Eifel track as Rhine-discharge line? Das Rheintal ist auf sämtlichen Verkehrswegen einer der am stärksten belasteten Verkehrskorridore in Mitteleuropa. Die Autobahnen A3, A61 oder A5 sind die üblichen Verdächtigen der westdeutschen Staunachrichten, der Rhein selbst als Wasserstraße ist eine der meistbefahrensten Europas, was jedem Schiffskapitän besonders im engen Mittelrheintal einiges abverlangt. Vor allem die Bahnstrecken entlang des Rheins are very congested, which disturbs the residents of the valley, particularly for the high noise emissions. Consequently, there were and are still important infrastructure projects along the major European transport corridor under construction or in planning.
Abroad huge investments in infrastructure
In the Dutch section was, for example, built the
Betuweroute , a pure fast for the goods provided rail line along a highway to the goods shipped from the port of Rotterdam to the hinterland to convey.
Switzerland too busy tinkering in huge infrastructure projects (
New Rail Alpine Transversal ), Such as the under construction Gotthard Base Tunnel, which crosses below the headwaters of the Rhine. Problem with both of these projects is the lack of continuation of the rail corridors on German soil! The
Betuweroute ends near the German border and empties it into the Holland route
from Emmerich to Oberhausen, which is currently only two tracks. This route will be extended three tracks in the near future. That the Schnienennetz in the Rhine-Ruhr on the route Oberhausen-Duisburg-Dusseldorf-Cologne is heavily loaded, you can imagine. The expansion required for this action is consistent with the project RRX role, although this is due to undetermined billions in investment is still not set in stone.
meets The Middle Rhine Valley between Cologne-Bonn area and the metropolitan region Rhine-Main has long been at its maximum capacity, so where in 2003 a multi-billion infrastructure project was completed: the
new Cologne-Frankfurt by the Westerwald to the Rhine Valley, and the Great cities of Bonn, Koblenz and Mainz deal. But still the line capacity of the Middle Rhine Valley are reaching their limits, because this new line is mainly due to very strong gradients (up to 40 per thousand, see photo) only for special high-speed trains (ICE 3) use and therefore to the Hochgewindigkeitsfernverkehr. Instead of a great solution for all rail traffic to and share in the Rhine valley, were the 5 billion euros of taxpayers money (!) Form one side so only for the high-speed oriented path.
spending in Germany in the wrong place? Also
south of the Rhine-Main area, the corridors are more congested, there was but mostly distance expansion, instead, set new development (where there is a high-speed NBS Frankfurt-Mannheim in the planning phase). In parts, the Upper Rhine route from Frankfurt to Basel already developed four tracks and can also be used for speeds above 200km / h (Mannheim-Karlsruhe, Rastatt, Offenburg), bringing the total expansion stretches, however, so haltingly, is mainly to financial reasons. There is even a contract between the German and Swiss side to expand the route, finally, the billions of tax dollars flowing to the railway development in Baden-Württemberg, but in another project that each should be known:
Stuttgart 21 !
is especially with the opening of the Gotthard tunnel, rising freight traffic on the Rhine route again, although the networks face today to its limits. Here, the federal government and the railway now finally realize their vast amounts of available Funds not to put in appropriate prestige projects, but where really need! (Which I refer to a review of the program Panorama:
"Bahn AG: delusions of grandeur rather than the People's Railway" )
The Eifel as a relief corridor - is not a new idea
Now it has long discussions, as the Rhine Valley relieved can be. Also, a cargo building route as the Betuweroute is under discussion, an obvious but would use existing tracks, where the left bank located extending in the north-south Eifel track Cologne-Euskirchen-Gerolstein-Trier comes into play. This could be in also contact with the north-south routes running from Trier, Saarbrücken and Strasbourg due to their rather small amounts of traffic load from the Rhine Valley and relieve critical sections in the middle and upper Rhine valley.
This idea is not new, at the beginning of the 20th Century began with the construction of a Rhine-discharge line, which should include some existing lines, with, for at that time a much larger rail network than was currently available. This discharge line, "The Unfinished
" had circumnavigated their starting point in Neuss, while west of Cologne Liblar, to continue on the current route of the A61 to the Rhine river and from there down Ahrtal. Dort sollte sie in die
Ahrtalstrecke einfädeln und weiter nach Süden auf bestehenden Strecken durch die Eifel (Dümpelfeld-Hillesheim-Gerolstein-Trier) führen. Der Bau wurde jedoch von Weltkriegen und Wirtschaftskrisen unterbrochen und konnte nie vollendet werden. Die für diese Strecke gebauten Tunnel oberhalb des Ahrtals wurden im kalten Krieg als
Regierungsbunker verwendet. Es ist jedenfalls auch auf heute bezogen ein interessantes Szenario, dass diverse peripher gelegene Eifelorte wie Walsdorf, Üxheim, Ahrdorf oder Antweiler schon vor hundert Jahren Teil eines wichtigen geplanten Verkehrskorridors gewesen sind.
