Kirnitzsch Valley Railway

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the yellow wagons of the Kirnitzschtalbahn

The Kirnitzsch Valley Railway (German Kirnitzschtalbahn) is an 8 kilometer railway running through the Kirnitzsch Valley in Saxony. It is operated by the Oberelbische Verkehrsgesellschaft Pirna Sebnitz mbH (OVPS) (translates to the Upper Elbe Public Transport Company Pirna Sebnitz Ltd.).

It runs through Saxon Switzerland up to the Lichtenhain Waterfall, passing through the picturesque forest, water and rock covered valley, ascending from Bad Schandau, the most important place of Saxon Switzerland. The rail is a narrow gauge track, separated by 1000 mm. It uses only four wheeled motor coaches and sidecars. The photovoltaic cells located on the roof for the operating yard are a more recent addition, contributing approximately 20% of the necessary electricity for the system operation.

It is important for tourism in Saxon Switzerland—which differentiates it from other German streetcar enterprises, which predominantly serve commuters, students, shoppers and leisure traffic.

[edit] History and Future

view into the cockpit of a tram

The initial plans for a streetcar from Bad Schandau to Rainwiese were introduced in 1893. The decision between steam locomotive or electric propulsion was controversial. However steam propulsion proved uneconomic, and the electric propulsion was selected. This required construction of an additional power plant.

The first cars drove from the center of Bad Schandau to the Lichtenhainer Wasserfall on Pentecost Saturday, 1898. The running time was 45 minutes longer than scheduled since the car derailed on its maiden trip. The route extension to Rainwiese was not completed also later for economic reasons. The Kirnitzschtalbahn was a tourist season service, operating from May to October. The vehicle fleet consisted of six glassed-in motor coaches and six towed cars (operated in pairs) built by Busch in Bautzen. In the opening year 80,000 passengers rode the line.

In the night July 26, 1927 fire destroyed the depot and the entire fleet. Traffic was restored in August 12, continuing until October 31 using cars borrowed from the Lößnitzbahn. In 1928 the Lößnitzbahn vehicles again back to Radebeul, once new motorcars and towed cars were put in service in Bad Schandau. Only one vehicle from Lößnitzbahn, a work vehicle, remained until 1954, after the others had been scrapped for over 20 years. It was transferred to the Lockwitztalbahn, where it remained in regular transport service until 1968.

In the war year 1945 service was stopped, since no spare parts were available. Service continued again later that year. Service continued into the Kirnitzschtal, until July 21, 1969, when a motor coach overturned and all passengers suffered injuries. Concern was expressed about the diligence of the rail operator.

The line took over five motor coaches of the Lockwitztalbahn in 1977, after termination of that service made them surplus. These vehicles were built from 1938 to 1944 for the streetcar line of Erfurt, and are called Erfurter. Additional vehicles received in 1984 and 1985 included brakes for the towed cars (type B2-62). ON this towed car the railcar bodies from Leipzig were set on a chassis from Halle.

The Kirnitzschtalbahn was reconstructed from 1985 to 1990, and again in 2003 to 2004. In the period between the Erfurter was replaced by Gothawagen (a bidirectional motor coach) from Plauen and Zwickau, which, along with the towed cars, were modernized in the 1990s. An attempt to procure lower floored vehicles failed because of the costs and because the vehicles did not provide clearance appropriate for the landscape.

At eight kilometers of length, the Kirnitzschtalbahn is the smallest streetcar enterprise in Saxony.

Currently the line operates throughout the year: in the winter every one and a half hours and in the summer months on the half hour. The Kirnitzschtalbahn today is solely a tourist attraction; this is obvious from the expensive price of transportation, 5 euro, as well as the fact that the course is paralleled by a bus line which also extends beyond the range of the Kirnitzschtal.

The regional plan for Oberes Elbtal/Osterzgebirge states:

"The Kirnitzschtalbahn is considered as an historically important means of transport for the development of parts of Saxon Switzerland and beyond the present termination points at the Elbe and at the Neumann mill."

This regional plan entry shows that the Kirnitzschtalbahn plays an important role in the tourism in Bad Schandau. An extension is unlikely, but the Kirnitzschtalbahn will remain an important part of the region.