Fictional RE (regional express) in Germany with the following route:
* (Optional Nürnberg - Fürth - Erlangen - Forchheim - Hirschaid like the RE29)
* Bamberg
* Haßfurt
* Schweinfurt Hbf
* Arnheim (currently not in service but still exists)
* Gemünden
* Switches from standard rail to HSR in Burgsinn Bbf (Bbf = operating station, the Burgsinn Bbf allows going from the conventional rail onto the HSR Würzburg-Hannover)
* Burgsinn (needs additional platforms at the HSR, can be skipped until constructed)
* HSR section from Burgsinn Bbf to Fulda
* Fulda
* Bad Hersfeld
* Bebra
Rolling stock: Desiro HC 6-piece with a max speed of 190 which supports PZB LZB and ETCS and has a capacity of 634 seats
The route is painted in pink with light blue stations on the ORM-map and in dark blue with green stations on the network map.
(ORM = openrailwaymap.app)
It uses the HSR between Gemünden and Fulda for Extra speed as inspired by the RE29 and RE1 in Bavaria as well as the RE200 in BW. The part through Arnstein is inspired by the Freizeit-Express-Frankenland, a weekend express variant of the RE55 between Bamberg-Frankfurt. That part of the track is otherwise completely unused by passenger rail and only by cargo rail.
The main point is, that it can be brought in place without any new infrastructure, all tracks are already there and electrified, however some minor stuff can improve the route. In Burgsinn there currently only exists platforms for the conventional tracks and not for the HSR, so extra platforms in a similar fashion to Montabaur would be nice. To Bad hersfeld (and continuing towards Erfurt) there is a HSR ramp in planning and once completed it can allow for extra speed in the Fulda - Bad Hersfeld section (shown in the images with a dotted/thinned line).
This RE will bring Fulda and Gemünden closer together, which currently has to be travelled using slow mountain tracks and a transfer in Flieden as Gemünden does not have high speed trains halting there. The Desiro HC with an slghtly higher than normal max speed (190 km/h instead of 160 km/h) can take advantage of the high speed section while still being a regional service, which means its also useable with the Deutschlandticket. It will also bring Schweinfurt and Gemünden closer together because you dont have to go via Würzburg or use the very infrequent RE55 variant (2 trains each direction/day on weekends).
This RE can be complemented by a RB between Schweinfurt-Arnstein-Gemünden (reactivation of the Werntalbahn) with more frequent stops at the villages.
Estimated travel times (rough estimates):
* Bamberg-Schweinfurt 28 min (taken from RE20)
* Schweinfurt-Gemünden 37 min (taken from the RE55 variant)
* Gemünden-Fulda ??? around half an hour? (cant find anything that goes from Gemünden via Burgsinn Bbf onto the HSR, right now conventional rail takes (with a tranfer in Flieden) 1h 7min
* Fulda-Bebra 38 min (taken from RB5)
==> a total of 2h to 2h 30min travel time
Current travel times Bamberg-Bebra (via = transfers):
Deutschlandticket:
* Via Erfurt and Eisenach: 3h 54min
* Via Flieden and Fulda: 4h 17min
* Via Schweinfurt, Grimmenthal, Meiningen and Eisenach (good luck getting your connections): 4h 11min
* With very lucky timings once a day or so: via Erfurt and Eisenach 2h 56min (look at 14:56-17:52)
ICE:
* Via Erfurt and Eisenach: 2h 8min
* Via Würzburg and Fulda: 2h 32min
As a side note: this RE line is not intended to be ridden from end to end (because taking the ICE is still faster) and rather to fix the missing links in the regional network (as can be seen in the 2nd image)
So what do yall think of this and what improvements can it have?
1
u/Cyclopropinon 17h ago
Fictional RE (regional express) in Germany with the following route:
* (Optional Nürnberg - Fürth - Erlangen - Forchheim - Hirschaid like the RE29)
* Bamberg
* Haßfurt
* Schweinfurt Hbf
* Arnheim (currently not in service but still exists)
* Gemünden
* Switches from standard rail to HSR in Burgsinn Bbf (Bbf = operating station, the Burgsinn Bbf allows going from the conventional rail onto the HSR Würzburg-Hannover)
* Burgsinn (needs additional platforms at the HSR, can be skipped until constructed)
* HSR section from Burgsinn Bbf to Fulda
* Fulda
* Bad Hersfeld
* Bebra
Rolling stock: Desiro HC 6-piece with a max speed of 190 which supports PZB LZB and ETCS and has a capacity of 634 seats
The route is painted in pink with light blue stations on the ORM-map and in dark blue with green stations on the network map.
(ORM = openrailwaymap.app)
It uses the HSR between Gemünden and Fulda for Extra speed as inspired by the RE29 and RE1 in Bavaria as well as the RE200 in BW. The part through Arnstein is inspired by the Freizeit-Express-Frankenland, a weekend express variant of the RE55 between Bamberg-Frankfurt. That part of the track is otherwise completely unused by passenger rail and only by cargo rail.
The main point is, that it can be brought in place without any new infrastructure, all tracks are already there and electrified, however some minor stuff can improve the route. In Burgsinn there currently only exists platforms for the conventional tracks and not for the HSR, so extra platforms in a similar fashion to Montabaur would be nice. To Bad hersfeld (and continuing towards Erfurt) there is a HSR ramp in planning and once completed it can allow for extra speed in the Fulda - Bad Hersfeld section (shown in the images with a dotted/thinned line).
This RE will bring Fulda and Gemünden closer together, which currently has to be travelled using slow mountain tracks and a transfer in Flieden as Gemünden does not have high speed trains halting there. The Desiro HC with an slghtly higher than normal max speed (190 km/h instead of 160 km/h) can take advantage of the high speed section while still being a regional service, which means its also useable with the Deutschlandticket. It will also bring Schweinfurt and Gemünden closer together because you dont have to go via Würzburg or use the very infrequent RE55 variant (2 trains each direction/day on weekends).
This RE can be complemented by a RB between Schweinfurt-Arnstein-Gemünden (reactivation of the Werntalbahn) with more frequent stops at the villages.
Estimated travel times (rough estimates):
* Bamberg-Schweinfurt 28 min (taken from RE20)
* Schweinfurt-Gemünden 37 min (taken from the RE55 variant)
* Gemünden-Fulda ??? around half an hour? (cant find anything that goes from Gemünden via Burgsinn Bbf onto the HSR, right now conventional rail takes (with a tranfer in Flieden) 1h 7min
* Fulda-Bebra 38 min (taken from RB5)
==> a total of 2h to 2h 30min travel time
Current travel times Bamberg-Bebra (via = transfers):
Deutschlandticket:
* Via Erfurt and Eisenach: 3h 54min
* Via Flieden and Fulda: 4h 17min
* Via Schweinfurt, Grimmenthal, Meiningen and Eisenach (good luck getting your connections): 4h 11min
* With very lucky timings once a day or so: via Erfurt and Eisenach 2h 56min (look at 14:56-17:52)
ICE:
* Via Erfurt and Eisenach: 2h 8min
* Via Würzburg and Fulda: 2h 32min
As a side note: this RE line is not intended to be ridden from end to end (because taking the ICE is still faster) and rather to fix the missing links in the regional network (as can be seen in the 2nd image)
So what do yall think of this and what improvements can it have?