The Regensburg–Weiden railway is a secondary railway line in the German state of Bavaria that links the city of Regensburg on the Danube with the town of Weiden in der Oberpfalz. The line runs in a generally north‑westerly direction, passing through intermediate towns such as Schwandorf, Neumarkt‑in‑der‑Oberpfalz, and Schwandorf‑Kaltenbach.
Route and infrastructure
- Operator: Infrastructure is owned by DB Netz; passenger services are primarily operated by DB Regio Bayern.
- Length: Approximately 97 km (exact length varies between sources).
- Track layout: Predominantly single‑track with passing loops at selected stations; a few sections have been duplicated to improve capacity.
- Electrification: The line is electrified with the standard German system of 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC, though certain short sections retain non‑electrified status for operational reasons.
- Maximum speed: Generally limited to 120 km/h, dependent on track condition and signaling.
Historical development
- Construction: The line was built by the Bavarian Eastern Railway Company (Bayerische Ostbahn) in the mid‑19th century. Construction proceeded in stages, with the first section opening in the late 1850s and the full Regensburg–Weiden connection completed by the early 1860s.
- Integration: After the nationalisation of the Bavarian railways in 1920, the line became part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn network, later integrated into the Deutsche Bundesbahn and, since 1994, Deutsche Bahn AG.
- Modernisation: Throughout the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, the route has undergone signalling upgrades, partial electrification, and station refurbishments to meet contemporary operational standards.
Services
- Regional traffic: The line is served mainly by Regionalbahn (RB) and Regional‑Express (RE) services that provide hourly or bi‑hourly connections between Regensburg and Weiden, with many trains continuing beyond either terminus toward Nuremberg or the Czech border.
- Freight: While passenger traffic dominates, the line also accommodates freight movements, particularly bulk goods and inter‑modal traffic serving the industrial areas around Schwandorf and Weiden.
Connections
- At Regensburg: The line connects with major north‑south routes, including the Regensburg–Nuremberg line and the Regensburg–Ingolstadt line.
- At Weiden: It links to the Weiden–Kempten line and provides onward access toward the Czech Republic via the Weiden–Všeruby line.
Current status
The Regensburg–Weiden railway remains an important regional corridor, supporting commuter travel, local tourism, and freight logistics within Upper Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate. Ongoing infrastructure projects aim to increase line capacity, improve journey times, and enhance service reliability.
All statements are based on publicly available railway records and historical accounts; where specific technical data varies between sources, the most widely reported figures have been used.
