Journey back to a time when coal reigned supreme. We are standing before what remains of the Bahnstrecke Neuoelsnitz–Wüstenbrand. This railway line played a crucial role in Saxony’s industrial past.
The Bahnstrecke Neuoelsnitz–Wüstenbrand started as a coal railway. The Chemnitz-Würschnitzer Eisenbahngesellschaft was founded in 1856. Its purpose was to exploit the rich coal mines of the Lugau-Oelsnitz region. The line was granted a concession to run from Wüstenbrand to the mines near Lugau. Passenger transport wasn’t initially planned.
In November 1858, the line opened for freight traffic. The Westliche Staatsbahn managed operations. It later became part of the Royal Saxon State Railways. By August 1862, passenger services began. Around 1875, several mines near Lugau had direct connections. These included Gottes-Segen-Schacht and Kaiserin Augusta.
The Royal Saxon State Railways extended the line to Höhlteich station in 1879. This station is now known as Neuoelsnitz. In 1882, the Chemnitz-Würschnitzer Eisenbahngesellschaft was nationalized.
The Bahnstrecke Neuoelsnitz–Wüstenbrand faced changes in status. It was downgraded to a secondary line in 1872. In 1892, it was upgraded to a main line after barrier systems were installed. However, it was again downgraded to a secondary line in 1924.
The last coal mine in the Lugau-Oelsnitz area closed in 1972. This was the Karl-Liebknecht-Schacht. With the decline of coal mining, transport services decreased. By the winter of 1980/81, only four passenger trains ran on weekdays. No trains ran on Sundays. The final train ran on August 10, 1990.
After the political changes in East Germany in 1989/90, freight traffic declined. Freight services officially ended on September 28, 1996.
In 1994, the Lugauer Eisenbahnfreunde e. V. was founded. Their goal was to preserve the line as a museum railway. However, financial constraints limited their plans. The association later became Traditionsgemeinschaft Ferkeltaxi e. V. They are now based at the former locomotive depot in Oelsnitz.
The Lugau–Wüstenbrand section was closed in 2003. Regio Infra Service Sachsen (RISS) leased the Neuoelsnitz–Lugau section. In 2017, RISS offered the remaining section for sale to another company. The line speed was limited to 25 km/h. It had been closed for structural reasons since 2015. The estimated cost to reopen it was 380,000 euros. Since no company took over the section, it was permanently closed in 2018. The tracks were removed in September 2021.
Today, parts of the former Bahnstrecke Neuoelsnitz–Wüstenbrand have been repurposed. Since 2009, the Lugau–Wüstenbrand section has been dismantled. A cycle path now exists between Lugau and Ursprung. It’s called the Kohlebahnradweg. The path was extended to Mittelbach in 2018. The extension to Wüstenbrand was opened on May 6, 2023. The cycle path from Lugau to Neuoelsnitz is planned to be extended by 2025.
The Bahnstrecke Neuoelsnitz–Wüstenbrand began north of Höhlteich. It branched off from the Stollberg–St. Egidien line. It ran through Neuoelsnitz, then parallel to Pflockenstraße. The Karl-Liebknecht-Schacht had a connection after about 2 kilometers. The line continued to Lugau, passing the Vertrauen-Schacht and D-Schacht. The Lugau station was the largest on the route.
North of Lugau station, a connecting track led to the Viktoria-Schacht. The next 6 km have been converted into an asphalted cycle path. The route passes the Chemnitzer Straße twice in Lugau. The Ursprung station is preserved.
The Bahnstrecke Neuoelsnitz–Wüstenbrand may be silent now. But it whispers tales of coal mines and industrial ambition.