page_title: Waldheim–Rochlitz railway
section_title: Operation
hierarchical_section_title: Waldheim–Rochlitz railway / History / Operation
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Blick auf Geringswalde - Eisenbahnbrücke mit Güterzug. This postcard is from publisher Brück &amp; Sohn in Meißen (www.brueck-und-sohn.de). This postcard has a unique number 16615 and is available in a higher resolution at the publisher. This images was uploaded in a cooperation project between Wikipedians and the publisher.
context_page_description: The Waldheim–Rochlitz railway was a single-track branchline of about 21 km length in Saxony, connecting the towns of Waldheim and Rochlitz via Hartha and Geringswalde. It was opened in 1893, closed in 1998 and served mainly the purposes of the local industry and population.
context_section_description: The line catered mainly to local demand. The first timetable provided for four trains daily in each direction. In 1914 there were eight trains towards Waldheim and six towards Rochlitz on workdays, taking 60 to 70 minutes to travel the 21 km long line, and one train from Waldheim to Geringswalde. Before World War I there were also so-called "theatre trains" running through to and from Döbeln. The use of locomotives of Saxon Class V V has been recorded photographically. The traffic volume declined after World War I, for a limited period there was no passenger traffic on Sundays. Further disruptions were caused by a strike of railway workers in 1922. Traffic only stabilised in the late 1920s. At this time, the timetable arrangements were found unsatisfactory by the travelling public who requested through trains between Waldheim and Narsdorf as well as better connections, and considered the passenger rolling stock to be outdated. The travel time for passenger trains had remained between 60 and 70 min, and the number of trains had hardly changed (8 trains each way on workdays and one train from Waldheim to Geringswalde only).
  On 26 September 1940 the bridge across the road between Arras and Milkau was exchanged for a new one with the help of a railway crane. The line did not suffer damage during World War II; unlike on other lines in the region, no bridges were destroyed by explosives.
  Around 1980 there were three locomotive-hauled passenger trains each way between Waldheim and Rochlitz from Monday to Friday, needing about 40 min for one trip, and two locomotive-hauled passenger trains each way between Waldheim and Rochlitz, as well as two trains operated by diesel railcar each way between Waldheim and Altenburg. The morning train from Waldheim to Rochlitz continued from Monday to Friday to Narsdorf. Additionally, a mixed train ran from Monday to Saturday from Geringswalde to Rochlitz and back; a freight-only train was operated in its stead on Sundays. Typical locomotives at this time were classes 110 and 106, occasionally class 118 (six-axled) was used. Railcars were class 171/172.
  Beginning in 1987, the section between Waldheim and Döhlen was overhauled and strengthened for an axle load of 21 t. This required the replacement of almost all bridges. The bridge across Klosterbach in Geringswalde was replaced by a temporary bridge with full load-bearing capacity, which was never replaced by a permanent one. Neither was the bridge across Zwickauer Mulde between Döhlen und Rochlitz renewed. These works were caused by the construction of a combined heat and power station in Döhlen, which was to serve the town of Rochltz, and which was to be supplied with lignite from surface mines in Lusatia. Railway troops and construction soldiers of Nationale Volksarmee were heavily involved. The line was fully closed to traffic for several months during summer 1988. However, the power station was not completed in the aftermath of the political changes of 1989/1990.
  After 1989, the line quickly lost its importance in passenger and freight traffic. Due to increasing wear and tear and reduced maintenance, the travel time for the total distance increased to about one hour. Special trains ran on occasion of the country festival Tag der Sachsen 1995 in Rochlitz region, some of which continued via Waldheim to Riesa. For some years, through trains ran from Chemnitz via Waldheim, Rochlitz and Narsdorf back to Chemnitz (oder vice versa). Passenger traffic ceased on 1 June 1997 as a consequence of the sharp decline in ridership. Freight traffic had already stopped on 1 January 1996.
  Eisenbahnbundesamt permitted the decommissioning of the line on 2 Juni 1998, it was officially carried out on 15 August 1998.
  Deutsche Bahn offered in late 2011 to sell the grounds of the line in order to facilitate the construction of a bike path. The adjoining communities bought those sections of the line that lay on their territory. The dismantling of tracks and signalling equipment started in early 2012.
caption: Freight train with Saxon V V locomotive on the Klosterbach bridge, 1913
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