final arbiters of the line's fate. (L'Echo du Rail, #137, October 1994) BLN 749.087][FR] Tarbes - Bagnères-de-Bigorre: (Ball 70B1-2) Although closed for general merchandise in 1989, this line remains open to serve the works of CFDB, formerly Soulé. (L'Echo du Rail, #138, Nov. 1994) BLN 749.088][FR] Nice: (Ball 77B3) SNCF are to build a halt at the Paillon bridge behind the exhibition hall in Nice for the world Rotary Club convention to be held in June 1995. (L'Echo du Rail, #137, October 1994) BLN 749.089][DE] Wolgaster Fähre - Seebad Ahlbeck and Zinnowitz - Peenemünde Dorf: (Ball 13B1-14A1; now KBS194) Following some modernisation, reported in BLN 717.011, the lines on the island of Usedom were to transfer on 1 January 1995 to a private company Usedomer Bäderbahn GmbH, still wholly owned by DB. Plans are in hand to link the lines to the mainland DB system by a road/rail bridge. BLN 749.090][DE] Hannover - Stendal - Berlin: (Ball 27A2-28B3) ICE trains from Kassel and points south are planned to run to Berlin by turning north at Weddel, just east of Braunschweig, on to an entirely new alignment as far as Lehre. The existing line from Braunschweig to Lehre will close, but from Lehre will become an electrified single track to a flying junction at Fallersleben. Fallersleben - Wolfsburg will be a three-track section. East of Wolfsburg the Schnellfahrstrecke will run on the north side of the existing line till just east of Oebisfelde, then on the south side till just east of Stendal. Near Uchtspringe both the high-speed line and the ordinary line will take a new route further north, and a stretch of the present alignment will be abandoned. East of Stendal, where a flying junction converges, the Schnellfahrstrecke will cross again to run on the north side. The new bridge over the river Elbe at Hämerten (BLN 716.017, 719.05) is complete, with the existing line already slewed on to it. Now that the Land of Brandenburg has ceased its opposition (BLN 746.037), the delayed work on the line east of Grosswudicke should progress rapidly. Perhaps this will lead to the long-threatened temporary closure of Rathenow - Rathenow Nord. BLN 749.091][DE] Berlin north-west: (Ball 31A3-31B2) The May 1995 timetable is to bring significant changes. Nauen - Wustermark is to close permanently. New crossovers recently installed at Nauen may have suggested otherwise, but are thought to have been the result of engineering works planned by DR going ahead unamended (BLN 733.0154). The line between Wustermark and Wustermark Rangierbahnhof is to close temporarily to passenger trains, to allow both the ordinary passenger line and the Schnellfahrstrecke to be laid on new formation lying between the present two parallel single running lines, the northern one of which carries most but not all of the passenger services. This new west-east alignment is straighter but requires completely new bridges over the north-south Berlin Aussenring. Passenger trains from the Stendal and Rathenow direction are likely to take the west-to-south curve at the Wustermark 'cross', at present used by R4 Nauen - Potsdam trains, and go south round the outer ring. In mid-February 1995 the west-to-north curve was seen to be de-electrified, though it did show signs of recent use. The north-to-east curve used by R5 trains via Brieselang is to close to passengers when Wustermark Rbf is shut. Eastward from Wustermark Rbf the Schnellfahrstrecke is to run on the north side of the line to Staaken, and will then it seems loop to the north via Spandau West, taking the old alignment once used by S-Bahn services serving the Staaken station in west Berlin. The diverted long-distance (Fernbahn) trains from Spandau over the old S-Bahn route via Olympiastadion to the Stadtbahn and Berlin-Zoo are at present (BLN 747.051) using a newly-laid, sharply curved and steep connection just east of Spandau, at the location of former Ruhleben Rub box, and a similarly recent connection between S-Bahn and Fernbahn tracks just west of Charlottenburg. This temporary diversion is to enable fettling-up of the Fernbahn tracks from Ruhleben Ruo box southwards, and the two new junctions may go out of use when the Fernbahn trains revert to their normal route. Flyovers have been built at Ruhleben, and one track of the Fernbahn from Spandau to Westkreuz may possibly be ready to reopen in May 1995. Work has also begun at Ruhleben on what will become the route via Jungfernheide, the Innenring and Moabit to the lower level of Berlin's proposed new central station on the Lehrter Bahnhof site (BLN 737.0231). The former Hamburg - Berlin main line via Albrechtshof and Spandau, now on a new higher-level formation eliminating former level-crossings, should also reopen in May, perhaps initially as a single track without electrification. The diversion of the R5 Nauen - Jungfernheide service to run to Westkreuz is only temporary, starting 27 June 1994 and intended to last about three years, until Jungfernheide station is reopened, presumably also with Innenring S-Bahn service. BLN 749.092][AT] Gmünd NÖ - Alt Nagelberg - Litschau / Heidenreichstein: (Ball 63B2; McDougall p.32; OEIS 9515) Of the Waldviertler Schmalspurbahn 760mm-gauge branches in Nieder Österreich, only the line to Litschau, where there is a grain silo, remains open for freight. Alt Nagelberg station is the physical junction between the two branches, beyond which they run parallel for some 2km before diverging, not quite as shown in Ball. Every year since 1987, following closure to regular passenger services, steam trains have been chartered from ÖBB by the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte, the enthusiast group which would like to take over the lines. In 1995 four are to run from Gmünd to each branch terminal. Alas, both are not to be served on the same day, and this has probably not occurred since 1992. New in 1995 is to be the availability for hire, on the 6.5km between Langegg and Heidenreichstein, of a pedal-powered rail-cycle capable of carrying three persons. (ÖBB Erlebnis Bahn & Schiff 1995) BLN 749.093][AT] Stammersdorfer Lokalbahn near Wien: (BLN 737.0237; Ball 65A1; KBS93a) These lines closed to passengers south-west of Obersdorf and north and west of Gross Schweinbarth on 29 May 1988. The section south-west of the new halt at Obersdorf is understood to be used for track-maintenance training purposes. The physical junction at Gross Schweinbarth is at the station, not as shown in Ball. Passenger trains north of there were reintroduced in May 1989, but Pirawarth - Gaweinstal Brünnerstrasse is again threatened with closure, perhaps in May 1995. Pirawarth - Hohenruppersdorf reopened to passengers on 27 September 1993 (BLN 725.063) and is in freight use from Hohenruppersdorf to Sulz-Nexing. This is the sole section of the line between Stammersdorf and Dobermannsdorf still in use for freight only. Beyond, Sulz-Nexing - Zistersdorf Stadt no longer appears on ÖBB network maps, and is overgrown and clearly out of use south of the level crossing at Zistersdorf Stadt halt. BLN 749.094][AT] (Leobersdorf -) Wittmansdorf - Wöllersdorf: (BLN 737.0235; Ball 75B2; KBS52c) This line, threatened with closure, perhaps in May 1995, has only one train each way Mondays to Fridays. In July 1994 the afternoon working was a single railcar from Leobersdorf, which departed attached to a loco-hauled train for St.Pölten. At Wittmansdorf the railcar was detached and, with only eleven passengers aboard, diverged on to the branch at Stw 2. Near Matzendorf, it passed the site of the link, gone by 1958, from the Aspangbahn, which formed part of the earlier route Wien - Kledering - Felixdorf - Puchberg am Schneeberg. Steinabrückl station was staffed, for the level-crossing, and the track had been realigned through the village. Wöllersdorf has not had a triangular junction, as shown in Ball, since at least 1986, for although the north end of the north-to-south curve remains in use as a scrap sleeper depot, the southern junction has been removed. On arrival at Wöllersdorf, the afternoon railcar ran empty to Wiener Neustadt. BLN 749.095][AT] Götzendorf - Mannersdorf: (Ball 76A2) Although the line has freight traffic and is shown on the Kursbuch map, the timetable confirms that passengers are conveyed by road. When passenger trains did run, they propelled out of the station at Götzendorf, since the junction, east of the station, faces east, rather than west as shown in Ball. BLN 749.096][AT] (Wien -) Parndorf Ort - Parndorf (- Kittsee): (BLN 736.0218; Ball 76A3; KBS7) The Neusiedl am See branch had a triangle where it met the Wien - Hegyeshalom main line, but only the north-to-west curve and the northern junction remain, not the west-to-east curve and the eastern junction as shown in Ball. The surviving junction, Abzw Bruck an der Leitha 1, faces Wien, with Parndorf Ort halt located at it, so as to be served by both main-line and branch trains. Further east lies Parndorf (station untitled in Ball) which is the junction for the line to Kittsee, proposed for restoration through to Bratislava. BLN 749.097][AT] Gleisdorf - Weiz Stadt: (Ball 83B3; KBS52b) This standard-gauge section of the Steiermärkische Landesbahnen had in July 1994 a modern diesel unit in StLB livery, built at Jenbach like the ÖBB cars mentioned in BLN 739.0291, and unlike the elderly StLB stock on the Peggau - Übelbach line described there. On some trips, the unit works through to and from Graz over ÖBB tracks. Interchange with the StLB 760mm-gauge is at Weiz station, but standard-gauge trains continue some 200m to Weiz Stadt, a single-platform halt at the very end of the line, adjacent to the main street. BLN 749.098][AT] Weiz - Anger - Birkfeld: (Ball 83B3-75A1; KBS52b) Until September 1993, the 760mm-gauge StLB summer-season steam passenger service ran from Weiz to Birkfeld, but for the 1994 season it was cut back to the resort of Anger. In July 1994 freight traffic appeared no longer to work beyond the private siding for a chemical plant at Oberfeistritz, but the station was staffed. Passenger trains start outside Weiz standard-gauge station on the west side, and cross the standard-gauge track on leaving. BLN 749.099][ES][FR] Barcelona - La Tour de Carol-Enveitg - Toulouse: To seek to further the stalled proposal for through running between Barcelona and Toulouse by variable-gauge Talgo trains, local authorities and rail unions in both countries chartered a special train of Talgo III stock from Barcelona to La Tour de Carol on 17 December 1994. (L'Echo du Rail, #141, January 1995) BLN 749.0100][IT] Italian closures - or openings?: Early in 1994, when FS was restructured into seven territorial zones, an economy plan was proposed, envisaging closure of some 2,000km of secondary lines; introducing labour-saving operation on others; transferring some lines to local authorities, but reopening some already closed, in some cases on a seasonal basis. Lines mentioned as candidates for reopening include Merano - Malles-Venosta (Ball 42B3), due to reopen in summer 1996; Sulmona - Castel-di-Sangro (53B3); Palazzolo-sull'Oglio - Paratico-Sarnico (42A1), closed since 1966, but local authorities have a project for a ten-week reopening in summer 1995; Asciano - Buonconvento (49B2 not shown). (L'Echo du Rail, #129 & 138, February & November 1994) BLN 749.0101][BA] Sarajevo: Though the trams are famous for having started running again in the Bosnian capital, the last train to leave Sarajevo departed on 2 May 1992, taking with it the station-master and some other Bosnian railway employees, according to The Guardian of 27 January 1995. BLN 749.0102][PL] Warning for travellers to Poland: Further to BLN 748.072, details of PKP service cuts do not yet appear to be available from one central source, and finding out only from the departure list alterations at a station where you plan to board a train that it is not running is no fun - especially on Polish rural lines which often only have three trains each way a day, requiring you to wait maybe five or six hours until the next one! Full lists of cancellations and alterations by area are being assembled by the German group PIBSE, and any Society member planning to travel in Poland is welcome to check with Mr N J Hill, 73 Norfolk Park Avenue, Sheffield S2 2RB, with s.a.e. - or telephone 0114-275 2303 (home) or 0161-234 4592 (office hours) for the extent of information received so far from that source and notes from personal travels. BLN 750.0103] Timetables on line: Australian rail timetables are now on the World Wide Web at http://www.monash.edu.ac.au/ccstaff2/che/bromage/www/tt/ and some Eurostar information is at http://www.iihe.ac.be/hep/pp/evrard/eurostar.html. BLN 750.0104] Isle of Man airport express: BLN 709.01 described the useful rail-air link offered by the steam trains of the 914mm-gauge IoMR, and gave times of the request stops at Ronaldsway Halt near the airport. The 1995 times are the same as in 1993, but the airport link is now properly advertised in the island's rail timetable leaflet, covering the Manx Electric, Snaefell Mountain and Groudle Glen Railways as well as the steam line, valid Easter till October, and available from Isle of Man Railways on 01624-663366. Ten minutes is quoted to walk from plane to train, but it takes less than half that if you are short of time. BLN 750.0105][FR] Motteville - St.Valéry-en-Caux: (BLN 745.06; Ball 13A2; SNCF307) It seems that the passenger service was withdrawn from Tuesday 6 September 1994, as it last ran on the Monday. The service has been withdrawn, supposedly temporarily, to provide paths over the 32km branch for freight trains carrying materials for motorway construction. (L'Echo du Rail, October 1994) BLN 750.0106][FR] Caen - Clécy: (Ball 22B3) This seasonal operation from Caen-Prairie to Clécy, the Chemin de Fer Touristique Suisse-Normande, commenced on 8 July 1991 but was suspended from 4 July 1993, and did not run in 1994. The rolling-stock was transferred away, and the section between Thury-Harcourt and Clécy has been taken over for road works. The preservation group's trains did not run into the SNCF station at Caen, where the overgrown branch was still in place in September 1994, as was the boarded-up signal-box which controlled the junction. (L'Echo du Rail, August 1993 & October 1994) BLN 750.0107][FR] Chartres - Courtalain-St.Pellerin: (Ball 24A1-35A3) Passenger train times on the 55km branch, once a through route from Chartres to Saumur, changed from 22 January 1995. A return rail journey to Courtalain in one day is not possible, though buses advertised in the SNCF fiche horaire timetable leaflet allow day-trips one-way by rail at weekends. Excluding short workings, the trains are: M-F M-F SO SO SuO M-F M-F SO SuO SuO 1742 1825 1408 1747 1947 Chartres 0735 0819 1357 1735 1920 1837 1915 1456 1835 2035 Courtalain-St.Pellerin 0642 0724 1309 1647 1832 Courtalain-St.Pellerin lies just to the south of the Courtalain high-speed junction where the TGV-Atlantique line divides to head westward via Le Mans and south-westward via Vendôme, but the branch is not connected to the TGV line. Courtalain station is not well-sited for the small town, almost 2km away. The hotel in the town square is however recommended for food and an overnight stay, while one ponders on the choice of morning departures. South of Courtalain the former Saumur line is still in use the 15km to Boursay-St.Agil, but is thought to be out of use beyond. BLN 750.0108][FR] St.Dizier - Eclaront - Wassy - Doulevant-le-Château: (Ball 27B2-27B1) Passenger services ceased on 1 May 1952 and the line, which was operated by CFTA for SNCF, closed completely on 1 April 1991, at the same time as the Eclaront - Montier-en-Der branch, and was formally déclassée on 11 July 1994 to enable purchase by the Chemin de Fer de Blaise et Der. Having acquired a railcar from the CF du Vermandois in March 1994, the CFB&D ran a seasonal passenger service from their base at Wassy on three Saturdays in September 1994, running to Eclaron in the morning and to Doulevant-le-Château in the afternoon. If the venture is judged sucessful, another railcar would be obtained, which would be able to enter St.Dizier SNCF station. A regular Tuesdays and Thursdays freight service between St.Dizier, Wassy and Brousseval commenced on 27 September 1994. (L'Echo du Rail, August, October, November 1994) BLN 750.0109][FR] Chinon - Ligré-Rivière - Richelieu: (Ball 34A1-44B3) The Chinon - Ligré-Rivière section remained in SNCF ownership but must have ceased to be of interest to them after the 1969 closure for freight of their line east from Ligré-Rivière. At long last, on 15 December 1994, the section was déclassée to enable its acquisition by the Richelieu local authorities, who own the Ligré-Rivière - Richelieu line, used by the Train à Vapeur de Touraine, a seasonal steam tourist service. (L'Echo du Rail, January 1995) BLN 750.0110][FR] Pontarlier - Gilley: (Ball 50A3-40A1) This line lost its passenger service on 18 April 1939, closed completely in 1988, but was not finally lifted until November 1994. (L'Echo du Rail, January 1995) BLN 750.0111][FR] Pontarlier - Vallorbe: (BLN 746.026; Ball 50A3) The Chemin de Fer Touristique Pontarlier - Vallorbe project is led by a public-works contractor and the aim is to reopen from Les Hôpitaux-Neufs-Jougne to La Cluse-Mijoux, from which freight services were withdrawn on 3 November 1969. The first trial-run over the 1km section between Les Hôpitaux and La Combe-du-Miroir operated in September 1993, in connection with a cycle race, and a service over a 2km stretch from Les Hôpitaux ran on nine dates in August and September 1994. An extension of 2.5km to the level crossing at Touillon is expected in 1995, and a further 3km to Fontaine-Ronde in 1996. (L'Echo du Rail, October 1993 and February, November and December 1994) BLN 750.0112][FR] Pont-de-Dore - Arlanc - Sembadel - Darsac: (Ball 55B1-55B3) This lengthy (113km) line closed to passengers south of Arlanc on 26 September 1971 and north of Arlanc on 28 September 1980. SNCF kept La Chaise-Dieu - Sembadel for freight until 8 February 1988, and Sembadel - Darsac until 1 October 1992. Les amis du musée de la machine agricole et à vapeur (AGRIVAP) began running seasonal tourist passenger services between Courpière and Ambert, where their museum is located, from 14 July 1986. On 8 February 1988 AGRIVAP took over from SNCF the freight operation of the section from Pont-de-Dore to Arlanc. Freight trains run MWFO for internal traffic between Courpière and Giroux and TThO, if required, to interchange with SNCF at Pont-de-Dore. AGRIVAP extended their tourist service southwards, initially to Arlanc, then to La Chaise-Dieu from 1992. It is reported that they reached Sembadel on a few dates in 1994, though that is not shown in their publicity for the season. Now, a group, apparently of local authorities, is exploring the purchase of the 20km Sembadel - Darsac section, where track remains in place, for extension of tourist services. Even the 35km Sembadel - Estivareilles branch, the remaining portion of the line to Bonson, which lost its passenger service on 7 July 1969, is included in the ambitious proposals. (La Vie du Rail #2047, 2139; L'Echo du Rail, December 1994; AGRIVAP publicity) BLN 750.0113][FR] Les Landes: (Ball 59A1-59A2) The Laluque - Tartas line of Voies Ferrées des Landes does not have passenger services (as implied by Ball) but it is not completely closed (as stated by Today's Railways #4, p.14). Traffic has been interrupted because of problems at a paper mill and 0.26km at the end of the line was déclassé on 2 November 1994. A grain silo is also connected to the line. VFL's other freight lines shown in Ball have however closed as follows: Labouheyre - Mimizan-Bel-Air on 29 May 1992; Laluque - Laluque-Boos and Parentis-en-Born - Ychoux - Liposthey on (?31) March 1989. Labouheyre - Sabres was also a VFL line until its closure on 1 July 1969, but in August 1970 a seasonal tourist service began on it between Commensacq and Sabres, run by ABAC for the Parc Naturel Régional to give public access to their Ecomusée de Marquèze. From 1976 the service was extended to run from Labouheyre, initially using a halt just short of the SNCF main-line junction and later, from 1980, the SNCF station. The departément transferred the concession for the line to the park in 1974, but after a disagreement the Ecomusée took over the tourist service from 1991. The section between Labouheyre and Marquèze has had no service since September 1990. The remaining section is under threat, because the park management intend, if they have not already done so, to construct roads and car parks to improve public access to the Ecomusée at Marquèze. ABAC moved to and operated seasonal tourist trains on the Labouheyre - Mimizan-Bel-Air line from 15 August 1990, but since that line was formally abandoned (déclassée) on 13 April 1994 presumably the tourist service did not survive after the withdrawal of VFL freight services in May 1992. (La Vie du Rail #1903; L'Echo du Rail, August 1994, January 1995) BLN 750.0114][FR] (Gardanne -) Brignoles - Carnoules: (Ball 76B2) This eastern section of the freight line from Gardanne closed in January 1990, but the through route remains available for diversions. The vegetation was cut back in summer 1994 and an inspection train, hauled by a Y-class locomotive, traversed the closed section on 22 November 1994. (L'Echo du Rail, December 1994) BLN 750.0115][FR] Perpignan - Thuir: (Ball 80A3) Although not identified as such in Ball, this line was operated by the independent Chemin de Fer des Pyrénées-Orientales. It closed beyond Canohès from 1 January 1990 and the last train to Canohès ran on 27 June 1994. The line was being lifted in December 1994. L'Echo du Rail, August 1994, January 1995) BLN 750.0116][BE] Vennbahn: (BLN 747 supplement) A landslip just south of Kalterherberg blocked the line, forcing a northbound ADL tour train on 4 March 1995 to halt suddenly, and retreat. BLN 750.0117][LU] Pétange - Fussbësch - Lamadelaine - Bois de Rodange - Bois Chatier: (Ball 17B1) From a junction at Pétange CFL station the erstwhile Prince Henri mineral railway in 1875 opened the 6km via Fussbësch (also rendered as Fussbusch and Fusboesch) to Lamadelaine, and in 1879 extended a further 4km via Bois de Rodange to Bois Chatier on the French border. Topography dictated Lamadelaine's dead-end layout, where trains reverse. The section beyond Bois de Rodange appears to have gone out of use by World War II, though it was still mentioned in post-war working instructions of the CFL, which took over the PH line in 1946. The remainder of the line seems to have been out of use by 1962, and a landslip in spring 1964 at the 2.5km point, between Pétange and Fussbësch, seems to have marked its final demise, although the last mine in the area did not cease working until 1978. After preparations starting in summer 1969, the Association des Musée et Tourisme Ferroviaires (AMTF) commenced operating Train 1900 from Lamadelaine (now Fond de Gras AMTF station) to Bois de Rodange (now Rodange AMTF station) and to Fussbësch on 4 August 1973. In 1986 Luxembourg's Ministry of Cultural Affairs decided to create a railway and industrial park at Fond de Gras. The blockage near Fussbësch was removed, enabling trains to get closer to Pétange from 1 May 1990. The present temporary terminus is named Pétange-Triage, a bit misleading for what is nothing more than "end-of-steel", there being no run-round loop, platform nor stop block. From Pétange CFL the first km or so of the former PH alignment carries a siding to the Ecuosider Socam factory, but the ground levels have been altered, so that reconnecting AMTF to the siding, and hence CFL, looks unlikely. Indeed, earthworks along the north side of the factory may be intended as a more permanent Pétange terminus for AMTF. Trains run on the Pétange-Triage - Fussbësch - Fond de Gras - Rodange line on Sundays and public holidays from 1 May to 30 September, with first departures about 1440. Before the first advertised workings, a railbus proceeds from Fond de Gras to each end with AMTF staff. The steam trains are hauled from Fond de Gras out to Rodange and to Pétange-Triage, and from Fussbësch back to Fond de Gras, all other moves being propelled. Semaphore signal equipment from Wilwerwiltz is installed at Fond de Gras. The 1km walking distance between CFL and AMTF at Pétange is rather less than at Rodange or Fond de Gras (where the nearest CFL station is Niederkorn), but the route is neither signposted nor immediately apparent, so it may be helpful to describe it here. From Pétange CFL, follow the main line, with roads either side, in the direction of Rodange as far as the first underbridge, where there are actually two parallel bridges, one for the CFL main line and one for the erstwhile PH line, now the private siding. Take the road (Rue Ecuosider) between the two lines and continue down the lane between the CFL fence and the factory fence. Where the three electricity pylon routes cross the lane, there is a bridleway to the left which shortly crosses the AMTF line, and a nameboard marks the spot as Pétange-Triage halt. (Le Fond-de-Gras et ses trains: du Prince Henri au Train 1900; and other AMTF material) BLN 750.0118][LU] Fond de Gras - Giedel - Dhoil - Lasauvage: (Ball 17B1 not shown) At Fond de Gras the Parc Ferroviaire et Industriel also includes a 4km-long 700mm-gauge mineral line, the Minièresbunn Dhoil-Rodange (MBD) whose title, in the local dialect, shows both French and German linguistic influences. This line once brought to the surface most of the output of the Dhoil mine, to be conveyed onward by overhead ropeway to the furnaces of Minières Métallurgiques de Rodange (MMR). The installations were modernised in 1957, but operations ceased at the end of 1978. The surface line runs from Fond de Gras, adjacent to the AMTF shed and station, up to Giedel, a reversing spur beyond the dead-end of the AMTF line, and then to Dhoil, parallel to but above the AMTF Rodange line. In September 1994, it was worked by steam locomotive RAW #1 Meiningen and one passenger vehicle. At Dhoil, passengers change into a three-car man-riding set fitted with overhead current collection which is not used, since it is hauled by a two-axle diesel #10 Albert, for a trip through the mine tunnel. This has 1908 on the south portal and 1949 on the north and runs under a hill to the former mining village of Lasauvage. Although there is a triangle here, trains are not turned but are propelled back to Dhoil. Seasonal tourist trains run on Sundays and public holidays from 1 May to the second Sunday in October, with first departure at 1500. BLN 750.0119][NL][DE] Schin op Geul - Simpelveld NS - Aachen West DB: (BLN 748.067; Ball 9B2-10A2) At Schin op Geul the junction remained in place, but the closed line towards Simpelveld was heavily rusted in 1994. Passenger closure seems also to have meant complete closure. At the German end the junction at Aachen West has been removed since at least July 1993. BLN 750.0120][DE] Trossingen Bahnhof - Trossingen Stadt: (BLN 730.0117; Ball 68B2; KBS743) From 1997, when regular Trossinger Eisenbahn workings on this interesting 4.3km 600V dc standard-gauge branch are due to cease, the local authority plan to continue to run the proposed preservation operation, and have already had a railcar, coach and shunting engine restored for this purpose. (L'Echo du Rail, March 1994) BLN 750.0121][DE] Murnau - Oberammergau: (Ball 70B1-71A1; KBS963) The single-track branch crosses the Garmisch-Partenkirchen - München main line by a bridge at Murnau Ort halt to enter the junction station, alongside which, to the east, is the former branch terminal station, which still had electrified track in the platform in July 1994. Murnau has the first German electronic signal-box, commissioned on 13 December 1985, according to a plaque at the station. BLN 750.0122][AT] St.Michael - Leoben - Bruck an der Mur: (Ball 74B1-75A1, 83A3; McDougall A3; KBS6,14) The junction layout at St.Michael is not as shown in Ball. St.Michael station is at the northern apex of a triangle formed by two single-track north-to-west and north-to-east curves and by the double-track Villach - Wien main line avoiding the station, on which the boxes controlling the junctions are Stw.4 (west) and Stw.3 (east). At Bruck an der Mur (McDougall map 6) the station is also to the north of the triangle of running lines, and the junctions at the ends of the single-track west-to-south avoiding chord are Abzw. Bruck-Stadtwald and Abzw. Bruck-Übelstein, respectively. BLN 750.0123][AT] Wien: Maxing / Meidling - Inzersdorf Ort - Oberlaa - Kledering / Klein Schwechat: (BLN 736.0219; Ball 77A-B2; McDougall A4) This line avoiding Wien Südbahnhof, the Wien Donauländebahn, was originally built to provide the Westbahn with access to the river Donau at Albern Hafen, for transhipment traffic. At its western end it begins at a triangle formed by the junctions of Maxing (the western junction with the Verbindungsbahn), Wien Meidling (the north-eastern junction) and Abzw. Altmannsdorf (the south-eastern junction). From Maxing to Oberlaa and Kledering it carries international trains between Wien Westbahnhof and Hegyeshalom MÁV, and from Meidling to Inzersdorf Ort the passenger trains from Wien Südbahnhof for the Ebenfurth line. Oberlaa is the junction for the spur to Kledering (shown in Ball, but untitled and rather too far to the east - it should be about halfway between Inzersdorf Ort and Kledering). Beyond Oberlaa the line crosses over (not under, as shown in Ball) the Ostbahn main line and Wien Zentralverschiebebahnhof (= central marshalling yard). BLN 750.0124][AT][SI] St.Paul - Lavamünd ÖBB - Dravograd SZ: (BLN 734.0169, 736.0221; Ball 83A2-83A1) The now-defunct cross-border line had one further Austrian station (Rabenstein an der Drau) between Lavamünd and the Slovenian frontier. The chord line from St.Paul to Bleiburg, avoiding Slovenia, was built in 1963-64, according to Austrian Travel Wonderland. BLN 750.0125][IT] Sardinian narrow-gauge: (Ball 39) Ferrovie della Sardegna (FdS) have ambitious plans for renovation of their underused and generously-staffed 950mm-gauge system, including relaying track with heavier material, modernisation of stations, and improved alignments and communications. At Cagliari, a link to the FS station is planned, as is electrification of the suburban section out to Monserrato. Eight railcars plus five trailers have been ordered from ABB. On the line west from Macomer in the centre of the island, the section beyond Tresnuraghes to the coast at Bosa-Marina (Ball 39A2) was to reopen for summer 1994. Travellers should avoid reliance on the FdS section of the FS timetable for train timings. (L'Echo du Rail, February 1994, Today's Railways #4, December 1994-January 1995) BLN 750.0126][AR] Tierra del Fuego: The large island of Tierra del Fuego - since it lies south of the Patagonian mainland where the 750mm-gauge Rio Turbio coal line runs (BLN 741.0336) - seems now to have the world's most southerly railway (BLN 707.07), with the construction in 1994 of a 500mm-gauge tourist line, the Ferrocarril Austral Fuegino, operated by Tranex Turismo SA of Ushaia, in one of Argentina's national parks. One steam locomotive was British-built in 1995. (Railway World, March 1995) BLN 751.0127][FR] Rouen-Préfecture closure: (BLN 731.0121; Ball 13B1) The diversions into the temporary station of Rouen-Préfecture were to cease after 20 January 1995, according to SNCF's winter timetable. BLN 751.0128][FR][BE][NL][DE] Paris - Bruxelles - Köln / Amsterdam: The marketing name for the high-speed international trains is to be Thalys, a made-up word said to have been selected pour son évocation de la vitesse, du confort et de la modernité. Initially, in 1996, SNCF TGV-Réseau units, designated PBA for Paris-Bruxelles-Amsterdam, are to be used, these being tricourant sets able to work on SNCF and NS 1500V dc, SNCB/NMBS 3000V dc and SNCF 25kV 50Hz. In 1997, a new build of international TGV PBKA units is to be introduced, which will be quadricourant sets, able to work to Köln on DB's 15kV 16²/3Hz. The completion date for the Thalys platforms, numbers 3 to 6, at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid appears to have slipped to June 1995. (SNCF/SNCB press release, 17 January 1995) BLN 751.0129][FR] Cambrai-Annexe - Wambaix: (BLN 692.03; Ball 15B3; McDougall F24) The continued use of the Cambrai-Ville avoiding line by the annual Tourcoing - Briançon winter-sports workings was confirmed on Sunday 5 March 1995, when the northbound couchettes-only train (#6792/3) was boarded discreetly at St.Quentin in a fierce blizzard. St.Quentin was surprisingly busy at 0717 on a Sunday morning, with three trains of returning skiers plus services to Metz, Paris and Bruxelles all departing within fifteen minutes. The ski trains, from Briançon, Bourg St.Maurice and St.Gervais, were all bound for Tourcoing behind CC 72000 diesel haulage, with electrics taking over for the last leg from Lille. The now-closed Cambrai-Annexe station is in some disrepair, with only one of its previously illuminated station-signs even partially readable. The revised impression of the Ball atlas still shows Cambrai incorrectly, with Cambrai-Ville and Cambrai-Annexe transposed and the chord from Cambrai-Ville to Wambaix omitted. BLN 751.0130][FR] Poitiers - Limoges: (Ball 53A3-44B2; SNCF 464) According to the local press and local railwaymen, a recent study of passenger traffic is likely to lead to bus substitution of one or more of the daily round trips on this line. (L'Echo du Rail, February 1995) BLN 751.0131][FR] Château-Arnoux-St.Auban - Digne: (BLN 746.027; Ball 66B1) The 22km disused SNCF standard-gauge branch to Digne, northern terminus of the flood-damaged Chemins de fer de la Provence metre-gauge line to Nice, lost its ordinary passenger and freight services from 25 September 1988, but some seasonal passenger trains ran in summer 1989, ceasing at the September 1989 timetable change. BLN 751.0132][FR] Cannes - Ranguin: (BLN 745.012; Ball 77A3) During the engineering work in February 1995 the weekday trip to the CAAT car-unloading private siding above Ranguin continued to run. SITP, the local transport authority, say that the passenger service will begin running again when the works are completed, contrary to rumours in the area about its likely demise. (L'Echo du Rail, February 1995) BLN 751.0133][BE] Train + bike rental in Belgium: From April 1995 the bikes for rental at NMBS/SNCB stations are all to have seven gears, and in the Ardennes region mountain bikes will be available. Combined train + bike tickets are on offer, and return of a rental bike will be possible at many stations. (European Railway News, March 1995, on Internet at http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it) BLN 751.0134][DE] Wolgaster Fähre - Seebad Ahlbeck and Zinnowitz - Peenemünde Dorf: (BLN 749.089; Ball 13B1-14A1; KBS194) Privatisation of the Usedomer Bäderbahn has been delayed till "mid-1995". (European Railway News, March 1995, on Internet) BLN 751.0135][DE] Hamburg - Neumünster - Kiel: (Ball 17B3-10B2) Schleswig-Holstein remains the last of the German Länder without any main-line electrification, but Hamburg - Kiel electric services are to begin with the timetable change at the end of September 1995. (European Railway News, March 1995, on Internet) BLN 751.0136][AT] Villach: (Ball 82A1; McDougall A7 and map 7) The layout between Warmbad Villach, Gödersdorf and Neuhaus an der Gail is rather more elaborate than shown in Ball because the large Villach Süd marshalling yard, with various connecting spurs, lies there. A full plan appeared in OEIS 9448. In the area of Villach itself there are two spurs not shown in Ball. One is from Villach Westbahnhof Stw.1 running northwards on the bridge across the river Drau alongside, but separate from, the passenger tracks, before diverging westwards to Abzw. Gummern 2. From a south-facing connection with that line at the north end of the river bridge another spur crosses the Villach - Salzburg passenger line to drop down, behind Villach Hbf, to the St.Veit line junction, Stw.1. BLN 751.0137][AT] Unzmarkt - Tamsweg - St.Andrä - Mauterndorf: (Ball 82A3; OEIS 9515) The Steiermärkische Landesbahnen still run scheduled services on their 760mm-gauge Murtalbahn as far as Tamsweg. Beyond, on what was the western end of the Murtalbahn, preserved tourist trains operate in summer. These Taurachbahn GmbH trains are not normally permitted in Tamsweg station, so services run only between St.Andrä, some 2km down the branch, and Mauterndorf. From 23 to 31 July 1994, however, Taurachbahn trains were working through into Tamsweg. BLN 751.0138][AT] Stainz - Wohlsdorf: (Ball 83B2; OEIS 9518) This former Steiermärkische Landesbahnen 760mm-gauge line, which lost its ordinary passenger service on 1 February 1951, and closed to goods on 31 March 1980, became a tourist operation by Marktgemeinde Stainz, no longer running to the former interchange point with the standard-gauge Graz Köflacher Bahn, as shown in Ball, but cut back to a run-round loop at Wohlsdorf, just short of the GKB, about 1km south of Preding Wieselsdorf station. The line is not in the ÖBB timetable or ÖBB's publication Erlebnis Bahn & Schiff 1995, but from May till October, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the Stainzer Flascherlzug is to run, leaving Stainz at 1500. BLN 751.0139][PT] Regua - Lamego: (BLN 748.070; Ball 8A1 not shown) A French-language source (copy of pages from an unidentified book said to be held in the NRM Library) states that a steeply-graded metre-gauge branch from Regua did once cross the hills to reach Lamego, 15km to the south, and that construction began towards Vila Franca de Naves on the Linha da Beira-Alta, a further 95km south. On a visit in 1990, remains included not only the disused rail bridge next to the road bridge over the river Douro at Regua but, 4km to the south, a sizeable concrete-and-stone viaduct built on a horseshoe curve across a valley, with trackbed disappearing into a hydro-electric power-station, and probably into a tunnel beyond. Though it was clearly built for a railway, walking along the formation revealed no visible artefacts to confirm it had ever actually carried trains. At Lamego, the modern bus-station and car-park, built on some of the scarce flat land in the town, may possibly be on the site originally chosen for the railway station. BLN 751.0140][CL][BO] Antofagasta / Mejillones - Calama - El Abra (- Ollagüe - Oruro): The metre-gauge Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (FCAB), which is owned by a British company, the Antofagasta (Chili) and Bolivia Railway plc, has secured a new twelve-year contract to provide freight services for the El Abra mine, 315km north-east of the port of Antofagasta and 70km north of Calama. The new services are expected to begin in September 1996, carrying up to 840,000 tonnes a year of sulphuric acid in 120 tank-cars from the acid terminal at FCAB's subsidiary port of Mejillones, on the coast north of Antofagasta airport, inland to the mine, and some 225,000 tonnes of copper cathodes in 42 specially designed cars from the mine to the main port of Antofagasta for export. FCAB expects to increase its turnover (USD24M in 1994) by over 60%, and will invest USD40M in fifteen main-line locomotives and freight rolling-stock, plus upgraded track and maintenance facilities. FCAB has also a ten-year freight contract with the Zaldívar mine, whose services start in March 1995, and a five-year renewal of the freight agreement with the Chuquicamata mine. The press notice announcing the El Abra contract on 17 February 1995 did not mention the FCAB's passenger services. From Antofagasta's attractively preserved station passenger trains no longer run inland the first 241km to Calama, but the Thomas Cook timetable shows a weekly train onward from Calama into the Andes for 202km to Ollagüe on Chile's border with Bolivia, and beyond for 488km over the metals of the Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles (ENFE) to the town of Oruro. BLN 752.0141][FR] Lovers undisturbed by boozers on the TGV Duplex?: "Because of the stairways, lover compartments are only open at one end and therefore will not suffer from people constantly passing on the way to the bar." Passengers looking to enjoy either activity on board will be able to sample double-deck TGVs on the Paris - Lyon / Marseille / Montpellier routes from May 1996. (Today's Railways, April-May 1995) BLN 752.0142][FR] Paris RER Ligne A: (BLN 745.05; Ball 81A1) Cergy-le-Haut, the line's north-western terminus in spring 1995, is designed as a through station with two island platforms. The eastern quai has both faces in use (voie 2 is the 'through' line and voie 4 a loop) but the western one has only the 'through' line, voie 1, in place. As well as the extension to Cergy-le-Haut, Ligne A has a new intermediate station, Neuville-Université, north of Bifurcation de Neuville between Conflans-Fin