page_title: Mannheim–Weinheim railway
section_title: Modernisation
hierarchical_section_title: Mannheim–Weinheim railway / History / Modernisation
context_page_description: The Mannheim–Weinheim railway is a metre-gauge railway between Mannheim-Neckarstadt-Ost/Wohlgelegen and Weinheim, mainly in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It was built by the former Oberrheinischen Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft AG, later MVV OEG AG and is now operated by MVV Verkehr GmbH and RNV according to Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung für Schmalspurbahnen. However, the line is still owned by MVV Verkehr AG as the successor to the OEG. It is operated as a branch line using electronic direct traffic control.
context_section_description: Between 1970 and 1980, the local signal boxes were replaced by automatic block signaling. The line was then controlled by the signal box in Käfertal, which was put into operation in 1978.
  In 1968, as part of the upgrade of the federal highway 38, the line in Viernheim was moved slightly to the southeast. Up to that time the line ran to Kiesstraße curving next to Mannheimer Straße then turned right–approximately following the course of a current road called Auf der Beune–crossed Heddesheimer Straße and then ran just off Ringstraße (now called Berliner Ring) to Viernheim OEG station. It thus ran largely on what was then the outskirts. The newly built line, on the other hand, swings away from Mannheimer Straße after Jahnstraße and runs past the former "beer cellar" and under the new Heddesheimer Straße bridge on an altered route to Viernheim OEG station. The community had negotiated for the line to be moved to this route as early as 1911, along with the construction of Berliner Ring on the same route.
  The halt of Viernheim was moved as a result of this new construction from its previous location between Sandstraße and Kiesstraße to Jahnstraße. In 1972 it was transferred again to the west, however, this time to give access the newly opened Rhein-Neckar-Zentrum shopping mall. In the meantime, it was also renamed Tivoli, as it is adjacent to the Viernheim district of Tivoli. Kapellenberg station, which has since been built further to the northeast on the new route, is now close to the original halt of Viernheim.
  The initial lines terminated in Mannheim at separate OEG stations on either side of the Neckar river near Kurpfalz bridge. In 1973, the line from Weinheim was extended over Friedrich-Ebert Bridge over the Neckar to Mannheim Hauptbahnhof and the Weinheimer station was closed. The grounds of the former station are now used for part of the Neckar promenade, completed in 2006, and a new tram line has been opened along Schafweide at almost the same location.
  The carriage shed in Viernheim was closed on 1 July 1973. It became superfluous because the main workshop in Käfertal was dissolved due to the founding of the central transport workshop. Staff and vehicles were transferred from Viernheim to Käfertal. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Eisenbahngeschichte (German Railway History Company, DGEG) operated a museum of narrow-gauge rolling stock on its grounds from 1976 to 1986. The listed building was in a poor state for a long time and was closed to the public after the removal of the historic OEG carriages. The sidings were removed, the sheds were cleaned up in 2008 and it was converted into an office complex in 2010.
  By 1977 the railway tracks in Käfertal OEG station had been completely remodelled since at that time it was in the same condition that it had been when it was built before the First World War and therefore no longer met current requirements. A turning loop was built there.
  In 1995, the concept of MVG 2000 was implemented that also brought big changes for the OEG. Up to this time, trains coming from Weinheim terminated in the forecourt of the Mannheim Hauptbahnhof and from Heidelberg in Mannheim Kurpfalz Bridge station (Bahnhof Mannheim Kurpfalzbrücke). The circuit was now closed with trains running through the centre of Mannheim. To achieve this, a short connecting line was built from the front of the Collini-Center, bypassing the Kurpfalz bridge station branch and connecting to the tram line on Friedrichsring. These connections were restorations; there had been similar links until 1928 and 1974 respectively. The OEG was connected to the Mannheim tram network and now ran with the line designation of 5R (and 5 for trains running only on the Käfertal–Mannheim–Edingen section).
caption: Stored dilapidated rolling stock in Viernheim carriage shed
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