Neckar Valley Railway

Neckar Valley Railway
Overview
Native nameNeckartalbahn
StatusOperational
OwnerDeutsche Bahn
Line number
  • 4100 (Heidelberg–Karlstor)
  • 4110 (Karlstor–Neckargemünd)
  • 4111 (Neckargemünd–Jagstfeld)
LocaleBaden-Württemberg and Hesse, Germany
Termini
  • Heidelberg Hbf.
  • Bad Friedrichshall-Jagstfeld
Stations21
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Passenger/freight rail
Regional rail, Commuter rail
Route number
  • 705
  • 665.1-2 (Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn)
  • 780 (Neckarelz–/WÜ–Stuttgart)
Operator(s)DB Netz
History
OpenedStages between 1862-1879
Technical
Line length70.1 km (43.6 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius300 m (984 ft)
Electrification
Operating speed130 km/h (80.8 mph) (maximum)
Maximum incline1.3 %
Route map

16.634
Heidelberg marshalling yard
(1914–2000)
17.49
Heidelberg Hbf
(since 1955) S5S51
18.630
Heidelberg-Weststadt/Südstadt
(station part; since 2003)
18.730
Rohrbacher Straße
(tramway to Rohrbach)
19.13
Königstuhl
(Bk; 1914–1955)
18.974
19.334
Königstuhl
former junction (1955–1997))
19.363
Königstuhl Tunnel
(2487 m; since 1914)
18.71 0.000
Heidelberg Hbf
(terminal station until 1955)
112 m
Rohrbacher Straße LC
0.5
Gaisberg tunnel (312  m)
1.0
Peterskirche
(until about 1925)
1.0
Spital tunnel (68  m)
21.85 1.8
Schloßberg tunnel (ca. 766  m)
Herrenmühle siding
21.97 2.30
Heidelberg-Altstadt
(Heidelberg Karlstor until Dec. 2008)
track laid 20 Nov. 1933
LC: Reichsstraße 37, Neckargemünd–
Heidelberg tramway (until Nov. 1933)
22.215 2.544
current line change 4100/4110
LC: Reichsstraße 37,
Heidelberg–Neckargemünd tramway
4.4
Jägerhaus/Wolfsbrunnen
(until 1943)
5.500
Heidelberg-Schlierbach/Ziegelhausen
(former Bf)
6.800
Heidelberg Orthopädie
(since 2003)
8.7
Kümmelbacher Hof
9.760
0.000
Neckargemünd
Elsenz Valley Railway
to Bad Friedrichshall S5S51
0.75
Elsenz
(71 m)
0.904
Reichenstein tunnel (147 m)
1.130
Neckargemünd Altstadt
(since 2003)
1.3
Neckar (171 m)
Neckarbrücke
(March to June 1946)
3.3
B37 (152  m; since 1988)
2.593
Baden-Württemberg
Hesse
state border
4.2
Hinterburg Tunnel (139 m)
former line from Schönau (b Heidelb.)
(until 1981)
5.596
Neckarsteinach
9.620
Neckarhausen
bei Neckarsteinach
12.946
Hirschhorn (Neckar)
13.8
Schlossberg Tunnel (341 m)
15.8
Feuerberg Tunnel (966 m)
18.404
Hesse
Baden-Württemberg
state border
18.58
Eberbach-Pleutersbach
Odenwald Railway
from Darmstadt/Hanau
21.201
Eberbach
terminus of some S2 services
21.9
Scheuerberg Tunnel (569 m)
27.425
Lindach
30.491
Zwingenberg (Baden)
34.022
Neckargerach
36.8
Binau Tunnel (853 m)
37.441
Binau
40.835
Mosbach-Neckarelz
41.8
Mosbach Link Line (until ca. 1960)
42.0
old trackbed of the Odenwald Railway
(until 1895)
42.1
line to Meckesheim (until 1945)
43.73
Hochhausen (Neckar)
46.031
Neckarzimmern
47.853
Haßmersheim
49.5
Böttingen Tunnel (766 m)
50.635
Gundelsheim (Neckar)
52,84
Heinsheim
55.043
Offenau
57.2
over the Jagst (128 m)
Franconia Railway from Würzburg
Elsenz Valley Railway
from Neckargemünd S 42
58.47
Bad Friedrichshall
Lower Kocher Valley Rly.
to Ohrnberg (until 1993)
Source: German railway atlas

The Neckar Valley Railway, or Neckar Valley Main Line (German: Neckartalbahn) is a railway line from Heidelberg via Eberbach and Mosbach to Bad Friedrichshall-Jagstfeld in southwestern Germany. Today it is administered by the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (Rhine-Neckar Transport Authority) and is partly worked by the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn.