Ruhr–Sieg railway

Ruhr-Sieg line in the German rail map of 1861

The line was built from 1858 to 1861 under the direction of Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company and took place with few problems. The construction of tunnels involved the Austrian engineer Franz von Rziha, who had already participated in the construction of the Semmering railway. Since narrow valleys had to be crossed, the Borsig company built a special locomotive, class 675, designed for its curves. At first the line was single track, but it was duplicated in 1870. The section from Hagen to Letmathe was opened on 21 March 1859, the Letmathe–Altena section opened on 17 July 1860 and finally the last part from Altena to Siegen opened on 6 August 1861. The Ruhr-Sieg line had been formally inaugurated on the previous day. In this ceremony a train derailed at Grevenbrück, without any complaints of injury.[2]

Stations were built in all the major towns. Tudor style stations were built in Plettenberg, Grevenbrück and Kreuztal, attracting attention as unusual designs for the region (today they are listed monuments). Engine sheds with turntables were commissioned in Letmathe (for 2 locomotives), Altena (6 locos), Altenhundem (6 locos), Kreuztal (2 locos) and Siegen (9 locos). In the late 1870s a depot was built at Finnentrop, close to the branch lines to Olpe (Bigge Valley Railway) and Wennemen (Finnentrop–Wennemen line). Together with Altenhundem it gradually developed into one of the centres for operations on the Ruhr–Sieg line. Altemhundem was primarily used for heavy freight locomotives for pushing trains up the ramp to Welschen-Ennest station. The depots in Letmathe and Kreuztal lost their importance because of their proximity to the major depots in Hagen and Siegen. Altena depot was abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century. As part of the electrification, Altenhundem depot was abandoned and Finnentrop depot was greatly reduced, as the line is now only used by diesel multiple units.

A locomotive-hauled train of the Ruhr-Sieg line leaves Lennestadt-Meggen station

Hagen Hauptbahnhof

As late as 1980, express trains ran from Munich via Stuttgart and Frankfurt, over the Ruhr–Sieg line to Norddeich Mole. There were also individual coaches running from north Norddeich-Mole to Friedrichshafen on the Ruhr–Sieg line. Traditional stops for express trains were Hagen, Letmathe, Altena, Finnentrop, Lennestadt-Altenhundem, Kreuztal and Hüttental-Weidenau (now called Siegen-Weidenau).

In 1993 long-distance passenger traffic was converted from express trains to InterRegio trains, stopping regularly only in Hagen, Werdohl, Finnentrop, Altenhundem and Siegen-Weidenau. The long-distance passenger services were made up of several pairs of express train each day and later an Inter-Regio service from Norddeich Mole to Frankfurt, which was discontinued in the summer 2001 timetable.

Even today, heavy freight trains need to be pushed by an additional locomotive from Altenhundem to Welschen Ennest. This locomotive then returns to Altenhundem. Before the electrification of the Ruhr–Sieg line almost all southward bound freight trains were pushed up to Welschen Ennest.

Regional-Express and Regionalbahn trains from Iserlohn and Siegen are coupled together in Iserlohn-Letmathe station, and continue as a unit via Hagen, Witten and Bochum to Essen. In the opposite direction, trains are uncoupled in Iserlohn-Letmathe station and then run separately to Siegen and Iserlohn.

Since the cessation of the InterRegio service from Frankfurt to Münster (with some continuing to Norddeich Mole) the double-track Giersberg tunnel in Siegen that connects the Ruhr–Sieg line with the Dill line and bypasses the main Siegen station is used only by freight trains. Further connecting curves and junctions in Hagen-Kabel and Hohensyburg allow the transport of freight between Gießen and the Ruhr region without reversal and bypassing Hagen Hauptbahnhof.

It is proposed in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan to rebuild the Ruhr–Sieg and Dill lines as a line upgraded for high-speed (German: Ausbaustrecke, ABS) by 2015. In recent years, there has been a start to the improvement of the track, such as reconstruction of level crossings and long sections of line, the rationalisation of electronic interlocking equipment and related measures, such as the renewal of turnouts, track, overhead electrification and signals. The enlargement of tunnels, which has been planned for years is now being implemented, allowing the rerouting of some containerised freight from the Rhine lines (East Rhine and the West Rhine lines) to the Ruhr-Sieg line.

Moreover, the Ruhr–Sieg line is listed as a "second priority" in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan, depending on the growth of demand for freight transport, for such improvements as improving the steep grade on the Altenhundem–Welschen Ennest section.

In the last few years, almost all stations from Altena to Siegen-Weidenau have been modernised under a program of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, including improvements of access for the disabled. The few stations that have not modernised (including Finnentrop) are intended to be modernised in the coming months and years. Finnentrop station building was demolished for this reason in December 2007. The new station will have same-platform access between trains and buses.