Germany (Niedersachsen and Bremen) - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

Introduction

This list is based on the timetable dated from 11 December 2022 to 9 December 2023, unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information.

Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Germany) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "S+W", or in italic, refer to Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland by Schweers + Wall.

Obscure services

Saline – Westen

(ERA-E 42B3; ERA-R 87C5; S+W 9B3) DE22/151

This is a branch off DB's only metre-gauge line, on the island of Wangerooge. Passenger trains normally run only between the quay at Westanleger and Wangerooge town, but may run to Westen when required by pre-booked parties staying at the Youth Hostel or other accommodation there. Excursions have been known to run between Wangerooge and Westen during the summer season; however DB's Wangerooge website has no mention of any such trips in summer 2022.

Emden Hbf – Emden Außenhafen

[395,396] (ERA-E 42A1; ERA-R 87B4; S+W 18B4) DE22/152

This branch line is used by trains connecting with the ferry to and from Borkum. Dates and times of operation vary considerably. There are several RE services, mainly to and from Münster (Westf) Hbf or Bremen Hbf, and a few IC services with various origins and destinations. Times are shown in DB Kursbuch Table 396 and the Westfalen Bahn timetable.

Hamburg-Harburg – Buchholz (Nordheide) via Jesteburg

[120, 123] (ERA-E 45C4-43B1; ERA-R 89A4-89B4; S+W 21D2-21C2) DE22/153

This is an alternative route between Hamburg-Harburg and Buchholz (Nordheide). It is used by RB38 trains from Hamburg-Harburg to Soltau (Han.) hourly 07:51 to 23:51 on Saturdays and Sundays only. This is so that the train can be overtaken by an IC or ICE train leaving Hamburg-Harburg for Bremen at 57 minutes past the hour.

Bremen-Sebaldsbrück – Bremen Hbf (via Abzw. Vahr)

[380] (ERA-E 43A1 not shown; ERA-R 88B3 not shown; S+W 9C2-9B2) DE22/154

Trains from the Hannover line to platforms 1, 2 or 3 at Bremen Hbf may use this spur, which crosses from the north side of the line to the south side by passing under both the main Hannover line and the Osnabrück line. They may, alternatively, use crossovers at the approach to Bremen Hbf. The route via Abzw. Vahr has been used by RE trains from Hannover to Bremen and also by IC trains from Hannover to Oldenburg. Trains in the opposite direction normally use the flat junction at Hastedt but, if the departure signal at Bremen Hbf platforms 1, 2 or 3 shows speed restriction 4 (= 40 km/h), that may indicate use of this route. There is no passenger use of the connections between Bremen-Hemelingen and Bremen Hbf via Abzw. Vahr known to the compilers.

Bremen avoiding line: Ottersberg (Han.) (Abzw. Sagehorn) – Dreye (Abzw. Bremen-Gabelung)

[120, 385] (ERA-E 43A1; ERA-R 88B3-88B2; S+W 9D1-9C3) DE22/155

Most trains between Hamburg and Osnabrück call at Bremen Hbf, but this route enables those that do not to avoid a lengthy detour.

	SSuX	ICE1031	Hamburg-Altona – 06:11 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf
		ICE1021	Ostseebad Binz/Stralsund Hbf/Hamburg-Altona – 16:09/16:10 Hamburg Hbf – Nürnberg Hbf
		IC2409	Lübeck Hbf – 18:08 Hamburg Hbf – Köln Hbf
		ICE1038	Köln Hbf – 07:04 Essen Hbf – Hamburg-Altona
		IC2408	Köln Hbf – 11:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Lübeck Hbf
		ICE1020	Passau Hbf/Regensburg Hbf/Nürnberg Hbf – 13:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona
	FSuO	ICE732	Köln Hbf – 15:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona
		ICE730	Köln Hbf – 19:47 Münster (Westf) Hbf – Hamburg-Altona

Flixtrain services between Hamburg and Köln formerly used this route but these trains now all call at Bremen Hbf.

Lüneburg Westseite (West station)

[110] (ERA-E 43C1 not shown; ERA-R 89B3; S+W 22C3) DE22/156

This is a separate station to the west of the main station. Connections to north and south link the Westseite station to the main Hamburg to Hannover line.

The north-end connection is used by most Hamburg local trains (RB31) starting or terminating at Lüneburg. A few late evening and early morning trains run to and from the main station. Services using the Westseite are those shown as using platforms 6 or 7 in the DB journey planner.

Both connections are used by the following service:

SSuX

RB81607

Hamburg Hbf – 05:16 Bardowick – Uelzen

The Westseite is also used to by all trains to and from Dannenberg Ost.

