The Sauerland Net ( German : Sauerland-Netz ) is a group of railway services in the western Sauerland and the eastern Ruhr of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and consists of four Regionalbahn services, RB 43 ( Dortmund – Dorsten ), RB 52 (Dortmund– Hagen – Lüdenscheid ), RB 53 (Dortmund– Schwerte – Iserlohn ) and RB 54 ( Unna – Fröndenberg – Menden – Neuenrade ), and the Regional-Express service RE 57 (Dortmund– Bestwig – Winterberg / Brilon Stadt). The RB 43 also carries the brand name of the Emschertal-Bahn , the RB 52 is called the Volmetal-Bahn , the RB 53 is called the Ardey-Bahn , the RB 54 is called the Hönnetal-Bahn and the RE 57 is called the Dortmund Sauerland-Express . In December 2004, DB Regio NRW took over or retained operations of these services. Previously the RB 53, RB 54 and RE 57 had been operated by DB Regio NRW and RB 52 had been operated by the Dortmund-Märkische Eisenbahn (DME).
24-731: In December 2004, DB Regio NRW took over the operation of the RB 52 from Dortmund-Märkische Eisenbahn . The RB 53, RB 54 and RE 57 were already operated by the DB Regio NRW. DB Regio NRW took over operation of the RB 43 from NordWestBahn in December 2015. With the award of operations from December 2016, the RE 17 service also became part of the Sauerland network. The Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe (local transport association of Westphalia-Lippe, NWL) published
48-626: A Regio-Sprinter from Dürener Kreisbahn , two MAN rail buses from Karsdorfer Eisenbahngesellschaft and a demonstration vehicle of the LINT 41 by Alstom LHB . After the DME ended its services, the four vehicles were bought by the rolling stock leasing company Alpha Trains . They were then leased to Eurobahn and NordWestBahn , today, all four DMUs are in service as 643 124, 121, 122 and 123 for Transdev Regio Ost ( Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn ). DB Class 628 Too Many Requests If you report this error to
72-623: A call for tenders for the operation of passenger services on the Sauerland Network from December 2016 in the Official Journal of the European Union on 9 October 2012. As a result, Regional-Express services RE 17 and 57 and Regionalbahn services RB 52, 53 and 54 might have had a new operator. Some improvements were to be made on trains for the carriage of the disabled and there would be more space for bicycles, more guards, ticket machines on
96-493: Is contracted by VRR , Zweckverband_Nahverkehr_Westfalen-Lippe (NWL) and NVV and operated by DB Regio NRW. With the award of operations from December 2016, the line is part of the Sauerland Net. The line was previously contracted from DB Regio as part of directly awarded large transport contracts. The Emschertal-Bahn RB 43 service connects Dortmund with Dorsten via Gladbeck Ost. From 2006 to December 2015 it
120-690: The Ardey Railway ( Ardeybahn in German). The service runs every half hour during the week and every hour on the weekend. The Hönnetal-Bahn RB 54 service connects Unna, Fröndenberg and Neuenrade. The service follows the Fröndenberg–Kamen railway , the Letmathe–Fröndenberg railway and the Hönne Valley Railway ( Hönnetalnbahn in German). The service runs hourly during
144-773: The Brügge–Lüdenscheid railway from Brügge station to the higher Lüdenscheid station. The service runs every hour, seven days a week, except that services run every two hours on Sunday mornings. The Volmetal-Bahn will in future run an hour earlier from Lüdenscheid to Hagen on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, the Märkischer Kreis is campaigning for a 30-minute cycle of the Volmetal-Bahn from Lüdenscheid via Hagen to Dortmund, since Lüdenscheid station would support higher demand. The Ardey-Bahn RB 53 service connects Dortmund, Schwerte and Iserlohn. It follows
168-882: The Upper Ruhr Valley Railway and then on either the Nuttlar–Frankenberg railway or the Alme Valley Railway . The service runs hourly during the week. It runs alternately to Winterberg or Brilon Stadt. The following fares apply to the Sauerland Net: the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (Rhine-Ruhr transport association) fares in the Dortmund and Hagen areas, the Verkehrsgemeinschaft Ruhr-Lippe (Ruhr-Lippe transport community) fares in
192-453: The NWL specified that future trains on the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway (RE 17/57) would have a top speed of 140 km/h. Thus, the journey time to Schwerte would be cut, which would allow a connection to Münster . The timetable would be changed to ensure a quick connection at Fröndenberg from Neuenrade and at Menden to Dortmund. The previous level of service would be maintained. The same applied to
216-523: The Polish manufacturer PESA . The DB Regio NRW procured 21 new LINT 41 railcars for operation on the Sauerland network, which were manufactured by Alstom. These replaced older vehicles such as the class VT 628 or Bombardier Talent railcars. Vehicles from the class 612 were also used. Since 2018, most of the Sauerland network has been equipped with the Pesa Link (class 632 and 633) multiple units planned at
240-778: The RB 43. The Volmetal-Bahn RB 52 service connects Dortmund, Hagen and Lüdenscheid. On its way from Dortmund Hauptbahnhof to Lüdenscheid station, the service first runs over a section of the Dortmund–Soest railway and then over a section of the Düsseldorf-Derendorf–Dortmund Süd railway . It runs over the Hagen–Dieringhausen railway (also known as the Volmetalbahn , meaning Volme Valley Railway) from Hagen Hauptbahnhof to Lüdenscheid-Brügge station . Finally, it reverses direction and runs over
264-710: The Sauerland/Ruhr-Lippe fare zone and the NRW statewide fares. Dortmund-M%C3%A4rkische Eisenbahn The Dortmund-Märkische Eisenbahn GmbH (DME) was a German train operating company, that operated the Dortmund – Hagen – Lüdenscheid train service (route RB52 ) from 30 May 1999 to 11 December 2004. It was a subsidiary of the Dortmunder Stadtwerke (74%) and the Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft (26%),