Heute rächt sich die große Welle der Bahnstilllegungen aus dem 20. Jahrhundert The Ahr valley is
track in full length as well as many other railway lines no longer exists, making it to alternative routes to the Rhine route lacking. With today's low power density than the Eifel track that was already brought into the discussion of various politicians remain, barely noticeable options. Thus, this
proposed in 2007 by politicians in Bonn to relieve , said this proposal is geared more to the NIMBY principle. 2010 published a study that EPA "
rail network 2025/2030" for the development of rail freight in Germany, which has caused above all by his criticism of the project Stuttgart 21 for attention. The Eifel range is in this study as a recommendation as an alternative route to the Rhine route mentioned:
has geographically to include the potential to France traffic from the chronically overcrowded Rhine, so that they as well as the capacity of weak Mosel route effectively relieved and the resulting free lines can be used in addition .
is provided elektrifzieren to the track in full length. The slope for the additional cost of heavy freight trains (higher energy consumption, possibly double header) could be compensated by the fact that the path of each journey at least 50 km shorter than via Koblenz. , DB network also has a marketable track price from the perspective of the Eifel track appears in a different light. Also, the prof would SPNV animals significantly from a higher speed with electric traction. Furthermore
will be given to expanding the formerly consistent duplication and the widening of tunnels recommended.
And now
requires very current in Rhineland-Palatinate CDU using the Eifel track as a relief route to Strasbourg and argued against
claim by Hendrik Hering (SPD) to plan a new alternative route , because the planning and construction of a new line according to experience take up to 20 years would. The problem with the route expansion would be not only on the German side to bewältigen, auch die Strecke von Saarbrücken nach Straßburg ist nicht elektrifiziert.
Deutschland kann von den Nachbarstaaten lernen
Ein Beispiel für die Nutzung einer (beinahe totgeglaubten) bestehenden Bahnstrecke in einem sehr ländlich geprägten Mittelgebirge zur Entlastung einer parallel verlaufenden Strecke gibt es im Süden Belgiens:
Die
Arthus-Maas-Linie , die parallel zur wichtigen und stark belasteten Strecke Luxemburg-Namur(-Brüssel) durch die Ardennen verläuft und dabei auch nennenswerte Steigungsanteile aufweist, hatte schon lange kein großes Verkehrsaufkommen mehr und die Stilllegung drohte. In den 1990er-Jahren erkannte man jedoch die Zeichen der Zeit, diese Linie für den Güterverkehr auszubauen, sodass die zweigleisige Strecke bis 2002 komplett elektrifiziert wurde und seitdem viele Güterzüge auf der Nord-Süd-Achse der Benelux-Länder Richtung Ostfrankreich-Mittelmeer auf dieser Strecke unterwegs sind. Gleichzeitig mit dem Ausbau der Strecke wurde auch der Personenverkehr wiederbelebt, auch wenn nur im Zweistundentakt.
Ein erhöhtes Güterverkehrsaufkommen auf der landschaftlich reizvollen Eifelstrecke ist auch kritisch zu betrachten: Vor allem den Bewohnern entlang der Strecke werden die zusätzlichen Lärmemissionen ein Dorn im Auge sein, wobei diese im äußerst dünn besiedelten unteren Kylltal viel weniger Bürger belasten würden als in anderen Korridoren.
Streckenausbau als Chance?
Ein durchgängig zweigleisiger Ausbau und die Elektrifizierung sollte jedoch auch als Chance für die Verkehrsinfrastruktur der Eifel gesehen werden, sodass die heute sehr starke Verspätungsanfälligkeit der Strecke gemindert werden kann und modernere und beschleunigungsstärkere Züge eingesetzt werden können. Im Nordteil könnte dies für den Nahverkehr die Einbindung in das S-Bahn-Netz Rhein-Ruhr begünstigen, aber auch für den Fernverkehr könnte die Strecke wieder attraktiver werden, denn die heutige IC-Verbindung von Luxemburg Richtung Ruhrgebiet nimmt den Umweg über Koblenz. Wenn bei einem eventuellen Streckenausbau auch various mitigation measures are taken, could the Public acceptance for this project continue to rise. Impact on tourism would stick to more limited, because the landscape is dissected by the railway line is not as drastic or destroyed, such as through the construction of the A1 motorway. The problem could, however, with the noise of tourist destinations within walking distance nearby (eg Burg Ramstein, Monastery of St. Thomas, Bertradaburg) are.
more freight in the Eifel region would therefore mean at first glance more noise for the littoral line. To counter for following positive aspects in addition to the opportunity to seek an improvement of transport services in the Eifel region, one should look beyond regional horizons: the economic growth calls for more freight transport, where they would shift more on Central Europe rails, means less exhaust emissions, discharge of road networks and an associated increase in quality of life for the entire Greater Western and Central Europe. The Eifel should be ready for this pan-European goal to make concessions, because to let the market alone, the citizens of the Rhine Valley at the door, would also NIMBY policy.
