The Lower Elbe Railway (German: Niederelbebahn or Unterelbebahn), is a railway line between Hamburg and Cuxhaven in northwestern Germany, which was opened in 1881 by the Lower Elbe Railway Company (Unterelbesche Eisenbahngesellschaft). At 103.6 kilometres of length, the line runs close to the southern bank of the Lower Elbe river.

Lower Elbe Railway
The Lower Elbe Railway in Northern Germany
Overview
Line number1720
Service
Route number121
Technical
Line length103 km
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification15 kV, 16.7 Hz
Operating speed160 km/h
Maximum incline20
Route map

km
S-Bahn mileage in italics
169.37
12.3
Hamburg-Harburg
169.40
Seeve Canal and Göhlbach
13.2
Hamburg-Harburg Rathaus
170.78
Hamburg-Unterelbe
170.80
to Port of Harburg
174.xx
Hamburg Tempo factory
14.5
Hamburg-Heimfeld
15.4
end of tunnel
15.5
172.70
merge with S-Bahn
Hamburg Port Railway
to Kattwyk vertical lift bridge
175.11
Hamburg-Hausbruch freight yard
to
Waltershof and
Altenwerder (CTA) container terminals
176.57
Hamburg-Hausbruch
1899–
1984
20.4
Hamburg-Neuwiedenthal
179.19
22.1
Hamburg-Neugraben
4 tracks ↑ DC
2 tracks ↓ AC
181.60
Hamburg-Fischbek
Röttig barracks siding
182.90
183.50
Neu Wulmstorf
(previously Daerstorf)
184.77
Ketzendorf gravel pit siding
Este river
189.00
Bacardi tank terminal
190.25
Buxtehude
193.81
Neukloster
Lühe river
198.96
Horneburg
203.29
Dollern
206.05
Agathenburg
208.60
209.70
Industrial line
to Stadersand, Bützfleth and Dow Chemical
former Kehdingen District Railway
to Itzwörden
211.18
Stade
(S-Bahn terminus)
212.00
Schwinge river
218.68
Hammah
222.62
Himmelpforten
226.10
226.29
Temporary single-track bridge
over Oste river
228.41
Hechthausen
234.97
Hemmoor
235.50
235.70
238.18
Warstade-Hemmoor
closed
1991
243.18
Wingst
(previously Höftgrube)
246.30
247.05
Cadenberge
Neuhaus-Bülkau Canal
250.90
Neuhaus (Oste)
closed
1991
Aue river
254.60
257.00
Bundesstraße 73 number.svg B 73 (Otterndorf bypass)
258.60
Medem river
258.89
Otterndorf
old Bundesstraße 73 number.svg B 73
267.08
Altenbruch
closed
1991
Altenbruch Canal
30.4
Steubenhöft
271.70
Cuxhaven CF
273.05
Cuxhaven

Line features

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The Lower Elbe Railway is a main line since 1964 and is currently listed as Kursbuchstrecke 121. The line is part of the Strecke 1720, with the kilometrage starting at Lehrte near Hanover.

The line features two tracks on most sections, except between the stations Himmelpforten and Hechthausen. The line has been electrified between Hamburg and Stade since 1968.

The Hamburg S-Bahn line to Neugraben runs parallel to the line since 1984; and since 2008, toward Stade,[1] using dual-voltage vehicles.

The trains between Cuxhaven and Hamburg have been operated by metronom since late 2007.

References

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  1. ^ Rapid Transit/Regional Rail (PDF), Hamburger Verkehrsverbund, 2008-12-14, archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-17, retrieved 2009-03-26
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