d'Oise and Cergy-Préfecture. At the line's eastern end, between Torcy and the terminus at Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy (station for the Disney theme-park), the intermediate station is called Bussy-St.Georges, rather than Violenne (Ball 25B2). BLN 752.0143][FR] (Paris-Est -) Tournan - Coulommiers - La Ferté-Gaucher: (Ball 25B2-26A2) At the beginning of January 1995 a link just east of Tournan to the TGV-Jonction line, with signals lit, was in place except for the actual junction points. Between Coulommiers and La Ferté-Gaucher all freight facilities were disconnected, except one factory siding at the 76km post which appeared still to see occasional use. At La Ferté-Gaucher itself all track was disconnected except one platform face and a run-round loop in the former goods-yard. A stop-block had been placed between the station and the level-crossing, and a length of rail removed, preventing any further movement beyond towards Esternay and Oiry, though track remained in place. BLN 752.0144][FR] (Paris-Est -) Longueville - Provins: (Ball 26A2; SNCF 170) At the end of the 7km passenger branch from Longueville (Seine-et-Marne), the line continued beyond Provins station across a level-crossing towards Villiers-St.Georges and seemed to see regular freight use in January 1995. BLN 752.0145][BE] Eurostar and Thalys routes in Belgium: (BLN 751.0128) Belgium's TGV routes as proposed at October 1994 are shown superimposed on a 1:250,000-scale plan (carte du tracé) available, together with an explanatory booklet, from SNCB Info, TGV-STAR 21, BP153, B-1060 Bruxelles 31, Belgium. On the Eurostar and Thalys routes linking London, Paris, Brussel, Köln and Amsterdam, about 160km of Belgium's 305km would be new construction, the remainder being existing lines upgraded. Short-sighted Government reluctance to authorise the investment could however delay the route to Germany until 2004, and the route to the Netherlands until 2005 - a scenario not unfamiliar to Eurostar travellers, trundling through Kent slowly enough to wave to the crossing-keeper near Ashford............... Civil-engineering trains working on the first section of the TGV-Belge line are based at St.Druon near Antoing but, because the Arbre viaduct in the middle of the new line cannot yet be used, a secondary base (Base du Coucou) is being set up with sidings between the converging tracks of the existing Ligne 94 and the new TGV line 6km south-east of Ath. The section from the French frontier to Antoing should open in May 1996, but Antoing - Ath may take until September 1997 or even June 1998. A detailed track plan of the new layout between Bruxelles and Lembeek appeared in Modern Railways in January 1995. The works to increase line capacity for Eurostar and Thalys between Halle and Bruxelles Midi have progressed to the stage where in early March 1995 the new platforms were in use on the new lines through Halle (which are on the west side, the westernmost now being numbered 1) while the original main-line platforms were out of use. At the same time, the tracks between Forest Midi and Bruxelles Midi which run past Klein Eiland to the west of the carriage yards (BLN 739.0278; Ball 10B1; SNCB Ligne 96A) were temporarily singled between Forest Midi and Klein Eiland, to allow excavations under the other track. A London-bound Eurostar departed this way, and it may be their normal route to and from the Eurostar platforms (1 and 2) at Bruxelles Midi. Certainly, trains which are booked to or from the low-numbered platforms at Midi do normally use Ligne 96A, to avoid conflicts at the south end station throat. Does the track layout in fact allow Eurostars to access the main route (Ligne 96) at the south throat? BLN 752.0146][BE] Charleroi - Anderlues: (BLN 729.085, 738.0255; Ball 8B1, not shown) At the western end beyond Pétria the remnant of the Vicinal metre-gauge interurban tramway operates from Charleroi as route 89 via the depot to Anderlues Jonction, and as route 90 via the short direct line to Anderlues Monument. Street track between Jonction and Monument is being realigned and from May or June 1995 route 89 trams are to run via the depot and Jonction to Monument. (Tramfare; Blickpunkt Strassenbahn) BLN 752.0147][BE] SNCB Ligne 163 Libramont - Bastogne: (BLN 716.09; Ball 17B3) In March 1995 the timetables at Bertrix gave no indication that service on Ligne 163, whose passenger trains were suspended in May 1993, would be by bus. The substitute bus conveyed six passengers, and an SNCB guard who duly checked tickets. The large station at Bastogne Sud is still open though without trains, and unsurprisingly the tracks are very rusty. Bastogne Nord is derelict, and the tracks northward to Gouvy are lifted. Protest posters in the town included one comparing the Bastogne of 1944, cut off from the rest of the world by the encircling Nazis, and of 1994, cut off by the SNCB. BLN 752.0148][DE] DB 1995-96 timetable changes: A preview of DB's new timetable suggests the following closures are to be expected from 28 May 1995. BLN references Ball atlas KBS Rathenow - Rathenow Nord (much-heralded closure; buses are to substitute ) 729.090, 749.090 28B3 266 Bedburg (Erft) - Düren (new opencast mining is expected to lead to closure) 745 supp. 37B1 482 Hartenrod (Kreis Biedenkopf) - Niederwalgern (eastern part of KBS624) 745 supp. 39B1 624 Korbach - Bad Wildungen 729.093, 745 supp. 39B2-40A2 621 Klein Gerau - Gross Gerau Dornberg (E-to-S curve; no Darmstadt - Worms trains) 49A1 651 (Schlettau -) Walthersdorf (Erzgebirge) - Crottendorf obere Bahnhof 705.03, 745 supp. 54B3 537 BLN 752.0149][DE] Hannover Messebahnhof: (BLN 739.0280; Ball 26B2 (not shown); McDougall G11) This short branch with its special station for traffic to Hannover Messe (= fair) may not last beyond 1995 or perhaps 1996. Trains with passengers for events or exhibitions may instead use an expanded Laatzen station on the Hannover - Göttingen main line, with a moving walkway to the exhibition site. BLN 752.0150][DE] (Halberstadt - Wernigerode -) Ilsenburg - Stapelburg: (BLN 696.09; Ball 27B1-27A1; KBS324) On 12 March 1995 the last train ran on the Ilsenburg - Stapelburg section, which has closed to enable construction of a new Ilsenburg - Vienenburg line, linking the former east and west German systems north of the Harz mountains. Only some 2km of the closed branch will reopen as part of the new route. BLN 752.0151][DE] Mulheim (Ruhr)-Styrum - Duisburg-Meiderich Süd: (BLN 743.0359; Ball 33A3; KBS448) The line was to have its last train on 1 April 1995, closing completely thereafter to facilitate the extension of Duisburg's tram subway to Meiderich. It is possible the DB line may later reopen for freight. (IBSE) BLN 752.0152][DE] Wuppertal monorail: (Ball 34A1) Neither the Ball atlas nor the recently published Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland shows the Schwebebahn, a distinctive suspended monorail, dating from the turn of the century and well worth a journey. A well-used local metro with over a dozen intermediate stops at elevated stations, it has termini a short walk from Wuppertal-Vohwinkel and Wuppertal-Oberbarmen DB stations. At the Vohwinkel end the line runs at about second-floor level above a busy city street, but for most of the 13.2km route length the cars hang 10m or so above the river Wupper. A good forward view is possible, a bit like that from a cable-car. Various fares are on offer, but a day ticket costing DEM8.70 covers up to five persons (and one dog) for all public transport in the area. BLN 752.0153][DE] Berga-Kelbra - Stolberg (Harz): (BLN 731.0126; Ball 41B3; KBS592) A deteriorating viaduct may lead to closure of this 15km passenger branch, perhaps at the end of 1995. The line was not included in the 'doubtful future' list published as a supplement to BLN 745. BLN 752.0154][DE] Wächtersbach - Bad Orb: (BLN 743.0361; Ball 51A2; KBS618) The 7km Kreiswerke Gelnhausen branch has closed to passengers. The last train was on 4 March 1995. (IBSE) BLN 752.0155][DE] Mannheim: Waldhof - Käfertal - Hbf / Rbf: (Ball 55A2-55A1; McDougall G58; KBS655) To avoid having to reverse Frankfurt - Karlsruhe etc express trains calling at Mannheim Hauptbahnhof, DB some decades ago built a new main line from Mannheim-Waldhof running into the west end of the Hbf, and this line, close to the river Rhein at its southern end, carries nearly all the passenger traffic. The old line via the sole intermediate station of Mannheim-Käfertal into the east end of the Hbf has only a vestigial passenger service. On 14 November 1994 some three passengers boarded the 1537 from Mannheim-Waldhof to Hbf, an electric locomotive hauling three or four coaches, and not many more got in at Käfertal. South of Käfertal, one of the two tracks was out of use all the way to the junction east of the Hbf, though the double-track north-to-east freight-only curve to Mannheim-Rangierbahnhof appeared well polished. Käfertal looks well-served by trams, and it would not be surprising if its DB service, and the north-to-west passenger curve from Käfertal to Hbf, disappeared from future timetables and maps. BLN 752.0156][AT] Mürzzuschlag - Neuberg Ort: (BLN 747.058; Ball 75A1; KBS53) This line was not closed in 1988 as alleged by McDougall (p.33), nor at the end of 1994 either, but it is still threatened with closure during 1995. Passenger trains run beyond Neuberg station, now worked as a halt, to terminate at a further simple halt at Neuberg Ort. Beyond that, the line was seen in July 1994 to continue to a private siding. BLN 752.0157][AT] Ebenfurth avoiding line: (Ball 75B2; McDougall A14; KBS51) In the 1994-95 timetable the passenger trains using the tracks avoiding Ebenfurth station on its north-west side, not shown in Ball, are EN236 Venezia Santa Lucia - Wien Südbahnhof and D1234 Firenze - Wien Südbahnhof. The southern end of the line is controlled by Stw 3 but the north end has no signal-box, so it is presumably controlled from the Ebenfurth station box, Stw 1. BLN 752.0158][AT] Graz avoiding line: (Ball 83B3) An east-to-south curve at Graz, between the Feldbach and Spielfeld Strass lines, was noted in July 1994, but is not shown in Ball. BLN 752.0159][DK] Nykøbing (Falster) - Gedser: (Ball 12A3) DSB are to withdraw local passenger services on the branch from the May 1995 timetable change, and international trains routed that way to and from the Gedser-Warnemünde train-ferry are also to cease from September 1995. Since freight via Gedser ended in January 1994, it looks as if this international route will close after 110 years. (LCGB Bulletin, February 1995) BLN 752.0160][IT] Torino-Dora - Pessinetto (- Ceres): (Ball 45A-45B3) This line run by SA Torinese Tranvie Intercommunali was severed beyond Pessinetto in September 1993 by a damaged bridge, which has not been repaired through lack of finance. Services on the remainder of the line are in the hands of SATTI's ex-SNCB type 54 emus. (L'Echo du Rail, February, March & October 1994) BLN 752.0161][IT] Asciano - Monte-Antico: (Ball 49B2) This FS branch closed from the September 1994 timetable change, but might see tourist trains sponsored by the local authority. Also closed was the FS line from Orte to Capranica-Sutri (Ball 50B1-52A3). (L'Echo du Rail, February 1995) BLN 752.0162][CH] Sursee - Triengen: (Ball 87A1) The annual passenger trips on the Sursee Triengen Bahn, a non-electrified and freight-only Swiss private line, are planned to be on Sunday 24 September 1995. BLN 752.0163][CH] Orbe - Chavornay: (Ball 91A2) This 3.9km private line is unusual for Switzerland in being standard-gauge, but it uses 700V dc overhead electrification while the CFF uses 15kV 16²/3Hz, so the extensive interchange of freight traffic for Les Granges has to be handled by a diesel shunter. BLN 752.0164][PL] PKP branch closures: (BLN 748.072, 749.0102) The German-Polish enthusiast group PIBSE reports five Polish State Railways (Polskie Koleje Panstwowe) branches closed to passengers. km Ball atlas PKP timetable closed to passengers from Skwierzyna - Miedzychód 29 31B1 341 (part) 20 March 1995 Rzepin - Miedzychód 97 36A3-31B1 335 (part) 20 March 1995 Lubsko - Zagan 33 36A3-36A2 358a 3 April 1995 Czempin - Mieszków (- Jarocin) 54 36B3-37A3 322 27 March 1995 Gieraltowice - Orzesze 11 40A1 157 (part) 2 January 1995 Katowice area BLN 752.0165][PL, CZ] Cieszyn PKP - Ceský Tešín CD: (Ball 42B3) This short cross-border link between the Polish and Czech systems reopened for passengers on 1 March 1995, the train times being those already shown in table 146 of the PKP timetable. (PIBSE) BLN 752.0166][CZ] Sokolov - Kraslice - Hranicna: (Ball 35A1) Czech Railways (Ceske Drahy) have extended their Sokolov - Kraslice branch, reopening the 3.5km to Hranicna on 2 January 1995 after more than 40 years of closure. A river bridge to carry the line the short distance across the frontier to Klingenthal on the DB in Germany is said to be a possibility. (Railway Gazette International, March 1995) BLN 752.0167][BA] Bosnia-Hercegovina: (BLN 702.012, 726.071, 749.0101; Ball 51A3-51B3) At a conference held at Linz in Austria in late 1994, the chief civil engineer of ZBH (Zeleznice Bosne i Hercegovine) said that the railways of the former JZ still operating in Bosnia-Hercegovina at that time were as follows: Five isolated groups of lines under the ZBH administration in Sarajevo Špionica - Bosanska Poljana - Banovici 77km Diesel, possibly steam, traction Lukavac - Bosanska Poljana - Tuzla 19km Diesel, possibly steam, traction Maglaj - Zavidovici - Zenica - Visoko 142km Bosna valley line, electric traction, Serb gunfire risk for 27km between Maglaj and Zavidovici Vareš - Dabravina 13km Steam locomotive on branch restricted by destroyed bridge (Sarajevo station is in Bosnian hands but the triangle just to the west at Rajlovac is under Serb fire and the main lines north to Visoko and south to Hadzici, 17km of railway, are occupied by Serb forces, thus requiring all supplies for Sarajevo to come by air or over poor roads.) Zovik - Konjic - Dreznica Stara 93km Ivan pass & Neretva valley line, electric traction (Destroyed bridges at Raštani north of Mostar and Bacevici south of Mostar isolate that town. On the 11km between Bacevici and Zitomislici, removal of mines and repair works are under way.) Zitomislici - Capljina 17km Diesel traction Lines under a Serb administration within Bosnia & Hercegovina, with whom ZBH has no communication Doboj - Grapska - Banja Luka - Bosanski Novi 212km Grapska - Bosanski Šamac 65km Dobrljin - Bosanski Novi - Rudice 23km (The line south of Rudice passes through the Bihac area of Bosnia, where the Serb administration is prevented from running trains through to Knin, in the Serb Krajina area, part of Croatia) (Continental Railway Journal, #101, spring 1995) BLN 752.0168][CA] Vancouver - Mission BC: In November 1995 BC Transit is to begin WestCoast Express peak-hour commuter services (including five morning trains) calling at six intermediate points on 65km of the CP route up the river Fraser valley out of Vancouver's Waterfront station, the former Canadian Pacific Railway terminal on Cordova Street, with local connections to SeaBus (ferry to North Vancouver) and SkyTrain (metro), according to the Vancouver Courier for 19 February 1995. This will reopen to passengers the CP route into Vancouver, closed from 15 January 1990, since which date all VIA transcontinental passenger services have used the CN route and the Pacific Central station in Vancouver. BLN 753.0169] Belfast Central - Belfast Yorkgate: (BLN 745.01) Northern Ireland Railways began regular public services over the new cross-harbour link using the Dargan Bridge on Monday 28 November 1994, but 'sightseeing' trains shuttled between the two stations on Saturday 26 November, for the public, and on Sunday 27 November, for railway staff. (Irish Railway News, October 1994 (sic)) BLN 753.0170][IE] Waterford - Ballinacourty: (BLN 722.016, 724.044) The last revenue traffic on the Ballinacourty line is reported to have been in July 1982. (Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society, # 123) BLN 753.0171][IE] Waterford - New Ross: (BLN 749.082) Iarnród Éireann plan to build a rail spur from their out-of-use New Ross branch to the Coillte-Louisiana Pacific joint-venture timber-processing plant in the south of County Kilkenny, at Belview between Waterford and Slieverue. (Kilkenny People, 3 March 1995) BLN 753.0172][FR] Boulogne Maritime: (BLN 744.29; Ball 6A2) A Golden Arrow boat-train service does seem to have survived the advent of the Tunnel sous la Manche. Though from 4 January Hoverspeed withdrew its SeaCat service for vessel overhaul, the short branch from Bifurcation d'Outreau to Boulogne Maritime continued to see the 'boat-trains', with no ferry connection, until the weekend of 21 January 1995, when it seemed they had ceased for ever. However, local interests, and possibly Hoverspeed, persuaded or paid SNCF to begin the boat-trains again from 1 April 1995, when the SeaCats began operating after the break, rather than leave foot passengers off the ferry to depend on a bus link to Boulogne Ville. The trains are: #2019 Daily 1 Apr - 23 Sep 1995 1056 Paris Nord - Boulogne Maritime 1322 #2022 Daily 1 Apr - 23 Sep 1995 1354 Boulogne Maritime - Paris Nord 1626 BLN 753.0173][FR] Lille: Marquette-lez-Lille - Wambrechies: (Ball 10B3 not shown) Running from the town-hall at Marquette-lez-Lille for 2km along the river Deûle to Wambrechies, France's first electric metre-gauge museum tramway was to open on 1 April 1995 and run on Sunday and public-holiday afternoons until 1 October. Details from Amitram, BP 1022, F-59011 Lille Cédex; telephone +33 20 54 43 95. (L'Echo du Rail, February 1995) BLN 753.0174][FR] Abbeville - Frévent - St.Pol-sur-Ternoise: (Ball 14A3-6B1) This line has closed, section by section, over the years. The last significant section in freight use, Abbeville-Caours - Auxi-le-Château, closed in July 1987 and was déclassée on 17 October 1994. (L'Echo du Rail, December 1994) BLN 753.0175][FR] Thouars - Parthenay - Niort: (Ball 44A3-43B2) Closed to ordinary passenger services since 28 September 1980, this freight line has in recent years seen two special passenger trains a year, a pilgrimage train in October and a school excursion from the Paris region, but the latter apparently did not run in 1994. The closed Parthenay - Bressuire line, partly shown in Ball, is being lifted, while the out-of-use (neutralisée) section to Chalandray of the Parthenay - Poitiers line has had rails removed at several level-crossings. (L'Echo du Rail, February 1995) BLN 753.0176][FR] Cahors - Cajarc - Capdenac: (BLN 740.0306; Ball 61B2-62A2) The line opened on 14 July 1886, but lost its ordinary passenger services 28 September 1980 and freight 1 October 1989. The first Quercyrail tourist service, initially with a chartered SNCF X2800 railcar, began on 16 June 1985 and ran each summer until September 1990, when SNCF decided to close the line completely. The preservation body Régiorail then commenced protracted negotiations to obtain a lease enabling them to run their own trains from May 1993. In summer 1994, operation beyond Cajarc was not possible during colour-light resignalling work at Capdenac, but the junction there was included in the contract and, now controlled by a local ground-frame, the points remain in place, heavily rusted when seen in October 1994. Through running to Capdenac would be possible, but no such trips seem to be scheduled for summer 1995. BLN 753.0177][BE] Lijn 73 Deinze - Lichtervelde - De Panne: (BLN 735.0172; Ball 7A2) The splendidly ecclesiastical exterior of Veurne station and the well-preserved former Vicinal station building immediately outside Diksmuide NMBS station are both worth a look. BLN 753.0178][BE] Oostende to lose its long-haul trains: (Ball 7A3) As the arrival port of classic rail-sea-rail passengers from Great Britain, Oostende has long had a selection of international trains, but with Eurostars now running from London, the long-distance services south and east are being recast to start and terminate at Brussel Zuid/Bruxelles Midi. Oostende will lose its train to Basel at the end of May 1995, to Wien at the beginning of September, and to Berlin and Moskva at the end of September 1995. The Oostende - Köln route, an integral part of the Belgian IC network, continues. (The Bulletin, Brussels, 30 March 1995) BLN 753.0179][DE] Weekend bargain ticket: DB offers a Schönes Wochenende ticket for DEM15 (= £6.75) allowing unlimited travel on a Saturday and Sunday for up to five persons travelling together on trains other than ICE, EC, IC, IR or D trains. BLN 753.0180][DE] Alsen - Lagerdorf and (Kiel -) Oppendorf - Dietrichsdorf: Seen on a railtour in April 1995 but not shown in the Ball atlas are the 7.7km freight-only line of the Bahnbetriebe Gesellschaft Lagerdorf, curving east from Alsen (10A1) and slightly south to Lagersdorf, and the steeply-inclined mineral branch from Oppendorf (11A2) on the Kiel Schönberger Eisenbahn, curving north towards the sea to reach the coal-handling terminal at Dietrichsdorf (10B2). BLN 753.0181][DE] West to East links in north Germany: The German Unity (Deutsche Einheit) transport programme includes "an important new link ... [which] branches off ... from [the] Hamburg - Berlin track ... to Schwerin and points beyond, placing a once relatively remote part of the country directly on the main national network". Presumably this is an upgrading of the 19km ex-DR Hagenow Land - Holthusen (- Schwerin) line (Ball 18B2-18B3; KBS100). "Work has begun" too on restoration of the (Bremen -) Uelzen - Salzwedel (- Berlin) line, a west-to-east line removed during the division of Germany (BLN 709.07; Ball 18A1-18B1). (Press release from German Embassy, London, 14 March 1995) BLN 753.0182][DE] Lüneburg - Dannenberg Ost and Dömitz - Ludgwigslust: (Ball 18A2-19A2; KBS111, 171) Restoration of a road bridge over the river Elbe at Dömitz has allowed a fourteen-minute bus journey to link the outer extremities of these two branches, 53km and 30km long, which used to be a through line before the division of Germany. Bus departure times in 1994 were: Mondays to Fridays Saturdays Sundays & holidays Dannenberg Ost Bf 0801 0901 1236 1346 1526 1821 0901 1346 1206 1808 Dömitz ZOB, near Bf 0730 0835 1155 1420 1555 1850 0935 1420 1135 1735 BLN 753.0183][DE] Prenzlau - Gramzow (Uckermark): (Ball 21A2; McDougall G146; KBS292) Mirroring the BLN 716.016 report, the 0635 from Prenzlau on 13 February 1995 carried only a BLN reporter. The Brandenburgisches Museum für Klein- und Privatbahnen has been set up at Gramzow in the fairly extensive sidings beyond the station, which is not only poorly-sited but has no nameboard. No freight traffic was apparent there, but a very long headshunt remained southwards on the alignment of the line's former continuation to Schönermark. The return train picked up nobody at Gramzow, but intermediate stations produced about ten passengers, including a couple at Damme off the connecting midibus from Löcknitz - which, like the rail service, is to cease at the May 1995 timetable change. The Damme - Löcknitz line (BLN 696.07, 699.07) still appeared connected at both ends, but the quantity of second-hand rails and level-crossing materials lying at Damme suggested it was already being lifted in the middle. BLN 753.0184][DE] Dessau - Wörlitz: (Ball 28B1; KBS257) The Dessau-Wörlitzer Eisenbahn, shown as freight-only in the Ball atlas, has since 23 May 1982 had a summer-only passenger service running from Dessau Wörlitzer Bf, about 400m from Dessau Hbf. As shown in the DB timetable, two round trips run on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from mid-April to the first weekend of October. In 1994, these stepped up to daily during July and early August. DR took over the 20km line in 1949, and ordinary passenger services lasted until 25 May 1968. Near Oranienbaum, the line crosses the electrified brown-coal line serving the Elbe power-station at Vockerode, and the DWE is also electrified from the Oranienbaum junction as far as Oranienbaum station so that traffic can be interchanged. In autumn 1994 the town of Dessau published a booklet about the line's history, 100 Jahre Dessau-Wörlitzer Eisenbahn. BLN 753.0185][DE] Stendal area: (BLN 714.014; Ball 28A3) The railway layout at Stendal is worthy of closer study. The original line from the north, not shown in Ball, ran due south from Borstel, through Stendal Ostbf and the rolling-stock works (Ost-Werk) to arrive at the east end of Stendal Hbf. In October 1994 Borstel to Ostbf was still in use for freight, and the line through Ost-Werk was also in use, from both Ostbf and Hbf, for shunting stock in and out of each end of the works. Probably it is still physically possible to run right through the works on the original alignment. Running main-line trains through the middle of the works must have become a problem, however, so an avoiding line was later added between Ostbf and Hbf, circling round to the east of the works to join the line from Tangermünde, entering Hbf from the east. This second line is now severed at the south end (thus perhaps giving rise to the report in BLN 739.0282). The present, third, alignment of the Wittenberge - Stendal main line south of Borstel goes via Stendal Stadtsee to enter Stendal Hbf from the west, as shown in Ball, and was in use in October 1994, though its short north-to-west chord avoiding Hbf was severed. This alignment presumably dates from the period after the division of Germany, when a reversal of trains at Stendal would have become increasingly inconvenient on this north-south trunk freight route of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. The Hannover - Stendal - Berlin high-speed line (Schnellfahrstrecke) was planned to swing south of Stendal as a 13km-long bypass costing DEM220M (about £100M), but the town, lying mainly to the north, resisted the plan in favour of a direct alignment through its Hbf, and forced work on the bypass formation to halt in May 1994, after millions of DEM had been spent, especially on bridge abutments. BLN 753.0186][DE] Berlin S-Bahn: Schönholz - Tegel and Priesterweg - Lichterfelde-Ost: At the end-May 1995 timetable change, S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, a separate limited company since 1 January 1995, is to reopen two branches after more than eleven years out of passenger use. These are the Kremmbahn line as far as Tegel in the north-west of the city (BLN 726.069, 738.0259; Ball 32A3-31B3), and the former Teltow line as far as Lichterfelde Ost in the south (32A2). Service pattern will then comprise four S-Bahn routes through the Nord-Süd-Tunnel: S1 Oranienburg - Frohnau - Wannsee; S2 Nordbahnhof - Lichtenrade - Blankenfelde; S25 Tegel - Lichterfelde-Ost; and S26 Waidmannslust - Lichterfelde-Ost. BLN 753.0187][DE] Tickets to and from Berlin: From 1 February 1995 new ticket tariffs have applied in the VBB (Verkehrsgemeinschaft Berlin-Brandenburg) area, and DB has adopted a narrower definition for ticketing purposes of the term 'Berlin Stadtbahn' (roughly the equivalent of 'London Brit Rail' on British tickets). 'Berlin Stadtbahn' now comprises five main stations (Bln-Charlottenburg, Zoologischer Garten, Friedrichstrasse, Hauptbahnhof, and Bln-Lichtenberg). Travellers to destinations in suburban Berlin may find they need to buy a different DB ticket or an additional S-Bahn ticket where once a ticket to 'Berlin Stadtbahn' would have sufficed. Coming from Rostock you can still change to S-Bahn S1 at Oranienburg and travel as far as Friedrichstrasse with a 'Berlin Stadtbahn' ticket, but to go on by the same train to Anhalter Bf you now need an S-Bahn ticket for the extra distance. DB now also issues long-distance tickets to and from seven outer Berlin stations (Bln-Spandau, Bln-Wannsee, Flughafen-Bln-Schönefeld, Bln-Schöneweide, Bln-Karlshorst, Bln-Hohenschönhausen, Bln-Karow) as well as to 'Berlin Stadtbahn'. BLN 753.0188][DE] Düren: The layout is not quite as shown in Ball at 37B1. The line from Grevenbroich runs parallel to, and on the north side of, the line from Köln as far as Df box at the station throat, and the line from Euskirchen does not cross under the Köln line but remains on its south side to the junction at Df box. BLN 753.0189][DE] Bufleben - Friedrichswerth (Thüringen): (BLN 745 supp.; Ball 41A1; KBS607) A mid-afternoon return trip in early December 1994 had two passengers, both enthusiasts, on its entire journey of 13km each way, whereas before reunification 15 to 20 people would have used the single railbus, according to the driver. Though he thought a spur into an industrial estate might be a possibility, the branch has no freight, and must be likely to close. One intermediate station, Brüheim-Sonneborn, is still staffed, to work the level-crossing there. BLN 753.0190][DE] Through wiring from West to East: (Ball 40B1-41B1, 53A3-43A2) In the new May 1995 timetable, full electric operation of passenger services begins on two west-to-east main lines, giving much improved InterCity timings. Re-use of the partly-realigned south-to-east Berliner Kurve avoiding Bebra station, plus the Bebra - Gerstungen - Herleshausen - Eisenach - Gotha - Neudietendorf electrification, will enable IC Linie 9 Saarbrücken - Frankfurt-am-Main - Leipzig - Dresden trains to be accelerated by as much as 60 minutes, while IC Linie 8 München - Nürnberg - Leipzig - Berlin trains will be 30 minutes faster as a result of upgrading and restoration of wires to Probstzella - Saalfeld - Jena - Camburg, originally electrified in 1939-40 and de-electrified after 1945. (European Railway News, on Internet) BLN 753.0191][DE] (Altenburg -) Nobitz - Narsdorf: (BLN 745 supp.; Ball 43A1-43A2; KBS534) Once a popular destination for special trains, this attractive rural line now has only two railcar services a day each way running its full length, carrying very few passengers. The 5km Nobitz - Ehrenhain section is still open to freight, such as LPG tanks, as required. Weak viaducts already preclude the use of stock with an axle-load over 15t, and the line is due to close at the May 1995 timetable change. (Eisenbahn Kurier, 2/95) BLN 753.0192][DE] Oschatz - Mügeln - Kemmlitz: (BLN 730.0116; Ball 43B2-43A2) The 750mm-gauge Döllnitzbahn has steam passenger trains on the last Sunday of the month, and a diesel mixed train on the last Saturday of the month in summer, with extra activity on 10-11, 17-18 June and 2-3 September 1995. BLN 753.0193][DE] Westerwald freight branches: The 289m-long reinforced-concrete Nistertal viaduct, opened 16 July 1907, is a feature of the Erbach - Bad Marienberg (- Fehl-Ritzhausen) branch (48B3-49A3) which lost its passenger service on 25 September 1971, closing completely beyond Bad Marienberg. Remaining freight activity is now threatened with withdrawal. Rennerod - Herborn (49A3-39A1), now completely closed, lost its passenger trains in May 1959 and freight immediately north of Rennerod in 1967, although shorter sections based on Herborn did continue longer. Westerburg - Fehl-Ritzhausen - Rennerod (49A3) has been freight-only since 1981 and includes the impressive Westerburger Talbrücke, built 1906, just north of the junction. Notable for its 36 bridges and seven tunnels, the Engers - Siershahn line (48B3) runs in a deep valley. Since potential passengers were mostly on the higher ground, the Brexbachtalbahn lost its passenger service from 23 September 1989, and will almost certainly be severed by construction of the proposed Köln - Frankfurt-am-Main high-speed line, but a special passenger shuttle service ran on 12 May 1994, also covering the short Höhr-Grenzhausen branch which closed to passengers as long ago as 1972. Montabaur - Moschheim - Wallmerod (- Westerburg) (48B3-49A3) lost its passenger trains in 1981, and Wallmerod - Westerburg lost its freight service in 1983. Wallmerod, still open for freight, is the unnamed end of the branch which appears to peter out at the edge of page 48 in the Ball atlas. (Eisenbahnfreunde Hönnetal railtour itinerary, 24 September 1994) BLN 753.0194][DE] Frankfurt-am-Main: Frankfurt-Sportfeld - Frankfurt-Süd: (Ball 50A3-50B3; McDougall G43) A new Wiesbaden - Hanau hourly RegionalExpress service is to use this line from the May 1995 timetable change. (Modern Railways, November 1994) BLN 753.0195][DE] Hassfurt - Hofheim: (BLN 705.74, 745 supp.; Ball 52A2; KBS812) In December 1994 two red-liveried Ferkeltaxi railbuses were running those services in the Kursbuch not already provided by road. Two sidings seemed to be in use between Hassfurt and Hassfurt Gymnasium, which serves a large school. A loop at Königsberg (Bayern) station seemed also to have seen recent use, but a siding into a factory there was being dug up. At Hofheim the siding next to the BayWa warehouse had just been lifted, but one to a coal and briquette depot appeared in use. Herr Lehmann's Eisenbahnmuseum, set up by a former station-master at Hofheim, has a small collection of signalling equipment, locomotives and rolling-stock. BLN 753.0196][AT] More Austrian closures threatened?: (BLN 747.058) Today's Railways for April-May 1995 listed the following lines as likely to lose their passenger services in May 1995. Ball atlas ÖBB timetable Steinbach-Gross Pertholz - Gross Gerungs (760mm-gauge) 63A1-63B1 84 Wieselburg an der Erlauf - Ruprechtshofen (760mm-gauge) 74B3 11c Gramatneusiedl - Wampersdorf 76A3-76A2 51 BLN 753.0197][AT] Passau - Schärding - Gopperding - Wels: (Ball 62A1-73A3) The physical junction between the main line to Wels and the line to Attnang-Puchheim was noted in July 1994 to be at Schärding, not at Gopperding as shown in the Ball atlas, though Gopperding halt does have platforms on both lines. BLN 753.0198][AT] Marchtrenk - Traun (- Linz): (BLN 736.0216; Ball 73B3 not shown; McDougall p.32) ÖBB's cut-off south-west of Linz, opened for freight on 19 May 1994, will from May 1995 see two pairs of Salzburg - Linz passenger trains, calling at both Marchtrenk and Traun. (Today's Railways, April-May 1995) BLN 753.0199][SE] Stockholm - Södertälje Syd: (Ball 23B2-23B1) Sweden's king and queen have formally opened the four-track Grödingebanen, 30km in length with sixteen tunnels, and allowing maximum speeds of 250km/h. All InterCity trains from Stockholm to Malmö and Göteborg are to use the new line, while local services remain on the old route. (European Railway News, on Internet at html://mercurio.iet.unipi.it) BLN 753.0200][CH, FR] Porrentruy - Boncourt CFF - Delle SNCF: (BLN 746.038; Ball 86A2-85B2 (CH), 40B2 (FR); CFF 240) From the May 1995 timetable change Porrentruy - Boncourt is to have only two round trips, worked by the Chemins de fer du Jura instead of the CFF. Delle is to lose its vestigial passenger service, and it seems this international route will close completely. (L'Echo du Rail, February 1995) BLN 753.0201][CH] St.Luc - Tignousa: (KBS2201) A new 1.286km funicular costing CHF14M opened on 3 December 1994 to replace a chairlift between St.Luc (height 1700m) and Tignousa (2200m) in the Swiss canton of the Valais. (La Vie du Rail, #2477; L'Echo du Rail, January 1995) BLN 753.0202][CH] (Bern -) Zollikofen (- Olten): (Ball 92B3; SBB 250) The new 9.4km Grauholz tunnel, which will divert Bern - Olten traffic away from Zollikofen, is planned to be operational from the May 1995 timetable change. (Modern Railways, January 1995) BLN 753.0203][PL] Szczecin: (Ball 31A2) When the Pasewalk - Grambow - Szczecin international passenger service was restored on 1 July 1991 (BLN 676), the morning train from Pasewalk made a circuit of the town, running inwards from Gumience direct to Szczecin Glowny, then continuing through Port Centralny station to take a north-to-west chord (Port Centralny Sp B - Dziewoklicz) and then a south-east-to-west chord (Wstowo - Gumience) before heading back across the border into Germany. The former chord continues to see a few passenger trains, but since 29 May 1994 the Pasewalk trains have reversed at Szczecin Glowny and the latter chord seems to have closed to passengers from that date. BLN 753.0204][HU] Hungarian closures?: Today's Railways for April-May 1995 listed no fewer than 25 MÁV lines totalling 900km, including three narrow-gauge branches, for possible closure during 1995. BLN 753.0205][SI, AT] Ljutomer - Gornja Radgona SZ (- Bad Radkersburg ÖBB): (Ball 46B2-46A3 (SI), 84A2 (AT)) This line once extended north from Gornja Radgona into Austria and is shown thus on an ÖBB map of 1958. It is not in the 1970-71 JZ passenger timetable. A 1990 JZ map shows Ljutomer to Gornja Radgona as an 'industrial line', and the Ball atlas shows it as 'freight-only'. The map in the 1994-95 Slovenian Railways (Slovenske Zeleznice) timetable shows the branch marked 'table 42' but, since no table 42 nor times for branch trains appear in the book, presumably the line remains closed to passengers. BLN 753.0206][AU] Adelaide - Melbourne: By 7 May 1995 the broad (1600mm) gauge track between the capitals of South Australia and Victoria is to be replaced by standard (1435mm) gauge throughout, with some realignment in places. (LCGB Bulletin, April 1995) The state capitals Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and the national capital Canberra, have each been on the 1435mm-gauge network for some time, but the new line means that all inter-capitals rail transport can now be on the standard gauge. Standardisation of main lines would have been more useful still had it been done a century ago. BLN 753.0207][CA] Smiths Falls - Mattawa: CP closure in eastern Ontario?: In 1993 Canadian National and Canadian Pacific established a joint business venture to seek opportunities to eliminate duplicated stretches of line by concentrating operations on a single route - particularly in the eastern provinces where there is less bulk traffic in block trains to contribute to the heavy costs of railway infrastructure. In remote areas, particularly where major engineering renewal costs would otherwise be faced, it has been the practice to obtain running powers rather than to retain a duplicated branch line. However, virtual closure of 290km of CP main line across eastern Ontario, which has been considered, is rather a different proposition. Much of the threatened trackage, comprising all of CP's Chalk River subdivision and part of its North Bay subdivision, was the route of the Montréal portion of the Canadian, the CP transcontinental passenger service to Vancouver, before VIA Rail withdrew it. The CN line between Montréal and North Bay, shorter and less steeply graded than the CP route, would be used by both companies under the proposal. BLN 753.0208][US][CA] Seattle WA - Vancouver BC: Amtrak was due to restart international passenger trains between Seattle and Vancouver on 1 April 1995, and for the rest of April the service was to use a Talgo-Pendular set, on the final stage of an American demonstration tour before it returned to Spain. Similar tours were undertaken in recent times by a Swedish X-2000 and a German ICE. (Trains, January 1995) However in the somewhat confused situation that followed Amtrak's well-publicised financial crisis (BLN 745.022), did the Seattle - Vancouver service in fact begin as planned? BLN 753.0209][ZA] Aliwal North - Barkly East: (BLN 746.043) The North East Cape Railway (Necrail) is listed in a supplement to SA Rail for November-December 1994 as being the privatised operator of the 1065mm-gauge branch with its famous reversing sidings, running two diesel-hauled freight trains a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. World Steam reported in July 1993 that Necrail were negotiating with Spoornet to take over operation of the 60km Burgersdorp - Aliwal North section also. An up-to-date report would be welcome. BLN 753.0210][ZA] Port Shepstone - Harding: The Alfred County Railway south of Durban is unusual in being a privatised railway operation on an ex-Spoornet 610mm-gauge line, using both steam and diesel power. While its Garratts were being modified to reduce maintenance, two diesel locomotives hired from Spoornet took over the normal freight (mainly timber) workings over the full length of the line from Port Shepstone to Harding. This was expected to last from early 1991 for perhaps two years, but has continued. Freight trains depart Port Shepstone 2300 and return from the inland railhead of Harding at 0700 the following day, subject to traffic availability. Steam-worked Banana Express passenger trains run from Port Shepstone to Izotsha on Thursdays and Sundays, and to Oribi Gorge and Paddock, an all-day trip, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the latter usually being a mixed train. Extra services run most days at holiday times. Enquiries to ACR, PO Box 572, Port Shepstone, Natal, South Africa; telephone +27 3931 7 6443. BLN 754.0211] Belfast Central - Belfast Yorkgate - Larne: (BLN 753.0169) Despite the more relaxed security situation, Belfast Central retains the practice of denying passengers access to the platforms until shortly before trains depart. The new Lagan Junction, close to