Alzey–Mainz railway

The Alzey–Mainz railway was opened on 18 December 1871 by the Hessian Ludwig Railway (German: Hessische Ludwigsbahn), linking the two cities of Alzey and Mainz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate to each other.[2]

Alzey–Mainz railway
Overview
LocaleRhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Line number3523
Technical
Line length41.1 km (25.5 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route number661
Route map
Rheinhessen Railway from Worms
Donnersberg Railway from Kirchheimbolanden
9.0
 Alzey
192 m
to Bodenheim
11.4
 Albig
Wiesbach Valley Railway from Wendelsheim
16.7
 Armsheim
141 m
Rheinhessen Railway to Bingen
22.6
 Wörrstadt
190 m
27.1
 Saulheim
155 m
Selz
32.4
 Nieder Olm
135 m
36.4
 Klein-Winternheim-Ober-Olm
169 m
Klein-Winternheim Tunnel (378 m)
39.9
 Mainz-Marienborn
163 m
44.5
 Mainz-Gonsenheim
46.5
 Mainz minor sand siding
47.6
 Mainz Waggonfabrik
West Rhine from Koblenz
50.1
 Mainz Hauptbahnhof
Line to Ludwigshafen and Frankfurt (Main)
Source: German railway atlas[1]

Route
Mainz-Marienborn station in the winter
Regionalbahn service in Mainz Hauptbahnhof on its way towards Alzey (2009)

The non-electrified line is operated by Regionalbahn service RB 31 and Regional-Express line RE 13.[3][4]

It connects at Alzey with services on the Donnersberg Railway (Donnersbergbahn), operating as RB 47. The section between Alzey and Armsheim is also used by services on the Rheinhessen Railway from Bingen to Worms.

As the line from Armsheim to Mainz is single-track only, services can be operated at most every half-hour, with oncoming trains forced to wait in stations, usually in Saulheim and Mainz-Marienborn (RB) or Mainz-Gonsenheim (RE).

Rail services

The line is now served by Regionalbahn service RB 31 and Regional-Express service RE 13.[3][4] Until the timetable change in December 2014, the line was operated by DB Regio, after which vlexx GmbH took over the service from Mainz to Kirchheimbolanden. The company had won the tender for the passenger operations.

The Elsass-Express (Alsace Express) to Wissembourg uses this part of the line on weekends and on public holidays.

Rolling stock

DB Regio

The track is served by both trains consisting of class 218 diesel locomotives hauling three double-decker carriages and by class 628 diesel multiple units, sometimes in coupled sets. In fact, class 629, a variation of class 628, was specially built for the very steeply graded line.

vlexx
LINT 81 diesel multiple unit during trials in Mainz, July 2014

vlexx GmbH has operated Alstom Coradia LINT diesel multiple unit since December 2014. Services are operated with LINT 54 as two-part diesel railcars with 162 seats or three-part diesel railcars with 264 seats.[5]

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References
  1. Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland [German railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2009. pp. 76, 85, 151. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  2. "Line overview" (in German). www.amiche.de. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  3. "Timetable line 661: Mainz - Alzey - Kirchheimbolanden" (PDF-Version) (in German). Deutsche Bahn. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  4. "Timetable line 661: Kirchheimbolanden - Alzey - Mainz" (PDF-Version) (in German). Deutsche Bahn. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  5. "Rolling stock – Coradia Lint" (in German). vlexx. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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