Osnabrück Schinkel and Löhner Curves: Osnabrück ob Bf – Wissingen (Bbf Lüstringen)

[385] (ERA-E 47B4; ERA-R 96C5; S+W 40C3) DE22/157

This is a curve from the high level station at Osnabrück to the Hannover line. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.

	SuX	IC2241	Münster (Westf) Hbf – 06:04 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
	SuO	IC245/2245	Münster (Westf) Hbf – 08:04 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D1	SuX	IC245	Amsterdam Centraal – 09:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D2	SuO	IC141	Amsterdam Centraal – 11:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D2	SuO	IC143	Amsterdam Centraal – 13:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D1		IC145	Amsterdam Centraal – 15:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D1		IC147	Amsterdam Centraal – 17:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D1		IC149	Amsterdam Centraal – 19:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D1		IC241	Amsterdam Centraal – 21:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Hannover Hbf/Berlin Ostbahnhof (SuO)
D2	SuO	IC243	Amsterdam Centraal – 23:03 Osnabrück Hbf – Hannover Hbf
D1	SuX	IC242	Hannover Hbf – 06:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
D1		IC240	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 08:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
D1		IC148	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 10:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
D1		IC146	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 12:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
D2	SuO	IC144	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 14:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
D1		IC142	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 16:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
D1		IC140	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 18:30 Bünde (Westf) – Amsterdam Centraal
		IC2242	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:35 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf) Hbf
	SuO	IC2240	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 23:35 Bünde (Westf) – Münster (Westf) Hbf

D1: 25 June – 4 August 2022

D2: 26 June – 31 July 2022

Ahlten (Abzw. Lehrte West) – Aligse (Lehrte Nordgruppe, former Stw Lnf)

[360.6.7] (ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W 122D4) DE22/158

This west to north curve is used by the hourly S6 service between Hannover and Celle which runs non-stop between Hannover Karl-Wiechert-Allee and Aligse. Note that the S7 service which alternates with the S6 reverses at Lehrte and thus does not use this curve.

Lehrte (Abzw Lehrte West) – Misburg – Abzw Waldheim – Hannover Messe/Laatzen (Hannover Wülfel)

(ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W 122D4-122D3) DE22/159

This route forms the eastern part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover. It is used by the following trains to avoid reversal at Hannover Hbf.

D3		NJ470	Zürich HB – 03:16 Göttingen – Berlin Hbf
D3		ICE876	Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – 07:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D4	SSuX	ICE1598	05:58 Frankfurt (Main) Hbf – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3	MO	ICE998	Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – 08:09 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE270	Basel SBB (MO) / Karlsruhe Hbf (MX) – 09:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE374	Basel SBB – 11:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE372	Interlaken Ost – 13:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE370	Basel SBB – 15:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
	FSuO	IC1174	Stuttgart Hbf (FO) / Basel SBB (SuO) – 15:50 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE278	Interlaken Ost – 17:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE276	Basel SBB – 19:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE794	Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 18:09 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE792	Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf – 20:09 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3		ICE274	Basel SBB – 21:06 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3	SuO	ICE292	Zürich HB – 23:04 Göttingen – Berlin Ostbahnhof
D3	SSuX	ICE275	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 05:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost
D3		ICE277	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 07:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB
D3		ICE791	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 07:47 Berlin-Spandau – Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbf
D3		ICE279	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 09:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB
D3		ICE371	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 11:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost
D3		ICE373	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 13:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Interlaken Ost
D3		ICE375	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 15:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB
D3		ICE377	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 17:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Basel SBB
D3		ICE877	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 19:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Frankfurt (Main) Hbf (SX) / Karlsruhe Hbf (SO)
D3		ICE997	Berlin Südkreuz – 19:46 Berlin-Spandau – Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe
D3	SO	ICE879	Berlin Ostbahnhof – 21:38 Wolfsburg Hbf – Karlsruhe Hbf
D3		NJ471	Berlin Hbf – 21:03 Berlin Südkreuz – Zürich HB

D3: 14 October – 10 December 2022

D4: 13 December – 15 July; 4 - 14 October 2022

Lehrte – Sehnde

[360.3] (ERA-E 48B4 partly shown; ERA-R 100A5; S+W 122D4) DE22/160

East of Lehrte, the lines from Braunschweig and Hildesheim join with the line from Gifhorn in a complex flying junction. Trains from Lehrte towards Braunschweig or Hildesheim dive under the Gifhorn line and follow the original alignment of the Braunschweig line. Trains towards Lehrte generally diverge to the north and fly over the Gifhorn line about 500m further north, although they have been reported to use the south side of the junction on occasions.