the river Lagan just north of Belfast Central, is a conventional double-track layout with two turnouts and one crossover, the Bangor line being signalled as the branch and the Yorkgate line as the main. To the north the main line becomes single on its concrete viaduct over the harbour area, though there is a passing loop before it becomes double again at Yorkgate. An intermediate station at the site of this loop has been suggested. Between Carrickfergus and Whitehead (BLN 741.0315) the line is singled for several kilometres, but it is still not clear whether this is temporary or permanent, for the disused track remains in place. Trains now run through Whitehead Tunnel in both directions, and the track round the headland previously used by trains southbound to Belfast is out of use. BLN 754.0212][IE] Limerick - Ennis: (BLN 743.0354) Flooding in January closed the line between the former stations of Sixmilebridge and Ballycar & Newmarket, and Iarnród Éireann expected to reopen it to passengers and freight only in May or maybe June 1995. The three or four weekly freights on this line that continued from Ennis to Athenry and beyond (BLN 743.0355) were diverted via Portarlington. BLN 754.0213][NL] Heerhugowaard - Den Helder: (Ball 1A1-1A2) In April 1995 doubling of track on the branch to Den Helder, the Netherlands' main naval port, was well advanced between Heerhugowaard and Schagen, with preliminary works under way for doubling between Schagen and Anna Paulowna. Signs were also seen of preparations for extra tracks east of Amsterdam between Diemen and Weesp (4A3). BLN 754.0214][DE] Lübeck - Puttgarden: (Ball 11A1-11B2; KBS140) The north-to-east curve on to the very short branch serving Neustadt (Holstein) station was lifted by April 1995, and a building-supplies yard had extended over the trackbed. Beyond the station the line on to the quay remained in place, closed to traffic. BLN 754.0215][DE] Lübeck - Lübeck-Travemünde: (Ball 11A1-11B1; KBS144) A relatively new branch serves the berth used by the freight train-ferry to Hanko in Finland, branching off the passenger line nearer to Travemünde than before. The old line remains, in part at least, to serve docks or industrial sidings. The station for ferry passengers appears in the timetable as HL-Travemünde Skandinavienkai (HL = Hansastadt Lübeck, thus according the town something of its historic Hanseatic dignity). Skandinavienkai is however a very basic station, and though alighting passengers do have a good view of the car-ferries - to Helsinki in Finland and Trelleborg in Sweden - it is a long walk from the train to the ship. BLN 754.0216][DE] Bergedorf Süd - Krümmel: (Ball 22B3-18A2) South-east of Hamburg, on this freight-only line of the Eisenbahn Gesellschaft Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neumünster (AKN), steam passenger trains are advertised on 22-23, 29-30 April, 6-7 May, 10-11 June, 9-10 September, 7-8 October and 16-17 December 1995. Ball implies they run only to Geesthacht but a local poster has Krümmel as destination. BLN 754.0217][DE] Brandenburg - Göttin - Belzig: (BLN 736.0208; Ball 29A3; KBS267) At Brandenburg the bridge that carried the Brandenburger Städtebahn branch over the Magdeburg - Berlin main line has been removed, with no sign of an alternative bridge or alignment in prospect. The Brandenburg - Göttin section is therefore closed to all traffic. BLN 754.0218][DE] Berlin - Potsdam Stadt - Werder (Havel): (Ball 31B1-31A1; KBS204.3) Remodelling work under way in April 1995 between Potsdam Charlottenhof (formerly Potsdam West) and Potsdam Wildpark caused disconnection, perhaps temporary, of both the east-to-south and west-to-south curves from this line towards the low-level platforms at Potsdam Pirschheide (known as Potsdam Hbf in DR days). BLN 754.0219][DE] Leinefelde - Teistungen: (Ball 41A3; KBS599) The 14km branch has an intermediate loop at Worbis, and appeared in December 1994 to retain coal as well as passenger traffic to Teistungen, where the run-round loop had seen recent use. Beyond, the line used to extend to Duderstadt in the former West. BLN 754.0220][DE] Berga-Kelbra - Stolberg (Harz): (Ball 41B3; KBS592) The suggestion in BLN 752.0153 that the line might close is perhaps surprising, for civil-engineering works on the 15km branch are few and the railbuses reasonably well-used. Stolberg is not a very large town, but it is an architectural gem, the main street being lined with well-preserved timber houses several hundred years old. It also has a castle and a small spa. The potential to attract visitors is considerable, but capacity for their cars is limited, so the economy and environment of the town would be damaged by the loss of the railway. BLN 754.0221][DE] Mühlhausen - Schlotheim: (Ball 41A2; KBS603; 17km) This ex-DR branch in Thuringia has no intermediate sources of freight. Second-hand concrete sleepers were being unloaded at one of Schlotheim's two loops in December 1994. Beyond, to the north-east, the line was in place towards Ebeleben and Hohenebra, as shown in Ball, but this section may well be out of use. BLN 754.0222][DE] Döllstädt - Straussfurt - Sömmerda - Grossheringen: (Ball 41B2-42A2; KBS596, 594) Although not shown as such in the Kursbuch, some trains from Bad Tennstedt to Straussfurt run forward the further 66km from Straussfurt via Sömmerda and Grossheringen to Naumburg (Saale). These workings involve shunting between platforms at Straussfurt with passengers on board. Sömmerda has a west-to-south connection between the Straussfurt - Grossheringen and Sangerhausen - Erfurt routes, though this may be a through siding rather than a running line. BLN 754.0223][DE] (Erfurt Hbf -) Erfurt Nord - Erfurt Berliner Strasse: (BLN 745 supp.; Ball 41B1; KBS602) The doomed 1994-95 passenger service on the 2km branch (8km from Hbf to Berliner Strasse) comprises two workings only, the afternoon one sometimes subject to cancellation. Mon-Fri 0612 Erfurt Hbf - Erfurt Berliner Strasse 0624, then 0627 Erfurt Berliner Strasse - Erfurt Hbf 0640 Mon-Fri (1315 Schweinfurt -) 1545 Erfurt Hbf - Erfurt Berliner Strasse 1557, returning empty Early-rising BLN reporters did not have to fight for space on the morning trains, typically seeing no passengers at all on the 0612 and some 20 commuters on the inbound 0627. About a dozen people seemed to use the mid-afternoon train, mostly to the sole intermediate station, Erfurt Györer Strasse. Just before Berliner Strasse, trains were slowed by a weak bridge. Beyond Berliner Strasse, an unexciting one-platform station in the middle of a large ex-DDR housing estate, shiny rails indicated continuing freight traffic on the line towards Erfurt-Bindersleben. Frequent trams (route #3) should cope readily with Berliner Strasse traffic, when the trains are withdrawn at the end of May 1995. BLN 754.0224][DE] Weimar - Kranichfeld: (BLN 709.09; Ball 42A1-41B1; KBS579) Passenger traffic on the 25km branch was reasonable in December 1994. Intermediate sidings between Weimar and Weimar Berkaer Bf were in use. Berkaer Bf had a rounding loop, needed for reversal of hauled trains there, but no freight traffic. At Bad Berka Nord were the rusting remains of an electrified industrial system. Bad Berka itself had several sidings and a loop, all apparently used, including one track which was the remains of a former route trailing southwards into the Kranichfeld line. Tannroda had one remaining siding, out of use. Kranichfeld had van traffic. BLN 754.0225][DE] Ilmenau - Grossbreitenbach (Thüringen): (BLN 745 supp.; Ball 41B1-52B3; KBS567) The 21km branch may not after all close to passengers at the end of May 1995. In December 1994 it had freight traffic from a scrapyard north of Langewiesen, and timber at Gehren Bf, where many tank wagons were also stored. Beyond Gehren is a concrete bridge whose parapets were visibly crumbling and whose condition may have condemned the branch. A severe speed restriction afflicted all trains. Freight sidings were in use at Neustadt-Gillersdorf and at Grossbreitenbach, the latter with vans being loaded from a glassworks, and possibly also having some inbound coal traffic to the yard of the one-platformed station. BLN 754.0226][DE] Berthelsdorf (Erzgebirge) - Langenau (Sachsen): (BLN 745 supp., Ball 43B1; KBS515) Beyond Brand-Erbisdorf Haltepunkt, 4km down the branch, are two viaducts with speed restrictions, and further severe speed restrictions due to poor track afflict the remaining 3km to Langenau. The branch might survive as far as Brand-Erbisdorf, the only sizeable settlement served, but the road thence to the nearby town of Freiberg (Sachsen) is much more direct than the railway, and the whole line must be at risk. BLN 754.0227][DE] (Altenburg -) Nobitz - Narsdorf: (BLN 754.0191; Ball 43A1-43A2; KBS534) Nobitz, the junction station 4km south of Altenburg, used to have platforms on the electrified line to Werdau, but only Narsdorf-line trains still call - and only until the line closes at the end of May 1995. In April, the south-to-east (Paditz - Klausa) curve was partially lifted. Track condition was reasonable as far as the freight yard at Ehrenhain, but much worse beyond. Langenleuba-Oberhain had aggregate sidings, but these were already disconnected from the Nobitz - Narsdorf passenger line, being served instead by a short freight branch coming north from Penig. The line from Nobitz joins the line from Leipzig at the junction of Bogendreieck Narsdorf (Dreieck = triangle) where the south-west-to-south-east curve was out of use with crossed sleepers blocking the track at both ends. At Narsdorf, the railcar used a platform on the opposite side of the station building from the main line. BLN 754.0228][DE] Gemünden - Bad Kissingen: (Ball 51B2; KBS803) The (Mon-Fri) trains face severe speed limits at three of the river bridges on the 47km Saaletalbahn, not a good omen for the future of the line. BLN 754.0229][DE] Saarland branches: In November 1994 the guard on a train from Dillingen (Saar) to Niedaltdorf (Ball 55B3; KBS687; 12km) confirmed there was still freight traffic across the frontier to Bouzonville SNCF. Near the beginning of the Saarbrücken (Abzw Saardamm) - Gersweiler - Warndt Grube branch (56A3-55B2) Saarbrücken Messebahnhof sees occasional passenger trains during trade fairs. Thereafter staying close to the French frontier, the branch terminates at a coal mine. Primsweiler - Lebach (56A3) was seen to be lifted. Ball shows Bierbach - Reinheim (56A3-56A2) as out of use and it was certainly very rusty in November, though it had seen a special train for ramblers on 14 August 1994. This line, which used to continue into France, may be retained for some strategic purpose. BLN 754.230][DK] Hjørring - Hirtshals: (BLN 697.07; Ball 4A3) In the far north of the Danish peninsula of Jylland (Jutland), passenger trains of the Hirtshalsbanen, operated by A/S Hjørring Privatbaner, run both to Hirtshals main station and Hirtshals Havn (= harbour) station, whose names are transposed in the Ball atlas. Since the trains visit Havn station only to connect with ships, some of the advertised workings may not in fact go there, and other workings may go there unannounced, if the ships are running out of course. The two Hirtshals stations are on separate short branches and the normal operating pattern is for trains to the harbour to call at the main station, reverse out on to the running line beyond the junction, and then take the harbour branch to Havn station. This operation is mirrored on the return journey, and the whole round trip from main station to harbour and back has to be fitted into the ten minutes allowed at Hirtshals! A spur from the main station, crossing the harbour branch to a headshunt alongside the main running line, was said by train crew to be used only for shunting movements of freight wagons on and off the train-ferry for Kristiansand in Norway, but there are reports that passenger movements have used this spur. BLN 754.0231][DK] (Odense -) Nyborg - Korsør (- København): (Ball 7A2-7B2) The fixed links across the Storebælt (Great Belt) are slowly progressing. The low-level bridges for rail and road traffic eastwards from the large island of Fyn to the tiny island of Sprogø in the middle of the strait appeared complete in April 1995, with wires evident on the railway bridge. However, completion of the rail tunnel east from Sprogø to the large island of Sjælland is delayed, and work has only just begun on the deck of the high-level road bridge soaring above the navigable channel between these islands. Flanking the train-ferry berth at Nyborg Færgehavn on the Fyn side of the Great Belt are terminal platforms for local trains from Odense, but when the Storebælt line opens the Færgehavn (= ferry-port) station is expected to close, with the local trains cut back to terminate at Nyborg town station. On the Sjælland side, Korsør station is immediately adjacent to the train-ferry berth, but it has no platforms on the train-ferry tracks and trains using the ferries do not call. Korsør station is to remain open as a terminus, and DSB have built a new single-track curve westward from it on to the Storebælt line into the tunnel. BLN 754.232][DK] (Odense -) Svendborg - Ærøskøbing: (Ball 7A1) Svendborg, at the end of the DSB branch south from Odense, was the railhead for an interesting wagon ferry to Ærøskøbing on the island of Ærø. The island had no running lines, only a length of track for standing railway wagons brought over by ferry. On a 1980 trip to Svendborg a farm-type tractor was photographed shunting a wagon off this ferry. Does it still operate, and what traffic was it more economic to handle thus, rather than tranship at Svendborg? BLN 754.0233][DK] Maribo - Bandholm: (Ball 12A3) This Lollandsbanen branch appears still to carry freight, as well as the passenger trains of the Museumsbanen Maribo-Bandholm, steam-hauled by a locomotive flaunting the red-and-white national colours in the traditional Danish bands round the chimney. The line has two unadvertised request platforms, one at a level-crossing 4km from Maribo without a nameboard, and one further north at Merritskov. At Maribo trains have to reverse in an east-facing headshunt near the MMB locomotive shed, for there is no west-facing junction as shown in Ball. This is the third alignment of the branch at Maribo. The original line, the first on the island of Lolland when it opened in 1869, ran from Bandholm Havn to Maribo town centre, passing north-south just west of the present station building. To allow extension from north of Maribo to Holeby and Rødby, a line was built further west around the town in 1874, the year in which the Nykøbing F - Nakskov line was also completed. Later, the Rødby - Maribo line was slewed into the present station, and the current north-to-east alignment for the Bandholm branch replaced the earlier ones. Rødby, now a major train-ferry port (Ball 11B3), is today served by the direct line from Nykøbing F to Rødby, which forms part of the København - Hamburg VogelflugLinie EuroCity route, and which has replaced the Lollandsbanen branch. BLN 754.0234][ES] Madrid - Aranjuez: (Ball 22A3) Madrid-Delicias, once a main-line terminus and still an interesting building in itself, with a high overall roof, now houses the capital's railway museum, which leads a slightly low-key existence south of the city centre, not far south-west of Madrid-Atocha. In 1994 Delicias was not physically connected to the RENFE, but museum staff said this was temporary and that after some environmental improvements the former main line southwards (McDougall E7) would be realigned and reopened back to somewhere near the former convergence at Santa Catalina with the RENFE line out of Atocha. The tourist Tren de la Fresa (= 'strawberry train') would then revert to running from Delicias. In 1994 this steam-hauled train of wooden-bodied carriages ran from the 1676mm-gauge terminal platforms at Madrid-Atocha, making an interesting contrast with the 1435mm-gauge Madrid - Sevilla Alta Velocidad Española TGV clones at the adjacent AVE platforms. Fare for the day excursion to Aranjuez was ESP2300 (= £12) and operation was on Saturdays and Sundays from 14 May to 25 September, or possibly later, out at 1000 and back at 1931, with a journey time of one hour each way. What route and timings are planned for summer 1995? BLN 754.0235][ES] (Sevilla -) Jerez de la Frontera - Cádiz: (BLN 711.010; Ball 35A2-34B1) Jerez de la Frontera station is of architectural interest, with some attractive mural tiling and a high overall roof. A local (Cercanías) service of emus, frequent for Spain, runs from here to Cádiz. The old station at Cádiz, next door to the new one, is the loading-point for Motorail-type car traffic as well as being used to store stock under its overall roof. Beyond, the line into Cádiz docks was in active use in March 1995, a sizeable container train being seen to travel the length of the dock estate parallel to the sea-front road, heading towards the shipping berths under the port's container cranes. BLN 754.0236][ES] Sevilla - Granada - Almería: (Ball 35A2-36A2-37A2-37B1; McDougall, p.146)) RENFE has in recent years constructed a number of realignments and new chords not shown in the Ball atlas, notably a north-to-east curve avoiding Utrera; a cut-off between El Sorbito (which is now the junction for the freight-only branch to Morón) and El Arahal; and a long west-to-south chord from Pedrera to Fuente Piedra, avoiding La Roda de Andalucia. A north-to-east curve avoiding Bobadilla-Antequera was under construction in March 1995. At Moreda a west-to-east curve now allows through running by the morning Granada - Almería dmu without reversal, and without calling at the new platform on the curve, which has a small shelter and a path to the 'main' Moreda station at the north apex of the triangle. The line from Moreda to Huéneja-Dólar is not electrified, as shown in Ball, leaving a gap yet to be wired. South of Guadix the disused branch heading south-west from La Calahorra-Ferreira to La Calahorra-Pueblo and the Alquife mines (not shown in Ball) was disconnected but in place. The electrified Marquesado freight branch, serving other mines nearby, still seems to have healthy mineral traffic via Huéneja-Dólar to the coast at Almería. The original main-line electrification on this mountainous section was three-phase, but is now standard 3000V dc. However, none of the other lines mentioned appears to carry many passenger or freight trains, and RENFE's return on all the capital recently invested in civil engineering cannot be high. BLN 754.0237][DE] (Donauwörth -) Weichering - Ingolstadt: (Ball 60A1; KBS993) The present alignment leading into the north end of Ingolstadt station may close at the end-May 1995 timetable change. Starting near Weichering, the new 8km alignment to enter Ingolstadt from the south looked within a few weeks of completion on 29 April 1995. Is the (Augsburg -) Schrobenhausen - Ingolstadt line also being realigned? BLN 755.0238][GB][IE] Belfast - Dublin: Upgrading of the 1600mm-gauge cross-border route, including some realignment within existing land boundaries, is due for completion by September 1996 and will give an overall line speed of 145km/h, except for restrictions on some curves, allowing a non-stop journey time of 95 minutes for the 181km. European Union taxpayers, through the European Regional Development Fund, will meet 75% of the £88 million cost of line improvements and new stock. Northern Ireland Railways and Iarnród Éireann each own two of the four GM Canadian-built Co-Co diesel locomotives delivered in March 1995 (#206-7 are IE's; #208-9 are NIR's) and each will own half of the pool of 28 air-conditioned coaches now on order, to be based on Eurostar body-shells and painted in a common livery. Three seven-car push-pull sets will operate nine services in each direction daily, with the locomotive at the Belfast end, and a fourth set will be spare for maintenance and for extra capacity on peak dates. Cross-border freight, now more than 500,000 tonnes a year, has increased substantially since 1989, and is expected to grow further. Principal traffics are cement (Drogheda - Belfast); palletised bagged fertilisers of various kinds in both directions (Arklow - Belfast; Arklow - Londonderry; Belfast - various IE destinations); Guinness stout in kegs (Dublin - Belfast; northerners drink a trainload of Guinness a day!); Smithwick's beer in kegs (Kilkenny - Belfast); Bell Lines containers (Belfast - Waterford - Belfast) and other containers (Belfast - Dublin - Belfast). BLN 755.0239][IE] Dublin: Glasnevin Jn - Islandbridge Jn: The 14:05 Ballina - Dublin Pearse relief train is not in the working timetable as implied in BLN 749.080, and the list of dates there should have included Irish Bank Holiday Monday 1 May 1995. The train's booked calls before and after the 'rare' section of track are Athlone at 16:20 and Dublin Connolly 18:15. (IR May Bank Holiday Weekend InterCity Rail "travellers' guide") BLN 755.0240][GB, FR] Eurotunnel openings: Some dates for the history books, and a few forecasts: 12 March 1993 First passenger train through, with guests 31 May 1993* Ashford new signal-box & Continental Jn commissioned, giving proper signalled access to tunnel 20 June 1993 First Eurostar set hauled through 10 December 1993 Special passenger trains through, as contractors TML hand over tunnel project to Eurotunnel 23 March to 5 May 1994 Eurotunnel runs unadvertised staff trains, ceasing with test running of first lorry Shuttles 6 May 1994 Formal inauguration by heads of state François Mitterrand and Elizabeth Windsor 9 May 1994* Le Shuttle trains for lorries continuous test running 19 May 1994 Le Shuttle trains for lorries low-fare service for selected customers 1 June 1994 SNCF Fret/Railfreight through freight trains first revenue train, Rover cars for Italy 13 June 1994* SNCF Fret/Railfreight through freight trains first revenue train, intermodal traffic 27 June 1994* SNCF Fret/Railfreight through freight trains regular trains daily 18 July 1994 Le Shuttle trains for cars continuous test running 25 July 1994* Le Shuttle trains for lorries full-tariff service, 24-hour, not weekends 17 August 1994 Eurostar through passenger trains test running with invited passengers 3 October 1994 Le Shuttle trains for cars Overture service for selected customers 12 November 1994 Le Shuttle trains for lorries 7-day, 24-hour service 14 November 1994 Eurostar through passenger trains Discovery service for ordinary customers 22 December 1994 Le Shuttle trains for cars Hourly, daytime, for ordinary customers 2 January 1995* Le Shuttle trains for cars Hourly, 24-hour service 1 March 1995 Le Shuttle trains for cars Hourly, no need for booking 3 April 1995 Le Shuttle trains for cars up to 2 an hour, 24-hour service 3 April 1995 Le Shuttle trains for lorries up to 3 an hour, 24-hour service "early April 1995" Le Shuttle trains for minibuses etc "early summer 1995" Le Shuttle trains for buses & coaches "early autumn 1995" Le Shuttle trains for caravans etc "mid-1996"* through overnight passenger trains (Information drawn mostly from Eurotunnel 1994 annual report, April 1995; and Eurotunnel - An Illustrated Journey, 1994; but items marked * are from Rail, Today's Railways and similar sources) BLN 755.0241][FR] Calais Maritime: (BLN 744.29; Ball 6A2) Track in the former passenger station, which saw its last train on 21 January 1995, had been completely lifted by 29 April, including the track extending beyond the passenger platforms on to the pier, once used for loading cars. At that date platforms, awnings and nameboards still remained, but speedy removal of the trackwork is relatively unusual in France and suggests redevelopment of the site is imminent. BLN 755.0242][FR] Col-de-St.Ignace - La Rhune: (Ball 68B2) From 1 January 1995 the Pyrénées-Atlantiques council awarded a new 18-year management contract for the Chemin de Fer de la Rhune to CFTA, in succession to Société hydroélectrique du Midi, a subsidiary of SNCF. The metre-gauge overhead-electric line, a rack railway on the Strub system, was opened partially on 24 April 1924 and in full on 1 July 1924. It now runs annually from 1 May until the end of September as a tourist operation. Until 1936 a tram covered the 12km from St.Jean-de-Luz, the nearest main-line station, to the line's lower terminus, Col-de-St.Ignace. Trains take half an hour for the 4.2km journey to La Rhune summit, right on the frontier, with magnificent views over France, Spain and the Bay of Biscay. The line has three rakes of two vehicles propelled uphill by a locomotive, and a fourth train-set is to be introduced in 1996. There is a permanent staff of 12, plus about 15 seasonal staff. (La Vie du Rail, #2478; Funiculaires et crémaillères de France) BLN 755.0243][DE] (Rostock -) Sanitz - Tribsees: (BLN 746.032; Ball 12B1-13A1) From Sanitz (Kreis Rostock), the sole intermediate passing place on the Rostock - Tessin branch, a DR line used to head east to Tribsees. Though the Sanitz end of this line survives as a siding at the former junction, the track is lifted for most of the way. Some of the railway alignment and former stations can be seen from the bus on the main road. In places the alignment has been incorporated into the road or taken back into agricultural use. BLN 755.0244][DE] Velgast - Tribsees: (BLN 746.033; Ball 13A2-13A1) At Tribsees, once a nodal point for light railways, the tracks of various defunct lines were still in place, all very overgrown, on 19 April 1995. The station bar/buffet had recently closed down. The 18:16 railbus to Velgast conveyed a BLN reporter and two German enthusiasts. A single ordinary passenger boarded and alighted intermediately. The typical halt had its low platform fronted by rotted sleepers, an enamelled metal nameboard so rusted as to be nearly illegible, and perhaps a derelict shelter, but no station building. The track was extremely rough except for a few renewed stretches, and was laid directly on the sandy soil, in light-railway fashion. Where the line ran through woods, it was almost as if it had been made to go through existing gaps in the trees. The whole impression was a little surreal, that something so rustic and crumbling should have survived so long in a developed country, and was only now about to pass into history. BLN 755.0245][DE] Germersheim - Graben-Neudorf and Lüneburg - Dannenberg: Movement of spent fuel rods from Philippsburg (Baden) across Germany to Gorleben on the river Elbe, south-east of Dannenberg, drew large protests by opponents of nuclear power, some of them involving serious violence and damage. A Castor nuclear-flask train set off from Philippsburg (Ball 57A2) at 20:10 on Monday 24 April 1995, routed north via Mannheim, Darmstadt, Giessen, Kassel, Göttingen, Rotenburg and Lüneburg to Dannenberg (BLN 753.0182; Ball 18B1), where the flask was loaded on a lorry to arrive at Gorleben at 14:00 on 25 April. Protesters at times forced north-south rail traffic in Hessen to a complete standstill, and brought down sections of overhead catenary on the Bremen - Hamburg main line by throwing steel cables and other objects. DB staff had to use a crane to clear blocked tracks at Dannenberg, where a thousand protesters fought with police. During the journey no fewer than 6500 police were deployed, 4800 of them at Gorleben, all at enormous expense to the taxpayer. Five more such rail movements are planned in 1995, and about 74 in total in the period from 1995 to 2000. (Teletext on German satellite TV, Sat-Eins, April 1995) BLN 755.0246][DE] Falkenberg (Elster) - Herzberg (Elster) Stadt - Uckro - Luckau - Lübben - Beeskow: (BLN 745 supp.; Ball 43B3-30B2; KBS213, 208) Falkenberg - Herzberg and Luckau - Lübben Hbf trains continue to run, but the 45km section between Herzberg and Luckau and the 41km between Lübben Süd and Beeskow both closed to passengers from end-May 1995. At Uckro, where the secondary route crossed the Dresden - Berlin main line, its separate platforms across the station yard indicated its origins under different ownership. In April 1995 the 8km Uckro - Luckau section was effectively already closed. The diesel locomotive plus two coaches terminated at Uckro, and a minibus conveyed all six onward passengers to Luckau, where another locomotive and two coaches waited, departing somewhat late. At Lübben Süd the train for Beeskow diverged from the spur to Lübben Hbf, on the Cottbus - Berlin main line, calling instead at the virtually derelict Lübben Haltepunkt 400m to the west, proceeding alongside streets and the west side of the Hbf station yard before heading east past forests and lakes, with a BLN reporter enjoying a pleasant and solitary journey on the doomed line to Beeskow. BLN 755.0247][DE] Erndtebrück - Laasphe: (BLN 730.0113, 745 supp.; Ball 39A1; KBS444) Three unrefurbished railbuses comprise the single Monday-Friday train in each direction across superb hilly countryside, calling at many village halts in this quiet rural area. Of freight, either through or intermediate, there is no sign. A trip in April 1995 during school holidays conveyed three passengers and three staff, but some 160 schoolchildren normally use the train, which seems enough to have prevented closure so far. BLN 755.0248][DE] Leipzig - Grossbothen - Glauchau (Sachsen): (Ball 43A2; KBS529) The south-to-east freight-only curve at Sermuth, 3km north of Colditz in Saxony, has been disconnected. BLN 755.0249][DE] Freital-Hainsberg - Kurort Kipsdorf: (Ball 44B2-44B1; KBS513) Freight traffic has ceased on this 26km-long 750mm-gauge steam-operated line. BLN 755.0250][DE] Neustadt (Aisch) - Demantsfürth-Uhlfeld: (Ball 59A3-52B1) This freight branch was seen in April 1995 to be disconnected at Neustadt, so it is presumably completely closed. BLN 755.0251][DE] Radolfzell - Stockach (- Mengen): (Ball 68B1-68B2) The Radolfzell - Stockach section of this DB freight line is proposed for passenger reopening using a low-cost diesel-powered version of a Swiss light-rail vehicle, now running as a prototype. (Light Rail & Modern Tramway, May 1995) BLN 755.0252][DK][DE] Fredericia - Lunderskov - Padborg DSB (- Flensburg DB): (Ball 6A2-10A3) With the completion of bridge-plus-tunnel links across the Storebælt (BLN 754.0231) and later the Øresund (BLN 755.0254), traffic from København and much of Scandinavia will make less use of train-ferries and more use of this all-rail route to the rest of Europe (BLN 721.011). Doubling and 25kV 50Hz electrification were well under way in April 1995, but none of the new double track appeared to be in use yet between Lunderskov and Tinglev, though running loops are numerous. North of Tinglev was a marked deviation of the line to the west seemingly to enable DSB to rebuild a bridge over a stream - a task that even Railtrack might have managed to do in a weekend possession on the West Coast Main Line! BLN 755.0253][DK] Århus - Kalundborg (- København) and Århus - Grenå: (Ball 2B1) In 1980 a branch from Århus H (= Hovedbanegård = main station) ran across the roadway outside and a short distance beyond to the Havnestation, and one or two main-line trains were booked to start or terminate there to connect with the Kalundborg ferries. Europaplads, the first stop out of Århus H on the Grenå branch, is now the nearest station to the terminal for the boat to Kalundborg, while Havnegade, the next station, is the nearest to the terminal for the Kalundborg Kat fast ferry. The line runs alongside the road on this section. BLN 755.0254][DK, SE] København DSB - Malmö SJ: (BLN 704.05; Ball 25A1 (SE) not shown) On 2 March 1995 the Øresundkonsortiet duly opened the five tenders received for the tunnel part of the ambitious 16km bridge-plus-tunnel fixed link between Denmark and Sweden, already somewhat delayed while environmental studies were completed. Though the cheapest tender was 15% higher than budgeted, work is expected to begin on the 3.75km tunnel by end-1995, with a view to opening of the link in 2000. Major reclamation and bridging contracts should also be in place in 1995. (Financial Times, 3 March 1995) BLN 755.0255][PT] Porto trams: (BLN 748.070; Ball 7A1 not shown) Porto's 1435mm-gauge tramway is still alive, though reduced to a single route, #18. Serviço de Transportes Colectivos de Porto have promised that the trams will carry on at least until 12 September 1995, the centenary of their first electric operation. Thereafter summer-only running of tourist trams is a possibility. (Light Rail & Modern Tramway, May 1995) BLN 755.0256][ES][MA] Afrotunnel?: The kings of Spain and Morocco signed a formal agreement in 1979 to consider a fixed link across the Strait of Gibraltar. In May 1995 a joint committee decided that a tunnel rather than a bridge should be the aim. A single rail line in a 28km tunnel 400m below sea-level would link the mainly 1676mm-gauge RENFE and the standard 1435mm-gauge ONCFM, perhaps by 2005. A service tunnel would parallel the running tunnel, and if all went well a second rail tunnel would double the track by 2020. Compared with Eurotunnel, the project would be three-quarters as long, much deeper, and even more of an economic - rather than a technical - challenge. Though Franco-British trade totals £27 billion a year, Eurotunnel is only just beginning to make a return on its colossal investment, and its shareholders have seen their capital halved in value. Spain-Morocco trade amounts to £0.75 billion, and dramatic growth would be needed if a tunnel were ever to pay. Don't hold your breath waiting for 'Afrostar to Casablanca Voyageurs' to come up on the departure board at Madrid-Atocha. (The Economist, 20 May 1995) BLN 755.0257][CH][FR] La Chaux-de-Fonds - Le Locle - Le Locle-Col-des-Roches CFF (- Besançon SNCF): (BLN 719.04; Ball 85B1-91A3 (CH), 40B1-40A1 (FR)) The three intermediate stations of La Chaux-de-Fonds Ouest, Les Eplatures and Le Crêt-du-Locle were all to close at the end-May 1995 timetable change. Le Locle was to become the western terminus for the CFF service, with the Swiss frontier station Le Locle-Col-des-Roches served only by SNCF trains between Le Locle and Besançon in France. BLN 755.0258][CH] (Basel -) Delémont - Moutier (- Biel/Bienne): (Ball 86A2-86A1) CFF's three intermediate stations of Courrendlin, Choindez and Roches BE were to close at the end of May 1995. BLN 755.0259][PL] PKP branch closures: Another report from the German-Polish enthusiast group PIBSE, via a different correspondent, adds the following to the list in BLN 752.0164: km Ball atlas PKP timetable closed to passengers from Rawicz - Kobylin 34 36B2-37A3 327 26 February 1995 (replaced by buses) BLN 755.0260][PL] Marciszów - Roztoka: (Ball 36B2; PKP 248) In 1995 few standard-gauge lines in Europe see ordinary passenger trains steam-hauled, except during Plandampf and similar events, or perhaps to maintain train-crew experience for special-train duties. From time to time in March however steam was reported as appearing on some workings along this thinly-served rural line in south-west Poland, and on 11 April 1995 the 15:11 Jaworzyna - Roztoka - Marciszów was headed by a steam locomotive, allegedly due to a shortage of serviceable diesel power. BLN 755.0261][RU] Vyborg - Kaliningrad: (BLN 710.07; 713.010, 715.014; Ball 18A1-33A3) A train-ferry service has begun from the port of Vyborg, on the Gulf of Finland north of St.Peterburg, down the Baltic to Kaliningrad, formerly the German city of Königsberg in East Prussia, and now capital of an exclave of Russia cut off from the rest of that country by Lithuania. (Cruising Monthly, May 1995) Presumably the purpose is strategic, to maintain a link for 1524mm-gauge wagons even if Lithuania were to object to the transit of military freight - or implemented its resolve to change eventually to the standard 1435mm gauge. BLN 755.0262][US][CA] Amtrak: (BLN 745.022) The Montrealer via the New England Central route, the former Central Vermont Railway, was not completely withdrawn, but survives with Vermont state support as a daytime train, the Vermonter, running Washington DC - New York - Springfield - St.Albans VT (970km) with a connecting bus over the remaining 110km across the border to Montréal. The Philadelphia - Atlantic City line beyond Haddonfield still has New Jersey Transit local trains, so only the Frankford Jn - Haddonfield section closed to passengers when Amtrak trains ceased. Philadelphia - Harrisburg is still traversed by the New York - Pittsburgh - Chicago Broadway Limited and the New York - Pittsburgh Pennsylvanian, and Boston - Springfield by the Boston - Chicago portion of the Lake Shore Limited. The new Talgo passenger service over the 230km international route from Seattle to Vancouver BC (BLN 753.0208) did not begin with the new Amtrak timetable from 2 April but was to start in "late May 1995". (Amtrak timetable from 2 April 1995) BLN 755.0263][ZW] Bulawayo: (BLN 745.023) On the morning of 25 August 1994 the National Railways of Zimbabwe station at Bulawayo saw no fewer than three of the long-distance extra passenger workings that now allow travellers to explore many of the lines of southern Africa - if not yet Cecil Rhodes' dream of 'Cape to Cairo'. Rail Safaris' traditional Zambezi Special was steaming its way south from its pioneering visit to the Mulobezi branch in Zambia via Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe to Francistown in Botswana, Spoornet's Blue Train was northbound from South Africa to the Falls - not its first visit - and Rovos Rail's special train was returning south from the Falls to South Africa. BLN 755.0264][ZA] (Johannesburg - Bloemfontein -) Rosmead - Klipplaat (- Mossel Bay / Port Elizabeth): The Johannesburg - Mossel Bay train restored in 1991 (BLN 740.0314) was in fact withdrawn in 1993 (BLN 709.016) and this scenic section of 1065mm-gauge main line, with its steep climbs over the Lootsberg Pass, is 'mothballed' with no regular traffic, though still available for tours. Spoornet gives it only minimal maintenance and any major problem could cause its permanent closure. The triangle at Bethesdaweg has been removed, preventing steam locomotives on excursions from turning there. (Steam & Safaris leaflet for trip in June-July 1995) BLN 756.0265] Today's Railways #7: The June-July 1995 issue of this useful magazine has a comprehensive survey of rover tickets in Europe including Inter-Rail, Eurodomino/Freedom Pass and individual country tickets, plus an article on European night trains. It also contains news items about the summer 1995 Eurostar timetable including TGV connections south; tracklaying from Pompadour to Coubert on the LGV Jonction; the decision to restore Nice - Digne; completion of Vienenburg - Ilsenburg by end-1995; and extension of Wien U-Bahn Linie U6. BLN 756.0266] (Belfast -) Portadown - Dungannon (- Omagh - Londonderry): The 'Derry Road' of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, long abandoned west of Portadown, has left some traces in the countryside, still visible in April 1995. Annaghmore station, though trackless, seems largely unchanged and the stationmaster's house is in very good condition. At Vernersbridge a new barn has been built over the trackbed, but there too the stationmaster's house is much as it was. Trew and Moy station however has dramatically changed since about 1988, when it still looked little different from GNR(I) days except for the absence of rails. Now it has been taken over by a mushroom-growing firm, the space between the platforms is filled in, and much of the site is covered by concrete. The station house is in excellent condition, but a modern porch has been built on the front and looks quite inappropriate. The shelter has been moved into what was the stationmaster's garden, which now extends over the former trackbed. BLN 756.0267][IE] Tralee - Blennerville (- Dingle): Passenger trains ran on the restored section of 914mm-gauge line before the 1 April 1993 date quoted in BLN 706.01. Special trains operated on 27 and 29 August 1992, and public services, described as 'demonstration' runs, on 1, 2 and 3 January 1993. BLN 756.0268][GB][FR] Le Shuttle station nomenclature: (BLN 747.045) Eurotunnel seems now to issue motorists with credit-card-sized tickets bearing no mention of 'Folkestone' or 'Calais' - nor indeed any indication at all of where they are from or to. While Le Shuttle's brochure does refer to the terminals at Folkestone and Calais, it is telling customers where to drive to rather than what the terminals are called. BLN 756.0269][FR] Boulogne Maritime: (Ball 6A2) The train whose summer timings were in BLN 753.0172 may not last long. SNCF are understandably unenthusiastic about running a slow diesel-hauled boat-train once a day while 800-seater 300km/h Eurostars build up to an hourly service, offering huge capacity between Paris and London. Pressed to compromise by the French Ministry of Transport, they set stiff conditions. If in April and in May the monthly traffic falls below 35% of the 1994 level, the service will be withdrawn at the end of June 1995. If the train survives the full period in the draft agreement, 1 April to 31 October 1995, Boulogne's local authorities and chamber of commerce will have to pay half the total deficit. BLN 756.0270][FR] (Boulogne -) Hesdigneul - Desvres (- St.Omer): (Ball 6A1) This SNCF freight branch, on which an enthusiast group used to run preserved diesel tourist trains, was noted to be out of use at Samer, where it crosses the N1 route nationale between Hesdigneul and Desvres, on 29 April 1995. BLN 756.0271][FR][BE] Paris - Bruxelles TGV: (BLN 752.0145; Ball 7A1-8A2) From 23 January 1995 until June 1996 Paris - Bruxelles trains run via the TGV-Nord Europe line, reversing in Lille-Europe rather than Lille-Flandres, and then proceed, on the same route as Eurostars, via Lille-Fives, Baisieux SNCF, Froyennes SNCB, Tournai, Ath and Halle to Bruxelles. From June 1996 Paris - Bruxelles TGVs are no longer to reverse in Lille. Together with London - Bruxelles Eurostars they should begin to use the first part of the TGV-Belge line from triangle de Fretin, near Lille, to raccordement d'Antoing, just south-east of Tournai, thence via Mons and Braine-le-Comte to Halle and Bruxelles. The next part of the high-speed line, direct from Antoing to Halle, should be available in 1998. (La Vie du Rail, #2480) BLN 756.0272][FR] Longuyon: (Ball 17B1) According to a signalman at Longuyon, the west-to-north chord has been out of regular use for some time, and is to be removed in September 1995. It last saw a passenger train, a pilgrimage special from Belgium, in about 1991, and was most recently used for works trains in connection with relaying at Montmédy in January 1995. BLN 756.0273][FR] Bretagne: The Breton Région - comprising the départements of Finistère, Côtes du Nord, Morbihan and Ille-et-Vilaine - now has just three freight-only branches left: La Brohinière - Mauron (Ball 21A1; 21km); Vitré - Fougères (22A1; 36km) and Auray - Pontivy (31A3-20B1; 56km), according to La Vie du Rail. Pilgrimage trains on the Vitré - Fougères line last ran on 4 May 1991. Northwards from Pontivy passenger services were withdrawn on 27 September 1987, so it seems that the 23km Pontivy to Loudéac section must have closed completely at that time. (La Vie du Rail, #2491) BLN 756.0274][FR] Paris: La Défense - Chaville-Rive-Droite - Versailles-Chantiers - La Verrière: (Ball 81B2-82A1) On 28 May 1995 SNCF began a new suburb-to-suburb service, with sixteen four-car double-deck bicourant emus running as eight-coach trains between the major commercial centre of La Défense, to the west of Paris city centre, and La Verrière, in the new town of St.Quentin-en-Yvelines to the south-west. Though a physical connection between junctions at Viroflay and Porchefontaine already existed, linking the 25kV 50Hz line from Paris-St.Lazare to Versailles-Rive-Droite and the 1500V dc line from Paris-Montparnasse to Versailles-Rive-Gauche, substantial investment in remodelling was needed, including a flying junction (saut-de-mouton) at Viroflay, to allow frequent timetabled trains. (La Vie du Rail, #2497) BLN 756.0275][FR] Nancy avoiding lines: Some steel trains go via Pont-St.Vincent - Rosières-aux-Salines to Blainville marshalling-yard since the gradients are easier than via Nancy. The junction facing trains from Mirecourt is at Pont-St.Vincent, not Neuves-Maisons as shown in Ball (28B2-29A2). From Pont-St.Vincent a stub also remains of the line which once ran through to Toul, but the west-east chord under the Mirecourt - Nancy line, which enabled through running from Toul to Rosières-aux-Salines, is lifted. The Nancy St.Georges freight line, running to the east of the passenger lines from Champigneulles to a connection with the Mirecourt line just south of Jarville-la-Malgrange, has for some years been out of use, though still in place, beyond the bridge over the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, south of Nancy St.Georges freight depot. 