Trip to Germany - April 2003
briefly including France
The main purpose of this trip was to travel over the normally-freight-only Germany - France border crossing from Dillingen to Bouzonville, which sees special trains on Good Friday each year. The remainder of the trip fitted in other lines in south-west Germany, including that to Eiswoog which is Sundays-only and threatened with closure.
Operating Company Abbreviations:
- AVG - Albtal Verkehrs Gesellschaft mbH (operators of the long-distance sections of the Karlsruhe light rail system)
- DB - Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railways)
- KVV - Karlsruher Verkehrs Verbund (local transport operator in Karlsruhe)
- OSB - Ortenau S-Bahn (private train operator in Germany)
- SM - Serco Metrolink (operator of Greater Manchester Metrolink)
- TSB - Taunus S-Bahn (private train operator in Germany)
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Thursday 17th April 2003
| Timperley | 16:37 | - | SM tram 10?? | |
| Altrincham | 16:45 | 16:47 | - | taxi |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | 17:00 | 18:00 | LH4607 | Lufthansa Airbus A320-200 D-AIQM dep 22 late |
| Frankfurt Airport (FRA) | 21:07 | then bus to terminal | ||
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regiobahnhof | 21:29 | 'S8' | DB EMU 420 346 + 225 sets | |
| Mainz Süd | 21:52 | |||
| New passenger track today: none. | ||||
| Overnight at Hotel Ibis, Mainz Süd (3 minutes walk from station) | ||||
Friday 18th April 2003
| Mainz Süd | 08:04 | RB29614 | DB EL 146 004-7P | |
| Mainz Hbf | 08:07 | 08:24 | RB23306 | DB DL 218 261-4P |
| Bad Kreuznach | 09:01 | 09:16 | RB23812 | DB DMU 643 008 set via Hochspeyer |
| Pirmasens Hbf | 11:18 | 11:32 | RB23366 | DB DMU 643 008 |
| Saarbrücken Hbf | 12:51 | 13:03 | RE22013 | DB EL 143 025-5 ran 8 late |
| Dillingen (Saar) | 13:22 | 14:06 | special | DB DMU 628 468 + 479 + 901 sets photo |
| Bouzonville [France] | 14:36 | 15:06 | special | DB DMU 628 901 + 479 + 468 sets |
| Dillingen (Saar) | 15:36 | 16:01 | RB23641 | DB EMU 425 140 set |
| Homburg (Saar) Hbf | 17:00 | 17:03 | RB23780 | DB EMU 426 006 set |
| Wemmetsweiler | 17:30 | 17:37 | RB23182 | DB DMU 628 482 set |
| NB Wemmetsweiler to Lebach-Jabach closed for construction of west-to-south curve at Wemmetsweiler | ||||
| Saarbrücken Hbf | 17:57 | 19:42 | RB23345 | DB DMU 612 022 set from Gleis 1, via southern diveunder |
| Sulzbach | 19:53 | 20:11 | RB23256 | DB EMU 425 133 set into Gleis 16, via northern diveunder |
| Saarbrücken Hbf | 20:22 | |||
| New passenger track today: [Enkenbach] - Hochspeyer - Kaiserslautern Hbf, Kaiserslautern Hbf - Pirmasens Nord, Niedaltdorf - Bouzonville, Homburg (Saar) Hbf - Neunkirchen (Saar) Hbf - Wemmetsweiler - Saarbrücken Hbf, Saarbrücken Hbf - Sulzbach | ||||
| Overnight at Mercure Hotel Kongress, Saarbrücken (5 minutes walk from station) | ||||
Saturday 19th April 2003
| Hauptbahnhof | 08:00 | '1' | Saarbahn tram 1010 | |
| Riegelsburg Süd | 08:15 | 08:23 | '1' | Saarbahn tram 1010 photo |
| Hauptbahnhof | 08:40 | |||
| Saarbrücken Hbf | 09:02 | RE23029 | DB EL 110 320-9 | |
| Neustadt (Weinstr) Hbf | 10:29 | 11:10 | RE3913 | DB DMU 612 142 + 125 sets |
| Karlsruhe Hbf | 11:53 | 12:09 | RE18011 | DB EL 110 448-8 via Ettlingen |
| Offenburg | 12:57 | 13:12 | OSB82267 | OSB DR 524 |
| Biberach | 13:26 | 13:36 | SWE72218 | OSB DR 512 |
| Oberharmersdorf-Riersbach | 13:54 | 15:00 | SWE72223 | OSB DR 512 |
| Biberach | 15:18 | 15:32 | OSB82266 | OSB DR 525 |
| Offenburg | 15:47 | 16:00 | IRE18018 | DB EL 110 506-3 |
| Achern | 16:14 | 16:18 | SWE71720 | OSB DR 513 |
| Ottenhöfen | 16:36 | 17:20 | SWE71727 | OSB DR 513 |
| Achern | 17:38 | 18:15 | RE18022 | DB EL 110 450-4 via Durmersheim |
