page_title: Eisenach–Lichtenfels railway
section_title: Operations
hierarchical_section_title: Eisenach–Lichtenfels railway / Operations
caption_attribution_description: English: Süd-Thüringen-Bahn in station Immelborn, Thuringia Deutsch: Zug der Süd-Thüringen-Bahn im Bahnhof Immelborn
context_page_description: The Eisenach–Lichtenfels railway is a single-tracked main line with a standard gauge of 1,435 mm in Thuringia and Bavaria in southern and central Germany, that runs mostly along the river Werra. It runs from Eisenach via Meiningen to Eisfeld and, formerly, continued to Coburg and Lichtenfels. It was opened in 1858 and is one of the oldest railways in Germany. The railway company that built it, the Werra Eisenbahngesellschaft with its headquarters in Meiningen was also often called the Werrabahn. The company also ran various lines branching off the Werra Railway.
context_section_description: In 1858 passenger trains took about four hours to cover the 130 km between Eisenach and Coburg. In 1934, express trains from Eger via Bayreuth and Lichtenfels to Eisenach took two hours and ten minutes. In 1939, on weekdays an express train, two semi-fast (Eilzug) trains and five stopping trains operated daily on the line, each way.
  In the years following the Second World War, there were no high-quality passenger trains on the Werra line, with a few exceptions, such as the Bad Liebenstein–Leipzig express train. In the last years of East Germany a daily fast train ran from Bad Salzungen via Eisenach to Zwickau. On another section of the line an express train for construction workers ran on Monday, generally shortly after midnight, from Bad Salzungen via Meiningen and Erfurt to Berlin. Only on the short section between Meiningen and Grimmenthal did fast trains run more often than daily to destinations including Berlin, Leipzig, Halle (Saale), Dresden, Görlitz and Stralsund, alternating between the Werra line via Eisenach and the direct line to Erfurt. Among them was the well-known Städteexpress ("city express"), Rennsteig, that first ran in 1976.
  Today, the Sud-Thüringen-Bahn operates hourly diesel multiple units from Eisenach to Eisfeld, taking two hours. In 1990 this trip took two hours and 45 minutes, although in 1934 it took only one hour and 50 minutes for the 108 km route. Between Lichtenfels and Coburg, continuing to Sonneberg, Deutsche Bahn operates services alternately every two-hours as Regional-Express Lichtenfels–Sonneberg and Regional-Express Nuremberg–Sonneberg trains. Furthermore, agilis operates hourly trains between Lichtenfels and Coburg, continuing to Bad Rodach.
  There has been pressure to reopen the 17 km long closed section between Eisfeld and Coburg in Upper Franconia, which would require some rerouting because of building on its route.  An estimate in early 2009 was that this would cost to €103.4 million.  The government of Bavaria regards this estimate as too low, mainly because it does not include electrification.
caption: Immelborn station
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