KBS 477, ex 601, ex 248g

revised 00/03/15js

Bridge at Remagen

scenic airviews

The Ahrtalbahn runs from the Rhine river west to the Eifel main line. It starts in Remagen and used to connect until 1973 the rhine valley to the Eifel main line via the Ahr.

The track has been laid in the flat Ahr valley, but near Ahrweiler the valley gets narrower and more canyon-like. It is here where the famous Ahr red wine grapes grow.

The Ahrtalbahn ends today in the small village of Hönningen, but it used to lead on to Adenau, at the foot of the Hohe Acht mountain and the Nürburgring racetrack.

In 1912 the the Ahrtalbahn became of strategic importance and was upgraded to a 2 track main line and elongated to connect to the Eifel main line Cologne-Trier at Lissendorf and Gerolstein.  

A single track branch line via the source of the Ahr at Blankenheim ran from Ahrdorf to Blankenheim-Wald.

Between Remagen and Adenau was the greatest gradientat 1-in-60 and a total of 225m of height difference. This line has 5 tunnels between Rech and Altenahr. There are 11 Ahr crossing with some parallel bridges due to the different times of construction.

The line Dümpelfeld - Lissendorf had a gentler maximum bank of 1-in-100. In Dümpelfeld was a wye between the directions of Remagen, Adenau and Lissendorf. Nine tunnels were dug and only one bridge is missing today, but most bridges that were destroyed during WW II were rebuilt only single lane. The second track was lifted for reparations right after the war ended.

Ahrdorf - Blankenheim-Wald was also built at the same time with a maximum slope of 1-in-100. The height difference was about 80 meters. There were three tunnels, the last one in Blankenheim right behind the last station point. The remaining track from Blankenheim-Wald to Blankenheim was lifted in 1976.

The right bank of the rhine river was connected by a railway bridge from Erpel to Remagen since 1919. This bridge was named "Ludendorff bridge" but it is better known as the "Bridge of Remagen"

It became world famous as the last intact bridge over the rhine river in spring 1945 and led to the first american rhinecrossing. Only a few days later it collapsed after surviving first the german destruction attempt and then the overload due to heavy loads and german bombing.

The only remains left today are the two bridgeheads in Remagen and Erpel, as well as the tunnel through the volcanic rock of the Erpeler Ley. The dams leading to the bridge have been replaced by new housing and the two pillars in the rhine have been removed as a shipping hazard. From the profit selling small pieces of these pillars a small museum dedicated to peace and the story around the bridge has been installed in the Remagen bridgehead.