Pirna–Coswig railway
The Pirna–Coswig railway is a two-track, electrified mainline railway in the German state of Saxony, predominantly served by the Dresden S-Bahn. It runs parallel to the pre-existing tracks of the Děčín–Dresden and Dresden–Leipzig railways. The section between Pirna and Dresden-Neustadt has been operated since 2004, afterwards the further sections from Dresden-Neustadt to Coswig have been upgraded. The Radebeul Ost–Coswig section was completed in 2013 and the section from Dresden-Neustadt to Radebeul Ost was completed in March 2016.
History
Old lines
Pirna–Dresden
In 1895, the first plans were developed for a four-track upgrading of the Pirna–Dresden section of the line between Děčín and Dresden in connection with the planned upgrade of railway infrastructure in Dresden. This project was realised between 1901 and 1934, having been interrupted by the First World War. After that the operation of long-distance and suburban traffic between Pirna and Dresden-Neustadt was separated. After the Second World War, three of the four tracks were dismantled for war reparations to the Soviet Union in 1946. Two-track operations were restored between Dresden and Pirna in 1950. All traffic now used the former suburban tracks.With the creation of an S-Bahn network in Dresden from 1973, plans for the reconstruction of the long-distance tracks were intensified. The subgrade for the reconstruction of the third and fourth track was prepared between 1979 and 1982; this work also included the construction of numerous bridges. The project had to be postponed in the 1980s because of increasing damage to the Deutsche Reichsbahn network as a result of alkali-damaged sleepers and limited construction capacity.
Dresden–Coswig
Construction of new S-Bahn track
After the political changes in East Germany, the project was soon revised. It now no longer involved a mere reconstruction of the missing track. It now provided for an operationally independent S-Bahn line, which would have connections in only a few places to the mainline tracks.On 5 December 1995, the Saxon state government decided to upgrade the Dresden S-Bahn. Work began with groundbreaking for the new S-Bahn line between Pirna and Dresden-Neustadt on 1 October 1996. The section between Pirna and Dresden-Dobritz was completed on 15 July 2001. The next section to Dresden-Neustadt went into operation in December 2004.
All stations were given a uniform working length of 140 metres, which limits possible train lengths to five double-deck coaches. The platform height was fixed at 55 centimetres above the rail, with enables passengers to access double-deck coaches with low entries as well as Desiro railcars of DB Class 642 without any steps. All stations are equipped with lifts to make them accessible by the handicapped.
Between Pirna and Dresden-Neustadt, the pair of S-Bahn tracks is located on the built-up side to the northeast of the mainline tracks. The tracks separate at the northern exit of Dresden-Neustadt station: the track of S1 passes under the regional railway towards Dresden-Klotzsche and continues on the northeast side of the long-distance tracks towards Coswig, while the track of the S2 connects with the mainline track towards Dresden-Klotzsche.
The construction and upgrade of the S-Bahn track on the Dresden-Neustadt–Coswig section also began in 2010. Originally the long-distance railway tracks were located between the outer suburban tracks. Since the reconstruction there have been two parallel pairs of tracks that are arranged similarly to the arrangement on the Pirna–Dresden-Neustadt section.
, to the left are the S-Bahn tracks with an island platform, to the right are the long-distance tracks
Beginning from Radebeul West, the long-distance railway tracks were rebuilt on the southwestern side of the tracks with work completed at the end of 2013. The building of new S-Bahn tracks running parallel on the northeastern side also started from Coswig. The Radebeul Ost–Coswig section was completed and put into operation by the end of 2013. At this time Radebeul West station was renamed with its former name of Radebeul-Kötzschenbroda.
The commissioning of the remaining section of the Dresden-Neustadt–Radebeul Ost S-Bahn line were completed on 20 March 2016. After 100 days of operation, the Upper Elbe transport network had achieved patronage growth. 1,500 passengers are counted every day at the newly built Dresden-Bischofsplatz station.
Services
Today the line is almost exclusively used by Dresden S-Bahn lines S1 and S2. In the peak hour, as a result of the intensification of services on both lines, there is an approximately 15-minute interval service between Pirna and Dresden-Neustadt. These services are organised by Verkehrsverbund Oberelbe. The following table shows the services that run on all or part of the completed S-Bahn line between Pirna, Dresden-Neustadt, Radebeul Ost and Coswig :| Line | Route | Operator | Frequency | Remarks |
| S1 | Schöna – Bad Schandau – Meissen-Triebischtal | DB Regio Südost | 30 | |
| S2 | Pirna – Heidenau – Dresden Hbf – Dresden Airport | DB Regio Südost | 30 | Pirna – Dresden Hbf only Mon–Fri, some trains only to Heidenau |
| RE19 | Dresden Hbf – Kurort Altenberg | Städtebahn Sachsen | — | Winter sports service; only seasonal |
| RE20 | Dresden Hbf – Děčín hl. n. – Ústí nad Labem hl. n. – Litoměřice město | DB Regio Südost | — | Excursion traffic; only seasonal |
| RE50 | Dresden Hbf – Dresden-Neustadt – Radebeul-Ost – Coswig – Riesa – Leipzig Hbf | DB Regio Südost | 60 | Uses the S-Bahn tracks from Radebeul-Ost to Coswig |
Every now and then, some freight trains run at night between Dresden Hauptbahnhof and Pirna on the line to avoid construction sites or breakdowns.
Stations
;Pirna;Heidenau-Großsedlitz
;Heidenau Süd
;Heidenau
;Dresden-Zschachwitz
;Dresden-Niedersedlitz
;Dresden-Dobritz
;Dresden-Reick
;Dresden-Strehlen
;Dresden Hbf
;Dresden Freiberger Straße
;Dresden Mitte
;Dresden-Neustadt
;Radebeul Ost
;Radebeul-Weintraube
;Radebeul-Kötzschenbroda
;Coswig