Görlitz station is the central station of the city of Görlitz in the German state of Saxony. Of the original twelve station tracks only six are still in operation. Görlitz is also served by stations in Rauschwalde, Weinhübel and Hagenwerder.

Görlitz
Deutsche Bahn
Through station
Station building and forecourt
General information
LocationBahnhofstr. 76, Görlitz, Saxony
Germany
Coordinates51°8′50″N 14°58′45″E / 51.14722°N 14.97917°E / 51.14722; 14.97917
Line(s)
Platforms6
Construction
ArchitectGustav Kießler
Architectural styleJugendstil
Other information
Station code2194
DS100 codeDG[1]
IBNR8010131
Category3[2]
Websitewww.bahnhof.de
History
Opened1 September 1847; 176 years ago (1847-09-01)
Electrified1923-1945[3]
Services
Preceding station Trilex Following station
Löbau (Sachs)
towards Dresden Hbf
RE 1 Zgorzelec
Terminus
Görlitz-Rauschwalde
towards Dresden Hbf
RB 60 Terminus
Preceding station Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn Following station
Kodersdorf
towards Hoyerswerda
RB 64 Terminus
Kodersdorf
towards Cottbus Hbf
RB 65 Görlitz-Weinhübel
towards Zittau
Preceding station KD Following station
Zgorzelec D19 Terminus
Zgorzelec D10 Dresden Hauptbahnhof
Terminus
Preceding station Polregio Following station
Terminus PR Zgorzelec
Map
Location
Görlitz is located in Saxony
Görlitz
Görlitz
Location in Saxony
Görlitz is located in Germany
Görlitz
Görlitz
Location in Germany
Görlitz is located in Europe
Görlitz
Görlitz
Location in Europe

History edit

 
Original station in 1860

In 1845, the city began, along with the Lower Silesian-Marcher Railway (German: Niederschlesisch-Märkische Eisenbahn), the construction of a station building, which opened in 1847 and began the development of modern Görlitz.[4] Hotels, apartments and businesses were later built around the station. Previously, it had been surrounded only by fields. The station was built by the master mason, Gustav Kießler, who also built the Neisse Viaduct.

On 15 October 1846 Görlitz was connected to the railway network in Prussian Silesia,[5] of which Görlitz formed part at that time. The Lower Silesian-Marcher Railway had begun to build its line from Berlin to Breslau in 1843. A branch [de] of this line ran from Kohlfurt (after 1945 renamed as Węgliniec) to Görlitz. The South-North German Connecting Railway (Süd-Norddeutsche Verbindungsbahn) was already planning a connection between Berlin and Vienna via Görlitz and Seidenberg (renamed after 1945 as Zawidów).

The station of Görlitz, which Prussia had seized from Saxony in 1815, was jointly operated by the Lower Silesian-Marcher Railway and the Saxon-Silesian Railway, railway companies based in the two mentioned nations. The Saxon-Silesian Railway operated the line to Dresden. The city created Bahnhofsstraße as a street access to the station. The first station building was built on island platforms, so that the two railway companies could have separate entrances.

Two slender towers were built at the main entrance, which was protected from the weather by a veranda. From the entrance hall a passage connected to the ticket and luggage offices. This hall was connected by passages to the waiting rooms and trains. A similar building was built by Lower Silesian-Marcher Railway in Kohlfurt.

Görlitz was one of the major cities of Prussia and further extensions were built. A line was built to Berlin via Cottbus, opened in 1867. Traffic grew rapidly and the station became congested. The existing building was built west of the island platforms and a new entrance building was built facing Bahnhofsstrasse. A newly pedestrian tunnel was built leading directly from Bahnhofsstrasse to the extension of the building on the island platforms. All other old railway buildings, including the two towers had to be demolished for the new development. The new building was larger and better equipped than the old station. During the World War I the new building and the adjacent railway post office (1915) were completed. The entrance hall was opened in Art Nouveau style in 1917.

 
Art Nouveau style entrance hall

In 1923 Görlitz station was electrified and thus connected to electrified rail network on the Silesian Mountain Railway. Electric rail transport in Görlitz ended in February 1945, due to war-related interruption of overhead lines and power supply. Starting in autumn 1945 the overhead lines were dismantled and transported as reparations to the Soviet Union. Scheduled in 1981 Deutsche Reichsbahn planned the reelectrification of the station to be completed by 1995. However, after 1989 (opening of the East German western borders) the reconstruction of inner-German rail connections gained priority and the electrification of the Dresden-Görlitz Saxon-Silesian railway has been deferred indefinitely.

In 1984, the station hall ceiling was completely restored. The building has since become a historical monument.

Train services edit

As of May 2017 The station is served by the following services:[6]

  • regional express RE1 / D10 Dresden – Bischofswerda – Bautzen – Görlitz (– Zgorzelec – Węgliniec – Legnica – Wrocław Gł.)
  • regional service RB 60 Dresden – Bischofswerda – Bautzen – Görlitz
  • regional service OE60 V Bischofswerda – Bautzen – Görlitz
  • regional service OE64 Hoyerswerda – Görlitz
  • regional service OE65 Zittau – Görlitz – Weißwasser – Cottbus
  • regional service D19 Węgliniec – Zgorzelec – Görlitz – Zgorzelec – Lubań – Jelenia Góra
  • regional service (Polregio) Goerlitz (Görlitz) - Żary - Zielona Góra Główna [7]

Görlitz station has border facilities for Poland. Trains used to run three times a day to Legnica and Wrocław from 2009 until February 28, 2015. Cross-border services have been restored in December 2015. Since then there are direct trains to Wrocław Gł., Węgliniec, Legnica and Jelenia Góra.

Due to construction works along Węgliniec–Roßlau railway the OE 64 (Hoyerswerda-Görlitz) is temporarily not operating.

References edit

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas) (2009/2010 ed.). Schweers + Wall. 2009. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  2. ^ "Stationspreisliste 2024" [Station price list 2024] (PDF) (in German). DB Station&Service. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  3. ^ In 1945 catenaries were dismantled as Soviet war reparations.
  4. ^ Picture of the original station with description - in German
  5. ^ History of the station on www.locomotive.de - in German
  6. ^ Timetables for Görlitz station
  7. ^ Polregio. Goerlitz - Żary - Zielona Góra Główna. Timetable (2022/2023) https://polregio.pl/media/21089/goerlitz-zary-zielona-gora-gl.pdf

External links edit