Regiotram Our Advanced Rail Scheme for the Kassel Region Egiotramregiotram 2 Commitment to Public Mobility
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RegioTram Our advanced rail scheme for the Kassel region egioTramRegioTram 2 Commitment to Public Mobility In our society mobility is regarded as an indispensable need. It is the pivot of our daily work. With efficient transport systems we can create a regional network to connect cities and communities, bringing them together in terms of time and space. By establishing the RegioTram-scheme, mobility in Northern Hesse reaches new dimensions, bringing together more people more quickly and more reliably. It will provide even better connections in the region in the future – whilst respecting the environment and beauty of Northern Hesse. That’s our objective. 3 Trendelburg- Eberschütz Hofgeismar- Liebenau- Hümme Lamerden The RegioTram network Liebenau- Ostheim Warburg RT 3 Hofgeismar Liebenau RT 3 Liebenau- Haueda Grebenstein Immenhausen Ahnatal- Cassel- breite Zierenberg- Calden- Espenau- Fürstenwald Oberelsungen Zierenberg- Ahnatal- Mönchehof Rosental Heckers- hsn. Ahnatal- RT 4 Weimar Zierenberg Obervellmar Vellmar-Osterberg/EKZ Kassel-Jungfernkopf Wolfhagen- Kassel-Harleshausen Kassel Hbf. Altenhasungen Kassel-Kirchditmold Wolfhagen Kassel- Wilhelmshöhe Kassel- Lindenberg Kaufungen Kassel- RT 2 Oberzwehren Helsa Baunatal- Rengershausen Baunatal- Guntershausen Guxhagen RT 5 Hessisch Lichtenau Körle Melsungen-Röhrenfurth existing stops Melsungen-Schwarzenberg new stops Melsungen-Bartenwetzerbrücke Melsungen- Melsungen Süd 4 From Vision to Reality A sound concept Being a real cooperation project it responsible for station infrastructure) Since the inauguration of the ICE will show out significant benefits for compared a number of short-listed station Wilhelmshöhe, the old Kassel the region. It deserves therefore options regarding feasibility and main station is only used for regional having a look on its development costs. and local transport. Although it lost stages. After intensive, controversial discus- its significance for long-distance sions regarding the different options traffic, it enjoys some general Thoughts and Decisions both in the project group and in popularity as the „Kulturbahnhof“ The idea to connect the rail networks public meetings the tunnel-option („Culture Station“). Due to its of Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Kasseler was finally preferred. Main feature of position on the edge of the city Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (KVG) within a this option was to create a tunnel centre, it can also be reached by many RegioTram-scheme was discussed first under the Southern wing of the bus and tram services which link to in the „Schiene 21“ system study, station building, to establish the the surrounding recreational, which was commissioned by the (underground) RegioTram stop in the residential and commercial areas. Nordhessischer VerkehrsVerbund corridor of today’s tracks 1-3 and to (Passenger Transport Authority of link the tunnel tracks then to the Becoming the most important Northern Hesse, NVV) and delivered urban network two ways: via Rudolf- interface for the RegioTram, Kassel by Verkehrs-Consulting Kassel (KVC) Schwander-Straße on one hand and main station will be back in the focus and Transport-Technologie-Consult via Ständeplatz on the other. soon. It will close the major gap and Karlsruhe (TTK) in 1999. link the railway system and the To allow a proper dealing with the tramway in one joint network, In a next phase in-depth studies and further planning process in 2002 a merging the two systems. The result is the detailed design of facilities were „project contract“ was signed by the an improved cohesion of the whole assigned to KVC. This included also a local authorities involved: Kassel’s region: Four new branch lines will detailed investigation of variants for municipality, Kassel County (Land- connect the medium-sized regional the link between railway and kreis), Schwalm-Eder County and centres of Wolfhagen, Warburg, tramway network in the Kassel main Werra-Meißner County, as well as Hessisch Lichtenau and Melsungen as station area. A tunnel-option to NVV and KVG to examine the chosen well as the pedestrian zone in the city underpass the station building and variant in more detail. Issues like centre of Kassel - directly and without possibly using the ramp to Kassel’s monument protection (the station having to change. Also the RegioTram only underground tram stop – an ugly building being a listed building!), is on quite a few relations faster than reminder of the seventies – was alignment (curvature, gradients etc.), the private car, offers the comfort of favoured already in this early stage. construction and maintenance costs a suburban train system and connects as well as the feasibility of integrating all important