| Karlsruhe Hbf | 18:47 | 19:23 | TB28672 | DB EL 143 347-3 |
| Karlsruhe-Durlach | 19:27 | 19:32 | 'S5' | AVG tram 870 |
| Söllingen Bf (through line platforms) | 19:47 | |||
| Söllingen Bf (terminal platforms) | 19:56 | 'S5' | AVG tram 841 | |
| Marktplatz | 20:22 | |||
| Europaplatz | 21:50 | 'S1' | AVG tram 568 | |
| Albtalbahnhof | 22:02 | |||
| New passenger track today: Landstuhl - Kaiserslautern Hbf, Hochspeyer - [Frankenstein (Pfalz)], Biberach - Oberharmersdorf-Riersbach, Achern - Ottenhöfen, Grötzingen - Söllingen Bf via S5 route | ||||
| Overnight at Residenz Hotel, Karlsruhe (outside station) (2 nights) | ||||
Sunday 20th April 2003
| Karlsruhe Hbf | 08:22 | RB28714 | DB EL 143 195-6P via Graben-Neudorf | |
| Mannheim Hbf | 09:20 | 09:30 | RE23590 | DB DMU 628 469 set |
| via Worms Hbf (rev) - Alzey (rev) | ||||
| Kirchheimbolanden | 10:59 | 12:07 | ERB10114 | Eurobahn DR VT1.01 |
| Alzey | 12:24 | 12:39 | RB23525 | DB DMU 628 486 set |
| Monsheim | 12:58 | 13:05 | RB29425 | DB DMU 628 275 set |
| Grünstadt | 13:18 | 13:30 | RB29360 | DB DMU 628 316 set |
| Eiswoog | 13:57 | 14:01 | RB29363 | DB DMU 628 316 set photo |
| Frankenthal | 14:56 | 14:59 | RB29651 | DB EL 146 001-3 |
| Mannheim Hbf | 15:14 | 15:36 | RB28721 | DB EL 143 294-7 via Graben-Neudorf |
| Karlsruhe-Hagsfeld | 16:27 | |||
| Hagsfeld Bf | 16:46 | 'S2' | AVG tram 574 | |
| Blankenloch Nord | 16:58 | 17:02 | 'S2' | AVG tram 574 |
| Marktplatz | 17:24 | 17:32 | 'S11' | AVG tram 563 ran late due to points problems |
| Ittersbach Rathaus | 18:22 | 18:23 | 'S11' | AVG tram 563 |
| Ettlingen Stadt | 18:47 | 19:02 | 'S1' Eilzug | AVG tram 587 advertised only to Marktplatz |
| via normal route to Albtalbahnhof - Hbf - Marktplatz then advertised as "Albtalbahnhof" via Europaplatz and rare curve to Albtalbahnhof | ||||
| Albtalbahnhof | 19:31 | then out of service | ||
| Ebertstraße | 19:46 | '6' | KVV tram 240 | |
| Mühlberger Tor | 19:58 | 20:02 | '6' | KVV tram 240 via loop |
| Europaplatz (south side) | 20:04 | |||
| Herrenstraße | 21:54 | '4' | KVV tram 315 | |
| Hauptbahnhof | 22:02 | |||
| New passenger track today: Alzey - Kirchheimbolanden, Ramsen - Eiswoog, Blankenloch Nord - Dagsfeld - Durlacher Tor, Busenbach - Ittersbach Rathaus | ||||
| Overnight at Residenz Hotel, Karlsruhe | ||||
Monday 21st April 2003
| Karlsruhe Hbf | 08:19 | RE5890 | DB DL 218 238-4 | |
| Neustadt (Weinstr) Hbf | 09:07 | 09:32 | RE23030 | DB EL 110 200-3 |
| Saarbrücken Hbf | 10:58 | 11:04 | RE3311 | DB DMU 612 146 + 138 + 139 sets |
| Bad Kreuznach | 12:32 | 12:44 | RB23825 | DB DMU 628 494 set |
| Bingen (Rhein) Hbf | 13:03 | 13:08 | RB22786 | DB EL 110 326-6 |
| Bacharach | 13:20 | 13:36 | RB22787 | DB EL 110 225-0 via Bingen (Rhein) Hbf Gleis 201 |
| Mainz Hbf | 14:27 | 14:59 | RE3313 | DB DMU 612 147 + 051 + 136 sets via S-Bahn route |
| Frankfurt Hbf (Gleis 16) | 15:36 | |||
| Frankfurt Hbf | 15:54 | 'S5' | DB EMU 420 215 set | |
| Bad Homburg | 16:15 | 16:49 | FKE81370 | TSB DMU VS2E.20 set |
| Brandoberndorf | 17:44 | 18:10 | FKE81375 | TSB DMU VS2E.20 set |
| Bad Homburg | 19:10 | 19:15 | 'S5' | DB EMU 420 241 set |
| Frankfurt Hbf | 19:36 | 19:47 | 'S9' | DB EMU 420 264 + 290 sets |
| Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regiobahnhof | 19:57 | |||
| Frankfurt Airport (FRA) | 22:00 | LH4544 | Lufthansa Airbus A320-200 D-AIQM | |
| Manchester Airport (MAN) | 22:40 | 22:55 | - | taxi |
| Timperley | 23:05 | |||
| New passenger track today: Sulzbach - Bad Munster am Stein, Bingen (Rhein) Hbf Gleis 201 connection, Friedrichsdorf (Taunus) - Brandoberndorf | ||||
Tickets used: Rheinland-Pfalz Ticket (Friday & Monday), Schönes Wochenende Ticket (Saturday & Sunday), plus other tickets as required.