Oldenburg–Leer railway

Oldenburg (Ol)–Leer (O)
Route number: 390
Line number: 1520[1]
Line length: 55
Track gauge: 1435
Voltage: 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC
Maximum speed: 120[1]
Legend
from Bremen and from Osnabrück
0 Oldenburg (Oldb) Hbf
to Wilhelmshaven
6 Bloh
10.8 Kayhauserfeld
from Edewechterdamm
15.2 Bad Zwischenahn
from Westerstede
23.2 Westerstede-Ocholt
to Sedelsberg
29.5 Apen
32.2 Augustfehn
39.6 Stickhausen-Felde
42.8 Filsum
47.9 Nortmoor
from Emden
55.0 Leer
to Rheine and Groningen

The Oldenburg–Leer railway is a 55 km single-track electrified main line in the north-west of the German state of Lower Saxony.[1] It connects the Emsland line near Leer with the city of Oldenburg. Thus, it serves traffic from the direction of Hanover and Bremen to the port of Emden, the Emsland and western East Frisia, including the islands of Borkum, Juist and Norderney, which are important tourist destinations. Together with the Leer–Groningen line, it also has international significance.

The line was opened on 15 June 1869 by the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways and is one of the oldest railways in Germany. During 1992 it was electrified, which made expensive and time-consuming locomotive changes in Oldenburg unnecessary for the route to East Frisia.

In the 2008 timetable, daily InterCity services connect Leipzig and Hanover with Emden and Norddeich Mole. Together with Regional-Express services, trains operate approximately hourly.

The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan makes provision for the duplication of the line in the long-term to improve freight links with ports, but no work has progress has been made on this proposal.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Lower Saxony Ministery for Industry, Works and Transport (2 September 2008). "Zustand und Zukunft des Bahnverkehrs in Niedersachsen" (in German) (PDF). Lower Saxony Parliament. p. 19. http://www.landtag.niedersachsen.de/Drucksachen/Drucksachen_16_2500/0001-0500/16-0422.pdf#page=19. Retrieved 25 September 2008.