A feasibility study: a rail or tram-train service linking Rastatt and Haganeu

[Adlington]

A Franco-German feasibility study is to look at the possibility of using around 40 route-km of freight-only and disused railway lines to introduce a regional rail or tram-train style service linking Rastatt in Baden-Württemberg with Haganeu in Alsace.

Revival of the route would be simplified because the lines have not been formally closed. The necessary permits for operation are already in place, potentially reducing the need for environmental and legal processes which can be ‘take a long time and be costly’ for greenfield projects.

Here comes an interesting bit:

[The link] would make use of an existing road-rail bridge over the River Rhein near Wintersdorf which is currently only used by road traffic; it is envisaged that road traffic would be stopped while rail services passed over.

Is such a solution: road-rail bridge temporarily closed to road traffic when trains pass over, used anywhere in Europe?

Metro Report International

 

[30907]

Not sure about stopping the traffic, but there are certainly unsegregated mixed use bridges - one at Bechyne in CZ comes to mind. However the Rhine bridge is rather longer, so traffic lights would make sense...

 

[Adlington]

there are certainly unsegregated mixed use bridges - one at Bechyne in CZ comes to mind.

Indeed... Actually it's kind of semi-unsegregated: only the road traffic coming to Bechyne has to stop during the passage of train, the other direction is unaffected.

 

[edwin_m]

Looks like this one:

https://binged.it/2KaSkXo

As far as I can see it's a single lane each way. With a tram-train option you'd probably lay a double track tramway with the line joining and leaving the road via traffic lights each end. Heavy rail would be a bit more tricky.

 

[Giugiaro]

This single track bridge works as a railway crossing when the train is to cross the bridge. It's placed in Sernada do Vouga, close to Aveiro, in Portugal.

 

[Adlington]

Thank you all. Seems it's not as unusual as I thought...

 

[Groningen]

In the north of Germany (line Flensburg - Kiel) there is also a bridge used by a train and than blocked for roadtraffic (Google Mpas: 54.583335, 9.820110). I would choose more for Baden-Baden and than also connect the airport at the Rhine (Google Maps: 48.778240, 8.081484).

 

[higthomas]

Or of course the Welsh Highland Railway bridge/level crossing just outside porthmadog station.

 

[30907]

I would choose more for Baden-Baden and than also connect the airport at the Rhine (Google Maps: 48.778240, 8.081484).

Unfortunately the airport is 10km from the Rhine crossing at Wintersdorf and there doesnt seem to be much left of the old Mittelbadische Eisenbahn until you are south of the airport - the advantage of the original proposal is that the bridge and trackbed are in place.