1.724km of that section was déclassée on 17 October 1994, according to L'Écho du Rail for December 1994. BLN 756.0276][FR] Lons-le-Saunier - Bletterans: (Ball 49A2-49A3) After the loss of fertiliser traffic, the branch saw only about 80 wagons a year, and closed to freight on 28 June 1994. It was once part of a through line to St Jean-de-Losne, which lost its passenger service from 28 September 1969. The Bletterans - Chaussin section closed completely 1 February 1971. (L'Écho du Rail, January 1995) BLN 756.0277][FR, DE] Mulhouse - Chalampé SNCF - Neuenburg DB - Müllheim: (Ball 41A3 (FR), 67B1 (DE); McDougall F13; OEIS9467) Trains for permissionnaires, French military personnel on leave, still have pathways in the summer 1995 working timetable, but in practice run infrequently, only as and when required by the military authorities. International freight workings run twice daily each way on this secondary electrified route across the river Rhin/Rhein, changing locomotives at Neuenburg. BLN 756.0278][DE] Stendal area: (Ball 28A3) The present alignment of the line from Wittenberge into the west end of Stendal Hbf is 3.35km longer than the original route into the east end. It stems from an Act of 1890, opening on 1 May 1900, rather earlier than suggested in BLN 753.0185. As well as giving north-south trains a through route without reversal, it keeps them clear of east-west traffic. The short north-to-west curve is incomplete not only at the north end but also at the point where its alignment crosses the Stendal - Salzwedel line on the level. It is understood the gaps are not because the curve was severed, but because it was never connected, having been built not for ordinary traffic but for a military purpose, as part of a project to provide quickly an alternative crossing of the river Elbe in emergency. A site visit in early 1995, and discussions with staff of Planungsgesellschaft Schnellbahnbau mbH, indicated that Stendal's high-speed bypass on its southern route was only temporarily halted by the controversy in spring 1994 and that Schnellfahrstrecke work is going ahead. Bridges were complete, not just abutments, and the trackbed looked ready to receive track. At the beginning of 1995, the Hannover - Stendal - Berlin works still came to an end at the border between the Länder of Sachsen-Anhalt and Brandenburg, the latter province having opposed the new railway. However the problem was resolved (BLN 746.037) and construction is now proceeding apace in Brandenburg, as also at the Berlin end. BLN 756.0279][DE] Berlin S-Bahn: Schönholz - Tegel (- Hennigsdorf): (Ball 32A3-31B3) This S-Bahn section reopened on 28 May 1995 as far as Tegel, but reopening through to Hennigsdorf and beyond must await restoration of alignment damaged by construction of the main road out of west Berlin to connect with the Hamburg motorway. The line is part of the Kremmener Bahn, heading north-west from Berlin originally to the town of Kremmen. The abbreviation Kremm.Bahn shown on some Berlin maps was incorrectly rendered in BLN 753.0186 and some earlier references. BLN 756.0280][DE] Kassel - Naumburg: (Ball 40A2; OEIS 9540) The Kassel-Naumburg Eisenbahn, a private railway running westwards from Kassel, carries mainly freight traffic, but has a return steam passenger train about every two weeks during spring and summer 1995, and also operates buses in the area. The line starts from Kassel Wilhelmshöhe Süd, a freight depot near the main line just south of Kassel Wilhelmshöhe DB station. A single-track connection links the KNE and the DB. Most traffic is over the first 7km, to extensive sidings serving a Volkswagen factory at Baunatal. Large numbers of wagons were present in May 1995, apparently for car components to or from the main VW complex at Wolfsburg. The next 3km section from Baunatal to Grossenritte has been adapted for use by Kassel trams, public services being due to start on 28 May 1995. The tram stops have low platforms, and at several stops interlaced tracks are needed so that passengers do not have to leap across a wide gap to the trams, and freight wagons do not hit the platform. Beyond Grossenritte the KNE becomes more of a traditional branch line, with little freight traffic evident. A 24-hour ticket costing DEM8 covers passenger transport in the whole area of the new Nordhessische Verkehrsverbund round Kassel, including all the tram routes. Just outside Kassel Hbf is an interesting DB signal-box, Klb, comprising a rendered-masonry ground-floor with an old coach-body serving as the operating floor above. The coach appears to have been lifted directly off its bogies, and retains its buffers and other fittings. BLN 756.0281][DE] Engers - Grenzau (- Siershahn) and Grenzau - Höhr-Grenzhausen: (BLN 753.0193; Ball 48B3) The freight-only Brexbachtalbahn between Engers and Grenzau had a special steam shuttle service from Neuwied, chartered by local authorities, and a railbus shuttle ran on the Höhr-Grenzhausen branch, for the Ascension Day holiday on Thursday 25 May 1995. An advertising leaflet for a Drei-Städte-Wandertag day-out included the train times and a map for ramblers showing a 17km walking route. Special trains also ran on 12 May 1994. Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) in 1996 is 16 May. BLN 756.0282][DE][FR] Winden (Pfalz) - Kapsweyer DB - Wissembourg SNCF: (BLN 745.014; Ball 57A2 (DE), 30B3 (FR)) An SNCF source confirmed that plans for reopening to passengers are still live, and international trains from Germany may be running as early as September 1995. BLN 756.0283][DE] Freiburg - Gottenheim - Riegel Ort - Endingen - Breisach and Riegel - Riegel Ort: (Ball 67B2; KBS723, 724, 729) The DB has a 23km branch from Freiburg-im-Breisgau via Gottenheim to Breisach along the southern flank of the Kaiserstuhl, a hill rising from the plain of the river Rhein. Round the other three sides of the hill runs the 38km Kaiserstuhlbahn, also 1435mm-gauge but operated by SWEG (Sudwestdeutsche Verkehrs-AG), who have a number of other secondary lines. Leaving the DB station at Gottenheim, SWEG trains swing north to Bötzingen, calling again at the north end of the town to serve housing at Bötzingen Haltepunkt, not shown in Ball and unadvertised even in SWEG's own timetable. At Riegel Ort a 2km SWEG branch comes in from Riegel on the DB Karlsruhe - Basel main line (Ort = 'place', as distinct from the main-line Bahnhof). At Riegel Bf, SWEG trains use a track on the opposite side of the station access road, connected to DB only through back-shunt sidings. Endingen, 4km west of Riegel Ort, is the local SWEG base, where the collection of stock - ex-DB railbuses and railcars in either DB dark-red or SWEG white, orange and blue livery - seems well in excess of the line's conceivable requirements. Despite the line's modest patronage, and a timetable largely worked by buses except at times of commuter traffic to Freiburg or local school journeys, Endingen station was in May 1995 undergoing extensive renovation. Beyond Endingen the line heads west towards the river Rhein before turning south to Breisach, where SWEG trains run into the DB station. Part of the service on the DB branch, as well as the through trains to and from Freiburg, is provided by SWEG, as indicated in timetable KBS729 by trains with 8xxx-series numbers. Occasional summer Sunday steam workings between Riegel and Breisach are shown in KBS723. Freight is also worked, and train control is by radio. BLN 756.0284][AT] Austrian closures?: The May 1995 ÖBB timetable warns of some 'intended' closures to passengers from 24 September 1995 ("Einstellung des Reiseverkehrs ab 24.09.95 beabsichtigt"), but does not support the Today's Railways report, quoted in BLN 753.0196, which suggested that more lines were threatened. Indeed the ÖBB timetable shows a full service beyond September till 1 June 1996 for the whole Gmünd NÖ - Gross Gerungs line. Closure to passengers from 24 September 1995 'intended' Ball ÖBB timetable Pirawarth - Gaweinstal-Brünnerstrasse 65A1 93a (BLN 749.093) Hieflau - Eisenerz 74A1-74B1 13b (BLN 747.058) Mürzzuschlag - Neuberg Ort 75A1 53 (BLN 752.0156) Wittmansdorf - Wöllersdorf 75B2 52c (BLN 749.094) Siebenbrunn-Leopoldsdorf - Engelhartstetten 76A3 71a Launsdorf-Hochosterwitz - Klein St.Paul 82B2 64 (BLN 736.0220) St.Paul - Lavamünd 83A2-83A1 62b (BLN 750.0124) May 1995 ÖBB timetable does not indicate that closure to passengers is threatened Steinbach-Gross Pertholz - Gross Gerungs (760mm-gauge) 63A1-63B1 84 Wieselburg an der Erlauf - Ruprechtshofen (760mm-gauge) 74B3 11c Gramatneusiedl - Wampersdorf 76A3-76A2 51 BLN 756.0285][AT] Wien - Linz - Salzburg: Two more cut-offs with new tunnels were under construction on ÖBB's Westbahn main line in May 1995, between Loosdorf and Pöchlarn, thus avoiding Melk (Ball 75A3-74B3), and between Breitenschützing and Schwanenstadt (Ball 73B3-73B2; shown, but not in the index). At the western end of the Lambach tunnel and cut-off (BLN 736.0217; Ball 73B3), now fully operational, the old line trails in from the south-east as a single lead. Just west of the junction is Markt Lambach halt, with a platform only on the southern track, and west of that is a crossover on to the northern track. BLN 756.0286][CH] Wohlen - Fahrwangen-Meisterschwanden: (Ball 87B1) This 17km branch of the standard-gauge Bremgarten-Dietikon Bahn is said to be threatened with closure, but probably not before 1997. BLN 756.0287][AU] Queensland: (BLN 739.0297) Happily, Queensland Railways have not closed their isolated and wonderfully idiosyncratic Normanton - Croydon line, and are promoting it as a tourist attraction. Its scheduled service is the Gulflander, worked by an elderly rail-motor set, but shorter excursions and charter specials for inclusive tour groups also run, from the Normanton end. QR did withdraw the passenger accommodation on the Cairns - Forsayth mixed trains at the end of March 1995, but two sections of the line still see passenger traffic. Cairns - Kuranda has one to three tourist trips daily, advertised as the Kuranda Scenic Railway and, from 3 April 1995, Mount Surprise - Forsayth has a new scheduled tourist rail-motor service, presumably seeking to emulate the Gulflander, with charters possible on other days of the week, and bus connections between Cairns and Mount Surprise. Rail passenger services have not run west of Charleville since at least 1993, both Cunnamilla and Quilpie being served by road coaches connecting with the Westlander. A 1995 timetable leaflet shows QR's 1067mm-gauge rail passenger services, outside the Brisbane suburban area, to be: Thrice weekly Brisbane - Rockhampton - Proserpine - Townsville - Cairns Sunlander Weekly Brisbane - Rockhampton - Proserpine - Townsville - Cairns Queenslander, inclusive 1st-class only Weekly Brisbane - Rockhampton - Proserpine - Townsville - Cairns Spirit of the Tropics, all-economy Weekly Brisbane - Rockhampton - Proserpine Spirit of the Tropics, all-economy Daily Brisbane - Rockhampton Spirit of Capricorn Twice weekly Brisbane - Rockhampton - Longreach Spirit of the Outback Twice weekly Brisbane - Charleville Westlander Twice weekly Townsville - Mount Isa Inlander 1 to 3 times daily Cairns - Kuranda Kuranda Scenic Railway Mon, Thu only 12:30 Mount Surprise - Forsayth 18:00 Savannahlander Tue, Fri only 07:30 Forsayth - Mount Surprise 13:00 Savannahlander Wed only 08:30 Normanton - Croydon 12:30 Gulflander Thu only 08:30 Croydon - Normanton 12:30 Gulflander Between Brisbane and Sydney, the state capitals, a New South Wales Countrylink 1435mm-gauge XPT set (an Australian-built InterCity 125) makes a daily round trip, south by day, north by night. BLN 757.0288][IE] (Stranorlar -) Fintown - Glenties: (BLN 749.077) The preservation group Cumann Traenach na Gaeltachta Lair took delivery on 26 May of their second diesel locomotive and three carriages (ex-Belgian tramcars) from the now-closed Shanes Castle Railway near Antrim. One hundred years to the day after its first opening, Saturday 3 June 1995 was to see the official reopening of the first 1.5km of the restored 914mm-gauge County Donegal line from Fintown towards Glenties, with weekend public services following once insurance was arranged, and daily trains in July and August. An employment scheme is financing 29 men to lay more track. (Donegal Democrat, 1 June 1995) BLN 757.0289][IE] Listowel - Ballybunion: A small section of track of the Listowel & Ballybunion Railway is preserved in a farmyard locally, and pubs in the area have changed their names to The Railway and The Lartigue to commemorate that peculiar line's existence in the north of County Kerry from 1888 to 1924. Since the aim of the French engineer Charles Lartigue's idiosyncratic design - a monorail supported on A-frames - was to avoid the need for earthworks to ensure a level trackbed, traces of the 16km line vanished quickly after it was dismantled. A twin-boilered steam locomotive and twin-bodied rolling-stock, hanging like saddle-bags from their central rail, must have made a fascinating sight. It is a pity those given to spending much treasure on building replicas of the past tend to go for dull things like LNER Pacifics! BLN 757.0290][IE] Mallow - Tralee: (BLN 722.016) At Killarney, work was to begin on 1 May 1995 on the new platform to the east of the present terminal station. When it opens, perhaps in 1997, Mallow - Tralee trains will call at Killarney without having to make a propelling movement. (Railway Observer, June 1995) BLN 757.0291][IE] Kildare - Waterford: At Kilkenny earthworks for a new avoiding line were complete, but track had not yet been laid, in March 1995. (Railway Observer, June 1995) BLN 757.0292][IE] Waterford - Ballinacourty: (BLN 753.0170) All track was still in place in March 1995, although the line has been severed at Waterford West since November 1993 (BLN 724.044). At Kilmacthomas the track is very overgrown, but the station buildings, signal-box and some signals are still standing, as is the substantial viaduct just to the west of the station. (Railway Observer, June 1995) BLN 757.0293][IE] Waterford - New Ross: (BLN 753.0171) Waterford Abbey Jn signal-box is to close, though the New Ross branch has reopened for freight. On 30 March 1995 ten wagons in the station yard at New Ross were loaded by forklift truck with fertiliser for Mallow. (Railway Observer, June 1995) BLN 757.0294][FR] Languedoc and Auvergne rural station closures: In BLN 747.047 some of the sections of line were described by reference to the administrative boundary of the Languedoc-Roussillon Région, rather than to places with particular railway significance. SNCF closed some stations in the neighbouring Auvergne Région also from 25 September 1994. The replacement train-plus-taxi service (transport à la demande) has to be booked by 18:00 the previous day and operates between the railhead station (gare zone de desserte) and a home address, rather than the closed station. The charge is FRF15 (= £2) in Auvergne and between FRF10 and FRF40 (= £5) in Languedoc-Roussillon. The following details update those in BLN 747. Between Le Monastier and La Bastide (Ligne Translozérienne) (Ball 63B2-64A3; SNCF551) both Allenc and Belvezet were to be replaced by transport à la demande, but by mid-October 1994 this had not begun and trains continued to call on prior request before 18:00 the previous day. Between Nîmes and Clermont Ferrand (Ligne des Cévennes) (64B1; SNCF543) Boucoiran; Vézénobres; St.Hilaire-de-Brethmas; Tamaris; and Malbosc were all closed without transport à la demande replacement. Between Béziers and Neussargues (Ligne des Causses) (73B3; SNCF544) Joncels was closed without transport à la demande replacement. The following stations not mentioned in BLN 747 were replaced by transport à la demande from 25 September 1994: between St.Germain-des-Fossés and Montluçon (47A1; SNCF555) Louroux-de-Bouble; between Aurillac and Neussargues (54B1; SNCF542) Polminhac; Thiézac; and St.Jacques; and between Le Puy and St.Étienne (55B1-56A2; SNCF564) La Voûte-sur-Loire; St.Vincent-le-Château; and Chamalières. BLN 757.0295][FR] Dunkerque - Bray-Dunes: (BLN 737.0224; Ball 6B3) SNCF appears to have no summer passenger trains timetabled on this line in 1995. BLN 757.0296][FR] (Vierzon -) Marmagne - St.Florent-sur-Cher (- Montluçon): (Ball 36A1-46A3) This west-to-south curve may see less use in future, since electrification now extends from Vierzon to Bourges, and trains between Paris and Montluçon may reverse and change locomotives at Bourges. BLN 757.0297][FR] Tournon - Lamastre: (Ball 56B1) For a kilometre or two north of Tournon station, through a tunnel under the town and across a river bridge, the metre-gauge tourist trains of the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais share mixed-gauge track with SNCF electric-hauled freights - and from time to time, diverted TGVs - on the west bank of the river Rhône. (It is hard to imagine a Ffestiniog Fairlie emerging from a tunnel to be followed a few moments later by an InterCity 225!) Beyond the shared section, the metre-gauge line swings away westward to follow the gorge of the river Doux for much of the way to Lamastre. Autorail services accurately recreate the atmosphere of a sleepy rural branch line. On 10 June 1995 the 14:30 Tournon - Lamastre carried just three passengers, including a BLN reporter and his wife, yet at Lamastre several hundred people were on board the ten-coach steam train waiting to leave. The next day twelve passengers boarded the 12:10 autorail from Lamastre. This train, in the best French tradition, has a lunchtime halt of about an hour at Colombier-le-Vieux, where a modest restaurant next the station serves a full meal to passengers on request. The 33km journey took nearly two hours. By contrast, scarcely one hour later, the TGV pulled out of Valence for its 31/2-hour dash to Lille-Europe - and the Eurostar home. BLN 757.0298][LU] (Trier DB - Wasserbillig CFL -) Oetrange - Luxembourg: (Ball 18A2) From the end of May 1995 the 16:44 Trier - Luxembourg train, hauled by a CFL 1800-class diesel locomotive, has been routed from Oetrange by a formerly freight-only line heading south-west, joining the line from Bettembourg north of Berchem, swinging north to Luxembourg and arriving in platform 10 ready to form the 18:30 back to Trier. On 17 June 1995 the Luxembourg-bound working ran through Howald station on the platform road (BLN 745.013) and traversed lines adjacent to the traction depot. The CFL timetable indicates engineering work between Oetrange and Luxembourg from 15 July to 15 August 1995, with trains timed to leave Trier six minutes earlier, and to arrive six minutes later, so the longer route may be seeing more use this summer. BLN 757.0299][NL] Utrecht avoiding line: (Ball 4A2-4A3; McDougall N9) On 27-28 May 1995 some evening trains between Eindhoven and Amersfoort used the Utrecht avoiding line, calling at Utrecht Lunetten for local connections. Remodelling work in the Utrecht area continues, so this diversion may be repeated. BLN 757.0300][DE] Brandenburg - Göttin (- Belzig): (BLN 749.091; Ball 29A3; KBS267) The bridge carrying the Brandenburger Städtebahn branch over the Magdeburg - Berlin main line was removed for only a short period, and the line is now reported as reinstated. BLN 757.0301][DE] Berlin: The west-to-north curve on to the Aussenring from Werder (Havel) to Golm (Ball 31A1) now has a regular Mondays-Fridays local passenger service. Some passenger trains to and from Stralsund now use the reopened main-line tracks through Berlin-Pankow to Berlin-Lichtenberg (32A3-32A2). The west-to-north S-Bahn curve from Warschauer Strasse to Frankfurter Allee, avoiding Ostkreuz station, still has two early-morning trains, but evening workings no longer run, either as passenger trains or empty stock. BLN 757.0302][DE] Brohl - Engeln: (Ball 48A3) From Brohl, on the DB Köln - Koblenz main line along the west bank of the river Rhein, the metre-gauge Brohltalbahn runs its Vulkan-Express tourist trains 17.5km westward and 400m upward to Engeln in the Eifel hills. Some of the services are steam-hauled, and certain workings are extended to the quayside at Brohl to connect with passenger ships on the Rhein. Information is available from Verkehrsbüro Brohltal on +49 2636 80303 or fax +49 2636 80146. BLN 757.0303][DE] (Leipzig -) Grossbothen - Rocklitz - Glauchau (Sachsen): (BLN 755.0248; OEIS 9546; Ball 43A2; KBS529) For some weeks this summer the timetable shows an interesting pattern of passenger operations while the normal route from Grossbothen to Sermuth is closed for bridge repairs, including work on the span carrying the Rocklitz line south over the Döbeln one. (Grossbothen station is in two parts, with the Rocklitz platforms on the northern side.) The diversion of Rocklitz-line (Muldetalbahn) trains to use the nearby east-to-south curve is timetabled from 28 May until 31 August 1995, but could cease before then if the bridge works finish early. The junction and signal-box at the south end of the curve, Abzw Leisenau, remain but the east-end junction, Abzw Muldebrücke, was replaced, some time ago, by plain track. In the angle of the two converging lines at the former junction DB have built a temporary interchange, Muldebrücke Haltepunkt, comprising two very short wooden platforms connected by a short gangway, all in the middle of riverside meadows, with no shelter and no official access even on foot. The east-to-south curve remains severed, with a new buffer-stop at the platform end, only a few metres from the through Döbeln line. There is no provision for rounding - in an area where the typical ex-DR branch-line train is still a small diesel locomotive and two coaches - and the basically two-hourly Rocklitz-line service has to be booked for shiny new Class 628 diesel units, which lie over long enough at Muldebrücke to connect with stopping services each way on the Leipzig - Döbeln line, despite the pathing constraints of its single track. Since the interchange platform is so short, and most Döbeln-line trains run with four or five coaches, passengers wanting to alight at Muldebrücke Hp need to be in the right vehicle, and are advised to consult the conductor. BLN 757.0304][DE] Ingolstadt realignments: (BLN 754.0237; Ball 60A1) The former, northerly, route between Weichering and Ingolstadt closed on 27 May 1995, eliminating several level-crossings and allegedly some noise nuisance in built-up areas. From 28 May Donauwörth - Ingolstadt trains have used the new southerly alignment, planned in conjunction with a new bypass road. Construction required the breaching of the embankment carrying the old line from Augsburg, so at some date between the end of March and 22 May, Augsburg - Ingolstadt trains too were diverted on to their new alignment. The new layout requires through Ulm - Regensburg trains to reverse in Ingolstadt. On the sketch map, which is not to scale, solid lines are passenger tracks, the dotted line is a new flying-junction track not yet complete at the end of May, and the dashed lines are now closed and severed. BLN 757.0305][AT, CZ] Retz ÖBB - Šatov CD: (BLN 737.0234; Ball 64A2 (AT), 41B2 (CZ)) This cross-border line is shown in the Austrian volume of the Ball atlas as 'under electrification', with a 1993 completion date, yet on the ground in March 1995 no sign was seen of any work having been started. Did ÖBB ever have such a plan, and how far north was the wiring - presumably 15kV 16²/3 Hz - planned to go? BLN 757.0306][DK] Frederikshavn Havn: (BLN 741.0327; Ball 4B3) Beyond Frederikshavn station, the short harbour extension to Frederikshavn Havn, a single passenger platform which once served ferries of various shipping lines, is now out of use. In April 1995 a notice indicating the availability of buses and taxis for the rail-to-ship transfer suggested that closure was from 29 May 1994. The rails are still there, with the space between tarred over to become a signposted walking route for ship passengers. The line was, latterly at least, a passenger-only branch, with no sidings, but a freight branch leaving the DSB line north of the main station appears to serve the dock area further to the east. BLN 757.0307][CH] Olten - Läufelfingen - Sissach (- Basel): (BLN 743.0364; Ball 87A2) SBB local trains (Regionalzüge) using the old Hauenstein line were not withdrawn at the end of May, and were still running in early June 1995, with no threat of closure apparent. BLN 757.0308][PL] Lowicz: (Ball 38A3) A south-to-east curve (not shown in Ball at 38A3) allows through running between Skierniewice and Sochaczew, avoiding Lowicz Glówny station. BLN 757.0309][PL] Rogów - Biala Rawska: At its eastern end the 750mm-gauge line crosses over the PKP Central Main Line and extends beyond for quite a distance (not shown thus in Ball at 38A3). It is therefore a significant walk between the narrow- and standard-gauge stations at Biala Rawska. BLN 757.0310][HU] Hungarian closures?: (BLN 753.0204) Only one line closure has been spotted in the May 1995 MÁV timetable. Some Miskolc - Ózd trains used to take an east-to-south avoiding curve at Bánréve (not shown in Ball at 43A1) but Table 92 shows them now all reversing there. All the services thought to be threatened remain in the timetable for the moment, but though no official information is yet to hand, some lines must have a doubtful future, especially the 760mm-gauge ones (BLN 734.0170; 743.0367). BLN 757.0311][IN] Delhi - Trivandrum: The Guwahati Express, timed to make its weekly 3550km run from the capital to the far south of Kerala province in 71 hours and 25 minutes, has never once been on time in ten years, suffering an average delay of 20 hours, according to a newspaper report. (AFP, quoted in The Times, 8 June 1995) Like all those punctuality-and-reliability charts on boards at British stations, the figures should probably be regarded as only part of the story, but long-distance passengers on India's fascinating and rewarding railway system are certainly advised to leave a reasonable amount of slack between a timetabled arrival and anything time-sensitive like a reservation on a flight to Europe. BLN 757.0312][CA,US] Ste.Rosalie Jn - Sherbrooke - Mattawamkeag - Saint John - Moncton: (BLN 748.074) After 15 December 1994, when VIA Rail's Atlantic/Atlantique made its last run on the route from Montréal in Québec across northern Maine to Saint John in New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia, the sections closed to passenger trains were the line from Ste.Rosalie Jn PQ to Lennoxville Jn, near Sherbrooke PQ (owned by Canadian National); from Lennoxville Jn via Megantic PQ and Mattawamkeag ME to Saint John NB (owned by Canadian Pacific or its subsidiary, Canadian Atlantic, now sold); and from Saint John to Moncton NB (owned by Canadian National). Only the last section has a bus service replacing the vanished train. BLN 757.0313][UY] Uruguay: (BLN 722.020) February 1986 saw the Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado, the state railways, withdraw passenger services and close many intermediate stations. On 2 January 1988 came the complete closure to passengers of the whole country's railways, and the suspension of all traffic on 40% of the 3000km 1435mm-gauge network. Various excursions however ran from time to time, including a Dorridge Travel special from Salto to Paysandú on 24 November 1988. Passenger trains returned to Montevideo when the city council hired some specials for the Semana Criolla celebrations in April 1990. Subsequently, on a private-enterprise basis, but using AFE tracks and rolling-stock, two timetabled passenger services were re-established, running on 182km of line. From 11 June 1993 a daily service has run out and back the 118km between Tacuarembó and Rivera, and from 25 August 1993 four Monday-to-Friday services (two on Saturdays) have brought commuters from the junction station of 25 de Agosto in over 63.6km of AFE track to the Estación Central General Artigas in Montevideo, an overall-roofed terminus with an elegant building reminiscent of a French city station. (Informaciónes de FADARTE - Federación Americana De Amigos del Riel y de la Tracción Eléctrica - #5, December 1994) BLN 758.0314][GB, IE] (Belfast -) Newry NIR - Dundalk IE - Dublin: (BLN 755.0238) In the new Iarnród Éireann timetable from 15 May 1995, one Dundalk - Dublin outer suburban working has become an international train, starting from Newry in the morning and returning in the evening. BLN 758.0315][IE] Mostrim (Edgeworthstown): This station on the Dublin - Sligo line has nameboards reading 'Mostrim' but the signal-box is still named 'Edgeworthstown'. BLN 758.0316][IE] Dublin: Glasnevin Jn - Islandbridge Jn: (BLN 749.080, 755.0239) The semi-regular holiday afternoon relief working (14:05 Ballina - Athlone 16:20 - Dublin Connolly 18:15 - Dublin Pearse) ran on Mondays 17 April (Easter weekend), 1 May and 5 June, but not on 20 March (St.Patrick's Day weekend). Dublin BLS member Michael Walsh reiterates his offer to confirm whether the train is or is not booked to run on other Irish public holidays (eg Mondays 7 August and 30 October 1995). Call him on +353 1 285 3335 on or after the preceding Wednesday. BLN 758.0317][IE] (Dublin -) Bray - Greystones: Iarnród Éireann are to extend 1500V dc DART electrification over 7.7km of single track to Greystones, with the possibility of a new intermediate station at Redford. Work is to start in early 1996, with completion in mid-1998. (Railway Observer, July 1995) BLN 758.0318][IE] Limerick - Ennis: On 18 June 1995 passenger services were running again after the flood damage reported in BLN 754.0212, but Iarnród Éireann staff locally could not say when they actually began. A second weekday trip now runs, allowing a return journey to Ennis each day instead of Sundays only. Limerick departure times northbound (12:00 and 19:40 Mon-Sat, 16:00 SuO) are approximate, since they are not in the IE public timetable. Ennis departures are 07:35 and 14:00 Mon-Sat, 17:20 SuO. BLN 758.0319][IE] Ennis - Athenry: (BLN 743.0354, 754.0212) Due to a derailment, the loop line at Gort station has been removed until further notice, and no traffic can cross there. Access to the up siding is still available, but points are clipped and scotched. (Iarnród Éireann engineering works notice, 25 June 1995) BLN 758.0320][GB] Eurostar Link: On 21 June 1995 the London Waterloo - Birmingham - Manchester Piccadilly train carried five passengers leaving Waterloo, one for Milton Keynes, two for Birmingham International and two for Manchester. The train crew said this uncommercial load was typical. Even when the new trains become better-known, international customers seem unlikely to be attracted in large numbers to this unimpressive EPS 'service'. A departure time of 15:42 ensures that Eurostar passengers are kept hanging about Waterloo for 89 minutes after their three-hour journey from Paris, or 59 minutes after arrival from Brussel/Bruxelles. Chartered at considerable expense by European Passenger Services, the 200km/h HST then dawdles northward on a decidedly relaxed end-to-end timing (3h 58min Monday-Friday, and an amazing 4h 27min on Saturday) being overtaken by 175km/h InterCity West Coast electrics running direct from Euston to Piccadilly in 2h 31min. Alighting from an on-time Eurostar with 47 minutes in hand to cross London, a reasonably fit Paris - Manchester passenger could choose to walk from Waterloo to Euston, and still beat the Eurosloth into Piccadilly by 2h 9min! A similar Eurostar Link up the East Coast Main Line began on 3 July 1995, the inaugural 08:30 HST carrying 30 people as it left Edinburgh for Waterloo, due in at 13:47. (Edinburgh Evening News, 4 July 1995) BLN 758.0321][GB, FR] Eurostar catering: First-class Eurostar passengers used to be served a full meal on all trains, but with the introduction of mid-morning and afternoon services, the food and drink included in the ticket price are now it seems restricted to what is deemed 'appropriate to the hour'. This means, for example, a sandwich, a bun and some fruit, with no alcohol, on the 10:23 London - Paris, and a sandwich, a scone, a piece of fruit tart and a quarter-bottle of wine on the 17:10 Paris - London. Upmarket travellers should pick their departure time carefully if they want best value for their £195 return. BLN 758.0322][FR] Gilley - Pontarlier: (BLN 719.04, 750.0110; Ball 40A1-50A3) This former Paris-Lyon-Mediterranée branch lost its passenger traffic as long ago as 18 April 1939, though freight lasted until 1988. In February 1974 it was used in shooting scenes for the film Murder on the Orient Express. Disconnection from the rest of the SNCF finally came in November 1994. (Eisenbahn Amateur, 3/95) BLN 758.0323][NL] (Geldermalsen -) Tiel - Kesteren - Elst (- Arnhem): (BLN 740.0307; Ball 4B2) On this lightly-trafficked line Tuesday-Friday evening trains have been replaced by buses stopping only at Zetten-Andelst and Elst, and a Dutch correspondent reckons Tiel - Elst is not an NS priority for electrification, notwithstanding the annotations in the 1991 Ball atlas. Tiel - Arnhem trains are NS' smallest, most elderly diesel units (built 1952, refurbished c.1980), but new DM90 sets should be running on the line by 1996-97. The proposed new strategic freight route from Rotterdam to Germany, the Betuwelijn, is not to use the Tiel - Elst trackbed, (by Internet from Maarten Deen at http://ns.via.nl/users/mccidd) BLN 758.0324][DE] (Herborn -) Hartenrod - Niederwalgern: (BLN 745 supp.; Ball 39B1; KBS624) Passenger trains on the 19km eastern section of the Aar-Salzböde-Bahn between Hartenrod (Kreis Biedenkopf) and Niederwalgern were withdrawn from 28 May 1995. BLN 758.0325][DE] Frankfurt-am-Main Mühlberg - Offenbach - Hanau: (BLN 723.034; Ball 50A3-49B2) The S-Bahn extension east of Ffm-Mühlberg opened on 28 May 1995, with three intermediate stations in tunnel (Kaiserlei; Offenbach-Ledermuseum; Offenbach-Marktplatz) and four others (Offenbach Ost; Mühlheim; Dietesheim; Steinheim). (Blickpunkt Strassenbahn, 3/95) BLN 758.0326][AT] Siebenbrunn-Leopoldsdorf - Engelhartstetten: (BLN 756.0284; Ball 76A3; KBS71a) The province has agreed to subsidise the ÖBB's passenger trains, so the branch should remain open. BLN 758.0327][DK] Eurodomino on private railways: Danish Eurodomino tickets were in April 1995 accepted on at least three private lines: Hjørring - Hirtshals (BLN 754.0230; Ball 4A3), Frederikshavn - Skagen (4B3) and Slagelse - Høng - Tølløse (7B2-8A3). BLN 758.0328][PT] Póvoa de Varzim - Famalicão: (BLN 748.070; Ball 7A1-7B1) Though no notices to this effect are on display, it seems that trains now run on Saturdays and Sundays only, according to the ticket clerk at Póvoa. The metre-gauge track is in a bad state. On 13 May 1995, the 9601-series diesel unit picked up and set down passengers at all the intermediate stations shown as closed on the Quail and Ball maps. On the 30km section, only Fontainhas is now shown in the CP timetable. (Railway Observer, July 1995) BLN 758.0329][PT] Tua - Mirandela - Carvalhais (- Bragança): (BLN 697.08; 748.070; Ball 8B1) Passenger services are reported as being reinstated in July 1995 beyond Mirandela to Carvalhais, thus reopening 5km of the metre-gauge Linha do Tua. Between Carvalhais and Bragança the line remains in place but has been out of use since 15 December 1991. BLN 758.0330][GR] Athinai: For a hundred metres from the south-east corner of the Parthenon to the workshops behind the museum runs a metre-gauge railway, with a single four-wheel trolley. Ancient historians and antiquarians alike are silent about this line, so it may well be more recent than the Temple of Athene itself. BLN 758.0331][CH] Wohlen - Bremgarten - Dietikon: (Ball 87B1-87B2) The provisional halt Bremgarten-Obertor, at the east end of the river Reuss bridge, has attracted sufficient custom to be made permanent. (Eisenbahn Amateur, 3/95) While the BD company also manages the threatened 17km standard-gauge 15kV 16²/3Hz branch from Wohlen to Fahrwangen-Meisterschwanden (BLN 756.0286), the Bremgarten Dietikon Bahn proper is a metre-gauge 1200V dc light railway with much roadside track. The 10km from Wohlen to Bremgarten-West is mixed-gauge and 1200V dc. BD standard-gauge diesels handle the freight and BD metre-gauge electric units the passengers on this section. BLN 758.0332][CH] Koblenz - Eglisau (- Winterthur): (Ball 87B3-88A2) Three halts served by SBB stopping trains on this section have been resited to meet local needs. From 28 May 1995 Rümikon AG; Mellikon; and Kaiserstuhl AG replaced Rümikon-Mellikon; Weiach-Kaiserstuhl; and Zweidlen. (Via, 2/95) BLN 758.0333][CH] Bière - Apples - Morges: (BLN 746.040; Ball 90B1) A link into the military base at Bière, with a new bridge over the river Aubonne and a new station at Bière-Casernes (= barracks) are all under construction and should be complete by the end of 1996. The planning authorities are considering an application for a new gravel-pit which could also bring more traffic to the metre-gauge BAM railway. BLN 758.0334][CH] Bulle - Broc-Fabrique: (Ball 91B1) On this 5km metre-gauge branch of the CF Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat, a short length of track beyond