Münster–Hamm railway

Münster–Hamm railway
Overview
Line number2931
LocaleNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Service
Route number410, 455 (long distance)
Technical
Line length36 km (22 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed160 km/h (99.4 mph) (maximum)
Route map

Legend
 line from Rheine
trunk line from Hamburg
Warendorf Railway from Rheda-Wiedenbrück
170.3
 Münster Hbf
line to Lippstadt
169.4
 Münster freight yard
Baumberge Railway to Coesfeld
line to Haltern, line to Lünen
Wanne-Eickel–Hamburg freight bypass
165.7
 Lechtenberg junction
163.8
 Münster-Hiltrup
Dortmund-Ems Canal
Dicke Wief
161.4
 Steinersee
156.7
 Rinkerode
150.8
 Drensteinfurt
146.6
 Mersch (Westf)
139.2
 Hamm-Bockum-Hövel
line to Werne
138.0
(0.0)
 Feldmark junction
(1.1)
 Hamm Radbod siding
trunk line from Minden
Lippe and Datteln-Hamm Canal
(2.9)
 Hamm Rbf Hvn
134.8
 Hamm (Westf) Hbf
line to Warburg
line to Hagen
Freight line from Hamm Gallberg
Hamm marshalling yard
line to Oberhausen
Selmig junction
Freight line to Bönen Autobahn
trunk line to Dortmund
Source: German railway atlas[1]

The Münster–Hamm railway is an almost 36 kilometre-long, continuous double-track and electrified main line railway from Münster to Hamm in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was one of Germany's oldest railways, built by the Munster Hamm Railway Company, which was established for this purpose, and opened on 26 May 1848.

History

The Cologne-Minden Railway Company (German: Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) built its trunk line directly across Westphalia, bypassing the region around the town of Münster. The Munster Hamm Railway Company (Münster-Hammer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, MHE) was established to build a branch line to connect with the CME line. This line was opened on 26 May 1848 for passengers and on 8 July 1848 for freight traffic.[2][3]

The company and line were taken over in 1855 by the Prussian government-funded Royal Westphalian Railway Company (KWE). The line was extended in the following year to Rheine as the Münster–Rheine line.

Operations

Although, formerly individual[4] InterCity services ran on the line, it is now mainly used by regional (Regional-Express and regionalbahn) services running through western Westphalia and southern Münsterland. It is served by:

Notes

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2009. pp. 40, 52, 134. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  2. ^ Deutsche Reichsbahn (1984). Handbuch der deutschen Eisenbahnstrecken (in German). Mainz: H-W Dumjahn, Verlag Dumjahn. ISBN 3-921426-29-4.
  3. ^ Krause, Günther (1986). Entwicklung des Gleisnetzes der Direktion Essen (in German). Krefeld: Verlag Roehr. ISBN 3-88490-130-3NB: opening dates reversed{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. ^ Not repeated through the day

NRW rail archive of André Joost: