Schönbuch Railway

Böblingen–Schönaich/Dettenhausen
Three-section articulated electric train at a station platform
Nexio train of the Schönbuchbahn
Overview
Line number4871
Service
Route number790.46;[1] 327b (1965)
Technical
Line length17.0 km + 3.02 km
Track gauge1435 mm[1]
Electrification15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC[1]
Operating speed100[1] km/h (62 mph)
Route map

Legend
Stuttgart–Horb railway from Stuttgart
S 1
Rankbach Railway from Renningen
S 60
0.00
 Böblingen
Stuttgart–Horb railway to Herrenberg
S 1
DB Netz AG / ZVS
1.3
 Böblingen Danziger Straße
2.4
 Böblingen Süd
2,5
Industrial siding
3.5
 Böblingen Heusteigstraße
 
 
 Böblingen Zimmerschlag
formerly: Schönaicher First
0.4
Schill + Seilacher
0.5
End of line since 1954
3.02
 Schönaich (Württ)
1922 to 1954
7.9
 Holzgerlingen Nord
9.0
 Holzgerlingen
10.9
 Holzgerlingen Buch
12.5
 Weil im Schönbuch Troppel
13.0
 Weil im Schönbuch Röte
14.0
 Weil im Schönbuch Untere Halde
16.8
Industrial siding until 28 April 1990
17.0
 Dettenhausen
Source: German railway atlas[2]

The Schönbuch Railway (German: Schönbuchbahn) is a branch line in the Stuttgart region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is 17.0 kilometres (10.6 mi) long, standard gauge and mostly single track. It links Dettenhausen with Böblingen, where a connection is made with lines S1 and S60 of the Stuttgart S-Bahn. Line S1 provides a direct service to Stuttgart.[3]

The Schönbuchbahn is owned by the Zweckverband Schönbuchbahn (ZVS), and is operated by the Württembergische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (WEG), a member of the Veolia Transport group.[3]

The typical service pattern consists of two trains an hour, although the frequency may reduce to one train an hour at weekends or in the evenings.[4]

History

The line was built by the Royal Württemberg State Railways and opened in 1911. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1965, although mixed trains continued operating until 1967. The line remained in use for freight until 1990, after which it was sold by Deutsche Bahn to the Zweckverband Schönbuchbahn (owned by the districts of Böblingen and Tübingen) for one mark plus tax.[5]

In 1996 the line reopened after being modernised with speeds increased from 50 km/h (31 mph) to 80 km/h (50 mph), platform heights raised to 76 cm (30 in) to match train floor heights, five new stations and a new passing loop to allow half-hourly services to operate. Services were operated by a new fleet of Stadler Regio-Shuttle RS1 railcars, with a new workshop built at Dettenhausen to maintain them. Passenger numbers were around twice the expected number of 2500 per day, leading to extra railcars being acquired.[1][5][6]

The success of the line led to a second modernisation, beginning in 2016. This included electrification, speeds being raised to 100 km/h (62 mph) and adding a second track for around one third of the line's length in order to allow trains to operate every fifteen minutes as far as Holzgerlingen. New electric trains were ordered from CAF.[1][6]

Rolling stock

Between reopening and electrification, passenger services on the Schönbuchbahn used a fleet of six partially low floor Stadler Regio-Shuttle RS1 diesel units.[7]

In December 2016 transport authority Zweckverband Schönbuchbahn selected Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) for a €51·3m contract to supply nine three-car light rail vehicles of a new design, called Nexio, with a further three vehicles ordered later.[8][6] The first vehicles were delivered for testing in 2021[6] but problems with their authorisation (particularly around the braking and rates of deceleration) meant that they did not enter service until 2025.[1]

During the delays to the Nexio trains entering service the diesel Regioshuttles continued in use alongside Class 426 electric units hired from Deutsche Bahn.[6][1]

  • Dettenhausen station
    Dettenhausen station
  • Regio-Shuttles at Böblingen station
    Regio-Shuttles at Böblingen station

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Focken, Heiko (October 2025). "Böblingen – Dettenhausen: Ihre drei Leben" [Böblingen – Dettenhausen: Its three lives]. Lok Magazin (in German). No. 529. GeraMond. pp. 50–53. ISSN 0458-1822.
  2. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland [German railway atlas]. Schweers + Wall. 2009. p. 94. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  3. ^ a b Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2009. p. 94. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  4. ^ "Dettenhausen - Böblingen" (PDF) (in German). Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund Stuttgart. Retrieved 2011-03-29.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b Evans, Andrew (May 2012). "Schönbuchbahn". Continental Modeller. PECO Publications. pp. 322–325. ISSN 0955-1298.
  6. ^ a b c d e Christeller, Reinhard (17 May 2021). "The modernisation of the Schönbuchbahn". Urban Transport Magazine. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Fahrzeuge der WEG" [WEG fleet] (in German). Württembergische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
  8. ^ "CAF to supply new fleet for Schönbuchbahn modernisation". Metro Report International. 21 December 2016. Archived from the original on 9 January 2017.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6nbuchbahn