Isar Valley Railway

Isar Valley Railway
Overview
Native name	Isartalbahn
Locale	Bavaria, Germany
Termini	Munich South Bichl
Line number	5507
Technical
Line length	51.1 km (31.8 mi)
Number of tracks	2: München Isartalbf–Wolfratshausen
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	200 m (656 ft)
Electrification	1900–1955: 580 volts since 1955: 15 kV/16.7 Hz AC overhead catenary
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph) (maximum)
Maximum incline	3.3%
Route number	999.7
Route map from Munich Hbf -0.5 Munich South to Munich East 0.0 Munich Isartalbf 519 m 0.3 Heizkraftwerk Süd power station 2.4 München-Thalkirchen 525 m 3.6 München Maria Einsiedel (until 1918) 526 m 4.6 München-Prinz-Ludwigshöhe (since 1893) 562 m 5.5 Munich–Holzkirchen railway (39 m) from Munich Hbf 5.9 Großhesselohe Isartal 570 m 7.4 Pullach 572 m 8.4 Pullach Gartenstadt (1934 until 1964) 9.3 Höllriegelskreuth 596 m 11.1 Buchenhain (since 1950) 12.9 Baierbrunn 628 m 16.6 Hohenschäftlarn 654 m 18.2 Ebenhausen-Schäftlarn 664 m 21.4 Icking 653 m 25.5 Loisach 26.3 Wolfratshausen 576 m Siding to Geretsried planned S-Bahn to Geretsried 28.6 Loisach 28.6 Degerndorf 581 m 30.3 Bolzwang 582 m 33.3 Eurasburg 587 m 36.9 Beuerberg 614 m Loisach 42.1 Fletzen 587 m 44.5 Bocksberg 590 m 47.8 Bad Heilbrunn 598 m from Tutzing 50.6 Bichl 615 m to Kochel am See Operating points and lines

The Isar River Valley Railway (German: Isartalbahn) is a standard gauge and electrified railway in the German state of Bavaria. Originally it was 51.1 km long, running from Munich South station to Bichl and was built from 1891 to 1898 in sections by the Lokalbahn AG company (LAG). The section from Munich South to Wolfratshausen was classified as a main line, while the section from Wolfratshausen to Bichl was classified as a branch line. In 1900, the LAG electrified the section from the Isartalbahnhof (the station for the Isar River Valley Railway in Munich) to Höllriegelskreuth for suburban services at 580 volts DC. In 1938, the LAG and, with it, the Isar Valley Railway were nationalised. After the Second World War, Deutsche Bundesbahn converted the electrification to 15 kV AC (16 ⅔ Hz); this was completed in 1955 and extended to Wolfratshausen in 1960. The northern section from Munich South to Grosshesselohe Isartal station and the southern section from Wolfratshausen to Bichl was closed by Deutsche Bundesbahn between 1959 and 1972. The middle section is now used by line S 7 of the Munich S-Bahn. The name of the line refers to the Isar as the northern half of the line follows the river’s western bank. On the other hand, the southern section is located in the valley of the Loisach.

In the mid-1860s, the construction of almost all the major railways in Bavaria had been completed. Holzkirchen was connected to the Bavarian railway network on 31 October 1857. Penzberg was connected to the network on 16 October 1865. On 29 April 1869, the local railway law (Vizinalbahngesetz), which promoted projects for the construction of local railways, was enacted. The municipality of Tölz sought a connection to the railway network. Originally two options were discussed: Holzkirchen–Tölz and Penzberg–Tölz. The municipalities in the upper Isar valley, however, wanted a railway from Munich to Tölz so that the municipalities could also be connected. Architect Friedrich Fischer presented an initial application for an alignment from Munich via Tölz to Lenggries. It requested the establishment of a commission for the planning of this option. On 27 May 1870, Fischer received permission to set up a commission. The first meeting of the commission was held on 11 July 1870. It proposed a line from Munich South via Großhesselohe, Pullach, Icking, Wolfratshausen and Tölz to Lenggries. The cost was estimated at four million guilders. The Munich City Council debated in January 1871 a proposal for a line from Holzkirchen to Tölz. Then on 18 February 1871 the option via Holzkirchen was excluded. The glass manufacturer Leo Gasteiger requested a licence to build railways on the Thalkirchen–Beuerberg–Tölz and Beuerberg–Bichl–Murnau routes on 16 January 1872. This was not approved, however, because the line would have competed with the Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway, which was already under construction.