destinations thanks to In the year 2000 a project group the signalling system into the existing the close proximity of the stations in involving representatives of Kassel’s DB control centre were evaluated. As the city and the region to origins and municipality, NVV, the State Road and a result the former decision was then destinations of the passengers. Transport Authority (Hessisches Amt altered towards a straight tunnel für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen), under the station building with the All in all the RegioTram is the most KVG, DB Regio (the DB operating RegioTram stop being located in the ambitious project which the NVV, company), DB Netz (the DB network track 4-6 corridor (see also „Interface: along with its partners, has embarked infrastructure company) and DB Main Station Kassel“). upon in the years since its inception. Station & Service (a separate DB unit 5 Networked aims, networked success NVV’s task is to ensure and improve Not only an advantage for the the regional public transport quality customer, but also in view of the in co-operation with its partners. The economics: The higher revenues target is to provide optimum connec- achieved by a joint network with tions for the customers – between better response to demand allow home and school, sports and training other investments in public transport locations, workplaces, shopping improvement elsewhere in the Kassel centres and recreation areas. For this region. purpose the different traffic systems must interact so that a sustainable Existing railway stops need to be mobility is guaranteed for all modernized and adapted. New, population groups – safely, comfor- additional stops are also needed to tably, reliably and economically. follow the network’s expansion and to improve the accessibility of the The RegioTram plays an important system. Increasing the capacity of role to achieve these targets. existing railway routes requires especially the modernisation of the With less than 10 kilometres of new signalling equipment. Otherwise the tracks it becomes possible to create a basic 30 minute headway on the completely new traffic system with a network length of 122 km. RegioTram vehicles operate both on the extensive DB network in the region and on the tramway network of the city of Kassel. 6 RegioTram routes would not be attractive and this also for convinced feasible and this is a real must to offer non-users. Demand models have passengers reasonably attractive shown passenger number increases of conditions and better, safer and faster more then 50% compared to today. connections. Already the Lossetalbahn reactivation The chosen operational concept for in recent years has made apparent the the RegioTram shows another attractiveness of such a concept: In advantage: while the RegioTram is just two years after opening of the substituting the former DB stopping Kassel-Kaufungen-Helsa service trains (the „Regionalbahn“ in DB’s demand increased by about 50%. train hierarchy), the „Regionalex- press“ trains will not only remain, but But one might argue about their role even will be strengthened. investment costs! However, with a This is achieved by serving only some total of 180 Mio. €, the investments interchange (hub) stations with these for such an ambitious project like the trains and thus allowing faster travel RegioTram remain still manageable times. The availability of a mix of fast (see also: „Financial spread“). And trains between hubs and RegioTrams compared to the overall benefit for caring for all stops will make rail the region the expenditures seem services within NVV even more rather small! 7 Hessisch Lichtenau RegioTram’s successful career actually refurbishment. Modernisation started already in 1998 when the measures alongside the route did reactivation of „Lossetalbahn“ from comprise signalling equipment and Kassel via Kaufungen to Helsa began. safety measures at level crossings. The Formerly known as „Waldkappeler original railway route having been Bahn“, the railway route had been mainly single track with only few closed for passenger traffic since May passing stations, the refurbishment 1985. Reactivation took place in three and modernisation did also include sections: from Kassel to Kaufungen- double track sections between Kassel Papierfabrik in 1998, further to Helsa Hallenbad-Ost to Oberkaufungen in in 2001 and now since February 2006 order to allow the denser frequencies to Hessisch-Lichtenau. KVG’s tramway and competitive travel times. line 4 operates on the line, but from February 2006 also the RegioTram Near Fürstenhagen special elevated joined. Kassel city will be reached sleepers have been used for environ- from Hessisch Lichtenau in 49 minu- mental reasons: the greater crested tes, from Helsa in 38 minutes and newt, a listed amphibian, is so able to from Oberkaufungen in 31 minutes. cross the track without being endan-