Broc-Fabrique station may be traversed if the train is conveying a freight wagon, for the electric unit has to pull forward to reverse round the loop. The 14:45 Bulle - Broc-Fabrique did this on 13 June 1995 with a BLN reporter on board. BLN 758.0335][CH] Bern - Zollikofen - Olten: (BLN 753.0202; Ball 92B3) The 9.5km Grauholz cut-off, avoiding Zollikofen, opened to traffic on 28 May 1995. SBB Regionalzug local passenger trains and daytime freight trains continue to use the old line, while InterCity and overnight freight workings use the new line through the 6.3km Grauholz tunnel. BLN 758.0336][CH] Luzern - Stans - Engelberg: (BLN 740.0311; Ball 93B2-93B3) The steep incline from Obermatt to Ghärst on the metre-gauge, rack-equipped, LSE line is to be replaced by a 4km tunnel costing CHF68 million (= £38M), the federal government paying 85%, the cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden finding CHF5.1M and the local Engelberg commune chipping in a special contribution of CHF300,000. The Monday-Friday 18:45 train from Engelberg conveys on the rear a travelling post office with posting-box, and the 10:45 on 11 June 1995 reversed into a siding a few hundred metres north of Wolfenschiessen to pick up a PTT van before setting off again for Luzern. BLN 758.0337][CH] Brig - Visp - Zermatt: (BLN 709.011; Ball 100A3-99B2) The metre-gauge BVZ line is being doubled both north and south of St.Niklaus station, and at Visp, where the second track is on a structure supported above the river bed. A small avalanche blocked the line south of Kalpetran on 13 June 1995, closing it for 20 hours. BLN 758.0338][HU, HR] Budapest - Zagreb: (BLN 743.0366; Ball 47A2-46B2) Though it has appeared on MÁV maps for some time, electrification to the Croatian border was actually completed when the last 30km from Somosgyszob to Gyekenyes went live in December 1994. Some MÁV electric locomotives work through to Zagreb or beyond, and HZ locos work to Balatonszentgyörgy. (LCGB Bulletin, June 1995) BLN 758.0339][SG] Singapore metro: The island republic's modern Mass Rapid Transit system is cool, clean and efficient, with two lines and a branch, serving 42 stations in June 1995. One line runs east-west from Pasir Ris on the north-east coast to Boon Lay, near Jurong, with a three station branch from Jurong East to Choa Chu Kang on the north-west coast. The other runs north-south from Yishun to Marina Bay, and is linked to the east-west line near City Hall, close to the administrative headquarters. Between City Hall and Raffles Place the lines run parallel, with two cross-directional cross-platform interchanges, each direction being differently colour-coded, unlike LUL practice. Opening perhaps in August 1995 is a new line linking Choa Chu Kang and Yishun via Woodlands. The system is 1435mm-gauge with left-hand-running, heavily engineered and mostly underground or on overhead concrete spans. City-centre underground stations are in dark-grey marble, with sliding doors protecting the platform-edge, like the automatic VAL metro in Lille. Tickets bear no visible evidence of boarding-station, validity or value, but automatic entry and exit gates ensure that over-riding in terms of distance or time is recognised. A one-day tourist ticket costing SGD12 (= £5.40) also allows bus travel, and multiple-journey stored-fare cards are available. Trains are Kawasaki-built fixed rakes of six cars, with broad gangways throughout and longitudinal seating. BLN 758.0340][US, CA] Seattle WA - Vancouver BC: (BLN 755.0262) Amtrak's Mount Baker International was to begin running daily from 26 May 1995 using a TALGO unit, thus restoring passenger service over the 230km route after 14 years. (by Internet, 9 July 1995) Amtrak's site on the World Wide Web comprises some 50 pages of train-service information, fares and an illustrated travel planner, with many photographs. Cyberspace visitors during 1995 to Amtrak's Web pages (http://www.amtrak.com) will automatically be entered in a monthly lottery to win two All Aboard America transcontinental round-trip train tickets. BLN 758.0341][BO] Oruro - Cochabamba - Aiquile: A charter on 31 October 1994 by the US railtour operator Trains Unlimited was the first passenger train for more than a year beyond Cochabamba on the 240km branch to Aiquile, the present end of track. The branch however carries a substantial amount of freight, especially mineral traffic originating at Mizque, some 40km short of Aiquile. The Aiquile line is planned eventually to extend eastward to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, or to Montera, north of Santa Cruz on the Santa Rosa line, thus providing a new link entirely on Bolivian territory between the Red Occidental and the Red Oriental of the metre-gauge Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles, eliminating the need for all through rail traffic, and all moves of equipment between ENFE's western and eastern systems, to use the route south via Villazón and La Quiaca into Argentina and back north across the frontier from Pocitos to Yacuiba. BLN 758.0342][CL] Iquique - Baquedano - Palestina - Copiapo - La Calera: Iquique in northern Chile is a free port, and has become a popular shopping destination for Argentinians buying imported consumer durables. The metre-gauge Ferrocarril Longitudinal from Iquique south to Baquedano, now privately owned and operated by the Ferronor company, in 1994 remained tenuously open to handle a once-a-week freight train carrying away the 'loot', together with a balancing working of empty wagons north. By March 1995 traffic had increased, and service was apparently daily. It might seem bizarre to keep a line of more than 350km open for only a handful of trains, but much of the line runs through the Atacama desert and, with no rain, track maintenance needs are minimal. Chile has a legal requirement for trains to be in radio contact with a dispatcher's office, so no fixed signalling is needed on lines with little traffic. Occasional excursions run, including a Dorridge Travel steam special in November 1993 north from Baquedano to La Rioja, not at all the wine-growing region its name might suggest, and possibly one of the driest places on earth, if indeed it can be regarded as a place. The junction at Baquedano sees heavy freight traffic from the large copper mines at Chuquicamata and Mantos Blancos coming south-westwards via the main line of the British-owned FCAB (Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia). Most of this continues on the FCAB south-westwards to the coast at Antofagasta for export (BLN 751.0140), but three or four trains a week turn south from Baquedano via Ferronor to Palestina and on to Copiapo. South of Copiapo Ferronor has little or no traffic till La Serena, whence some freight is carried south to meet the 1676mm-gauge at La Calera. Iquique trains for Argentina run on Ferronor metals to Palestina, where they take a branch of the FCAB south-eastwards into the Andes, leaving Chile near Socompa at a height of 3858m before descending to Salta on the FC General Belgrano. There is some evidence that Latin American railways, typically organisations whose mission seemed to be to employ people rather than to shift goods or passengers, are now becoming more commercially minded, even where they have not been privatised. Ferronor is supporting an employee initiative to assemble a metre-gauge tourist charter train (two sleeping-cars, dining-car, lounge-car and day coach), though limited finance makes this a longer-term project. In Brazil, FEPASA (Ferrovia Paulista SA), the railway system of the state of São Paulo, is willing to allow its passenger equipment to be chartered and operated over any railway that will accept it. There may be scope for long-haul metre-gauge land-cruises across the continent for 5000km or more, from Iquique or Arica to Santos or Buenos Aires (BLN 709.015). BLN 758.0343][CL] Mejillones - Pampa - Prat (- Calama - El Abra): The metre-gauge Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia has been restoring a 48km cut-off line, lifted before 1919, in order to avoid conveying recently-won sulphuric-acid traffic (BLN 751.0140) along the section of the Mejillones branch which passes through the suburbs of Antofagasta. At Mejillones (= 'mussels') the original line, which seems to have had little or no traffic in recent years, begins in a terminal compound to the west of the coastal town, but a new short branch serves the acid plant some 3km to its east. Dramatic locomotive work can be expected on the trains of loaded acid-tankers, for the line climbs to 217m above sea-level at Pampa, 27km south of Mejillones, where the restored cut-off begins, and the climb continues eastwards for 33km across the coastal range to reach 966m at La Cumbre, before dropping 300m in 15km to the junction at Prat, 59km out of Antofagasta on the FCAB Antofagasta - Baquedano - Calama main line. On 1 April 1995 new track was in place at a level-crossing with the Pan-American Highway near Prat. BLN 759.0344][FR] Brest - Landerneau - Quimper: (Ball 19B1-19A3) At Brest the extensive station layout is mostly empty of traffic, but a few km to the east an apparently well-used single-track electrified branch climbs from the docks and industrial zone to join the Brest - Rennes - Paris electrified main line. At Landerneau, 18km east of Brest, an unelectrified single track turns right and heads south through scenic hilly country the 84km to Quimper. Most of the intermediate stations have passing loops, but the one at Hanvec seems disused. Industrial sidings and goods yards are many, but most are out of use or completely abandoned, though Quéménéven, now a freight-only station, has an active chemical depot, and a works siding near Trevolleac may see traffic. The line enters Quimper (in the Breton language = Kemper) through a short tunnel, and makes an end-on junction with the recently-electrified line to Rennes and Paris. BLN 759.0345][FR] Quimper - Douarnenez-Tréboul: (BLN 700.05; Ball 19B1-19A2) The 23km Douarnenez branch, closed to passengers 6 March 1972 and to all traffic from 1 February 1988, has been lifted, presumably recently, since ballast was in place and not overgrown in June 1995. Operation latterly seems to have been as a separate single-track branch from Quimper, since the recently vacated trackbed runs parallel to the Landerneau line from the tunnel to the site of the former junction 5km to the north-west, where a bridge over the D63 road has been demolished. Buildings at the intermediate station of Guengat (in Breton = Gwengad) have been cleared. BLN 759.0346][FR] Quimper - Pluguffan - Pont-l'Abbé: (BLN 700.05; Ball 19B1-19A1) The branch has freight as far as Pluguffan (in Breton = Pluguën) where a large chicken-feed factory (Doux Aliments) has a trailing connection south of the level-crossing with the D56 road. Present in June 1995 were a yellow shunting locotracteur and several bogie tank wagons, based at Dunkerque. Beyond Pluguffan the branch to Pont-l'Abbé (in Breton = Pont-ar-Abad) closed to all traffic 1 February 1971, and new maps show it as lifted. BLN 759.0347][FR] Rosporden - Concarneau: (Ball 19B1) Freight activity was continuing on this 15km branch in June 1995, a few wagons being seen in the yard at Concarneau. BLN 759.0348][FR] (St.Brieuc -) Lamballe - Dinan - Dol: (Ball 21A2-21B2) Lamballe - Dinan has only three trains a day each way, running from and to St.Brieuc, but more operate between Dinan and Dol, with connections there for Rennes. Dinan station is an impressive early-1930s structure combining mediaeval and Art Déco architectural styles. It has a Comité de Défense et de Promotion de la Gare de Dinan, which publishes a handy leaflet summarising services. Part of the building is a modest railway museum, with models, posters and railwayana, open for a few hours on summer Sundays. BLN 759.0349][FR] Rennes - Dol - St.Malo: (Ball 21B1-21A2) On the approach to St.Malo several long sidings diverge towards the docks, but none seemed to have had recent traffic in June 1995. St.Malo station, with five platforms and several staff, provides generously for its current traffic. In a recent feature on Brittany La Vie du Rail described the Rennes - St.Malo trains as the best-used of the Breton local services, though it was rather gloomy about local railways generally, in an area of good roads and high car ownership. SNCF local trains allegedly cost five times as much to run as a bus, and even the CFTA trains on the ex-Réseau Breton lines out of Guingamp (BLN 738.0253) cost three times as much. The generous TGV Atlantique-Ouest services (Brest - Rennes - Paris; Quimper - Rennes - Paris) seem well used however. BLN 759.0350][DE] Zittau - Bertsdorf - Kurort Jonsdorf / Kurort Oybin: (Ball 45A2-45A1; KBS238) The 750mm-gauge Zittauerbahn remains moderately well-used, in summer at least, carrying tourists to and from the higher reaches of the wooded Zittauer Gebirge, and ordinary locals in the Zittau suburbs. Zittau Haltepunkt, the first stop, 1km east of the main station, is well placed for the town centre. It lies beneath the viaduct carrying the Zittau - Liberec main line towards the Czech Republic, and has a pretty wooden building. In June 1995 five locomotives were seen in steam, four of them in use. Bertsdorf still has several simultaneous steam departures for Jonsdorf and Oybin, though not all are timetabled as such. BLN 759.0351][DE] Bautzen - Grosspostwitz - Löbau (Sachsen): (Ball 44B2-45A2; KBS233) Parts of south-east Brandenburg and Sachsen are officially bilingual, with place-names and station-signs in both German and the local Sorb language, a Slavic tongue. Thus Bautzen = Budyšin and Grosspostwitz = Budestecy. Bautzen is shown in the Ball atlas with an east-to-south curve which, if it exists, is not obvious on the ground. The station is however a centre from which radiate several ex-Deutsche Reichsbahn rural lines still with traditional leisurely timetables, among them the loop which branches off from the Bautzen - Bad Schandau line at Grosspostwitz and heads east to Löbau, with ten stops in 19km and six trains a day, all averaging less than 30km/h. The typical stop is just a Haltepunkt with a vestigial platform and a basic shelter. In early summer 1995, the trains around 07:00 and 16:00 seemed reasonably well-used, but others ran virtually empty. The two- or three-coach branch trains in the area were loco-hauled, with Class 202 centre-cab diesels, the main-line trains being Class 232-hauled. BLN 759.0352][SE][FI] Stockholm - Turku/Åbo train-ferry: (Ball 30A2-16B1) Freight-only train-ferry routes from Sweden to Finland did not appear on La Vie du Rail's list circulated as a supplement with BLN 755. The vessel Seawind, operated by Seawind Line, a subsidiary of Silja Lines, makes a daily round-trip out from Stockholm Värtahamnen at 08:45 and back from Turku satama/Åbo hamn (satama in Finnish = hamn in Swedish = harbour) at 21:45. Freight wagons were seen being embarked at Turku on the evening of 20 June 1995, and disembarked at Stockholm by an SJ shunter the following morning. Bogie-changing between the Swedish 1435mm gauge and the Finnish 1524mm gauge takes place at Turku. The Ball atlas records another Sweden - Finland freight train-ferry route further north, between Hargshamn and Uusikaupunki/Nystad (23A3-16A1). Bogie-changing is again at the Finnish port, which is on a 45km branch line closed to passengers in 1993, perhaps to be reopened using new railbuses (BLN 715.012; 740.0312). On the Helsinki/Helsingfors - Karjaa/Karis - Turku/Åbo main line (BLN 715.012; Ball 24B3-16B1) VR have now electrified from Karjaa to Turku, and new timings for electric traction began on 28 May 1995. Two round-trips a day are to use Pendolino S220 tilting trains from 21 August 1995. BLN 759.0353][CH] Schinznacher Baumschulbahn: On summer Saturdays and Sundays in recent years this 600mm-gauge railway has operated public trips over 4km of track through a tree- and plant-nursery. Not shown in Ball at 87B2, it lies between the SBB stations of Schinznach Dorf and Schinznach Bad. BLN 759.0354][CH] Genève trams: (BLN 746.042, 748.071) Tram route #13 Cornavin - Bachet, from the main station out to a south-western suburb, was inaugurated formally on 27 May, with a public service from 28 May 1995. Changing to a #12 Bachet - Moillesulaz tram - the city's only other route - allows an all-rail journey across town between Genève Cornavin CFF and Genève Eaux-Vives SNCF. (Light Rail & Modern Tramway, July 1995) BLN 759.0355][CZ] Praha-Modrany zastávka - Praha-Komorany zastávka: (OEIS 9558; Ball 35A2 not shown) Unusually, an engineering diversion is causing a train service to replace buses in Praha this summer. Some 2km of a main road in the south of the Czech capital, ulice Komoranská, is planned to be closed to all traffic from 10 May to 14 August 1995. The shortest diversion for buses would be 13km long, so a special service of CD class 810 railcars is running, every 20 minutes from 04:30 to 00:50, from Praha-Modrany zastávka on CD line 210, southwards on a track parallel to that line, then turning east on to a siding leading to the works of SEMOS a.s., outside whose gates a temporary passenger halt (zastávka) has been built, in a location suitable for buses to turn. (Draha, 6/95) BLN 759.0356][BG] Sofia metro: (Ball 52B2) The first 5km of the city's metro, under construction for 16 years, was expected to start trial running in July 1995 between Lyulin and Boulevard Konstantin Velichkov. (Light Rail & Modern Tramway, July 1995) BLN 759.0357][EE] Estonian island railways: Saaremaa, the second-largest island in the Baltic, is wooded but flat, and now shows no obvious traces of the narrow-gauge railways it once had, visible in old photographs of quayside scenes in the island's museum in Kuressaare on a June 1995 visit. The Quail map of Estonia's railways records 600mm-gauge World War I military lines on Saaremaa. BLN 759.0358][AU] Normanton - Croydon: (BLN 739.0297, 756.0287) This low-lying area of Queensland floods at intervals, and though the 1067mm-gauge track and trackbed are designed to withstand immersion, service is suspended when the waters rise above a certain level - as they did in February 1991 when a BLN reporter visited Normanton. In recognition of his coming a long way to visit the isolated line, he was given a short trip on the train, proceeding into the flood-waters till their depth prevented further progress. At the time the trusty railmotor was away for mechanical attention, so the train comprised a diesel locomotive propelling two wagons of ballast while pulling the single coach normally hauled by the railmotor when necessary to augment its capacity. Almost all the rolling-stock ever used on the line was still there somewhere, for once an item goes beyond repair it is not worth removing it. Remains of several steam locomotives still littered the site of the old engine-shed at Normanton, though the railmotor has covered the weekly service on the line at least since the 1930s. BLN 759.0359][US, CA] Skagway AK - Fraser BC (- Whitehorse YT): The 914mm-gauge White Pass & Yukon Route was originally built for the Yukon gold rush of 1898, carrying supplies inland from the Alaskan port across mountainous country to Canada's Yukon Territory, and hauling silver, lead and zinc ore seaward for shipment. Little freight remains, and the line was closed to traffic for a number of years, but a daily passenger train, with double-headed GE diesel traction, now operates for tourists in the summer (22 May - 15 September 1995) on the 62km section across the border from Skagway to Fraser. BLN 759.0360][CA] North Vancouver - Squamish - Lillooet - Prince George BC: On 29 March 1995 a new terminal station opened at Squamish specifically for the steam-hauled Royal Hudson tourist train from North Vancouver, running Wednesdays to Saturdays in summer 1995. Until the 1970s the line was still the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, named after its East Anglian counterpart, though running through terrain which could scarcely be more different. It is replete with scenery and character, including on a visit in 1970 a trainload of cheerful but less-than-sober native-Americans from a remote reservation. From the BC Rail station at North Vancouver, across the Lion's Gate Bridge from Vancouver proper, a daily train runs along the coast for 64km to Squamish, then through mountain and river scenery for 181km as far as Lillooet. Three days a week the train continues a further 491km to Prince George, taking 13 hours in all, hence the local gibe that PGE stood for Prince George Eventually. All service trains are still worked by a fleet of twelve Budd RDCs, BC Rail being one of the last significant users of Rail Diesel Cars, venerable vehicles with traditional fluted stainless-steel sides, once common on American branch lines after the end of steam. BLN 759.0361][CA] Vancouver - Mission BC: (BLN 752.0168) Services, due to begin in November 1995, are to be Monday-Friday only, timed for commuting into Vancouver. Construction work is under way on the new stations, which are all single platforms. Passenger trains will use the south track of the double-track Canadian Pacific line between Vancouver and Maple Meadows Way, crossing there to the north track. The terminus at Mission will not be the old CPR station, for a new one is being built on a signalled siding adjacent to the Van Horne overpass. BLN 759.0362][US, CA] Seattle WA - Vancouver BC: (BLN 758.0340) After a VIP special on 24 May, Amtrak's new daily Mount Baker International service started on 26 May 1995 over the 230km line, closed to passengers since 1 October 1981. The Talgo unit leaves Seattle King Street station at 07:15, returning from Vancouver VIA (Pacific Central) station at 18:00. Access to King Street terminus is by a reversal. Amtrak has provided intermediate stations at Edmonds (not opened till a week or two later); Everett; Mount Vernon; and Bellingham, all in Washington State. The northbound service arrives at a Vancouver platform which is security-fenced for Canadian customs clearance, but the United States Customs require the southbound train to stop specially at the frontier point, Blaine, just inside Washington. BLN 759.0363][AR] Buenos Aires: With the privatisation of Ferrocarriles Argentinos, three operating consortia now run the various suburban services in the Argentine capital. Details are understood to be as follows. Terminal Gauge Name of line during nationalisation / former name New operator Retiro 1676mm FC General San Martin Buenos Aires & Pacific Trainmet Retiro 1000mm FC General Belgrano (Norte) Compañía General de Ferrocarriles Ferrovías Retiro 1676mm FC General Bartolomeo Mitre Central Argentine Metrovías Federico Lacroze 1435mm FC General Urquiza Central Buenos Aires Metrovías Once 1676mm FC D F Sarmiento Buenos Aires Western Metrovías Buenos Aires 1000mm FC General Belgrano (Sur) Buenos Aires Provincial Trainmet Constitución 1676mm FC General Roca Buenos Aires Great Southern Trainmet (underground) 1435mm Subterráneos de Buenos Aires Anglo-Argentine Tramways Metrovías The three separate Retiro termini stand side by side near the estuary of the Rio de la Plata, closer together than Euston, St.Pancras and King's Cross, with buildings of contrasting architectural style and merit. Grandest and farthest from the shore is the station of the FC General Bartolomeo Mitre. From its huge train-shed, original Central Argentine three-car third-rail dc electric units still offer passengers a comfortable ride on inner suburban routes to Bartolomeo Mitre and Jose Suarez. These trains are now painted white, instead of the former dark chocolate that some of them still carried in 1988. Westwards from Maipú, beyond Bartolomeo Mitre, for 15.5km along the water's edge to Delta, the outer terminus near Tigre, a former 1676mm-gauge Central Argentine branch reopened for business on 20 April 1995 as a new 1435mm-gauge 1500V dc light-rail line, the Tren de la Costa, using nine new dark-green 30m-long articulated trams built by the Spanish manufacturer CAF (BLN 738.0273). On the 1435mm-gauge underground system, known as the Subte, old Anglo-Argentine Tramways wooden-bodied trains continue to run on Line A, a busy route electrified at 1100V dc overhead and opened in 1913, well worth riding just to see the polished-wood interiors, the forward view, and the roof-mounted train-stop equipment. Stock needs to run about 1km through the streets round tight curves to reach the depot, so finding suitable replacement cars may be difficult. Line B, with 550V dc third-rail, running from the central Plaza de Mayo out to Federico Lacroze, the somewhat remotely-sited terminus of the 1435mm-gauge FC General Urquiza, has second-hand Japanese cars fitted with unusual longitudinal sills about 50mm deep, filling the gap between the car-bodies and the platforms. Lines C, D and E all use 1500V dc overhead. Line E has a pre-metro light-rail extension out to a rather undesirable area of the city - where a BLN reporter was relieved of his camera, so caution is recommended. BLN 760.0364] (Belfast -) Bleach Green Jn - Antrim: (BLN 741.0316) Since gaining Government approval in November 1994 for the reopening of the line to passengers, NIR have commissioned consultants Oscar Faber TPA to examine the case for intermediate passenger stations. (Planning, 30 June 1995) The line is double on the 'Greenisland loop', the south-to-west curve, including a large viaduct, built as an unemployment-relief project and opened in 1934. Previously LMS (NCC) trains on the route had to reverse at Greenisland using an east-to-west curve, now vanished. Beyond Monkstown the line is single, with no functioning intermediate block-posts and some four non-automatic level-crossings requiring control by ground staff. The former Kingsbog Jn, where the Ballyclare line once diverged, still has a fine, but dilapidated and non-working, set of semaphore signals. With the opening of the Belfast Yorkgate - Lagan Jn cross-harbour link, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's Portrush Flyer excursion trains, based at their Whitehead depot on the Larne line, can now use the alternative route via Lisburn and Crumlin to Antrim, and are doing so in summer 1995, saving the cost of manning level-crossings between Bleach Green Jn and Antrim. (PSUL summer 1995, p.18, therefore requires amendment.) However the three days 21-23 July 1995, and perhaps also 25 June and 2 July, saw diversions of some Londonderry trains via Bleach Green during an engineering occupation between Botanic and Adelaide for work on the Belfast Great Victoria Street approaches. Even with its 64km/h speed limit, Belfast - Antrim via Bleach Green is still 15 minutes quicker than via Lisburn. BLN 760.0365][FR] Lille - Tourcoing tram: The diversion at the Tourcoing end is now in use and the old line has been lifted for much of the way. BLN 760.0366][FR] TGV Jonction: (BLN 745.04, 752.0143; Ball 25B3-25B2) In July 1995 SNCF were still not making full use of the double track on the high-speed line round the east and south-east of Paris. The northbound track has single-line working for much of its length. The new southbound track is very rusty in some places, but seems lightly used by works trains elsewhere. BLN 760.0367][FR] Gardanne - Brignoles - Carnoules: (BLN 750.0114; Ball 75B3-76B2) The Gardanne end was very overgrown and rusty when seen from the July Enfield Expeditions Picasso charter. A locomotive was said to have run right through from Carnoules to Gardanne in early July 1995, but the line is understood to be officially closed. By contrast the nearby Rognac - Aix-en-Provence freight-only line (75B3) was obviously well used. BLN 760.0368][FR] Toulon - Toulon Port: (Ball 76A2 not shown) Just east of Toulon station the short branch which turns off south to the harbour still seems to see occasional passenger use. On 15 July 1995, a rake of passenger stock topped and tailed by SNCF Class 67 locomotives was seen going on to the branch, and was said to be a special train returning from Lourdes with pilgrims to embark at Toulon for Sardegna. BLN 760.0369][FR] Cannes - Ranguin - Grasse: (BLN 715.03, 736.0201, 745.012, 751.0132; Ball 77A3) The summer 1995 timetabled service from Cannes to Ranguin is run by SNCF two-car diesel units on behalf of the municipality, as part of the Cannes-Le Cannet local transport system, charging the same flat fare as the local buses, currently FRF6.80. After leaving the Nice - Marseille main line west of Cannes, the gradients are steep, and starting from one of the intermediate stations seemed to require maximum power. Above Ranguin passenger station the rails were shiny as far as the CAAT car-delivery siding and for a few hundred metres beyond, then the remaining track was in place, walkable but out-of-use, rusty and overgrown all the way to Grasse (Gare Richelieu), closed to passengers in 1938 but visited by an Enfield Expeditions chartered Picasso railcar on 15 July 1995. The intermediate station at Mouans-Sartoux is intact and apparently about to be restored as a training workplace (chantier école). Plans to restore passenger services to Mouans-Sartoux or to Grasse, costed at FRF8-12 million, are not dead, according to a recent item in Connaissance du Rail, but the single track and the topography at Grasse - a town high on a hilltop with the station at the bottom - do not help the project. A funicular operated until shortly after passenger services ended, along with a tramway. Grasse is said to have been served by five different railway companies at one time, but it has been without any passenger rail service since 1944. BLN 760.0370][BE] Charleroi - Anderlues: (BLN 738.0255; 752.0146; Ball 8B1 not shown) On 6 August 1995 trams were continuing to run on both routes in Anderlues, route 89 terminating at Anderlues Jonction, next to the depot, and route 90 running direct to Anderlues Monument terminating just short of the crossroads there. The street between Jonction and Monument was totally blocked to through road traffic while the single metre-gauge tram-track, including a passing-loop midway, was in the course of being completely relaid down the middle of the street, inset in brand-new brick paving. Some weeks' work appeared to remain before it would be possible to run all the trams via Jonction to Monument and close the direct section. Halfway down the blocked street the trackless former railway station building is now a bar called, logically enough, À l'Ancienne Gare. The museum tram used on summer Sundays in 1994 on the Anderlues - Lobbes - Thuin line was silent in the deserted depot at Anderlues and showed no sign of operating that day. In a prolonged dry spell it was difficult to tell if track at Anderlues towards Lobbes, or between Lobbes and Thuin, had recently been used. In Charleroi itself trams work the Charleroi Sud - Gilly section of the so-called Métro, but with no street running, the route being all either elevated or sub-surface, constructed at great cost but less convenient for passengers. Mysterious tunnels, not yet in use, branch off in two or three places. The empty advertising panels at stations suggest poor ridership figures. BLN 760.0371][DE] Brandenburg: The summer 1995 DB timetable has brought a radical revision of local trains in the province of Brandenburg. Most lines have regular-interval services every hour or two hours. It seems likely that the pattern will remain stable for several years, apart from a few minor closures like Buckow, and some changes when the reconstructed cross-Berlin Stadtbahn reopens fully (BLN 742.0348). Especially benefitting is Templin, north of Berlin (Ball 20B2), at the intersection of the Templiner Kreuz secondary lines, Löwenberg - Templin - Prenzlau (KBS285) and Fürstenberg - Templin - Eberswalde (KBS286). Services on the four lines from the town used to be somewhat erratic, with poor connections, but now all have trains every two hours, and reasonable connections, though the down-side is that two of the lines have no trains at the weekend. Class 628 diesel units are increasingly used, replacing diesel locomotives and very basic carriages. The 628s now work across the frontier into Poland on the Frankfurt (Oder) - Küstrin-Kietz - Kostrzyn line (KBS297). Brandenburg's new stock and new timetables make a more marketable product. The neighbouring Länder of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Sachsen-Anhalt retain more of the flavour of the former DR, though some 628s work there too. BLN 760.0372][DE] Berlin - Jüterbog - Halle: (Ball 29A1) The north-to-south curve from Jüterbog Neues Lager to Dennewitz, avoiding Jüterbog station, has been disconnected at the south end, though in July 1995 it was still in place. Removal of the junction seems to have been done as part of upgrading work on the Berlin - Halle main line and is apparently permanent. BLN 760.0373][DE] Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkische Schweiz): (Ball 30A3) This 5km rural branch from Müncheberg, 48km east of Berlin on the line to the Polish border at Küstrin/Kostrzyn, is to lose its service from 29 October 1995, just short of its centenary. Opened in 1897 as the 750mm-gauge Buckower Kleinbahn, it was in 1930 converted to standard-gauge and electrified at 800V dc with simple tramway-type overhead wiring, but did not become part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn until 1950. Routine maintenance continued to be undertaken at Buckow, but main overhauls took place at Betriebswerkstatt Friedrichsfelde, a Berlin S-Bahn depot. The original electric cars were modernised by Bw Schöneweide in 1980, and are still at Buckow, but though the wiring remains in place, electric working ceased in 1992. Since May 1995 road buses have run the services until mid-morning and in the evening, and diesel railbus operation has been limited to a single shift, with the first and last journeys running through from and to Berlin-Lichtenberg. East of Strausberg, bumbling along a single track between banks of trees in a four-wheeled Ferkeltaxi, it is rather odd to reflect that this was once the proud Ostbahn to East Prussia, the longest main line in the Reich and the route of mighty expresses (BLN 728.077). At Müncheberg the railbus runs first to the main station then sets back to run, via connections to the goods yard, on to the branch. On a Sunday trip in early July 1995, the railbus was well-filled with Berliners on a day out in the countryside of the Märkische Schweiz, being entertained by the conductor's daughter, aged about 3, who had come to share her mother's shift. The sun shone, and everyone had a lovely day - but not one to be repeated next summer. BLN 760.0374][DE] Berlin U-Bahn: Schlesisches Tor - Warschauer Strasse: Work seems well advanced on reinstating this viaduct section east over the river Spree, which at this point was the boundary between East and West Berlin. The very ornate river bridge, with towers and mock battlements, is being restored and the former Warschauer Brücke station rebuilt in similar style. When the line reopens in September 1995, the new station is to be named Warschauer Strasse, the same as the nearby S-Bahn station. The line west from Schlesisches Tor to Hallesches Tor is closed for lengthy periods in summer 1995, apparently for strengthening work on the metal viaduct structures BLN 760.0375][DE] Berlin S-Bahn: (BLN 753.0186; Ball 32A2) The short Priesterweg - Lichterfelde Ost branch duly reopened at the May 1995 timetable change, with stations almost entirely reconstructed. South of Südende the single-track section across the Teltowkanal bridge extends through Lankwitz station. At Lichterfelde Ost the tracks continue a short distance south of the platforms as carriage sidings, but extension onward to Lichterfelde Süd and Teltow seems a longer-term proposition. S-Bahn Berlin GmbH is now giving priority to restoration of the Innenring and the lines out to Spandau and Hennigsdorf. Scheduled reopening dates are reported to be: Westend - (December 1996) - Jungfernheide - (December 1998) - Gesundbrunnen - (May 1999) - Schönhauser Allee Treptower Park - (1997) - Neukölln Westkreuz - (May 1997) - Charlottenburger Chaussee - (May 1999) - Spandau Tegel - (October 1998) - Hennigsdorf Meanwhile, reconstruction of the cross-Berlin Stadtbahn is well under way, leading to various temporary arrangements in summer 1995, including 'one-train-working' S-Bahn shuttle services between pairs of Stadtbahn stations at certain periods, extending journey times considerably. Allow plenty of time if making connections between Berlin-Zoo and Berlin-Lichtenberg. BLN 760.0376][DE] (Bebra -) Gerstungen - Förtha (- Eisenach): (BLN 717.09, 734.0164, 753.0191; Ball 40B1-41A1) The Förtha line was lifted at the Gerstungen end by 19 May 1995. It was built during the DDR period so that Gerstungen - Eisenach trains could avoid crossing into the West for a short distance at Herleshausen, but with reunification the line became redundant and traffic had ceased by end-May 1993. The original Herleshausen route was upgraded and electric services began in May 1995. BLN 760.0377][DE] (Koblenz -) Niederlahnstein - Limburg (Lahn): (Ball 48B3) In the Lahn valley, Bad Ems station is being relocated and rebuilt, and for about 1km the track is being moved 20m to the north. BLN 760.0378][DE][FR] New services and stations in Rheinland-Pfalz: (BLN 729.095, 743.0357; Ball 49A1-57A3) West of Mannheim, the Monsheim - Grünstadt section has reopened to passengers, with new stations at Hohensülzen, Bockenheim and Albsheim, and the already-reopened Eisenberg passenger branch has been extended to run Grünstadt - Eisenberg (Pfalz) - Ramsen. Nearby, new stations have opened at Alzey Süd, 1km south of Alzey (49A1); at Herxheim-Amberg, south of Kirchheim (57A3); and at Böbig, between Mussbach and Neustadt (Weinstrasse) Hbf (57A3). At Bad Dürkheim (57A3) the station is being moved 200m to the east, because of a new road crossing the railway at right angles, which will separate the new island platform from the present station building. Winden - Bad Bergzabern and Winden - Kapsweyer DB - Wissembourg SNCF (BLN 756.0282; Ball 57A2) are likely to have passenger services restored from the September 1995 timetable change. BLN 760.0379][AT] Wien Meidling - Wien Nord - Floridsdorf - Süssenbrunn: (Ball 77A2-77B1) Raising the bridge carrying the Wien Süd - Stadlau Ostbahn over the river Donau required an engineering diversion lasting from 1 July to 3 August 1995. On 16 July the 09:15 Wien Süd - Warszawa train duly set off from the westward-facing platforms at the Südbahnhof and reversed at Meidling, crossing to the S-Bahn lines to run back through Südbahnhof low-level and Wien Nord. BLN 760.0380][CH] Lausanne - Echallens - Bercher: (BLN 746.041; Ball 91A1) The first section of the LEB's new underground approach to central Lausanne opened for the first train on 27 May 1995, and the 'temporary' surface terminus at Lausanne-Chauderon (built 1873!) was dewired on 29 May. Work continues to extend the metre-gauge LEB to Place du Flon, where it will interchange with the Métro-Gare, Métro-Ouchy and Métro-Ouest lines. (Light Rail & Modern Tramway, August 1995) BLN 761.0381] Belfast Central - Belfast Yorkgate - Larne: (BLN 741.0315, 754.0211) The new Lagan link is treated as a continuation of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, and is measured from Dublin. The figures below update the milepost distances in Railway Lines of CIE and NIR (Doyle & Hirsch, 1985), and follow the NIR working timetable in using miles and decimals rather than miles and chains. miles km equivalent Belfast Central 113.5 182.661 Lagan Jn 113.75 183.063 Donegall Quay 114.25 183.868 Yorkgate 114.75 184.672 Beyond Yorkgate, the LMS Northern Counties Committee mileages, measured from zero at York Road, continue to apply. To calculate cumulative mileages across Yorkgate, 114.75 is added to the former NCC miles, although York Road depot itself is quoted as 115.0 miles from Dublin. The entries in the current working timetable suggest that the singling of the Larne line northeast of Kilroot (12.25 milepost, beyond the former halt) is permanent rather than temporary. BLN 761.0382][FR] Neussargues - Bort-les-Orgues: (BLN 736.0198; Ball 54A2-55A1) After closure, track was left in place against the possibility of reopening for tourist purposes. During 1994, road improvements at Riom-ès-Montagnes obstructed three level-crossings, but the local authority agreed to reinstate the rails if necessary. (L'Écho du Rail, #143, March 1995) BLN 761.0383][FR, DE] More France-Germany passenger re-openings?: Manufacturers Neoplan and De Dietrich, in association with local bus operator Südbaden Bus, are planning a new light railcar, the Eurailbus, to be used on lines in Alsace and Baden if their consortium can secure a European grant. Lines in mind for experimental services include Mulhouse - Chalampé SNCF - Neuenburg DB - Freiburg (BLN 756.0277) and Colmar - Neuf Brisach SNCF - Breisach DB - Freiburg (BLN 756.0283). On