Conversely, trains from Hildesheim that terminate at Lehrte platform 3 will use the south side of the flying junction in the inbound direction. These are at 14:04 and hourly to 17:04 (all SSuX) from Hildesheim Hbf.

Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (Abzw Siekweg) – Göttingen east side platforms

(ERA-E 48B2 not shown; S+W 55A2-55B2) DE22/161

This 2 km link (line 1803) leaves the Kassel Schnellfahrstrecke south of Göttingen and then crosses the Eichenberg line before joining the eastern platforms at Göttingen. It is normally used by northbound trains stopping at platform 4 at Göttingen. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram

The following train is booked to use platform 4 at Göttingen, but may not always do so.

D5

SuX

ICE272

Zürich HB – 22:45 Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe – Hamburg-Altona

D5: Not 7-28 January 2022

(Eichenberg –) Friedland(Han.) (Abzw. Grone) – Göttingen east side platforms

(ERA-E 48B2 not shown; ERA-R 100A2; S+W 55A2-55B2) DE22/162

Trains to and from the Eichenberg line at Göttingen mostly use platforms 5 and 6 and generally use this previously freight-only connection. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.

Obscure services: Lines used on an occasional basis for engineering work diversions

Osnabrück Schinkel and Stahlwerks Curves: Osnabrück ob Bf – Osnabrück unt Bf

[385] (ERA-E 47B4; ERA-R 96C5; S+W 40C3) DE22/181

These curves allow trains to run between the Münster and Rheine lines, passing through both the high-level and low-level platforms at Osnabrück. The route may be used by IC trains if the direct line between Münster (Westf) and Rheine is blocked. This is indicated by an extended journey time and local trains being replaced by buses. Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.

Osnabrück Münster Curve: Wissingen (Lüstringen Bbf) – Hasbergen (Osnabrück ob Bf Süd)

[375] (ERA-E 47B4; ERA-R 96C5; S+W 40C3) DE22/182

This is an alternative route from the Hannover line to the Münster line at Osnabrück, instead of via the Löhner and Schinkel curves (DE22/157). Use of this route means that trains cannot call at Osnabrück Hbf.

Click on the thumbnail for a full size diagram.

Lehrte (Abzw Lehrte West) – Misburg – Abzw Waldheim – Hannover-Linden - Wunstorf

(ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W 31D4-31B4) DE22/183

This is a ring line around the south side of Hannover. It is occasionally used by diverted IC trains between the Lehrte and Minden lines, this being indicated by omission of the usual stop at Hannover Hbf.

Hannover Hbf (Hannover Kurve) – Ahlem – Empelde

[360.5] (ERA-E 48B4; ERA-R 100A5; S+W 122B2-122D3) DE22/184

This route forms part of the ring line round the south side of Hannover, with the curve to the Hameln line. The hourly S5 trains between Hannover Hbf and Paderborn may be diverted this way if the route via Hannover-Linden is blocked. This occurs between 2 and 19 April and between 6 May and 11 June 2022.

Northeim (Han) – Edesheim (Leine)

(ERA-E 48B2; ERA-R 100A2; S+W 55B1) DE22/185

Connections between the old main line and the Schnellfahrstrecke at Edesheim (Leine), north of Northeim (Han), are sometimes used by ICE trains during engineering work. Use of the old main line instead of the Schnellfahrstrecke results in an extended journey time between Göttingen and Hannover, but it is not normally possible to tell from public information which connection is being used.

Norten-Hardenburg – Northeim (Han)

(ERA-E 48B2 not shown; ERA-R 100A2; S+W 55B1-55B2) DE22/186

Connections between the old main line and the Schnellfahrstrecke at Norten-Hardenberg, south of Northeim (Han), are sometimes used by ICE trains during engineering work. Use of the old main line instead of the Schnellfahrstrecke results in an extended journey time between Göttingen and Hannover, but it is not normally possible to tell from public information which connection is being used.

Uelzen W750 – Uelzen W23 (Veerßer Kurve)

[305] (ERA-E 48C5; ERA-R 89C2; S+W 32C1) DE22/187

The Stendal – Salzwedel – Uelzen – Bremen line crosses under the Hannover – Hamburg main line just south of Uelzen and curves north to serve the west side of Uelzen station. A direct curve (the Veerßer Kurve) from the Stendal line to the east side of Uelzen station was opened in November 2013, giving a non-conflicting connection towards Hamburg.

All RE20 trains between Stendal and Uelzen use the original line to and from the west side of Uelzen station. With the withdrawal of the IRE services between Berlin and Hamburg now permanent, no services are booked to use the Veerßer Kurve. It is occasionally used by diverted EC/IC/ICE services between Berlin and Hamburg when the usual route via Ludwigslust is not available; however no such services have been identified in the current timetable.