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#1732858824054288-523: The accidents, the company ceased to exist on 8 September 2011. The DME operated the Regionalbahn route RB 52 with the brand name Volmetalbahn , running between Dortmund Hbf and Lüdenscheid stations. From North to South, this route used the following railway lines: VRR was the responsible regional rail authority for the cities of Dortmund and Hagen , and the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis for
312-488: The former DME route. The company, which was registered at the Dortmund Amtsgericht under HRB 12798 , was then dissolved on 10 January 2006, the specially trained employees seconded to DME in 1999 were taken over again by Dortmunder Stadtwerke or Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft and the four vehicles were sold. After the settlement of the transport contracts and the resolution of disputes regarding vehicle financing and
336-535: The letting of the new tender in 2013, and since the 2021/2022 timetable change, only the Pesa Link multiple units have run. The old Talent railcars are only kept as reserve vehicles. The Sauerland-Express RE 17 is a regional express line in local rail passenger transport in North Rhine-Westphalia and North Hesse, which runs from Hagen to Warburg and every two hours to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe . The service
360-483: The municipal public transport operators of Dortmund and Märkischer Kreis . As part of the German rail reform after German reunification , regulation of regional train services passed from federal to state ( Länder ) control in 1996. In North Rhine-Westphalia , the state established regional rail authorities ( Aufgabenträger ). Two of them, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) and Zweckverband SPNV Ruhr-Lippe (ZRL) put
384-488: The operation of route RB52, operated hitherto by Deutsche Bahn , out to tender as a pilot project. In 1996, the bidding consortium of Dortmunder Stadtwerke and Märkischer Verkehrsgesellschaft won this tender, they then founded the DME on 11 September 1997. After acquiring rolling stock, DME started operation on 30 May 1999. It was the first private railway (non-DB rail company) to win a competitive tender of rail operations in North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2002, route RB52
408-612: The rollingstock through the municipal budget and to reimburse the top three losing tenderers tender costs of up to €100,000. Passengers would benefit from the competition in the Sauerland as the trains would be accessible to the disabled with entrance heights of 1.2 metres as was already the case with the Sauerland-Express. Due to the great success of the Ruhr Valley Cycle Route, RE 17 would have additional space for bicycles (which already existed on RE 57 services). In addition,
432-402: The sale of tickets at DB ticket offices and DB agencies. However, ticket machines would be available in trains from the end of 2016 and no longer on the platforms, as this would prevent damage from vandalism. After 7 PM all trains will be staffed with on-board staff, this would increase total staff on the trains. The contract was awarded to DB Regio, which would use LINK (II or III) DMUs made by
456-733: The section between Dortmund Hbf and Hagen-Rummenohl , and ZRL for the Märkischer Kreis for the section between Schalksmühle-Dahlerbrück and Lüdenscheid. Within the VRR its fares applied, within the ZRL the fares of the Verkehrsgemeinschaft Ruhr-Lippe (VRL). The timetable consisted of a daily hourly service in both directions, stopping at all stations. It began Mondays to Fridays at 5 am, Saturdays at 6 am, Sundays at 8 am, and ended daily at 10 pm. The DME used four three-part diesel multiple units (VT 01.101, VT 01.102, VT 01.103 und VT 01.104) of
480-528: The trains rather than on the platforms, as well as improved connections in Menden (to Dortmund) and Schwerte (to Münster). It would involve about 5.6 million train-kilometres a year, at a cost of €9–10 per train-km, a total cost of about €50 to 55 million. Because the operation of the network was to be contracted for a period of 12 years, it will be worth more than €600 million. Competition was considered necessary in order to maintain fares. The NWL offered financing for
504-562: The type Bombardier Talent with 1st and 2nd class, with one DMU always used as a reserve. Maintenance was carried out in the workshops of the Dortmunder Eisenbahn. Several times, vehicles were damaged in accidents; a shunting accident on 26 August 2002 was particularly consequential, after which two of the four vehicles were out of service for six months. Vehicles from other railway companies were rented as replacements, including identical Talent DMUs from Ostmecklenburgische Eisenbahn ,
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#1732858824054528-466: The week. On Sundays services run every two hours between Menden and Neuenrade. The Unna–Fröndenberg section has been closed since summer 2022 and a rail replacement bus service has operated due to damage to the railway embankment caused by badgers. The Dortmund-Sauerland-Express RE 57 connects Dortmund and Fröndenberg with Winterberg and Brilon Stadt . It runs along the Ardey Railway,
552-447: Was operated by NordWestBahn , then operations were taken over by DB Regio after a tender. The RB 43 was integrated into the new timetable at the timetable change in December 2015 and an additional train was offered in the evenings. Initially, class 628 sets were used, but Alstom Coradia LINT 27 (class 640) sets were used from June 2016. Pesa Link railcars are currently running. On working days an average of 3,500 passengers use
576-455: Was tendered out by VRR and ZRL once again, this time as part of the Sauerland-Netz , together with routes RE57 ( Dortmund – Arnsberg – Bestwig – Winterberg ), RB53 (Dortmund – Schwerte – Iserlohn ) and RB54 ( Unna – Fröndenberg – Menden – Neuenrade ). DME took part in this competition, but lost to DB Regio NRW . Since 12 December 2004, that rail company has thus been running on
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