the latter route, the small matter of replacing a Rhein bridge destroyed in 1945 would have to be addressed. (L'Écho du Rail, #144, April 1995) BLN 761.0384][DE] Berlin Ostkreuz: (Ball 32A2) The west-to-north Warschauer Strasse - Frankfurter Allee curve does not avoid Ostkreuz station, and indeed the two morning S10 trains starting from Warschauer Strasse, mentioned in BLN 757.0301 as using the chord, are advertised in KBS201.10 to call at the platform there. A platform for the north-to-west direction remains, but passenger access to it from the remainder of the station has been removed, and north-to-west trains did not call even when the chord last had a regular service. This unusual practice is mirrored on the other side of the station, for while south-to-west trains from Treptower Park to Warschauer Strasse call at Ostkreuz, the west-to-south platform has no passenger access, and trains in that direction in KBS201.9 do not call. BLN 761.0385][DE] (Leipzig -) Grossbothen - Rochlitz (Sachsen) - Glauchau (Sachsen): (Ball 43A2; KBS526) The Muldetalbahn had begun using Class 628 units before the bridge works and the diversion described in BLN 757.0303. A regular-interval service, slightly faster than before, began from 24 October 1994. The spelling of Rochlitz (Sachs) is corrected above. BLN 761.0386][DE] Tuttlingen - Beuron - Sigmaringen: (BLN 735.0182; Ball 68B2-69A2; KBS755) HL trains along the scenic Donau river valley through the Naturpark Obere Donau have run in addition to DB's ordinary trains on summer Sundays and public holidays since at least summer 1993. The service, operated by Hohenzollerische Landesbahn AG for the local authority, Landkreis Tuttlingen, goes under the title of Naturpark Express, in 1995 at least, and has as before a mention in the Kursbuch. HL trains, unlike DB ones, call at the 'closed' stations shown in Ball, which remain in use as DB signal-boxes. Halts and stations not used by DB on the 14km stretch between Tuttlingen and Beuron have also been (re)opened in recent years for HL's Monday-to-Friday local trains, but a Saturday service advertised in 1993-94 had vanished by 1994-95. The first morning and last evening trains run from and to HL's Sigmaringen base. The station named 'Tal' in Ball is properly Hausen im Tal. BLN 761.0387][DE] Ebingen - Onstmettingen: (Ball 69A3; KBS767) The Talgangbahn, an 8km standard-gauge branch, is operated by Württembergische Eisenbahn GmbH (WEG) with three rather dilapidated railcars, running as a set, working out and back from a depot at Onstmettingen, the end distant from the DB. At Ebingen, the trains use an unmarked platform immediately outside the DB station. The line runs half-way up the eastern side of a river valley with houses and light industry below and forestry on the higher slopes. Although sidings exist, a July 1995 journey showed no sign of any freight traffic, apart from a tank wagon of fuel, apparently for WEG's own railcars and buses, hauled by the afternoon train. Saturday workings are curiously still set out in the bus-and-train timetable leaflet issued by the local authority, but WEG's own station notices confirm the 1995-96 Kursbuch in showing only a very limited Mondays-to-Fridays schooldays-only train service, which caters for two distinct school-traffic flows: juniors to Tailfingen and seniors to Ebingen. Connecting bus times (service 44 from or to Ebingen Busbahnhof) may be helpful to potential visitors, who are warned that the station at Onstmettingen is at the southern end of the village. In addition to the timings below a short round-trip runs from Onstmettingen to Tailfingen Schulzentrum, advertised at 11:36, but actually leaving about 10 minutes earlier, and returning to Onstmettingen in time for the 11:47 departure. Presumably an unadvertised empty working from Ebingen off the 07:21 arrival must also run. Bus Bus Train Ebingen 06:22 11:20 12:09 Onstmettingen 06:40 11:40 12:33 Train Train Bus Onstmettingen 07:01 11:47 12:56 Ebingen 07:21 12:06 13:18 BLN 761.0388][AT][CH] Lustenau - Rheindamm: A joint Austrian-Swiss administrative body maintains the banks of the river Rhein where it flows north into the Bodensee (Lake Constance) between Austria to the east and Switzerland to the west. The Dienstbahn der Internationalen Rheinregulierung comprises some 30km of 750mm-gauge railway for conveying materials, principally stone from a quarry at the south end of the line, Steinbruch Kadelberg. The main line has overhead electrification, but the locomotives are electro-diesels for working into non-electrified sidings. Since 1992 or so passenger trains have operated, usually with a small steam locomotive. All the advertised trips seem to be over the section of about 7km on the Austrian side between Lustenau depot and the river mouth at Rheindamm - usually in connection with the restored paddle-steamer Hohentwiel, whose operating base is at nearby Hard in Austria. Charters, including an IBSE trip on 10 June 1995, have however covered the line to the quarry. The railway has two bridges over the Rhein: a private one near Kriessern, with a locked gate in the middle to prevent unauthorised transit between the two countries, and another at Widnau-Wiesenrain, where it shares a road bridge. North of the latter bridge, it has lines on both banks. The line on the Swiss side has been out of use since mid-1993 and will remain so until early 1997 while work is concentrated on the Austrian bank. On the Austrian side the line as far north as the main depot at Lustenau is always active, but north of there it will be closed, at least for engineering materials, from the end of 1996 when work transfers back to the Swiss side for a period. A line on the Swiss bank, south from the Kriessern bridge, was closed in 1979. BLN 761.0389][AT] Marchtrenk - Traun (- Linz): (BLN 736.0216, 753.0198; Ball 73B3 not shown; McDougall p.32; KBS14a) The new passenger trains on the ÖBB cut-off south-west of Linz leave and join the Westbahn by a ladder connection at the east end of Marchtrenk station, at which they call. They do not use the freight line and flyover west of there. A June 1995 journey in each direction confirmed that the new line has a section of single track and two tunnels, and that the triangular junction at the east end is entirely between Traun and Ansfelden stations. BLN 761.0390][ES] Palma de Mallorca - Inca: At the beginning of 1994 a local organisation, SFM (Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca), took over this line from FEVE, the central government's narrow-gauge railway organisation. Four new two-car diesel units were ordered from Spanish builder CAF to come into service from May 1995. (L'Écho du Rail, #144, April 1995) The metre-gauge line, the surviving 29km part of a much more extensive island system, was once the same gauge as - and had a connection across the street to - its Palma neighbour, the 914mm-gauge 28km Palma - Sóller electrified line through the mountains. BLN 761.0391][CH] Porrentruy - Boncourt: (BLN 753.0200; Ball 86A2-85B2) The prediction that the service would be cut back to two round-trips daily, worked by the Chemins de fer du Jura instead of the CFF, has not materialised, according to the Indicateur Officiel Suisse for 1995-96. BLN 761.0392][HU] Hungarian closures: Since 1991 MÁV have closed to passengers the two short sections from Mátranovák Homoktereneye to Mátramindszent (Ball 43A1) and Tamási to Keszöhidegkút Gyönk (47A2). Reportedly already threatened and reprieved once, the line from Szilvásvárad to Putnok (43A1; table 87) looked on a June 1995 visit a good example of a candidate for closure, with meagre traffic and poor prospects in dramatic but remote terrain. The nearby avoiding chord at Bánréve (BLN 757.0310; Ball 43A1) is still in use for freight. The 1995 list of threatened lines seems to have been the railway's response to the government asking it to live on less subsidy, but as elsewhere ministers become less radical once the political implications of specific closures begin to be discussed in public, and the list may well be tackled slowly and piecemeal. Traffic levels on some sections of lines on the list (and indeed on other sections not on the list) suggest that they should have closed years ago, yet some lines on the list appear to be reasonably well used. Not all the narrow-gauge lines are at greater risk than the standard-gauge, for the country is beginning to appreciate their tourist potential, and the occasional nosztalgiavonat gözvontatással (= nostalgia train with steam traction) is shown in the timetable. Alas, some are merely pathways for special charter or excursion trains (külön rendeletre) rather than definite services. However, the local contributions to nostalgia were alive and steaming well on the Balatonfenyves system (BLN 743.0367; Ball 47A2; table 39), while in contrast diesel locotractors were hauling the normal passenger trains. BLN 761.0393][MY] Kuala Lumpur light rail: Taylor Woodrow and AEG have a £420M contract to build a light rail line in the Malaysian capital in time for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. (Northern Echo, 4 August 1995) BLN 761.0394][CA] Vancouver - Coquitlam - Mission BC: (BLN 752.0168, 759.0361) The old Vancouver CP station at track level - at present a freight shunting yard - is long gone, though the above-tracks facilities still provide the terminal for the SeaBus ferry service. The original Canadian Pacific main line from Vancouver CP out to Coquitlam had ceased to be used by passenger trains rather earlier than 1990. Immediately prior to January 1990, VIA Rail's eastbound Canadian left from Vancouver CN station, taking a Burlington Northern line, also used by CN, as far as CP Jn at Sapperton or Fraser Mills, near New Westminster, where it took a CP branch to reach the CP main line at Coquitlam. Since January 1990, when VIA switched the Canadian to the CN route for most of its transcontinental run, the eastbound train has run as before to Coquitlam, then out on the CP main to a relatively recent junction at Matsqui, near Mission, where it crosses from CP to CN. This route is understood to be the one still used in each direction by VIA, and by the Rocky Mountaineer tourist trains. The closed section actually being reopened to passenger trains in November 1995 is thus shorter than reported (Vancouver CP - Coquitlam rather than Vancouver - Mission), but it has been out of passenger use for rather longer than was implied. BLN 762.0395] Belfast Great Victoria Street: (BLN 741.0317) NIR's total of five junctions - Coleraine, Antrim, Lisburn, Lagan and Bleach Green - will increase by three with the reopening of Great Victoria Street at the end of September 1995. Central Jn, Westlink Jn and City Jn form the southern, northern and eastern corners of the triangle on the approach to Belfast's city-centre terminus. Central Jn was first opened in 1875 by the Belfast Central Railway and was then known as Ulster Jn, being the point where the new BCR line diverged from the Ulster Railway's line from Lisburn. Up to 18 trains a day ran from the Ulster Junction passenger interchange station eastward on the BCR via Botanic Road, later Windsor, station (between the Lisburn Road tunnel and Botanic Avenue, west of the present Botanic station) and Ormeau station (on Ormeau Road near Havelock House) to terminate at the BCR's Queen's Bridge station (now the site of Oxford Street bus station). In 1876 the Ulster Railway became part of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland, which in 1885 bought the BCR and closed its passenger service later that year. Ulster Jn became Central Jn, and kept that title till it ceased to be a junction when the BCR closed to all traffic in 1965. Westlink Jn takes its name from the nearby Westlink road, and City Jn is close to the present City Hospital station. The north-to-east curve linking them, the Blythefield curve, has never previously existed, despite having been shown on some maps of Belfast since 1875. (NIR Summer Staff Lines, 1995) BLN 762.0396][FR] Longwy - Saulnes - Hussigny-Godbrange - Villerupt: (Ball 17B1-18A1) Since 1980 freight has worked only the first 6km to Saulnes, very close to the Luxembourg border. In January 1995, the final 1.5km there was abandoned and replaced by a new spur direct into factory-estate private sidings. The 15km section east of Saulnes to Villerupt was déclassée on 17 October 1994, as was 0.865km at Villerupt of the 17km Audun-le-Roman - Tiercelet-Villers-la-Montagne - Villerupt branch. This line also serves an industrial estate, at Tiercelet-Villers-la-Montagne, but the section beyond was out of use by 1989 and officially closed 27 May 1989. The closed sections of both lines were already shown as lifted on an IGN topographical map of 1990. (L'Écho du Rail, #139, December 1994, #144, April 1995) BLN 762.0397][FR] Malesherbes - Pithiviers: (Ball 25B1-25A1, not shown) Closed to passengers as long ago as 4 November 1969, this line has no service, but is retained for possible emergency use. In January 1995 the Loiret Chamber of Commerce proposed reopening. (L'Écho du Rail, #144, April 1995) BLN 762.0398][FR] Épinal - Remiremont: (Ball 29A1-40A3) Passenger services still run south to terminate at Remiremont, where the remaining active pointwork is at the north end but the sole operational signal-box is beyond the south end of the station. Two branches heading southeastwards up into the Vosges mountains used to leave Remiremont as parallel single tracks, but are either severed or overgrown there. When Remiremont - Vagney - Cornimont and Remiremont - Bussang (BLN 723.024; Ball 40A3-40B3; 24km and 33km respectively) both closed to passengers on 28 May 1989, the only freight traffic continuing was over the 9km from Remiremont to Vagney, but this section was formally déclassée on 11 July 1994. (L'Écho du Rail, #135, August 1994) BLN 762.0399][FR] Chinon - Loudun - Arçay - Thouars: (Ball 34B1-44A3) In February 1995 Thouars town council opened discussions with SNCF with a view to reopening this line, which closed to passengers 31 May 1970. Arçay - Thouars closed completely 1 February 1971, but this section reopened for freight 28 January 1992, and the whole line is again in use for freight. It has had a succession of operators: SNCF until 31 January 1971; CFD for SNCF until 31 December 1971; SNCF themselves again until March 1989 and then TVT (Train à Vapeur de Touraine) (BLN 750.0109). Also included in the municipal plans for reopening is the Thouars - Parthenay - Niort line (BLN 753.0175). (L'Écho du Rail, #145, May 1995) BLN 762.0400][FR] Bollwiller - Guebwiller - Heissenstein - Lautenbach: (Ball 41A3) The 14km Lautenbach branch closed to passengers 17 March 1969, to freight beyond Heissenstein 5 July 1971, and completely in August 1992. A preservation group (Florirail, 4 rue des Boulangers, F-68500 Guebwiller, France) proposes operations on the 7km Bollwiller - Guebwiller section. (L'Écho du Rail, #144, April 1995) BLN 762.0401][FR] Salbris - Gièvres - Luçay-le-Mâle - Argy - Buzançais: (Ball 36A1-35B1-45B3) The metre-gauge Chemin de Fer du Blanc à l'Argent, operated for SNCF by a local company, continues its unremarked rural existence. Railcars run the 67km between Salbris and Luçay-le-Mâle, working to a complex timetable that needs a calendar to interpret. Passenger services between Luçay-le-Mâle and Buzançais ceased with effect from 28 September 1980. A local group, the Societé des Amis du Blanc à l'Argent (SABA, Mairie, F-36180 Heugnes, France), hope to begin tourist operations on the 28km section south from Luçay-le-Mâle to Argy, disused since freight ceased in 1988. The silos at Argy are now served by 7km of the former CFBA, regauged and reopened in June 1992 as a long standard-gauge siding worked from the Buzançais end (BLN 715.01). (partly from L'Écho du Rail, #146, June 1995) BLN 762.0402][FR] Veynes-Dévoluy - Aix-en-Provence - Marseille: (Ball 66A3-76B2) From February 1995 block trains of timber from Gap have commenced over the section north of Sisteron, which had no normal freight traffic. (L'Écho du Rail, #143, March 1995) BLN 762.0403][FR] (Miramas -) Rassuen - Port-St.Louis-du-Rhône / Bac de Barcarin: (BLN 755 supplement; Ball 75A2) In 1980 the line from Rassuen (bifurcation de Lavalouc) to Fos-Graveleau (Môle Minéralier) acquired a new northeast-to-southwest branch to serve Port-St.Louis-du-Rhône, and the earlier route from Arles via Mas-Thibert to Port-St.Louis was severed in December 1982. Where the new link joined the original line, some 5km north of Port-St.Louis itself, a private siding continues southwestward for about 2km to cross the 200m-wide mouth of the river Rhône by the Bac de Barcarin. This short train-ferry route (bac = ferry) has two vessels, each capable of carrying two wagons, although only one vessel is in use at any one time, the other being in reserve or under repair. The ferry system was introduced on 23 June 1958 to convey loaded salt wagons from the works of the Compagnie des Salins du Midi at Salin-de-Giraud, replacing the Chemin de Fer de la Camargue whose narrow-gauge line on the west side of the river had linked the works to Arles, where salt used to be transhipped into standard-gauge wagons. A principal destination for the salt is St.Auban, and the returning empty train, running each Saturday from St.Auban via Pertuis, Cavaillon (reverse) and Miramas (66A1-75B3-65A1-75A2) was pictured in L'Écho du Rail in March 1995 comprising some twenty wagons headed by no fewer than five SNCF BB66xxx class diesel locomotives! (L'Écho du Rail, #143, March 1995; CF Regionaux et Urbains, #212, 1989; La Vie du Rail, 23 Nov. 1980) BLN 762.0404][BE] Belgian preservation operations in 1995: Timings for the trains of the Belgische Vrienden van de Stoomlokomotief (BVS) on the Dendermonde - Puurs line (Ball 8A3) appear in the NMBS/SNCB timetable, p.372, and Vennbahn trains over the Eupen - Raeren - Weywertz - Trois Ponts and Eupen - Raeren - Weywertz - Bütgenbach sections (10A2-9B1) are on p.290. No services on the Raeren SNCB - Stolberg (Rheinland) DB line appear. Aggregates traffic continues to use the Mariembourg - Chimay - Momignies - Anor SNCF line (16B3-16A3), worked by SNCB diesel locos to the interchange point with SNCF at Anor, but the Chemin de Fer à Vapeur des Trois Vallées (CFV3V) offer no regular service on it in 1995, as on some weekends in previous years. Given 14 days' notice, they will organise a railcar charter, apparently as far as Chimay only, but no specials on the line are promised for the weekend of the CFV3V steam festival at Mariembourg on 23-24 September. CFV3V trains run between Mariembourg and Treignes (16B3), daily until the end of August, then each weekend until 29 October, and between Dinant SNCB and Givet SNCF (17A3-16B3) each weekend until 17 September, with timings in the SNCB timetable, pp.510 and 528. Not shown in Ball, the isolated Pont d'Erezée - Forge-à-l'Aplez - Dochamps section of metre-gauge former Vicinal line operates Sundays from mid-April to mid-October, and Tuesdays to Sundays during most of July and August, as the Tramway Touristique de l'Aisne (TTA, Dépôt de Blier, rue du TTA, B-6997 Amonines-Erezée, Belgium; telephone +32 41 84 42 97 weekdays or +32 86 47 72 69 weekends and operating days). The section between Forge-à-l'Aplez and Dochamps has one advertised round-trip working, running on Sunday afternoons only and not in poor weather. The final trip to Dochamps has no advertised return, but it must presumably run back to Blier depot, near Pont d'Erezée. Some trains run only if a minimum of six round-trip passengers board at Pont d'Erezée. The TTA is part of the erstwhile SNCV line that reached Manhay, whose former Vicinal station is well preserved alongside the N30 Liège - Bastogne road. Behind it some metre-gauge track survives inside the former sheds or workshops, though not in the part still used by the ex-SNCV buses. BLN 762.0405][DE] Niebüll - Westerland (Sylt): (Ball 9B3-9A3; KBS130) The first railway on the German holiday island of Sylt was the 5km narrow-gauge Sylter Inselbahn, opened in 1880 to link Westerland, the main town, with Munkmarsch on the eastern coast. In the early 1900s longer lines were built, running the length of the island. Westerland to Hörnum, at the south end, opened in 1901 and a line to the north reached Kampen in 1903 and List in 1908. After closure in 1970, much has been converted into footpath. In 1913 the Prussian State Railway was first authorised to build a main-line railway from the Hamburg - Esbjerg line at Niebüll via a causeway to Sylt, but war delayed the work. The line opened from Niebüll to Klanxbüll, near the mainland coast, on 1 November 1922 and passenger services across the 10km rail-only causeway - the Hindenburgdamm - to Westerland began on 1 June 1927. Even today Sylt has no road to the mainland. Though a car-ferry runs to List from the Danish island of Rømø, itself connected to the mainland by a road causeway, the principal means of road-vehicle access to Sylt is across the Hindenburgdamm on trains shuttling between Niebüll and Westerland. These Autozüge comprise a mix of double-deck car-carriers and flat wagons for lorries and large vehicles. Passengers remain with their vehicles, and crossing the Hindenburgdamm on a stormy winter evening must be a memorable experience. The DB timetable shows an approximately hourly service, but trains run more frequently at busy times, especially at summer weekends. Several operating constraints remain. The line is not electrified and Kiel-based Class 218 diesel locomotives operate singly on local trains and in pairs on InterCity services and Autozüge. The 13km from Niebüll to Klanxbüll is single track, with a passing-loop at Lehnshallig. The section including the Hindenburgdamm is double track, but the final 8km from Morsum (Sylt) to Westerland is again single. In the middle of the Hindenburgdamm a lonely signal-box breaks an otherwise lengthy section, providing a somewhat unusual workplace. Semaphore signals are used throughout. In summer 1995 DB's bargain weekend tickets and the exceptionally long spell of fine weather have attracted large crowds to Sylt by ordinary passenger trains, and double-deck carriages have been brought in to provide extra capacity, examples from Rostock, Magdeburg and Zwickau being seen in service. BLN 762.0406][DE] Niebüll - Dagebüll Mole: (Ball 9B3; KBS136) Operated by Nordfriesische Verkehrsbetriebe AG, the 14km branch celebrates its centenary in 1995. Once metre-gauge but now standard, its several sharp curves betray its origins. The railway links the DB main line at Niebüll with Dagebüll Mole, the pier from which ferries sail to the North Frisian islands of Föhr and Amrum. DB and NVAG have separate stations in Niebüll, with a headshunt connection between them, used several times a day by through carriages detached from DB InterCity trains. These trains are worked by NVAG's diesel locomotive, a modest ABB/Henschel machine or by a DB shunting locomotive if that is not available. An elderly railbus is used on other passenger workings, but is soon to be replaced by a new one, based on ÖBB Class 5047. Despite its through carriages to Berlin and Frankfurt-am-Main, the branch has a distinctly agricultural air as it winds across the marshes. BLN 762.0407][DE][DK] (Hamburg -) Neumünster - Flensburg DB (- Padborg DSB): (Ball 10B1-10A3) Work on electrification was well advanced by August 1995. The main remaining gap in the wires is at Rendsburg, where the line crosses the Nord-Ostsee Kanal (the Kiel ship canal between the North Sea and the Baltic) by a long high bridge, the Rendsburger Hochbrücke, whose dramatic spiral approach was necessary to gain height to clear the masts of sailing-ships. From 28 May to 23 September 1995 the line over the bridge has been reduced to single track while engineering work was taking place, limiting capacity and requiring half the Kiel - Rendsburg (- Husum) local rail service to be replaced by buses. Considerable simplification of the track layout seems to have taken place in the goods yards at Flensburg Weiche. Wiring extends onwards from Flensburg via Harrislee DB to Padborg, but it is not clear where it will change from the German 15kV 16²/3Hz to the Danish 25kV 50Hz electrification. The Neumünster - Kiel line is also being electrified and installations at Kiel appear complete. BLN 762.0408][DE] Bad Doberan - Ostseebad Kühlungsborn West: (Ball 12A1; KBS157) Famous for its long street-running section with steam haulage, and known affectionately as the Molli, this 15km DB line - which shares its unusual 900mm gauge with Lisboa's trams - is being privatised. A newly formed company, Küstenbus GmbH, with local-authority support, is to run the trains from 1 October 1995. (Op de Rails, June 1995) BLN 762.0409][DE] Murnau - Oberammergau: (BLN 750.0121; Ball 70B1-71A1) Service on the branch was suddenly suspended - on 26 July 1995 according to some DB publicity quoted in OEIS9560, though it is thought this date may not be correct. The Class 141 electric locomotives have been too heavy for the track, and the line had deteriorated badly before recent hot weather caused unacceptable distortion. Oberammergau is a major tourist destination, and DB intend to reinstate the service as soon as they can deploy suitable rolling-stock. München S-Bahn units cannot work to stations with low platforms. No Class 628 diesel units are spare, for a number are under repair after accident damage. No Class 796 or 798 railbuses are available, and München area staff are not trained to drive or to maintain the ex-DR Class 771 or 772 variety. DB even considered bringing the line's former locomotives back from the museum. Favoured solution is to deploy two Karlsruhe tram-style light-rail units. The Oberammergau branch was opened in 1900 by the Lokalbahn AG München and electrified in 1905 at 5.5kV 16²/3Hz, five two-axle locomotives, not all to the same design, being acquired between 1905 and 1930. In 1955 line and locomotives were converted to the standard German 15kV 16²/3Hz system. BLN 762.0410][DE, CH] Singen DB - Etzwilen SBB: (BLN 723.039; Ball 88B3) Reassessment of the state of the bridge over the river Rhein at Hermishofen suggests it could be used for another twenty years, so the planned closure of this non-electrified freight-only link may be reviewed. (Eisenbahn Amateur, May 1995) BLN 762.0411][CH] (Olten -) Aarau - Rupperswil (- Zürich): (Ball 87A2) Aarau SBB has new platforms, and quadrupling east of the station, part of the Bahn 2000 project, was in place, awaiting electrification of the new tracks in July 1995. Sunday and most off-peak trains have been withdrawn, so the Aarau - Suhr - Zofingen passenger service (87A2-87A1) may be threatened, but freight seems healthy, with considerable Migros supermarket traffic at Suhr SBB, and a Toyota car-distribution centre at Oberentfelden. BLN 762.0412][CH] Nyon - St.Cergue - La Cure: (Ball 90B1-90A1) A 'train+boat' day-excursion ticket sold by the CF Nyon-St.Cergue-Morez has proved popular with French summer tourists, boarding at the Swiss frontier village station of La Cure, now the northern terminus, for Nyon, then crossing Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) to Yvoire, on the southern shore in France, returning in the evening. Groups have numbered up to 250 people. (Eisenbahn Amateur, May 1995) BLN 762.0413][CH] Bière - Apples - Morges: (BLN 758.0333; Ball 90B1) The BAM celebrated its centenary on 1-2 July 1995, with an Apples - L'Isle-Mont-La-Ville steam service, free travel on both branches, an open day at Bière workshops and a festival at Apples. Comprehensive rebuilding at Morges (BLN 746.040) has realigned both the metre-gauge BAM and the standard-gauge CFF tracks. The three-rail mixed-gauge tracks have been removed, but a track remains for loading standard-gauge wagons, including those carrying military traffic, on to metre-gauge Rollschemel transporters. The new platform 4-5 has solar panelling in the roof which is said to feed power back into the 15kV 16²/3Hz overhead. BLN 762.0414][CH] Brig - Visp - Zermatt: (BLN 758.0337; Ball 100A3) To serve a shopping-centre just east of Visp, BVZ have opened a new halt at Eyholz, where metre-gauge regional trains call between 08:00 and 18:00. (Eisenbahn Amateur, May 1995) BLN 762.0415][HR][BA] Zagreb - Karlovac - Oštarije - Knin - Split: (BLN 752.0167; Ball 46A1-51A3) Recent events in ex-Yugoslavia have underlined the remark quoted in The Guardian on 27 July 1995 that "the battle .... is not only for territory but for railway lines". Croatia's occupation of its Krajina area, and expulsion of the Serb population, has enabled the Croats to reopen the railway linking the capital, Zagreb, through the Krajina, via the key junction of Knin, to the coast at Split. Conversely, the continuing occupation of the Bihac corner of Bosnia by Muslim forces with Croatian help has prevented Bosnian Serbs using the north-to-south Bosanski Novi - Bihac - Knin line as a through route towards the Krajina. BLN 762.0416][CA] Montréal - Deux Montagnes: Extensive reconstruction of this suburban route, including replacement of 2400V dc wiring and elderly box-cab locomotives by new 25kV 60Hz equivalents led to its temporary closure since 5 June, but it should reopen in September 1995. (Op de Rails, June 1995) BLN 763.0417][IE] Limerick - Ennis: (BLN 758.0318) On weekdays the 10:36 Ballybrophy - Nenagh - Limerick train, timed to arrive in Limerick at 11:56, then forms the 12:10 Limerick - Ennis, returning from Ennis at 14:00. On Sundays, the 15:28 Limerick Jn - Limerick, a push-pull set, runs forward as the 16:10 Limerick - Ennis, returning as the 17:20 from Ennis. On Sunday 20 August 1995, the train's public-address system announced that the 15:28 departure from Limerick Jn was for Limerick and Ennis. BLN 763.0418][FR] Colmar - Neuf-Brisach - Volgelsheim - Baltzenheim - Marckolsheim: (BLN 703.02; Ball 41A3-30A1) As well as the trains of the CF Touristique du Rhin north of Volgelsheim, this freight line serves an enormous car terminal, and an anonymous but modern industrial plant, together with a number of private sidings in the Baltzenheim area. The railborne car traffic appears to be inwards to the branch, for a regular flow of loaded car-transporter lorries sets off across the border into Germany. BLN 763.0419][BE] Brussel-Nationaal-Luchthaven/Bruxelles-National-Aéroport: (Ball 10B2; Lijn/Ligne 36c) NMBS/SNCB has let a construction contract, to be completed by the end of 1997, for a new railway to Belgium's main airport using an alignment suitable for incorporation into the planned high-speed line to Antwerpen and the Netherlands border. The new airport platforms are to be at right angles to those on the present dead-end branch, which will close. (Le Soir) BLN 763.0420][BE] Marbehan - Croix-Rouge: (BLN 716.08; Ball 17B2; Ligne 155) This freight branch off the Namur - Luxembourg line used to extend to Virton, and on to Montmédy in France. Its truncated remnant had been threatened with closure, but is to be extended to serve a water-bottling plant. BLN 763.0421][NL] Leeuwarden - Groningen: (Ball 2A3) Work is to start in November 1995 on doubling the track between Veenwouden and Grijpskerk, completion being due in 1998. This will enable additional fast trains to run between Leeuwarden and Groningen, cutting about 15 minutes off the present schedule. BLN 763.0422][DE] Bonn-Beuel - Hangelar: (Ball 36B1) The Rhein Sieg Eisenbahn, a private freight line connecting with DB at Bonn-Beuel goods yard, has siding connections to several factories on the east side of Bonn. No regular traffic passes at present, though there are hopes that it may resume. A special passenger service operated on 8-12 September 1995, in connection with the Pützchens Markt, a large fair at Bonn-Holzlar. Railbuses were provided by the Köln-Bonner Eisenbahnfreunde. BLN 763.0423][DE] (Koblenz -) Niederlahnstein - Limburg (Lahn): (BLN 760.0377; Ball 48B3) The station being slightly relocated is Bad Ems West, rather than the larger Bad Ems main station. A new underbridge is being built alongside and to the north of the old one, with a minor realignment of the double track, and new platforms. Only the westbound platform was in use on 18 August 1995, and single-line working was still in force on the 2km section from west of Bad Ems West to west of Bad Ems main station. BLN 763.0424][DE] Aschaffenburg - Miltenberg - Wertheim and Miltenberg - Seckach: (Ball 51A1-58A3; KBS802, 709) The first railway to Miltenberg was the branch south from Aschaffenburg, which opened on 12 November 1876 to a station on the south side of the river Main, near the town centre. A branch south from Miltenberg to Amorbach opened on 15 April 1880, later connecting at Walldürn with the line to Seckach. The third and final railway in the town opened on 21 May 1906, eastwards to Stadtprozelten, and was extended in 1912 to Wertheim. At the point where the Aschaffenburg and Amorbach lines converge at an east-facing junction, the Wertheim line diverged at a west-facing junction to cross to the north bank of the river, away from the line to the original terminus, which Wertheim trains were therefore unable to use without reversal. Later, a new station was built on the Wertheim line, and the original terminus closed to passenger traffic, but it remains in use for goods traffic, and the substantial stone buildings survive in remarkably good condition. The present passenger station appears to date from the 1960s and is quite modest by comparison. All three lines into the town retain passenger services. Many trains remain locomotive-hauled though most are locals. Class 628 diesel units do work some services on the Aschaffenburg line, plus semi-fast services via Wertheim to Ulm. BLN 763.0425][DE] Grünstadt - Eisenberg (Pfalz) - Ramsen: (BLN 760.0378; Ball 57A3) Eisenberg still has some freight traffic, but the single line onward to Ramsen was totally out of use before its recent passenger reopening. Ramsen, a fair-sized village, now has a low platform, a shelter and a car-park, all just short of the original station, in private residential use. No sidings remain, but a rusty single track continues westwards into undergrowth, and may be in place right through to Enkenbach. Reopening of this section, over a forested and thinly-populated watershed seems unlikely. BLN 763.0426][DE] Grünstadt - Bad Durkheim: (BLN 760.0378; Ball 57A3) The correct name of the new station south of Kirchheim is Herxheim an der Berg. It has a single platform adjacent to a level-crossing, a smart new shelter, a car-park and a bus-stop, but the village it serves is a 1km uphill walk from the line, and no other passenger joined or left either of the two trains used by BLN's reporter on 5 August 1995. At Bad Durkheim station, trains were using the outer end of the southern island platform, and the tracks were severed while a concrete-walled subway was being built for a new road to pass beneath them. The railway was thus only temporarily cut, and the full length of the lines in the station is now back in use. BLN 763.0427][DE] Baden-Württemberg branches: Südwestdeutsche Verkehrs AG, formerly Südwestdeutsche Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (SWEG) operates a number of local railways in Baden-Württemberg, mostly branches off the main line between Karlsruhe and Basel. Passenger trains use a variety of diesel railcars, working to somewhat erratic timetables. Only two lines have anything like a regular service, and these use the more modern railcars. Achern - Ottenhofen branch trains run from the forecourt of Achern DB station (BLN 743.0358; Ball 57A1; KBS717) while Bad Krozingen - Staufen - Untermünstertal trains (BLN 723.037; Ball 67B2; KBS725) run from the main station at Bad Krozingen, with some working through from Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf. The Gottenheim - Riegel Ort - Endingen - Breisach Kaiserstuhlbahn was described in BLN 756.0283 (Ball 67B2), as was the short branch from Riegel to Riegel Ort. Apart from Endingen, where SWEG have their main rolling-stock depot, the villages served are very small and most trains are lightly used. Nevertheless, the system seems to be undergoing something of a revival. Endingen station is being modernised, the platform at Riegel is being rebuilt, and major repairs are under way on the bridge over the Leopoldskanal at Riegel Ort. The timetable is being improved too, with the recent introduction of train services on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, after many years when trains operated Mondays to Fridays, and on Saturday mornings, with a reduced service during school holidays. The only Sunday trains previously were special steam services monthly during the summer. SWEG's most sparse service is on a branch off the DB Offenburg - Hausach line from Biberach to Oberharmersbach-Riersbach (Ball 68A3, KBS722), running up a valley in the Schwarzwald, parallel to a road over which SWEG operates a bus service approximately hourly. A particularly elderly railcar is used on this line, making one round-trip early in the morning, and two about lunchtime, from the shed at Oberharmersbach-Riersbach to the junction and back. As the railcar has no more capacity than the quite modern buses, it is hard to see the point of this vestigial rail service. Little evidence remains of any freight traffic on the SWEG passenger lines, apart from two private sidings at Breisach, apparently worked by DB, but SWEG also have a few freight lines. The most significant is Bühl (Baden) - Schwarzach, serving a Dow chemical plant at Greffern on the river Rhein (Ball 57A1). A short freight branch off the Untermünstertal line runs from Staufen to Grunern, but may still be out of use (BLN 723.037). SWEG's headquarters, and main bus works, is at Lahr, where the company has a short freight line from Lahr (Schwarzwald) to Lahr West (Ball 67B3) serving an industrial estate whose siding connections all appear disused, but continuing to a military airfield which may well be why the line is retained. Nearby, a short DB branch runs eastward off the main line from Lahr to Lahr Stadt. It is is not entirely lifted, but all track has been recovered both from Lahr Stadt DB goods station and from connections to private sidings. BLN 763.0428][DE] Murnau - Oberammergau: (BLN 762.0409; Ball 70B1; KBS963) Following repairs to this line, train services have resumed, but the Class 141 locomotives that caused the track damage are back in use, and DB engineers are still concerned to find more suitable rolling stock. BLN 763.0429][DE] Amstetten (Württemberg) - Gerstetten: (Ball 58B1; KBS758) Owned and operated by the Württembergische Eisenbahn GmbH, this branch off the Stuttgart - Ulm main line has only a sparse service. The WEG depot is at Gerstetten, the branch terminus, and the elderly railbus makes a return journey to the junction early in the morning, at lunchtime and in the late afternoon. The early morning working returns from Amstetten as empty stock. In September 1995 the evening trip from Amstetten, connecting out of trains from both Stuttgart and Ulm, conveyed just five local passengers, all of whom alighted before Gerstetten. No freight traffic was evident. Sidings serving an army camp near Amstetten, and a further loading-pad for military traffic near Gerstetten, apparently disused, may account for the line's retention. Amstetten itself is an interesting location, being on the watershed between the rivers Rhein and Donau. The DB main line drops steeply in both directions, and freight trains are banked from Geislingen. BLN 763.0430][DE] Trossingen Bf - Trossingen Stadt: (Ball 68B2; KBS743) BLN 730.0117 reported the planned withdrawal in 1997 of regular services on this branch, which is a municipally-owned rural 600V dc light railway running from Trossingen Bahnhof, on the DB line between Villingen and Rottweil, for 4.3km to Trossingen Stadt. The service takes one-man-operation to the extreme. Upon arrival of the railcar at Trossingen Stadt the driver opens the booking office to sell tickets, closing in time for the next trip down to the DB station. A fuel-oil terminal at Trossingen Stadt supports regular freight traffic over the line, with tank wagons worked singly by one of the railcars. One wagon stood in the oil sidings, and another awaited transfer to or from DB at the junction. The tram-like railcars are quite elderly, and the driver appeared to be in his sixties. Perhaps it is his retirement that has provoked the closure proposal. BLN 763.0431][PL] Sroda - Zaniemysl: (BLN 737.0239; Ball 37A3) Closure of this 14km 750mm-gauge steam passenger line may be imminent, for a PIBSE source reports there may soon be no serviceable steam locomotive to work the trains. BLN 763.0432][PL][BY][LT] Poland - Lithuania: Expresses between the Polish and Lithuanian capitals take the direct route Warszawa - Bialystok - Kuznica Bialystocka PKP - Hrodna/Grodno BZD - Vilnius LG (Ball 38B3-34B2), and through passengers may face demands to pay about £20 in each direction for a transit visa as