The Kirnitzschtal tram, also known as the Kirnitzschtalbahn (Kirnitzsch Valley Tramway}, is a tramway in Saxony, Germany. The line runs through the valley of the Kirnitzsch river in Saxon Switzerland, from the town of Bad Schandau up to the Lichtenhain Waterfall, and is principally a tourist service.[1][2]
The line is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) long, of metre gauge, electrified at 600 volts DC on the overhead line system, and uses four wheeled motor coaches and trailers. A recent innovation is the installation of solar cells on the roof for the depot, which contribute approximately 20% of the necessary electricity for the system operation.[1][3]
The line is operated by the Oberelbische Verkehrsgesellschaft Pirna Sebnitz mbH (OVPS), which translates to the Upper Elbe Public Transport Company Pirna Sebnitz Ltd. This company also operates local bus services in the area around and between Pirna and Sebnitz, together with boat services on the Elbe river.[1][4]
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The first plans for the line were introduced in 1893. These were for a tramway from Bad Schandau to Rainwiese (now Mezní Louka in the Czech Republic). The decision on the form of propulsion to use was controversial, with both steam locomotives or electric traction proposed. However steam propulsion proved uneconomic, and electrification was selected. This required the construction of an additional power plant.[1]
The line opened from Bad Schandau as far as the Lichtenhain Waterfall on Saturday, May 28, 1898. The first service was delayed by 45 minutes when the car derailed on its maiden trip. The line was operated a tourist service from the beginning, with service from May to October. In the opening year 80,000 passengers rode the line. The remainder of the line to Rainweise was never built for economic reasons.[1]
The initial vehicle fleet comprised six enclosed motorcars and six trailers, which were built by Busch in Bautzen. During the night of July 26 1927, fire destroyed the depot and the entire fleet. Traffic was restored on August 12 and continued until October 31 using cars borrowed from the Lößnitz Railway. In 1928, a new fleet of motorcars and trailers built by MAN were put into service and the Lößnitz Tramway cars were returned to Radebeul. However a works car from the Lößnitz Railway remained on the Kirnitzsch Valley Tramway until 1954, over 20 years after the other borrowed cars had been scrapped. It was transferred to the Lockwitz Valley Tramway, where it remained in regular transport service until 1968.[1]
During World War II service was suspended, since no spare parts were available.[1]
On June 23, 1969, the line was truncated by approximately 350 metres (1,150 ft) at the Bad Schandau end, because of increasing traffic congestion in the town. The former terminus at the Hotel Lindenhof, and the intermediate stop at Forellenbrücke were abandoned, and replaced by a new terminus at Stadtpark. A month later, on July 21, one of the line's motor cars overturned and all passengers suffered injuries.[1]
The line took over five motorcars from the Lockwitz Valley Tramway in 1977, after the closure of that line. These vehicles were built between 1938 and 1944 for the tramway of Erfurt, and are thus called Erfurter. The Kirnitzsch Valley Tramway was reconstructed from 1985 to 1990, and again in 2003 to 2004. The Erfurter were replaced by Gothawagen purchased from Plauen and Zwickau, which were modernized in the 1990s. An additional Gothawagen motorcar was acquired from Jena in 2007.[1]
At eight kilometres in length, the Kirnitzschtalbahn is the smallest streetcar enterprise in Saxony. The line is single track, and has two passing loops, one at the depot and the other between the Forsthaus and Nasser Grund stops. Loops also exist at both termini, to enable the motorcars to run around their trailers.[1]
The line is unusual in that it is mostly "gutter running", a type of track layout once common on rural tramways in Germany. In the case of the Kirnitzschtalbahn, the track is laid in the southern lane of the road, which is the right hand lane when heading towards the waterfall. Thus trams heading towards Bad Schandau travel against the normal flow of road traffic, requiring heightened attention from both tram and road vehicle drivers. Although the tramcars are double ended, only the doors on the south side are used, as all the stops are on the south side of the road.[1]
Currently the line operates throughout the year. In the winter months it operates every 70 minutes, whilst in the summer months it operates every half hour. Although OVPS is a member of the Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe (VVO), that organisation's common fare structure does not apply to the Kirnitzschtalbahn, reflecting its predominantly tourist nature. The line is paralleled throughout by OVPS bus route 241, which runs from Pirna to Hinterhermsdorf every two hours and accepts VVO fares.[1][5][6]
The regional plan for Oberes Elbtal/Osterzgebirge states:
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.[7]
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