Construction work continues at Wendlingen in preparation for extending the S-Bahn system to Kirchheim. This is part of a major package of investment by Deutsche Bahn which will see a number of extensions and new trains replacing the 1960’s built units that are still used here. The old units are in pretty good condition having been refurbished fairly recently, so I suspect the replacements are more because DB want to prove they are investing as Stuttgart is renewing franchises soon.
Notice, by the way that there is no fence between the road (where I was standing when I took these pictures) and the construction area. In fact the line is still in use by trains running to Tübingen and beyond so that 15kv AC overhead wiring is mostly live. Another example of Germany’s commensense approach to health and safety.
When I took these pictures the line to Kirchheim was undergoing a posession: which I imagine won’t happen long as DB Schenker have a big customer at the other end of it, so they won’t take kindly to losing business while the S-Bahn is built.
Beyond Kirchheim there were once two railways: the Teckbahn, which I’ve mentioned elsewhere, and a line to Weilheim, which was closed to passengers in 1982 but still has track in situ. Hopefully the fact this is no longer miles from the main line but now close to an S-Bahn terminus may persuade the town to invest in resterting passenger traffic, especially as there are a number of schools and colleges in the town. In Germany, passenger rail is financed mainly at a local level so this isn’t impossible -as long as the local authority can be convinced of the need to invest in this area.