their train cuts across a corner of Belarus for 50km or so. Poland however does have a short section of common frontier with Lithuania, and the one railway that crosses this border offers a way to avoid Belarussian extortion. Reopened in 1992 after Lithuania established its independence, the Suwalki - Trakiszki PKP - Mackovo LG - Šeštokai route (Ball 34A2-34A3), is standard-gauge throughout, with one overnight express and two local trains a day each way. The local services are very crowded, with many people using the trains to go and buy items in one country to sell in the other. Travelling north into Lithuania on 18 July 1995, an entire family boarded with a dozen brightly-coloured push-chairs for babies, taking up all the luggage-racks in a compartment. It is wise to have a through ticket, since rebooking for the short cross-border transit is to be avoided. On the return journey ten days later, the 1524mm-gauge Vilnius - Šeštokai train arrived only 30 minutes before departure of the 1435mm-gauge Šeštokai - Suwalki one, giving insufficient time for the rather slow ticket-office staff of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai, the Lithuanian State Railway, to cope with the long queues. Many passengers had to join the train without tickets, only to be fined by ticket-inspectors during the journey. Groups of traders laden with alcohol and cigarettes tried hard to persuade other passengers to carry quantities of goods into Poland for them. The southbound working was timed to take 160 minutes for a mere 53km, but the reason for this became apparent at Trakiszki, the Polish customs station. First summarily ejecting a passenger without the correct visa, officials then set to and diligently searched the train for contraband, unscrewing light-fittings and dismantling panels, peering inside with mirrors and torches. An hour went by before they were satisfied and the train moved off into Poland. BLN 763.0433][SG] Singapore metro: Yishun - Woodlands - Choa Chu Kang: (BLN 758.0339) The Woodlands extension, a 16km loop begun in 1993 between two existing termini, is on schedule and on budget to open early in 1996 in time for the Chinese lunar new year. The extension has six elevated stations and is predominantly on viaduct, with short stretches at ground level and in cut-and-cover tunnel. BLN 764.0435][IE] Dublin Connolly - Newcomen Jn - Glasnevin Jn: (BLN 749.079) In the May 1995 working timetable, the last Dublin - Maynooth train of the day is understood to be booked by this route. BLN 764.0436][GB][FR] Eurotunnel openings: (BLN 755.0240): Le Shuttle began carrying road coaches and mini-buses from 26 June 1995, according to La Vie du Rail, #2502 of 28 June. The date for continuous test running of Le Shuttle trains for lorries would appear to have been 9 May 1994, as given in BLN 731.8, rather than 6 May as quoted in BLN 755.0240. It is understood that no services ran on 6 May 1994 other than those in connection with the formal inauguration by the two heads of state. BLN 764.0437][FR] Boulogne Maritime: (BLN 753.0172, 756.0269; Ball 6A2) The Paris - Boulogne Maritime boat-trains appear to have done well enough to survive beyond the end of June, and are to continue until 31 October 1995 as planned. Thereafter, a shuttle bus will link Boulogne Ville station with SeaCat ferries to Folkestone. These ferry services are suspended 25 December 1995 - 31 January 1996 inclusive. BLN 764.0438][FR] Dunkerque - Bray-Dunes: (BLN 757.0295; Ball 6B3) La Vie du Rail confirms that the summer Sunday trains, essentially for excursionists from the Lille urban area, did not run in 1995, being replaced by special SNCF buses, augmenting the frequent daily local buses along the same route. BLN 764.0439][FR] Longueville (Seine-et-Marne) - Provins - Villiers-St.Georges (- Esternay): (BLN 752.0144; Ball 26A2) The Réseau de Provins, operated by CFTA for SNCF, includes the Longueville - Provins passenger branch with its freight-only extension from Provins to Villiers-St.Georges, totalling 23km, and the now quite separate 26km remaining section of the Mézy - Montmirail (- Esternay) line (Ball 26B3), which leaves SNCF's Est main line beyond Château-Thierry. The section between Mézy and Artonges was proposed for a tourist operation in 1994, but it does not appear in Howarth's Tourist Railways of France, so presumably has not started. Montmirail is the location of CFD's locomotive-repair works, hence the retention of the line to that point. Both Villiers-St.Georges - Esternay and Montmirail - Esternay closed completely 3 November 1969. BLN 764.0440][LU] (Trier DB - Wasserbillig CFL -) Oetrange - Howald - Luxembourg: (BLN 757.0298; Ball 18A2) The May 1995 timings of train 3052, the 16:44 Trier - Luxembourg, were the same in the 1994-95 timetable, so the single goods line via Howald may have opened (or reopened) to passengers from 29 May 1994. From May 1995 train 3042, the 11:46 Trier - Luxembourg, has also been booked this way. A clue is the extra eight minutes running-time compared to other non-stop Wasserbillig - Luxembourg trains. From Howald junction, the north apex of the triangle, these trains run through Howald station platform road (BLN 745.013), then via yard track 102 to Luxembourg station, both using platform 10 on the east side. When there is overnight engineering work on the passenger line, train 3979, the 23:41SX Trier - Luxembourg, also gets diverted this way. No passenger workings are booked in the opposite direction. As already reported, all trains ran by the Howald route during engineering works in July-August 1995. The lines between Wasserbillig and both Berchem and Luxembourg (all exclusive), both via Sandweiler and via the goods line, are controlled from Oetrange by a panel installed in the early 1970s, in the building on the platform at ground level, with a fine picture window. This panel partly replaced 1959-vintage panels at each station, but at Oetrange at least the old panel, in the same room, is still used to control local pointwork, and others elsewhere are understood to be retained for local emergency use. On the goods line, box structures remain at Syren, with a crossing loop, and Alzingen, the eastern apex of the triangle at the western end of the line, and the limit of Oetrange's area. (partly from CFL Interlignes, #2, Jul-Sep 1995) BLN 764.0441][NL] Santpoort Noord - Ijmuiden: (Ball 3B3) Regular traffic ceased from 1 October 1994, but this industrial branch is not officially closed, and sees occasional trains. A train of coal from Romania arrived in Ijmuiden on 8 March 1995 and returned empty the next day. (Op de Rails, May 1995) BLN 764.0442][DE] Doubtful future for some German passenger branch lines: (BLN 745 supplement) Notwithstanding the optimism in BLN 760.0371 about Brandenburg local trains, stemming from a German source, DB are now said to have notified both the Land and federal governments that they envisage withdrawing a number of passenger services in May 1996: Ball KBS Fürstenberg (Havel) - Templin 20A2-20B2 206.64 Templin - Prenzlau 20B2-21B2 206.65 Basdorf - Liebenwalde 20B1 206.27 Güsen - Ziesar 28B2 262 Frankfurt (Oder) - Küstrin-Kietz 30B3 206.62 Forst (Lausitz) - Weisswasser 30B1-44B3 221 Falkenberg - Herzberg (Elster) Stadt 43B3-29B1 206.43 Also reportedly threatened, by the attitude of the Land of Niedersachsen, is Scharzfeld - Bad Lauterberg 41A3 357 Note that several of the KBS (Kursbuchstrecke) numbers have changed since BLN 745 in January 1995. In fact the KBS numbering scheme, rationalised at the DB/DR merger, has turned out not to be stable, as DB have kept tinkering with the numbers at subsequent timetable changes. Quoting a KBS number is thus helpful only to someone with an edition of the Kursbuch exactly contemporary with the report, and used as a reference risks confusion. Less use will therefore be made of KBS numbers in BLN in future. BLN 764.0443][DE] Brohl - Oberzissen - Engeln (- Kempenich): (BLN 757.0302; Ball 48A3) Though a boat connection from Neuwied was advertised on Friday 1 September 1995, no sign was seen of either vessel or train at Brohl-Rheinanlagen, the landing-stage on the river Rhein. Perhaps Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday connections, clearly denoted in the Vulkan Express timetable, may be more reliable. On the mixed-gauge line to the quay, the metre-gauge seemed to have at least a season's undisturbed undergrowth, while the standard-gauge has not seen regular use since August 1988. To reach the quay, metre-gauge trains have to reverse in the Brohltalbahn station, across the approach to the DB station, and at a higher level. The Brohltalbahn lost its regular passenger service beyond Oberzissen 1 October 1960 and from Brohl to Oberzissen 1 September 1961. Engeln - Kempenich closed completely 1 October 1974, and was lifted within a couple of years, though traces of the trackbed can still be seen. Carriage of standard-gauge wagons on Rollwagen ceased in 1978, but mineral traffic from Brenk, about 2km below Engeln, continued to the quay until recent years, though it seems now to have ceased. Vulkan Express tourist trains started in 1977 over the remaining 17.51km between Brohl and Engeln. In 1991 the railway was 61%-owned by the local authority, Kreis Ahrweiler. (partly from 90 Jahre Brohltal-Eisenbahn, 1991) BLN 764.0444][DE] Hamburg: Garstedt - Norderstedt Mitte - Ulzburg Süd: (Ball 17B3) The extension of HHA's U-Bahn line U1 outward from Garstedt to Norderstedt Mitte, shown as planned in Tramway & Light Railway Atlas, Germany, 1992, was in August 1995 apparently complete and awaiting opening, when it will replace a parallel section of the above-ground Altona-Kaltenkirchen-Neümunster Eisenbahn (AKN), at present running north from a very temporary-looking single-track terminal 'halt' at Garstedt. It looks as though the AKN line will be slewed to give cross-platform connection with line U1 at Norderstedt Mitte, starting from a central bay at the HHA station, which is below ground level but in the open air. Ulzburg Süd, where the signal-box Usf is at the north junction, has a west-to-east chord (not shown in Ball) used by freight trains, including those from an AKN branch (again, not shown in Ball) which heads eastwards from just north of Quickborner Strasse. On AKN's Hamburg-Eidelstedt - Ulzburg - Neumünster line (Ball 17B3-10B1), a small marshalling-yard lies just north of Tanneneck. As already reported in BLN 744.0371, the Barmstedt - Ulzburg AKN line is not out of use (as shown in Ball) and has a couple of passenger trains daily, if one reads the footnotes to KBS139 carefully enough! From the May 1995 timetable change, AKN have taken over operation of passenger trains on the Neumünster - Heide (Holstein) DB line (Ball 10B1-10A1), but Saturday afternoons and Sundays are still train-less. South of Kaltenkirchen (Holstein), AKN lines are in the HVV tariff area, so DB Schönes Wochenende tickets and HVV outer zone Tageskarten day-tickets are valid. North of Kaltenkirchen, AKN has its own fares tariff and such tickets are not valid. BLN 764.0445][DE] Hamburg Hbf - Bergedorf - Aumühle: (BLN 747.050; Ball 22B2-22B3) Work continues on constructing new Fernbahn long-distance passenger tracks alongside the S-Bahn south-east of the city, and the summer 1995 booked working of several long-distance trains to use the freight lines between Hamburg and Bergedorf may possibly continue after the September timetable change. Hamburg Hbf platform posters valid until 23 September 1995 listed trains using platforms 11-14, which must therefore also have used the route described below, as: IC535 dep 11:01, IC737 dep 12:30, IC537 dep 13:01, IC1633 dep 13:32FO and IC1632 arr 20:39SuO. Other trains booked from or to platform 8 might or might not have used the diversionary route. The trains left Hbf via the Harburg lines to Hamburg Hgbf (presumably an abbreviation for Hauptgüterbahnhof), joining freight lines to run via Rothenburgsort low-level (signal-box Ro) on a route quite separate from the S-Bahn and new Fernbahn to Tiefstack. From Tiefstack the freight line is mainly single, but paralleled on the south side for much of the distance by the extensive tracks of the recent Billwerder Umschlagbahnhof (= container terminal), and also broadly paralleled on the north side by the S-Bahn and Fernbahn, the latter not yet commissioned here in August 1995. The freight alignment, shown black in Ball, has been moved southwards since 1993 to allow construction of the Fernbahn tracks between it and the S-Bahn. At Abzw Allermöhe, just west of signal-box Ba, near Nettelnburg S-Bahn station, the freight line joins the new Fernbahn, in use east of here, and a connection diverges on to the AKN line to Bergedorf Süd and beyond. The new Fernbahn tracks run parallel to the S-Bahn through Bergedorf station, where additional platforms have been built, but join the S-Bahn tracks north-east of there. From Bergedorf at least as far as Wohltorf, work was in progress to widen the alignment for an extra track or two. Single-line working between Bergedorf and Reinbek was in force until 20 August. Between Bergedorf and Aumühle, S-Bahn working has been suspended, perhaps since the May 1994 timetable change, and much of the third rail here is temporarily removed. BLN 764.0446][DE] Rural lines in Thüringen: The present terminus at Friedrichroda seems curiously sited for the town until one realises that the Fröttstädt - Friedrichroda line (Ball 41B1) once continued to Georgenthal. Beyond Friedrichroda station disused sidings now stretch some 800m to a headshunt, apparently built as recently as the early 1980s, partly on the formation of the Georgenthal line, giving access to a discharge area, probably for brown-coal supplies to a combined heat-and-power plant. Embankments, cuttings, a bridge over the Friedrichroda - Ernstroda road, and the Schönau-Ernstroda station building, inconveniently sited between its two eponymous villages, all bear witness to the former line's course. It eventually veered away from the road to enter Georgenthal station at the north end. Closure date is not known, but the line featured in a 1944 timetable. Nearby, the Gotha - Georgenthal (Thüringen) - Gräfenroda line (Ball 41A1-41B1), with two-car railbus sets on the through trains and double-deck loco-hauled stock on the short workings, is busiest with passengers at the Gotha end. Freight appears to work only between Gotha and Ohrdruf, with Emleben handling oil and domestic coal, and Ohrdruf handling liquefied petroleum gas in tank-wagons and possibly other private-siding traffic. The Georgenthal - Tambach-Dietharz branch from Georgenthal Gs signal-box appears still to see some freight traffic. The railway seems to do its best to avoid the town of Gräfenroda, despite two stations, one of them called Gräfenroda Ort (ort = place). The main-line junction station, Gräfenroda, is even more distant, and would have merited the suffix "Road" in the UK! Further south, on the Wernshausen - Schmalkalden - Zella-Mehlis line, (Ball 41A1-52A3) no freight appears to work east of Schmalkalden, and sidings and some loops were out of use. On the Schmalkalden - Kleinschmalkalden (Thüringen) - Brotterode branch (Ball 41A1) the 16:19 from Schmalkalden doubles back empty to work the 17:15, and the stock for the 05:53 from Kleinschmalkalden goes on to the branch empty, so no train remains overnight at Kleinschmalkalden, formerly known as Pappenheim. The line onward to Brotterode (not shown in Ball) requires a reversal at Kleinschmalkalden. Though still open for freight, it is not regularly used. At Brotterode the tracks end in what are now in effect private sidings for the Bosch factory, some 400m short of the original stop-blocks, with no public access. The station building still stands, bereft of tracks, as the bus station and depot. The line has seen enthusiast specials during 1995. BLN 764.0447][DE] Bochum - Wanne-Eickel - Gelsenkirchen: (BLN 715.07; Ball 34A3) With the September 1995 timetable change, the last battery-electric railcars in regular service on DB, and probably the last in the world, ceased to operate on this line, bringing to an end the Akkutriebwagen tradition begun by the Prussian railways in 1906. The three Class 515 units with matching Class 815 driving-trailers had been refurbished in 1993 and sponsored by the Finnish electronics firm Nokia, which has a TV factory at Bochum-Nokia, formerly Bochum-Graetz. (European Railway News, Sep.95, WWW, http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it) BLN 764.0448][DE] Bad Säckingen - Wehr (Baden) (- Schopfheim): (Ball 67B1) This last remnant of the former 'strategic-diversion' railway, by which German trains could avoid the Grenzach - Basel Bad - Weil section of line running through Switzerland, has closed and is to be dismantled. (Eisenbahn Amateur, 4/95) BLN 764.0449][DE][CZ] Selb-Plössberg DB - Aš CD: (Ball 53B2 (DE), 35A1 (CZ)) This German-Czech border-crossing lost its last regular freight workings at the May 1995 timetable change, but it is to remain available for diversions. (Op de Rails, May 1995) BLN 764.0450][DK][DE] Nykøbing (Falster) - Gedser: (BLN 752.0159; Ball 12A3) As well as the Neptun and Ostsee-Express, the two pairs of international trains to and from Germany, the summer 1995 DSB public timetable included a single Monday-to-Friday afternoon local round-trip between Nykøbing (Falster) and Gedser, the outward leg of which ran through from Rødby Færge. From the September 1995 timetable change, the reasonably busy passenger trains via the Gedser - Warnemünde train-ferry were to be withdrawn, apparently to concentrate traffic on the Vogelfluglinie Rødby - Puttgarden train-ferry route. According to Modern Railways, DSB are considering a 70km/h SeaCat-type ferry to convey passenger trains, pending a political decision to build a Denmark - Germany fixed link across the Fehmarn Belt. BLN 764.0451][CH] Orbe - Chavornay: (Ball 91A2) This 3.9km Swiss private line, standard-gauge and 700V dc, has diesel-shunter-hauled freight interchange activity with the CFF, as noted in BLN 752.0163, but this traffic goes only as far as Les Granges, still on the valley bottom. Beyond there the line starts a steep and curving climb, with a request stop on the way, taking the passenger railcars up to a station behind the town, which itself is worth a visit. BLN 764.0452][HR][BA] Zagreb - Karlovac - Oštarije - Knin - Perkovic - Sibenik / Split: (BLN 762.0415; Ball 46A1-51A3) The Croatian coastal towns of Sibenik and Split were cut off by rail from the capital in 1991, with their only services thereafter being short-distance ones inland to the junction at Perkovic. Formal reopening of a link came on 26 August 1995 when a special Vlak Slobodo (= freedom train) left Zagreb on a ten-hour journey via the non-electrified Lika Valley route to Split. On 27 August a regular Zagreb - Split passenger and car-carrying service, the Marjan Express, began running daily each way. Still closed to through trains at present is (Zagreb - Sunja -) Bosanski Novi - Bihac - Knin (- Split), the former electrified route through Bosnia. (European Railway News, Sep.95, on World Wide Web at http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it) BLN 764.0453][IL][JO][SY] Haifa - Beit Shean - Irbid (- Amman / Damascus): Israel and Jordan reached an agreement on 15 January 1995 to construct a railway inland from Haifa, on Israel Railways' standard-gauge coastal route built by the British in 1942, south-eastwards to cross the Israel-Jordan frontier near Beit Shean and continue to Irbid in Jordan. The 1435mm-gauge line as far as Beit Shean would use some 60km of former trackbed of the 1050mm-gauge Hedjaz Railway's 160km Haifa branch from Dera'a in Syria, which was severed when a large bridge over the Yarmuk river was destroyed by Israeli sabotage in June 1946. The new Jordanian railhead of Irbid would offer the possibility of later reconnection on a new alignment to the remainder of the Hedjaz system, still in somewhat precarious operation between Amman and Damascus, the capitals of Jordan and Syria. If relatively modest investment could then be secured to regauge 223km of Hedjaz main line between Amman and Damascus from 1050mm to 1435mm, through rail freight would be possible from Europe to both Israel and Jordan, via Istanbul, the Bosphorus train-ferry and the standard-gauge networks of Turkey and northern Syria. (Eisenbahn Amateur, 4/95) BLN 765.0454][IE] Dublin North Wall: A road tractor was seen propelling tank-wagons on the Alexandra Road tramway on 26 July 1995. BLN 765.0455][IE] Kilkenny avoiding line: (BLN 757.0291, diagram BLN 763, p.299) The new curve at Lavistown enables freight trains between Kildare (Cherryville Jn) and Waterford to avoid reversal at Kilkenny. Track-circuit-block working applies between Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown) and Thomastown. Lavistown originally had a junction station where the Kildare and Waterford lines joined, but by the 1880s this had gone and the two lines had been altered to run independently into Kilkenny station. The new curve is east of the site of that earlier Lavistown junction. BLN 765.0456][IE] Silvermines Jn - Silvermines: (BLN 724.045) Wagon painting formerly carried out at Limerick Jn had been transferred to the terminus of this otherwise disused 2km branch by spring 1995. (Irish Railway News, January-April 1995) BLN 765.0457][IE] Cork - Glounthaune - Midleton - Youghal: (BLN 697.44, 698.64) Local authorities hope to persuade Iarnród Éireann to restore passenger trains over the line from Glounthaune, formerly Cobh Jn, to Midleton. IE say that this section of line is closed, but not abandoned. The last passenger trains recorded were from Midleton to Dublin on 17 March 1988. The Midleton - Youghal section has some 3km of track missing and its status is unclear. (Irish Railway News, January-April 1995) BLN 765.0458][IE] Waterford - Abbey Jn - Barrow Bridge - Wellingtonbridge (- Rosslare): (BLN 722.016) New solid-state signalling began operating between Waterford Central and Barrow Bridge from 14 May 1995, although Abbey Jn signal-box remains as a ground frame to control the New Ross branch points, and as a gate-box for an adjacent level-crossing. Trains proceeding from Waterford to the Belview container terminal no longer need the single-line token for the Wellingtonbridge section, nor do they need the Barrow Bridge to be closed. Trains on the Abbey Jn - New Ross branch (BLN 757.0293) are now governed by manual token. New Ross block post has been abolished. The New Ross branch was temporarily disconnected during the period of change-over, from 30 March until 29 May, and no commercial traffic passed subsequently. A weed-spraying train had some difficulty in traversing the line on 28-29 June, and all traffic has been suspended. Towards the end of May 1995 Iarnród Éireann removed part of the Suir river bridge on the closed Waterford - Ballinacourty line (BLN 757.0292) to give a clear shipping lane and obviate the need to operate the lifting span. The removed span is stored near Waterford West signal-box. (Irish Railway News, July 1995) BLN 765.0459][GB][FR] Eurotunnel openings: (BLN 764.0436) Le Shuttle services for bicycles began on 10 August 1995; a 'full service' for motor-cycles on 31 August 1995; and services for caravans and camper-vans on 30 September 1995. Reservations are required for pedal-cycles, which have to go aboard the shuttle trains on a special road-vehicle and trailer, but each of the tourist shuttles can now accommodate up to 14 motor-bikes, safely held in place by portable locking equipment. BLN 765.0460][FR] Nice - Digne: (BLN 746.027; Ball 66B1-67A1-77B3) On the flood-stricken Chemin de fer de la Provence, comprising 151km of metre-gauge track, much of it through dramatic scenery, only the 13km section between Entrevaux and Annot now remains to be restored to traffic. Train services from Nice were extended to La Vésubie from 13 February 1995 and to Entrevaux, 65km out of Nice, from 12 August. Steam trains between Puget-Théniers and Entrevaux started again on 19 August. At the northern end, train services resumed on the 73km between Annot and Digne from 28 June. The major remaining task is the replacement of the 65m-long bridge at Gueydan, on which work started at the end of July 1995. SNCF are assisting by providing second-hand bridge girders, and the whole line may be open by the end of January 1996. (La Vie du Rail, #2503 & 2508; L'Écho du Rail, #147-9, Jul-Sep 1995) BLN 765.0461][BE] Anderlues - Lobbes - Thuin: (Ball 8B1 not shown) The preservation group Association pour la Sauvegarde du Vicinal (ASVi) began in summer 1995 constructing a museum building at Thuin Ouest, which will house their working rolling-stock for the Lobbes - Thuin line, at present kept in the Anderlues Jonction depot along with Charleroi - Anderlues trams. Since the Anderlues - Lobbes track and overhead is expensive for the ASVi to maintain just for the one positioning round-trip on summer Sundays, it seems doubtful if this section will reopen in 1996. An ASVi timetable advertised the museum tram to run out from Anderlues at 13:00 and back at 18:40 on Sundays and holidays from 20 August to 15 October 1995. As reported in BLN 760.0370, it did not run from Anderlues at 13:00 on 6 August. (L'Étincelle, #2/95) BLN 765.0462][DE] Güsen (Kreis Genthin) - Ziesar - Görzke: (BLN 764.0442; Ball 28B2) On 9 September 1995 the possibly threatened passenger service on this 26km branch to the village of Ziesar in Brandenburg was worked by a pair of unrefurbished red railbuses. Gladau still had freight traffic and a loop and siding, but Tuchheim sidings were out of use. Ziesar appeared to handle liquefied petroleum gas and timber traffic. Rails of the freight-only line south to Görzke seemed polished enough to indicate continuing use. BLN 765.0463][DE] Nauen - Kremmen - Oranienburg: (Ball 31A3-20B1) This branch left from the west end of Nauen station via an east-facing junction, not as shown in Ball. In autumn 1995 it lay disconnected at the Nauen end, and was blocked by a red metal flag on its approach to Kremmen Kob signal-box. Southeast of Kremmen Krm box, some maps show the Kremmen - Hennigsdorf line crossing above the Oranienburg line, perhaps in an attempt to represent the now-vanished northbound track of a former flying junction, but today the two single lines run in parallel until their divergence. East of Kremmen, the Oranienburg line did not seem to be blocked. At Oranienburg, the branch connects with the main line on the west side, facing north, not crossing above it as shown in Ball. Here too a former flying junction is no more. BLN 765.0464][DE] Berlin trams, U-Bahn and S-Bahn: The tram system in the former West Berlin closed in 1967, but on 14 October 1995 trams returned to the western part of the city, when Berlin Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVG) extended route #23 from Bornholmer Strasse S-Bahn station via Osloer Strasse U-Bahn station to Louise Schroeder Platz in the Wedding area. Also on 14 October BVG reopened the U-Bahn from Schlesisches Tor to Warschauer Strasse (BLN 760.0374) where routes U1, U12 and U15 connect with S-Bahn trains. On the S-Bahn the first 7km of the Schönholz - Tegel - Hennigsdorf branch as far as Tegel (BLN 756.0279; Ball 32A3-31B3) has been reinstated only provisionally, as single track, with limited electrical and physical capacity. Considerable structural work is yet to be done, including bridge replacement, increasing the distance between the tracks, and moving the S-Bahn station formerly called Wittenau (Kremm.Bahn) to be next to the U-Bahn station whose name - Karl-Bonhoeffer-Nervenklinik - it now shares. In addition, work began on 14 August 1995 at Schulzendorf on the 9km Tegel - Hennigsdorf section, brought forward because government money has become available in 1995-96 due to underspending elsewhere on the Planungsgesellschaft Bahnbau Deutsche Einheit programme. First opened on 1 October 1893 as part of the Kremmener Bahn, the Tegel line never had separate suburban tracks. Third-rail 800V dc operation began 27 March 1927, ceased in April 1945, recommenced 19 July 1945 and was again withdrawn 8 January 1984, after BVG took over Deutsche Reichsbahn S-Bahn operations in West Berlin. Reintroduction of electric working on 28 May 1995 by S-Bahn Berlin GmbH involved many of the same vehicles that had begun the S-Bahn services there nearly seventy years earlier! The one-year experiment of electro-diesel Duo-S-Bahn operation on the Hennigsdorf - Oranienburg section (BLN 738.0259) ceased after 26 May 1995. Work began on 4 August 1995 to rebuild Treptower Park station in connection with the reopening of the Treptower Park - Neukölln section of the S-Bahn Innenring (Ball 32A2) planned for May 1997. (mainly Blickpunkt Strassenbahn, 4/95 & 5/95) BLN 765.0465][DE] Scharzfeld - Bad Lauterberg: (BLN 764.0442; Ball 41A3) The Land government of Niedersachsen are said to be sceptical about subsidising passenger trains on this 4km branch from January 1996. The line does retain some freight traffic, in vans, though at Bad Lauterberg the siding that extends over the level-crossing beyond the station had an engineers' red stop-board on it in September 1995. BLN 765.0466][DE] Hoyerswerda - Knappenrode - Spreewitz - Sabrodt (- Sedlitz): (Ball 44B3) A carriage noted at Hoyerswerda had a destination plate reading RegionalBahn Hoyerswerda - Sabrodt Mitte - Hoyerswerda, suggesting that an unadvertised passenger service runs on the Spreewitz - Sedlitz freight line as far as Sabrodt, perhaps for workers in the large industrial installation at Schwarze Pumpe. The line between Knappenrode and Spreewitz has been singled, and the north-to-west curve at Spreewitz has gone. Though new vehicles were obtained in 1989, the trolleybus system in Hoyerswerda seems to have closed. Wiring has been removed at Hoyerswerda Neustadt Bahnhof, which was on the route to the depot. BLN 765.0467][DE] Aue (Sachsen) - Blauenthal: (Ball 54A3) An unstable retaining wall caused the closure of this line at short notice on 22 October 1995. It had a very sparse passenger service (04:55 and 17:57 from Blauenthal; 15:38 from Chemnitz, all Mon-Fri only) and seems unlikely to reopen. BLN 765.0468][DE][FR] Winden (Pfalz) - Bad Bergzabern: (Ball 57A2) This freight line in Rheinland-Pfalz reopened to passengers on 24 September 1995, as forecast in BLN 760.0378, but the nearby Winden - Kapsweyer DB - Wissembourg SNCF line still awaits the proposed reopening of its cross-border passenger service. BLN 765.0469][DE] München U-Bahn: Line U6 was to extend north to Garching-Hochbrück from 28 October. BLN 765.0470][AT] Austrian line closures 1996?: ÖBB are said to be threatening closure to passengers of the following lines in 1996, though this may be a ploy to seek finance from local government. Ball atlas ÖBB timetable Attnang-Puchheim - Ried im Innkreis - Gopperding - Schärding 73A2-62A1 17a (BLN 753.0197) Linz Urfahr - Aigen-Schlägl 73B3-62B1 14b Haiding - Aschach an der Donau 73B3 15a Wels - Grünau im Almtal 73B3-73B2 15b (LCGB Bulletin, October 1995) BLN 765.0471][CH] Genève trams: (BLN 759.0354) During 1996 300m of new track at Stand is to link tram routes 12 and 13, creating a route 16 between Cornavin and Moillesulaz - and enabling through journeys between Cornavin and Eaux-Vives stations without a change. (L'Écho du Rail, #148, August 1995) BLN 765.0472][CH] Porrentruy - Boncourt: (BLN 761.0391; Ball 86A2-85B2) It seems that Chemins de fer du Jura (CJ) do indeed now work over this section of CFF, but only one round-trip, covering what would otherwise be a gap in the CFF service during a staff break in the middle of the day. CFF reciprocate by working one round-trip over CJ's Porrentruy - Bonfol branch. (L'Écho du Rail, #148, August 1995) BLN 765.0473][PL] Standard-gauge steam on timetabled trains in Poland: (BLN 755.0260; Ball 36B3) In the 1995-96 PKP timetable some regular passenger services on the Zbaszynek - Wolsztyn - Leszno (Table 328) and Wolsztyn - Poznan (Table 332) lines are advertised as steam-hauled. BLN 765.0474][SK] Bratislava - Devinska Nová Ves: (Ball 41B1) On the main line to Wien and Brno just to the west of Bratislava hlavná stanica, the Slovakian capital's main station, are two parallel single-line tunnels of such small bore that the overhead wire appears to be tied back at each end, and does not run through. Unless the tunnels have some kind of roof-mounted third rail, presumably electric trains have to coast through, and those heading west must need to make a lively and unhesitant departure from Bratislava to avoid coming to a stop in the tunnel. BLN 765.0475][HU] Mátészalka - Kocsord - Zajta: (Ball 44A1) Strangers are not encouraged to investigate the end of track beyond Zajta station. A BLS inspection team on a recent routine visit to this 43km Hungarian rural branch, threatened with closure, felt a bit threatened themselves when turned back by two uniformed men with machine-guns arriving on a moped. The branch terminus is close to the frontier with Romania. BLN 765.0476][HU] Nyíregyháza NyK. - Herminatanya - Balsai Tisza-part / Dombrád: (Ball 43B1) On the east side of Nyíregyháza main-line station in eastern Hungary, just outside the main entrance, one crosses a single 760mm-gauge track with a rudimentary platform. This is the southern terminus of a 66km system, with passenger trains to Balsai Tisza-part (38km) and Dombrád (51km), splitting at Herminatanya (23km). On 17 August 1995 the trains were diesel-hauled, comprising two bogie coaches with many windows cracked and wooden seats, reasonably full. The scenery is unexciting, and the line had a rather run-down air, with no visible freight traffic. The trains trundled in a slightly unsteady way across the fields, to a very slack schedule, taking 75 minutes for 51km. Beyond the platform at Nyíregyháza, south of the station, is an extensive 760mm-gauge yard full of open wagons, vans and coaching-stock, with sheds nearby. Locomotives use the yard to run round passenger trains, for the station has plain line only. At the south end of the yard is a headshunt - containing more stored wagons - which crosses two roads on the level, and looks as though it may once have been a running line with trackbed continuing southward. BLN 765.0477][US][CA] Skagway AK - Fraser BC - Lake Bennett BC (- Whitehorse YT): (BLN 759.0360) The 914mm-gauge White Pass & Yukon railway no longer carries freight, but runs summer passenger trips twice daily from Skagway to White Pass summit (33km) and daily from Skagway - Lake Bennett (65km). The line is out of use beyond Lake Bennett. Last Lake Bennett trip of the season was on 4 September 1995. On 14 September the White Pass service ran in two portions, the first starting at Skagway Railway Dock as a boat-train for passengers off the cruise-ship berthed there. It did not call at Skagway's town station, which was to be served by the second portion, starting from alongside another cruise-ship berthed in an adjacent dock. At White Pass summit, just inside Canada, the first train entered a loop alongside Summit Lake, where the two locomotives ran round and awaited the second train. Alighting from the train at the summit was not allowed, since the first Canadian customs and immigration post is at Fraser, 45km from Skagway. Returning to the coast, the train ran first into the downtown depot to detrain passengers who wished to visit the town before rejoining the ship. Others remained on the train, and the locos ran round before setting the train back to the Railway Dock, ready for the afternoon trip to the summit. BLN 765.0478][CA] Vancouver BC: (BLN 752.0168; 759.0361-2, 761.0394) The onboard literature on the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train showed the route out of Vancouver as being that described in BLN 761: the Burlington Northern (ex-Great Northern) line to CP Jn, then on CP to Coquitlam, and via the CP main line north of the Fraser river as far as Mission, before crossing to the south bank of the river at Matsqui and joining the CN main line east. However on 19 September 1995 the Mountaineer's actual route was from CP Jn south-west on the BN/CN route to New Westminster, curving sharply to cross the Fraser on a low-level swing-bridge (parallel to the Pattullo road-bridge and the high-level Sky Bridge of the local Sky Train metro between the stations of Columbia and Scott Road) before heading east on the south bank along the CN main line to join its booked route at Matsqui. BLN 765.0479][SV] San Salvador - Sonsonate: (BLN 721.014) 1995 seems to have seen reintroduction of sparse passenger services on the 914mm-gauge Ferrocarriles Nacionales de El Salvador (FENADESAL) which the government is trying to privatise. On Sundays, which are market-days, a mixed train runs from Sonsonate into the capital, San Salvador, and small diesel railcars also travel back and forth on this section. BLN 766.0480][IE] Dundalk South Jn - Barrack Street: (BLN 749.078) Traffic over this branch ceased on 24 March 1995, though the official closure date was 31 March. Dundalk Barrack Street was replaced by the new Ardee Road freight terminal, on the site of the former Irish North Western Railway yard at Dundalk station. (Irish Railway News, January-April 1995) BLN 766.0481][IE] Limerick - Ennis: (BLN 754.0212, 758.0318, 763.0417) The floods early in the year caused suspension of services from 8 February until 3 May 1995 inclusive. Working timetable times from Limerick to Ennis are 12:10 and 19:45 Mon-Sat, 16:10 SuO. Although the second weekday trip from Ennis is advertised at 14:00, the working timetable shows it as departing 14:20. The 17:30 from Dublin Heuston does not normally run through to Ennis, and the 19:45 Mon-Sat from Limerick to Ennis is formed by a separate train. (Irish Railway News, July 1995; IE working timetable from 15 May 1995) BLN 766.0482][IE] Ennis - Athenry - Claremorris: (BLN 743.0355) Traffic on this freight-only line consists of a weekly coal-and-oil train from Foynes to Ballina, plus several weekly Limerick - Athenry cement trains. A railtour on 8 April 1995, the first passenger train between Athenry and Claremorris since 1991, was not allowed to stop at Tuam, allegedly due to condition of the platforms. (Irish Railway News, Jan-Apr 1995) BLN 766.0483][FR] Paris: TGV Jonction: Coubert - Valenton: (BLN 760.0366; Ball 25B3-25B2, 81B3-82A3) The contournement sud de Paris from the Triangle de Coubert to the two spurs at Valenton (BLN 745.04) is scheduled to open on 29 April 1996. It will be used by through TGVs from Lille to Bordeaux and Bretagne, which at present leave the Nord main line near Pierrefitte-Stains station and use the Stains - Noisy - Valenton section of the Grande Ceinture to reach Valenton yard, and by many of the TGVs off the LGV Sud-Est which at present use the Moisenay - Lieusaint - Villeneuve-St.Georges route to Paris Gare de Lyon. (La Vie du Rail, #2503) BLN 766.0484][FR] Franois - Mouchard - St.Amour: (Ball 39B1-49A2) Electrification work on this line, causing bus replacement for local trains and diversion of main-line passenger trains through Dijon yards over the past two years, was completed a month late, so restoration of normal services, planned for 29 July, was postponed till the timetable change on 24 September 1995. Major work further south, requiring single-line operation throughout the St.Amour - Bourg-en-Bresse section, means that one train (#6174/5 11:52 Strasbourg - Lyon Perrache) continues to be diverted via Dôle and Dijon yards until 15 December 1995. BLN 766.0485][FR] Oradour-sur-Glane: The Chemins de Fer Départementaux de la Haute Vienne (1912-1949), a 346km system with four metre-gauge lines radiating from Limoges, plus several branches, were pioneers of high-voltage (10kV 25Hz) electrification for rural light railways. In 1995, a portion of CFDHV track and catenary still survives in Oradour-sur-Glane, 21km north-west of Limoges. The main street of this Limousin village martyr remains unchanged as a memorial to the whole population of some 750 people who were murdered by German occupying forces on 10 June 1944 in reprisal for resistance activity. BLN 766.0486][DE] Berlin S-Bahn: Bornholmer Strasse: (Ball 32A2) The north-south S-Bahn lines from Wollankstrasse to Gesundbrunnen and from Pankow to Schönhauser Allee run parallel where once the Wall divided the city. West-side trains used to call at Bornholmer Strasse station, but east-side trains ran through without stopping. When the Wall came down, a temporary platform was built on the east-side line, with passenger interchange via a road overbridge (BLN 699.09, 735.0178). Work is now well advanced on realignment of the Pankow - Schönhauser Allee line, with flyovers built in 1994-95, to allow cross-platform interchange. Crossovers will allow S-Bahn train movements from Wollankstrasse to Schönhauser Allee and from Pankow to Gesundbrunnen. It seems the layout will not include main-line DB platforms. The freight line from Tegel now connects at Bornholmer Strasse with the main