The Linke Rheinstrecke (German for Left Rhine line) is a famously picturesque double-track electrified railway line running for 185 km from Cologne via Bonn, Koblenz and Bingen to Mainz. It is situated close to the western bank of the river Rhine and mostly aligned to allow 160 km/h operation between Cologne and Koblenz and between Bingen and Mainz. Line speed between Koblenz and Bingen is restricted by the meandering nature of the Rhine. The dominant rail gauge in each country shown Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... An alternating current (AC) is an electrical current, where the magnitude of the current varies in a cyclical form, as opposed to direct current, where the polarity of the current stays constant. ... A permille or per mille is a tenth of a percent or one part per thousand. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Köln Hauptbahnhof (usually translated from German as Köln Central Station, short form Köln Hbf) is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Köln (Cologne) in western Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Cologne–Aachen high-speed line is the German part of the Trans-European transport networks project high-speed line Paris–Brussels–Cologne. It is not a newly built railway line, but a project to upgrade the existing railway line which was opened in 1841 by the Rheinische Eisenbahn railway... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Hürth is a city in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Brühl is a city in Germany, located 20 km south of Cologne, in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... The palace of Augustusburg. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bonn Hauptbahnhof (usually translated from German as Bonn Central Station, short form: Bonn Hbf) is a railway station located on the left bank of the Rhine along the Cologne-Mainz line. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... With eighteen million inhabitants inhabiting 34,080 km² in western-northwestern Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia (German Nordrhein-Westfalen) is largest in population though only fourth in area among Germanys sixteen federal states. ... Rhineland-Palatinate (German Rheinland-Pfalz) is one of 16 Bundesländer of Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Remagen is a city in Germany in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate, district Ahrweiler. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Adenau is a town and a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... The Ludendorff Bridge was a railroad bridge across the Rhine in Germany, connecting the cities of Remagen and Erpel. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Sinzig is a town and a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bad Breisig is a town and a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... // Andernach (pronounced: [ˈandÉ™rËŒnax], the syllable -ach as in Gaelic) is a town in the district of Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany of currently about 30,000 inhabitants which are named der/die Andernacher (male singular and plural forms are identical), and the lady/-ies are die Andernacherin... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Weißenthurm is a town and a municipality in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Railway Museum ) is a railway museum due to open on 2007-10-14 in ÅŒnari-cho, ÅŒmiya-ku, Saitama, Saitama, Japan. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Map of the Koblenz region Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German spellings; French Coblence) is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument ( Emperor William I on horseback) are situated. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Rhens is a town and a municipality in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Oophorectomy is the surgical removal of the ovaries of a female animal. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... View of St. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Schönburg above Oberwesel Oberwesel is a town in the Rhein-Hunsrück district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bacharach, view from Castle Stahleck Bacharach whith Castle Stahleck Bacharach is a small German town, in Rhineland-Palatinate (Mainz-Bingen district), situated on the west bank of the Rhine, 48km (30 miles) south of Koblenz. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bingen am Rhein, or Bingen, or Bingen on the Rhine is a modern-day city located at the junction of the rivers Rhine and Nahe in southwestern Germany near the city of Mainz. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bad Kreuznach is the capital of Bad Kreuznach (district), Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bad Kreuznach is the capital of Bad Kreuznach (district), Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Nahe is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a tributary to the Rhine. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Alzey is a town of 18,111 inhabitants (2002) in Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Ingelheim am Rhein is the administrative centre of the Mainz-Bingen local government district, situated on the left bank of the Rhine within the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The town has approx. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Heidesheim is a small town situated on the left bank of the river Rhine within the district (Kreis) Mainz-Bingen in the east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Budenheim is a municipality in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Overhead wire in Coventry, England A railway electrification system is a way of supplying electric power to electric locomotives or multiple units. ... For other uses, see Cologne (disambiguation). ... Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Map of the Koblenz region Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German spellings; French Coblence) is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument ( Emperor William I on horseback) are situated. ... Bingen am Rhein, or Bingen, or Bingen on the Rhine is a modern-day city located at the junction of the rivers Rhine and Nahe in southwestern Germany near the city of Mainz. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... The Rhine (German: ; Dutch: ; French: ; Italian: ; Romansh: ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe at 1,320 kilometres (820 miles), with an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second. ... A meander is a bend in a river, also known as an oxbow loop. ...

History

Linke Rheinstrecke, near Remagen

The first section of the line was opened on 15 February 1844 by the Bonn-Cölner Eisenbahn (Bonn-Cologne Railway) between the former station of Cologne St. Pantaleon Cologne and Bonn. It was extended on 21 January 1856 south to Rolandseck station and in 1859 north to the Köln Hauptbahnhof. Rolandseck is a borough of Remagen in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Köln Hauptbahnhof (usually translated from German as Köln Central Station, short form Köln Hbf) is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Köln (Cologne) in western Germany. ...

