Fröndenberg–Kamen railway

Fröndenberg–Kamen
Northern part of line
Route number:	437 (Fröndenberg–Unna) 450.4 (Unna–Unna-Königsborn)
Line length:	22
Track gauge:	1435
Voltage:	Unna–Unna-Königsborn: 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
Maximum speed:	80
Legend From Dortmund 9.6 Kamen To Hamm 5.0 Heeren From Welver 3.9 Unna-Königsborn S-Bahn line to Dortmund Stadthaus S 4 1.4 Westig Stahlwerk siding 1.1 Unna West 0.9 Alter Hellweg colliery siding From Dortmund-Hörde From Hagen 0.0 12.4 Unnaterminus of S 4 To Hamm To Soest 11.1 Strothmann siding 10.5 Bertulies siding 10.3 VEW Unna siding 9.6 Industriepark Unna siding 7.4 Kessebüren 5.5 Frömern 3.4 Ardey 1.4 W Köhle siding 1.1 Fröndenberg West From Hagen 0.0 Fröndenberg To Warburg To Menden

The Fröndenberg–Kamen railway is a single-track, partially electrified and partially disused railway line in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It runs from Fröndenberg via Unna to Unna-Königsborn and formerly on to Kamen.

History

The Fröndenberg-Kamen line was built at the turn of the 20th Century as a railway branch line by the Royal railway divisions (German: königliche Eisenbahndirection) of Elberfeld and Essen of the Prussian state railways to connect, in the form of an S-shaped curve, four stations on major east-west routes, which were built in the second half of the 19th century by three competing major private railway companies in Westphalia (from north to south):

• Kamen station on the Dortmund–Hamm line, opened by the Cologne-Minden Railway Company in 1847,
• Unna-Königsborn station on the Welver–Sterkrade line, opened by the Royal Westphalian Railway Company in 1876,
• Unna station on the Dortmund–Soest line, opened by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company in 1855,
• Fröndenberg station on the Hagen–Warburg line, also opened by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company in 1870.

The first section was opened by the Royal Railway Division of Elberfeld on 2 January 1899 between Fröndenberg and Unna.^[1]

The next section from Unna to Unna-Königsborn was a joint project with the Royal Railway Division of Essen and built in just over a year. It was opened on 1 April 1900, originally for freight only.^[2]

The last part, from Unna-Königsborn to Kamen was the responsibility of the Essen Division alone. Only half a year later, the line was completed on 1 November 1900 and opened for freight. Almost a year later, on 1 October 1901, the first passenger train ran between Unna and Kamen.^[2]

Closures

In early 1926, passenger traffic was discontinued on the northern section between Unna and Kamen.^[2] The Unna-Kamen-Werne light railway was opened in 1909 on a similar route as an overland tramway (interurban). It closed on 14 December 1950.

On 3 June 1955, freight traffic between Königsborn and Kamen was also discontinued^[2] and the line was subsequently dismantled. The former line can easily be identified from aerial photographs.

Current operations

Electrification of the Unn–Königsborn section was completed on 25 May 1984.^[2] The Fröndenberg–Unna section is still a non-electrified branch line with a top speed of 60 km/h. To increase speeds, level crossings are being upgraded. It is served only by the Hönnetal-Bahn (RB 54), which continues over the Letmathe–Fröndenberg line via Menden and the Hönne Valley Railway to Neuenrade at 60 minute intervals.^[3]

Prior to the closure of the Westphalian line between Welver and Unna-Königsborn in 1968, passenger services were established on the line between Unna and Unna-Königsborn on 26 May 1963,^[2] continuing to Dortmund Stadthaus station.^[4]

In 1972 a regular interval regional service was established from Unna via Unna-Königsborn, Dortmund Stadthaus and Dortmund-Dorstfeld to Dortmund-Marten Süd, which was extended in 1983 to Dortmund-Lütgendortmund.^[5] This was a direct precursor of line S 4 of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn. In preparation for the S-Bahn, electrification of the line from Unna to Unna-Königsborn was completed on 25 May 1984 and on 28 June 1984 it was upgraded with a top speed of 80 km/h.^[2] S-Bahn services commenced on 3 June 1984 and operates at 20 minute intervals.^[6]

• 

  Fröndenberg station

• 

  Fröndenberg station

• 

  Ardey station

• 

  Former Frömern station building

• 

  Frömern station

• 

  Unna station before renovation in 2007/2008

• 

  Unna-Königsborn station

• 

  Unna-West station

• 

  Kamen station

• 

  Kamen station platforms

Notes