line from Pankow to the east side of the Innenring. On the Gesundbrunnen - Ostkreuz section of the Innenring Greifswalder Strasse goods station - between Prenzlauer Allee and Ernst-Thälmann-Park - appears now to be used for works trains only, but the container depot at Frankfurter Allee is still in use. BLN 766.0487][DE] Berlin - Potsdam - Ferch-Lienewitz: (Ball 31B2-31A2-31A1-31B1) A curious innovation advertised in the 1995 Kursbuch (p.916, Ausflugsverkehr) was a pair of summer Saturday trains weaving in a figure-of-eight route round the west of the city, apparently intended to convey west Berliners on day-trips to stations beside the Schwielowsee south of Potsdam, but incidentally offering transits of several esoteric curves. The morning train's route was Berlin Charlottenburg - Spandau - Wustermark Rbf - Elstal - Golm - Potsdam Pirschheide (high level) - Wilhelmshorst - Seddin yard - Ferch-Lienewitz - Potsdam Pirschheide (low level) - Potsdam Stadt - Wannsee - Berlin-Charlottenburg. The afternoon trip ran the same route in the opposite direction. BLN 766.0488][DE] Berlin-Wannsee - Potsdam Stadt - Werder (Havel): (BLN 754.0218; Ball 31B2-31A2) Babelsberg, between Griebnitzsee and Potsdam Stadt, now has a loop, allowing a 10-minute frequency compared with the 20-minute frequency when Wannsee - Potsdam first had its single-line third-rail S-Bahn service restored in 1992. The former Babelsberg booking-office, located beneath platform 6, is now a bar, Gleis 6, and tickets can be bought only from machines on the platform. At Potsdam Stadt colour-light signals have replaced the semaphore signals installed at the end of the S-Bahn platform in 1992, and the main-line side of the station has been rebuilt as an island platform and resignalled, though the station buildings seem unchanged. Main-line 15kV 16²/3Hz electrification is well-advanced although the overhead current had not yet been switched on in late September 1995. BLN 766.0489][DE] Potsdam - Cottbus by tram?: (Ball 31B1-31A1) While Berlin's Stadtbahn viaduct across the city-centre is closed to main-line trains for reconstruction, Potsdam Pirschheide, formerly Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, is enjoying a temporary renaissance with a two-hourly Regional Express service via the Berlin Aussenring to Cottbus. A special Potsdam tram service connecting with the RE trains runs under contract to DB from the more centrally-located Potsdam Stadt out to Pirschheide, and the trams show Cottbus as their destination. Since 3 September 1995 travellers with VBB tickets (such as Greater Berlin 24-hour tickets) have to pay a DEM2 supplement to use RE trains. BLN 766.0490][DE] Fares on the Saxon narrow-gauge: From 1 October 1995 the standard tariff structure no longer applies to the four remaining 750mm-gauge DB lines with steam traction in the Land of Sachsen: Radebeul Ost - Radeburg (Ball 44A2; KBS509); Freital-Hainsberg - Kurort Kipsdorf (BLN755.0249; Ball 44A2-44A1; KBS513); Zittau - Bertsdorf - Kurort Jonsdorf / Kurort Oybin (BLN 759.0350; Ball 45A2-45A1; KBS238); and Cranzahl - Kurort Oberwiesenthal (Ball 54B3; KBS518). BahnCard and Guten Abend discounted fares are still available, but Schönes Wochenende tickets are not valid. BLN 766.0491][DE] Radolfzell - Stahringen - Stockach (- Mengen): (BLN 755.0251; Ball 68B1) Radolfzell - Stahringen - Stockach is to be electrified, and the Stahringen - Stockach section of the line to Mengen, closed to passengers in 1982, is to reopen from 10 September 1996 for electric passenger trains, to be operated by the Swiss Mittel-Thurgau Bahn, which already runs local services in Germany on the Konstanz - Radolfzell - Singen - Engen line (BLN 714.018). Though the Radolfzell - Stahringen section already has DB diesel passenger trains on the Bodensee-Gürtelbahn running around the north side of the lake to Friedrichshafen and Lindau, these do not stop at Stahringen. (L'Écho du Rail, #148, August 1995) BLN 766.0492][CH] Vevey - Puidoux-Chexbres: (Ball 91B1-91A1) This CFF line was closed completely from 28 May (as shown in the timetable; 1 June according to some reports) until 23 September 1995. Track, signalling, catenary and rock-slide protection were completely renovated, and the weekend 29 September-1 October was to see three days of celebrations for the reopening of the modernised line, whose service now goes by the name Train des Vignes, after the local vines. Two new halts opened, one at Vevey Funiculaire, with interchange for Mont Pélerin, and at Corseaux. Before their opening, the line did seem to miss significant potential traffic sources by having merely a single intermediate station, at Chexbres Village. (L'Écho du Rail, #149, September 1995) BLN 766.0493][LV] Riga works: The Latvian Privatisation Agency is inviting international tenders to buy the huge RVR rolling-stock works in Riga, which once built many of the Soviet Union's trams and multiple-unit trains. Even in 1994 it still turned out 600 emu cars and 70 diesel cars. (Economist, 30 September 1995) BLN 766.0494][CA] Montréal Centrale - Deux Montagnes: (BLN 762.0416) CN suburban services, operated for the Societé de Transport de la Communauté Urbaine de Montréal (STCUM), have been much interrupted by reconstruction work during 1995. The whole line was shut at weekends from 22 April; north of Roxboro weekdays off-peak from 1 May; the whole line weekdays off-peak from 22 May; and completely from 5 June. Although services were due to resume at peak hours from 28 August and for all services from 18 September, an STCUM notice dated 13 July stated that regular train services would not begin again until mid-October. BLN 766.0495][CA] Sault Ste.Marie - Hearst: In addition to its profitable freight service, the Algoma Central Railway receives Canadian government subsidy to operate passenger trains all year on the 475.9km line between these two Ontario communities, serving points not accessible by road. The subsidy is under threat from transport legislation now progressing through the Ottawa parliament, and this could also threaten other lines, such as the Ontario Northland. The ACR runs six round-trips a week in summer and three in winter. The journey is scheduled to take about nine hours, but usually takes longer because the timings do not seem to allow for stops, which can be several minutes each when supplies and canoes have to be loaded or unloaded. In August 1995, the places reached by the train but not by road seemed mainly associated with leisure activities of the hunting, shooting, fishing and canoeing variety. Direct running connections allow the north-south ACR to exchange freight with the east-west lines of the CP at Franz and the CN at Oba. Passenger 'connections' with VIA are shown, but only the most self-sufficient would be advised to envisage changing trains at these locations, which no longer offer station facilities. Indeed, the ACR train does not condescend to stop at either point unless requested. At Hearst, the locomotive does not run round, and the whole train is 'wyed' (turned on a triangle) at Hearst Jn, about 2km from town, where the ACR line joins the Ontario Northland line (former Canadian Northern). Anyone wanting to traverse all three sides of the triangle will therefore have to ride both the northbound train and the following morning's southbound return departure. The ACR's other passenger services would presumably be unaffected by the subsidy issue. The seasonal Agawa Canyon train from Sault Ste.Marie to Canyon (183.1km) is a well-patronised excursion, without intermediate stops, to an inaccessible site owned by the railway. The summer version runs daily from June to early October. Actually, the grander section of the river is north of Canyon station and therefore seen only from the regular trains and from the winter weekend Snow Train excursions, which run through to Eton (193.3km). No passenger service runs on ACR's 42km branch from Hawk Jn to Michipicoten Harbor, on Lake Superior. From 1901 to 1965 the ACR was the Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Railway. On 1 February 1995 the Algoma Central Corporation, which continues to exist as a major landowner and conglomerate, sold the line to the Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation, operator of New Zealand's railways and a probable bidder for BR's trainload freight activities. WCT's own line links with the ACR by a bridge from Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan. (partly from The Sault Star, 4 August 1995, plus ACR employee timetable) BLN 766.0496][US] Los Angeles - San Bernardino: Amtrak passenger trains ceased to run on 91.8km of Santa Fe's Pasadena Subdivision from Los Angeles (Broadway AT&SF Jn) via Pasadena to San Bernardino (West Yard) after 14 January 1994, when the last Los Angeles - Albuquerque - Chicago Southwest Chief ran this way, thereafter diverting to the more southerly route via Fullerton, also owned by Santa Fe and already used by the Los Angeles - Salt Lake City - Chicago Desert Wind. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority subsequently took over the Pasadena line, intending to use part of it to extend the Blue Line of the Los Angeles Metrolink light-rail system, but Santa Fe freight trains continue to run on it. The SPV Railroad Atlas of California & Nevada should be amended. The third Amtrak train east, the Los Angeles - Phoenix - New Orleans - Miami Sunset Limited continues to take the Southern Pacific line via Pomona, lying between the two Santa Fe routes and passing just to the south of San Bernardino at Colton. BLN 767.0497] Belfast - Larne Harbour: From 12 November 1995 Stena Sealink conventional ferries ceased to operate on the Stranraer - Larne route, opened in 1872. Staff at Larne were paid off and the Stena office there is closed and deserted. Stena have joined SeaCat, their fast-ferry rivals, in operating from Stranraer to Belfast. For the moment Stena's time is three hours against SeaCat's 90 minutes, but a Stena fast-ferry is to begin on the Belfast route in spring 1996. The 'Sealink' brand-name is to be dropped. The Stena move has already hit NIR traffic to Larne Harbour station. On 16 November only one other passenger alighted from the 10:57 arrival - a working that had the week before been the morning boat-train from Portadown and Belfast - and no-one joined the southbound train at 11:00. The next arrival at 11:44 likewise brought no customers, and the 12:00 left with BLN's reporter plus one other passenger. Although P&O ferries continue to run Cairnryan - Larne, Cairnryan long ago lost its World War II military-port rail link and is very poorly sited for foot-passengers, most travellers being in cars. BLN 767.0498] Coleraine - Londonderry: Arguably the most attractive length of railway in Northern Ireland, the single-track line leaves Coleraine over the river Bann on a long viaduct with a swing-span, and follows the estuary to Castlerock station. Beyond two tunnels it runs through fine coastal scenery with cliffs and beaches. Seven km west of Bellarena station is the site of Limavady Jn, where the trackbed of the short Limavady branch curves away inland. After another 3km, the line has an unusual level-crossing over the main runway of Ballykelly airfield, built during World War II as a base for maritime reconnaissance aircraft of RAF Coastal Command, but no longer operational. Aircraft and train movements had to be carefully co-ordinated by telephone between control-tower and signal-box, and until the 1960s big four-engined propeller-driven Avro Shackletons, descendants of the famous wartime Lancaster bomber, could sometimes be seen waiting while a train passed. Nor is this the only airfield on the flat land of this coast, for the former Royal Naval Air Station at Eglinton is now Londonderry's City Airport, close to the railway. The former LMS Northern Counties Committee station building at Waterside, next to the present small modern building, is now a furniture store. BLN 767.0499] Coleraine - Portrush: This short 10km branch, reopened in 1968, serves both the University of Ulster and the seaside resort of Portrush. University station had very considerable inbound traffic in early October 1995 as the students arrived for Michaelmas term. Semaphore signalling survives at Portrush. BLN 767.0500][GB][FR][BE] Eurostar PSUL?: According to the platform departure sheets at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel Zuid on 8 September 1995, a rather unusual extra Eurostar working ran on two days only in the summer timetable, Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 August 1995, the English bank-holiday weekend. Train #9141 was shown as the 14:28 from the Belgian capital to London Victoria. Just a printing error maybe - but it leads one to wonder. Could Victoria handle an inbound Eurostar, fully loaded with some 800 passengers, if there were a sudden dire emergency, perhaps a major incident at Waterloo occurring well after the train had passed Ashford International and was already close to its destination? BLN 767.0501][BE] Charleroi - Anderlues trams: (Ball 8B1 not shown) Because of the works on the Jonction - Monument road described in BLN 760.0370, the ex-Vicinal trams were still on 31 August 1995 running to both termini in Anderlues, route 89 to Jonction and route 90 direct to Monument. It seems that destination blinds for '#90 Anderlues' do not exist, so the route 90 tram carried 'La Louvière' as its destination! Alas, since 28 August 1993 it has no longer made its way there, winding through the fields and villages. The direct line along the main road from Pétria to Anderlues Monument, avoiding Jonction, was closed from August 1993 (BLN 716.010) until brought back into use in 1995 (BLN 752.0146), presumably until the road-works are complete. It seems, notwithstanding the ASVi timetable quoted in BLN 765.0461, that the Anderlues - Lobbes - Thuin museum tram did not in fact operate in summer 1995. BLN 767.0502][DE] Berlin Schönefeld-Süd: (BLN 732.0142; Ball 32B1 not shown) Plans for the next biennial ILA International Aerospace Exhibition, on 13-19 May 1996, envisage the same location and use of the special temporary station on the Schönefeld-Süd freight branch. (letter from Messe Berlin) BLN 767.0503][DE] Flensburg - Flensburg Hafen / Flensburg alter Bf: (Ball 10A3) A steam rally at Flensburg harbour on 8 July 1995 involved 11 steamships, plus steam launches, road-rollers, traction-engines and a preserved 2-8-2 locomotive. To connect with steamship trips across the harbour, rail trips ran on the Hafen lines, topped and tailed by a Swedish 2-6-4T and a Danish 0-6-0T, climbing up the incline on one side of the harbour almost to the main station, then returning on the other side to the street track at the main Dampf Rundum site. The event may be repeated in July 1997. A DGEG railtour was also to visit Flensburg old station in the harbour area on 12 August 1995 (OEIS 9548). (Cruising Monthly, 11/95) BLN 767.0504][DE] Güsen (Kreis Genthin) - Ziesar - Görzke: (BLN 765.0462; Ball 28B2; KBS262) Track on the branch is poor, and the single railbus offered a very lively ride in mid-October 1995. The 14:09 from Güsen to Ziesar carried few passengers, and the return working carried only BLN's reporter throughout, so it is not surprising this service is threatened. As noted in the previous report, some wagons stood at Gladau. At Ziesar both the freight lines south to Görzke and north towards Wusterwitz appeared shiny, but the latter may possibly see use as a headshunt only. On the lightly-loaded railbus plus trailer forming the 16:08 from Güsen to Schönhausen the driver announced something, then he, the guard and two passengers got off at an intermediate station. This turned out to be a 'smoke break'. When they had finished their cigarettes, the train proceeded. The few other passengers had all left by Jerichow, and our reporter had the train to himself thereafter. BLN 767.0505][DE] Müncheberg (Mark) - Buckow (Märkisches Schweiz): (BLN 760.0373; Ball 30A3) The branch may or may not reopen in 1996, but DB's Dampf-Nostalgie 95 booklet shows steam-hauled Nikolausfahrten (= Santa specials) running from Berlin-Lichtenberg through to Buckow at about 10:00 on both 2 and 9 December 1995. BLN 767.0506][DE][PL] Frankfurt (Oder) - Küstrin-Kietz DB - Kostrzyn PKP: (BLN 760.0371; Ball 30B3) New Class 628 diesel units work to Kostrzyn as an extension of the Eberswalde - Frankfurt service, the sets reversing in five minutes at Frankfurt. However this particular use of DB's 628s as international trains may be short-lived, for patronage of the line is low, and closure is a possibility (BLN 764.0442). On a visit in mid-October 1995, the 12:38 from Frankfurt carried two or three passengers, with another joining en route. Only BLN's reporter crossed into Poland, causing border officials some irritation by stopping to photograph the train instead of proceeding dutifully to have his passport examined, though they soon lost interest when they found he was returning forthwith to the European Union. The intermediate passing-loop at Podelzig is fully signalled and shiny, though not required for the passenger service. BLN 767.0507][DE] Nördlingen - Wemding: (Ball 59A1-59B1) Closure of this freight branch to all traffic is expected in December 1995. BLN 767.0508][DK] Fredericia avoiding line (Snoghøj - Taulov): (BLN 721.011; Ball 6B2-6A2; DSB 65 & 80) For the moment, the new east-to-west curve avoiding Fredericia continues to carry just one passenger service a week, ironically a train bound for Fredericia. Train #4380, the 22:19 Nyborg Færgehavn - Kolding - Fredericia, running on Sundays and public holidays only, reverses at Kolding, where it makes connection with a København - Sønderborg Inter-City train. BLN 767.0509][DK] (Odense -) Nyborg - Korsør (- København): (BLN 754.0231; Ball 7A2-7B2) Once the fixed road and rail links over and under the Storebælt are complete, the redundant train-ferry port of Nyborg Færgehavn may become a Danish national ferry museum. (Cruising Monthly, 11/95) BLN 767.0510][DK] Nykøbing Falster - Gedser: (BLN 764.0450; Ball 12A3) With the September 1995 timetable change came withdrawal of the through services to Germany via the Gedser - Warnemünde train-ferry, but DSB's winter 1995-96 timetable shows a single remaining Monday-Friday train making a round-trip (#4229 08:41 København H - 10:45 Nykøbing F - Gedser; and #5328 11:28 Gedser - Nykøbing F). All other journeys on the route are now by bus, and an ominous footnote to table 50 suggests there could be a subsequent alteration in the timetable for the trains (der kan forekomme œndringer i køreplanen). BLN 767.0511][IT] (Macomer -) Tresnuraghes - Bosa Marina (- Bosa): (BLN 750.0125; Ball 39A2) European Union finance to assist the Sardinian tourist industry having been secured, Italian government approval was given on 28 March 1995 for the reopening of this section, closed in 1991, of the 950mm-gauge Ferrovie della Sardegna. From Macomer, 650m up on the island's central plateau, the FdS line descends in sweeping curves through attractive scenery to the sea. Through-running beyond Tresnuraghes to Bosa Marina began in spring 1995. The final section into the town of Bosa has disappeared as a result of a river deviation, but future reinstatement is planned, should finances permit. BLN 767.0512][PL] Legnica - Jermanice Zdrój - Lezeniów - Wojcieszów Górny - Marciszów: (Ball 36B2; PKP 249) This line in south-west Poland closed to passengers with effect from 9 October 1995. Electric units used to work south from Legnica, with passengers changing at Jermanice Zdrój, though electrification in fact ends some 2km further on at a signal-box at the next junction, Lezeniów. Though Ball prematurely shows the line south of Jermanice Zdrój as freight-only, diesel railcars continued until this autumn to run through the splendid rolling scenery to Marciszów. The appreciable cement traffic from Wojcieszów Górny appears to work northwards, and there does not seem to be any regular traffic between there and Marciszów. The Lezeniów - Wilków Zlotoryjski freight branch is diesel-worked, apparently by private locomotive, for aggregates traffic. BLN 767.0513][PL] Sroda - Zaniemysl: (BLN 763.0431; Ball 37A3; OEIS9575) The 14km 750mm-gauge steam passenger line seems to have survived the threatened closure at the beginning of November. On 15 October 1995 all timetabled trains were working. Two Px48 steam locomotives (#1726 and 1756) were available at Sroda - and another (#1920) had been sent to Pila for overhaul. The future of the line remains doubtful. BLN 767.0514][CA][US] (Toronto, ON -) Sarnia, ON - Port Huron, MI (- Chicago, IL): This important freight route also carries a VIA Rail/Amtrak international passenger service. The border between Canada and the United States here is the St.Clair River, and the old tunnel beneath it had a speed-limit of 25km/h and too small a profile for wagons conveying double-stack containers, which thus had to go by train-ferry (BLN 755 supplement). Canadian National therefore built a new 1.87km tunnel, which came into use on 5 April 1995. CN, a 'Crown corporation' owned by the Canadian government, is soon to be the subject of Canada's largest privatisation. BLN 767.0515][AR] Buenos Aires: Not included on the sketch-map accompanying BLN 759.0363 was a 1000mm-gauge suburban line which forms part of the General Belgrano Sur system, but operates from a separate terminal called Puente Alsina located to the south of Buenos Aires General Belgrano station. The two lines run from Buenos Aires General Belgrano to Gonzáles Catán and from Puente Alsina to Marinos del Cruzero, but they intersect at Aldo Bonzi in the Tapiales area, and at least one train is understood now to run from BA Gral. Belgrano to Marinos, changing routes by a curve near Aldo Bonzi. The Belgrano Sur suburban lines are said to have more than doubled their carryings since privatisation. A limited suburban service has also begun on a 1676mm-gauge west-to-east branch from Haedo, on the Sarmiento line out of Once, which crosses the Belgrano lines near Aldo Bonzi at a higher level, to reach Temperley on the Roca line out of Constitución. An up-to-date railway map of the city's complex network of lines on various gauges would be most welcome. BLN 768.0516][FR] SNCF line closures threatened: As reported in detail in OEIS 9573 and 9577, line closures on a large scale - like those in Britain following the 1960s Beeching Report - are a possible outcome of the French political process in 1996. Uncertainty over future jobs on a much smaller network, and government plans to reduce social-security entitlements, led to prolonged strike action by railwaymen beginning in November 1995. Whatever political compromise is reached, it does seem likely that SNCF drivers will have to carry on working after 50 to earn their full pension - and that quite a number of the French branches that at present seem to carry on in defiance of the laws of economics will have to close. BLN 768.0517][FR] Questembert - Ploërmel - Loyat: (Ball 32A3) At Ploërmel station the track is intact with little weed growth, but level-crossing gates have been removed and no traffic seems to have passed on the branch for some time. The station building is in industrial use. BLN 768.0518][FR] Monsempron-Libos - Fumel - Pont-L'Évêque (- Cahors): (Ball 61A2-61B2) The 1989 IGN map, 1:100,000 scale, sheet 57, shows the line extending only about 2km from Monsempron-Libos to Fumel. The 1991 Ball atlas shows the Monsempron-Libos - Pont-L'Évêque section having steam tourist operations as the CF Touristique de la Vallée du Lot, but the 1994 revision deletes the whole branch. The line is not included in Haworth's The Tourist Railways of France (Rapid Transit Publications, 1995). In November 1995 track was still in place to Fumel, and this length had at least two sets of private sidings, both facing east. A level-crossing with trainman-operated barriers lay west of Fumel station, which retained two tracks, with modern lighting on the loop platform, and a building, now privately occupied, but no traffic was visible. BLN 768.0519][FR] Montauban-Ville-Bourbon - Montauban-Ville-Nouvelle: (Ball 61B1) This short branch has been lifted where it passes beneath the D927 road, and probably throughout. The lengthier Montauban - St.Sulpice (Tarn) freight line (Ball 61B1-72A3) has been lifted at all its crossings with the D630 road. BLN 768.0520][FR] Boussens - St.Girons: (Ball 71A2-71B1) This branch does not appear in the SNCF Freight Workings list (OEIS 9557). At St.Girons, weeds are growing on the track, and no rail traffic appears to have passed for some time, but the station ticket-office is staffed, and has a billetterie automatique on the outside wall of the building to sell tickets, presumably for an SNCF bus, when staff are not present. BLN 768.0521][FR] Elne - St.Jean-Pla-de-Corts (- Céret): (Ball 80B3-80A3) This freight-only branch has electrification as far as Le Boulou, but ends about 4km west of there, at a concrete buffer-stop just west of St.Jean-Pla-de-Corts, where a diesel-hauled train was in the yard on 9 November 1995, and steel traffic was being handled. At Céret the disused track is heavily overgrown, and SNCF have vacated the station building for an office in the town. The entry in SNCF Freight Workings (OEIS 9557B) needs updating. BLN 768.0522][FR, BE] (Lille -) Wannehain SNCF - Espléchin SNCB - Antoing (- Brussel/Bruxelles): (BLN 718.08; Ball 7B1) Extending from a triangular junction south-east of Lille, just inside France, some 20km to a junction with SNCB's 3000V dc network at Antoing, the first section of newly-built 300km/h 25kV 50Hz TGV Belge line is due to carry London - Bruxelles Eurostars and Paris - Bruxelles TGVs from the timetable change in June 1996. Eurostars at present use the Lille - Blandain - Tournai Ligne 94 route to Bruxelles, but will be re-routed to run Lille - Antoing on the new line, then Antoing - St.Ghislain - Mons on Ligne 78, and Mons - Bruxelles on Ligne 96. This will last until the Antoing - Halle section of the Belgian high-speed line to the capital opens for traffic. BLN 768.0523][BE] Deinze - Lichtervelde - De Panne: (BLN 735.0172, 753.0177; Ball 7B2-7A3) Train services between Gent and De Panne are to be electrically worked from the timetable change in June 1996, but the planned single-track extension of the Knokke - Oostende - De Panne metre-gauge coastal tramway (ex-Vicinal, now De Lijn) from its present De Panne Esplanade terminus for 2km inland to a terminal loop outside De Panne NMBS station is unlikely to be completed before May 1997. BLN 768.0524][BE][FR] (St.Ghislain -) Quiévrain SNCB - Blanc-Misseron SNCF - Valenciennes: (BLN 721.05, 736.0202; Ball 8A1-7B1) SNCB are seeking European Union finance to reopen and electrify this out-of-use cross-border line, but SNCF are showing no interest in the scheme. BLN 768.0525][NL] (Amsterdam -) Leiden - Den Haag - Delft (- Rotterdam): (Ball 3B3-3B2) Quadrupling of the main line between Leiden and Delft should be complete in time for the 1996 timetable, allowing various service improvements. Further east, NS is to introduce fast trains on the Nijmegen - Roermond line (4B2-5A1-9B3) but to accommodate these some local trains will be replaced by buses. BLN 768.0526][DE] Berlin: Jungfernheide - Lehrter Bf - Yorckstrasse: (BLN 737.0231; Ball 32A2) Work on the new north-south cross-city main-line tunnel under the Tiergarten in connection with the proposed new main station on the Lehrter Bf site was officially inaugurated on 13 October 1995. BLN 768.0527][AT] (Wien -) Sigmundsherberg - Gmünd NÖ: (Ball 64A1-63B2) Electric operation between Sigmundsherberg and Gmünd NÖ began on 24 September 1995. BLN 768.0528][AT][HU] (Wiener Neustadt -) Oberwart ÖBB - Rechnitz (- Szombathely MÁV): (BLN 737.0236; Ball 75B1-84B3) It seems that from June 1996 the Sudbürgenlandische Regionalbahn company is to operate regular passenger services using second-hand diesel railcars, but it is not clear whether these are to run from Oberwart ÖBB to Rechnitz, or on the Oberwart - Oberschützen branch, or both. What is the status of the line beyond Rechnitz to Szombathely in Hungary, and does it feature in future plans? BLN 768.0529][SE] Stockholm - Göteborg: (Ball 23A2-21A1) From 8 January 1996 X2000 tilting trains are to work many more services on this line, and between Stockholm and Malmö (23A2-25A1). SJ are also rearranging the second-class seating to increase capacity, words ominously familiar to British travellers. As happened to InterCity HSTs, tables are being taken out and seats moved closer together. The fares structure for X2000 trains is to become something like that used by SNCF for TGV services. A single price will be quoted for fare plus reservation, but this will vary with the time of day, day in the week, etc. BLN 768.0530][IT] Bari - Taranto: (Ball 55B1-58B3) FS are to double this line, and are said to be planning to bring some sections into use in 1997, completing the work in 1999. A sceptical BLN correspondent suggests that 2005 might be a safer bet for the completion date! BLN 768.0531][NO] Nelaug - Arendal: (Ball 20A3-20A2) This branch off the Oslo - Stavanger main line changed to electric working from 1 November 1995, and NSB ceased to use its Rolls-Royce-engined diesel railcars dating from the 1950s. This may leave Portugal - with its 'Class 50 clones' - as the only European country outside the UK whose main-line railway still has British motive power operating on a regular basis. BLN 768.0532][CA] Vancouver - Coquitlam - Mission BC: (BLN 752.0168, 759.0361, 761.0394, 765.0478) On 10 October 1995, BC Transit's locomotive #901, lettered West Coast Express, was coupled between VIA locomotives #6449 and 6437 on train #1, the 12:45 Canadian departing Toronto for Vancouver. Presumably this was a transcontinental running-in turn before it took up its duties on the new commuter service which was to begin on the Vancouver - Mission route in November 1995. BLN 768.0533][CA][US] Montréal Centrale - Rouses Point, NY - Albany-Rensselaer - New York: Over the Canadian Thanksgiving public-holiday weekend, 7-9 October 1995, Montréal's Victoria bridge was closed for repairs. On 7 October Amtrak's train #68, the 10:25 Adirondack to New York and Washington DC, was 'detoured' via CN Hibernia, clockwise via Taschereau yard, CN Parsley, CP Hampstead, St.Luc Jn, La Salle Bridge and Napierville, rejoining its normal route just before Rouses Point, the US border station. This exotic diversion added about 45 minutes to the journey. Not so lucky the following day were passengers on northbound train #69, announced as terminating at Albany-Rensselaer, station for the capital of New York State, with a bus connection forward the 385km to Montréal. Meanwhile VIA trains on the 272km Corridor route between Montréal Centrale and Québec city's Gare du Palais started and terminated all weekend at Saint-Lambert, a park-&-ride station on the south shore 6km out of Centrale beyond the Victoria bridge, with bus connections. BLN 768.0534][US][CA] New York - Niagara Falls, NY: 'Wyeing' of a scheduled passenger working - turning the complete train on a wye or triangle - seems to be the practice on this line as well as on the Algoma Central (BLN 766.0495). On 8 October 1995 Amtrak's train #285, the 13:43 New York (Penn) - Buffalo - Niagara Falls, avoided the direct south-to-west curve at Niagara Jn; took instead the south-to-east curve to the junction at Bell Aircraft; reversed across the east-to-west side of the triangle, and continued backing for some 5km into Niagara Falls Amtrak station, leaving the locomotive and train ready for departure the next day (SPV Railroad Atlas of North America, NY-16). VIA train #5, the 20:10 Skeena from Jasper to Prince George and Prince Rupert, was similarly wyed before arriving at Prince Rupert station on 16 October. BLN 768.0535][US] Alamosa - Antonito, CO - Chama, NM - Durango, CO - Silverton: The once-extensive 914mm-gauge D&RG system that served the mining and other communities of the Rocky Mountains has now contracted to a pair of tourist rail operations, but unlike the typical short preserved railway in Britain with its random selection of motive-power, each of these lines offers steam haulage with authentic locomotives through magnificent scenery over quite significant lengths of route. The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, later the Denver & Rio Grande Western, was measured in miles and tenths from a zero-point at Denver, and the original break-of-gauge transhipment yard in southern Colorado was at Alamosa, 421km (261.7mi) south by standard-gauge train. In 1995 this small town still had traces of mixed-gauge in the yard, but the line heading due south is no longer narrow-gauge, having been rebuilt as a freight-only standard-gauge branch serving the old D&RG depot in Antonito, Colorado, at 451km (280.3mi). The 914mm-gauge line westward from Antonito, opened in 1880, begins today on the south-western edge of the town, in the separate, purpose-built, depot of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, a tourist operation owned since July 1970 jointly by the States of Colorado and New Mexico, and operated on their behalf by Kyle Railways Inc. Antonito narrow-gauge depot is 452km from Denver and 2404m above sea-level (280.7mi; 7888ft), while Chama, New Mexico, is at 552km and 2397m elevation (343.12mi; 7863ft). The C&TS is thus 100km long, climbing to 3228m and winding through wild open highlands more than twice as high as anything in Britain. In summer, daily trains operate from each end to meet in the middle at Osier, Colorado, a remote siding with a restaurant purpose-built for lunching two trainloads of passengers. The steam locomotives work through, but they exchange their stock, together with those passengers wanting to make an end-to-end journey. Chama, where the first train arrived on 31 December 1880, has the C&TS headquarters, and a roundhouse which can be visited. Some interesting equipment is to be seen, including a coal tippler, rotary snowploughs and Baldwin 2-8-2 locomotives of various dates from 1902 to 1925. West of Chama, 175km of line to Durango, Colorado, is closed and lifted. The last D&RGW passenger train ran on this section in November 1968. Durango depot, 727km from Denver and at 1987m elevation (451.5mi; 6520ft), is the home of the Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad, successor in 1981 to the D&RGW. The locomotives are of various 2-8-2 types as on the C&TS, but the line, completed in 1882, runs north through quite different rocky terrain, largely up the gorge of the Animas River, often on narrow ledges, climbing steadily for 73km to Silverton, Colorado, which is at 800km and 2835m elevation (497.13mi; 9300ft). Several trains run daily in the summer, as round-trips from Durango, terminating nowadays beyond the depot in the main street of Silverton, a traditional western small town, formerly a heavy-metals mining centre, completely surrounded by tall mountains. Both lines have excellent guide-books, by the same author, with copious detailed maps, mile-by-mile descriptions, photographs, history, comprehensive rolling-stock details and even the area geology, flora and fauna. The Cumbres & Toltec book has been continuously revised since 1976 and the Durango & Silverton one since 1965. Anyone considering visiting these interesting railways would find it well worthwhile to read the books in advance. (Ticket to Toltec. ISBN 0 931788 26 9. 1994 edition, price USD9.95. Cinders & Smoke. ISBN 0 931788 01 3. 1994 edition, price USD7.25. By Doris B Osterwald. Published by Western Guideways Ltd, PO Box 15532, Lakewood, Colorado CO 80215, USA. Obtainable from Narrow Gauge Bookstore, 602 Main Street, Alamosa, Colorado CO 81101, USA; telephone + 1 719 598 6712 and quote your credit-card number.) BLN 768.0536][JP] (Tokyo Ueno -) Takasaki - Nagaoka: A stretch of the 1067mm-gauge former Joetsu main line, from Tokyo to Niigata, has reverted to the status almost of a country branch. Through passengers from Tokyo now travel by the 1435mm-gauge Joetsu Shinkansen. A relatively frequent local service runs approximately hourly between Takasaki and the resort town of Minakami, while several Limited Expresses run through from Tokyo's Ueno station, and some detach a portion for Manza-Kazawaguchi at Shibukawa. From Minakami over the summit to the skiing and summer resort town of Echigo-Yusawa there are now only five local trains a day. From Echigo-Yusawa the service on to Nagaoka is roughly hourly stopping at all stations, although outside the resort area itself the country is sparsely populated. A summer tourist train also makes a daily trip through the resort towns hauled by electric locomotive EF 64 1001 in the old brown livery. Between Minakami and Echigo-Yusawa the line is steeply graded and reminiscent of some Swiss railways. The original single line, now the up (to Tokyo) line, gains height between Yupino and Doai in a spiral tunnel. This is followed by a more-or-less level section, with a summit tunnel, to Tsuchitaru. From here a second spiral tunnel takes the line down to Echigo-Nakagata followed by a further steep descent along the valley to Echigo-Yusawa. The new down line, which seems to have constructed in the 1930s or 1940s, takes a more direct course, through a steeply-inclined straight tunnel from Yupino to Doai, then a more gently-graded tunnel to Tsuchitaru. Here the down line re-emerges to join the up line in the station and then descends through another steeply-graded straight tunnel to Echigo-Nakagata. The down platforms at both Yupino and Doai are underground, connected to the surface and to the up platforms by steeply sloping passageways. Tsuchitaru and Echigo-Nakagata are both in the open air. Some freight trains are still worked over the summit, limited to around twelve vehicles and hauled by pairs of EF 64 electric locomotives. Diverging westwards at the north end of Muikamachi station is a disused branch, with very rusty track in position and connected to the running lines. This branch, the Hokuetsu-Hoko line, to Tokamachi and Naoetsu, was shown as 'under construction or proposed' in the Quail Japan Railway Atlas of 1975. Was it ever completed and what is its status today? BLN 768.0537][JP] Shikoku: In 1988 Japan's main island of Honshu was linked by a bridge near the city of Okayama across narrows in the Inland Sea to the smaller but still sizeable island of Shikoku lying to the south. The 13.1km Seto-Ohashi bridge, with main spans 65m above high water, carries beneath its road deck a 1067mm-gauge electrified railway connecting the mainland system with the island lines of the ex-nationalised company, JR Shikoku, at a triangular flying junction to serve both Takamatsu to the east and Tadotsu to the west. JR Shikoku's only double track is between these two points. Electrification extends beyond Tadotsu west along the northern coast to the city of Matsuyama, and for a short distance inland from Tadotsu to Kotohira. The island lines abound in tunnels and curves, so the Hitachi-built tilting electric units on the Okayama - Tadotsu - Matsuyama route have made big improvements on journey times over conventional trains. It can be somewhat alarming to sit in the front coach with a view ahead through the driver's cab as the train takes curves at speed, though physical sensation of the curvature is lacking. Diesel tilting trains operate the Shimanto expresses on the Takamatsu - Tadotsu - Kotohira - Kubokawa - Nakamura route serving the south-west of the island. Both the electric and the diesel tilting expresses have a streamlined cab at the 'country' end only, and the diesels were seen working in two-, four- and five-car formations. Internally, all the tilting trains feature a laterally-scrolling three-colour light-emitting-diode display at each end of the coach, giving information in Japanese about the next stop and the current speed. The maximum seen displayed was 120km/h, but for most of the lengthy climbs through the mountains the speed rarely dropped below 80km/h. The last section of the Shimanto express route, from Wakai just beyond Kubokawa to Nakamura, uses the Tosa-Kurachio private railway, over which JR Shikoku has running powers. Nearby, the JR Shikoku Kubokawa - Wakai - Uwajima branch is a truly rural line, with eight railcars a day. As passengers alight, fares are dropped into a transparent plastic fare-box for the driver to check, and no tickets are issued. At one of the passing stations, someone who had got off the train to take photographs was left behind, until another passenger on the single unit alerted the driver to stop. Then another passenger realised he had boarded the train going the wrong way, and was let off to walk back along the track! Unusual among railways on Shikoku is the Kotoden-Chikko private railway with three lines based on the city of Takamatsu (Takamatsu - Kawaramachi - Kotohira / Nagao / Shido), since it is standard 1435mm-gauge, and urban parts of it are double-track.