After the takeover by the Rheinische Eisenbahn (Rhenish Railway) the line was extended in 1858 through Remagen and Andernach and crossed the Moselle to Koblenz via the Moseleisenbahnbrücke (Moselle rail bridge), opened on 11 November 1858. The particularly beautiful section of the line between Koblenz and Bingerbrück (now called Bingen Hbf), which runs close to the river through this winding section of the Rhine Valley was opened on 15 December 1859. Bingerbrück station was at the time on the border of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Here it connected with the line of the Hessische Ludwigsbahn (Hessian Ludwig Railway), opened on 17 October 1859 from Mainz and the Nahetalbahn to Saarbrücken. Remagen is a city in Germany in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate, district Ahrweiler. ... Mosel basin area The Moselle (French Moselle, German Mosel, Luxembourgish Musel, Dutch Moezel, from Latin Mosella, little Meuse) is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany. ... Bingen am Rhein, or Bingen, or Bingen on the Rhine is a modern-day city located at the junction of the rivers Rhine and Nahe in southwestern Germany near the city of Mainz. ... Motto: Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Political structure Duchy, Kingdom, Republic Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I  - 1688–1701 Frederick III King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I  - 1888–1918 William II Prime Minister1,2... The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt came into existence in 1568, as the portion of George, youngest of the four sons of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse. ... Mainz is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Saarbrücken [] is the capital of the Saarland Bundesland in Germany. ...

From 1870 to 1914 some trains crossed the river by the Bonn–Oberkassel train ferry to transfer to and from the Rechte Rheinstrecke to Niederlahnstein. In Koblenz, the Pfaffendorfer Bridge over the Rhine was completed in 1864 to connect to the right Rhine line. This bridge has been replaced by the Horchheimer (opened 1879) and the Urmitzer (opened 1918) railway bridges north and south of Koblenz. The Bonn–Oberkassel train ferry was a German train ferry operated by the Rheinische Eisenbahngesellschaft (Rhine Railway) from 1870 to connect its right and left Rhine railways. ... A loaded train ferry approaching the dock in Detroit, Michigan, April 1943. ...

Hindenburg Bridge

Ludendorff Bridge at March 17, 1945 four hours before the collapse

In addition from 1861 to 1900 the Nassauische Rheinbahn (Nassau Rhine Railway) operated a train ferry between Bingen and Rüdesheim am Rhein; it was later converted to a passenger ferry. This connection was replaced in 1915 by the Hindenburg Bridge, which connected the right Rhine line with the left Rhine line and the Nahetalbahn. Image File history File links Bruecke_von_Remagen_1945_2. ... Image File history File links Bruecke_von_Remagen_1945_2. ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Nassau, Germany ... Rüdesheim is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Hesse, Germany. ... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ...

During the First World War a further strategic Rhine crossing was built, the Ludendorff Bridge between Erpel and Remagen. It connected the Right Rhine line with the Left Rhine line and the strategically important Ahrtalbahn. It was built from 1916 to 1919 at the request of the German generals in order to bring troops and war materials to the Western Front. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The Ludendorff Bridge was a railroad bridge across the Rhine in Germany, connecting the cities of Remagen and Erpel. ... Remagen is a city in Germany in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate, district Ahrweiler. ... Combatants Belgium British Empire Australia[1] Canada[2] India[3] Newfoundland[4] New Zealand[5] South Africa[6] United Kingdom France and French Overseas Empire Portugal[7] United States Germany Commanders No unified command until 1918, then Maréchal Ferdinand Foch Moltke --> Falkenhayn --> Hindenburg and Ludendorff --> Hindenburg and Groener Casualties...

Both the Hindenburg Bridge and the Ludendorff Bridge were destroyed in the Second World War and were not rebuilt. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

The line was electrified in 1959.

Current operations

RE 5 in Remagen

Until the opening of the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line, the line was one of the busiest in Germany. The fastest trains connecting the Rhineland and southern Germany ran on the line. The importance of the line for long distance travel has diminished since the opening of the high-speed line. The line is now generally used by one InterCity/InterCityExpress (stopping at Bonn, Koblenz and Mainz) each hour, RegionalExpress train each one or two hours and one RegionalBahn train each one or two hours in each direction, as well as freight trains. Before the opening of the high-speed line, freight trains were largely restricted to the Rechte Rheinstrecke, but with the increased availability of train paths on the Linke Rheinstrecke many of them are now routed over it. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1517 KB) Double decker train operated by DB Regio NRW File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bremen Hauptbahnhof Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof Bremerhaven-Lehe railway station Bremerhaven-Wulsdorf... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1517 KB) Double decker train operated by DB Regio NRW File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bremen Hauptbahnhof Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof Bremerhaven-Lehe railway station Bremerhaven-Wulsdorf... Lahn bridge near Limburg The Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line (in German: Neubaustrecke Köln-Rhein/Main) is a 177 km long railway line in Germany, connecting the cities of Cologne and Frankfurt. ... The Rhineland (Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. ... A Romanian InterCity train, run by Romanian Railways, at Arad station in May 2003 InterCity is a name for the inter-city rail services in Europe. ... ICE 1 powerhead The InterCityExpress or ICE (German pronunciation: ) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and its neighbouring countries. ... RE4 (NRW) in Dortmund Hbf The term RegionalExpress denotes a type of regional train in Germany. ... RB train The RegionalBahn (abbreviated RB) is a type of regional train in Germany. ...

References

• Dr. Horst Semmler: 150 Jahre Eisenbahn Bonn-Köln, Verlag Kenning, ISBN 3-927587-23-0 (German)
• Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland – 2005/2006 edition, Schweers + Wall, 2005, ISBN 3-89494-134-0 (German)
• Udo Kandler: Eisenbahn wie auf einer Ansichtskarte. Die Linke Rheinstrecke, LOK MAGAZIN. No. 305/Jahrgang 46/2007. GeraNova Zeitschriftenverlag GmbH München, ISSN 0458-1822, pp36-55. (German)