“Since 1943,” a sign might read, marking the presence of the Betriebsbahnhof Dortmund in the Innenstadt-Nord district near Hoeschpark. Originally, the railway maintenance workshops were part of Dortmund Central Station. But expansion limitations led to plans for new workshops in the Körne district in the 1930s.
During World War II, this area saw the construction of locomotive servicing facilities. A locomotive shed with an administration wing and a boiler house also appeared. A 37-meter-high concrete tower stands as a landmark to this day. It still serves as a water tower. This neo-classical structure, clad in brick, had service and overnight rooms on its first seven floors. Its upper section held a 1,000 m³ water tank. It shares basic features with the water tower at Dortmund South Station. The locomotive shed, a ten-track rectangular hall, had two sliding stages and two turntables.
Affiliated with the Betriebsbahnhof Dortmund is the Bahnbetriebswagenwerk Dortmund. Here, diesel railcars for the Ruhrschnellverkehr were likely maintained from 1940 onward.
After the war, the Bahnbetriebswerk housed Class 03.10 steam locomotives. These frequently served on fast trains. There was also a department for fast railcars. It provided vehicles for the Rheinblitz, among others. Between 1957 and 1969, up to six Class 601 railcars were stationed here. They were used for the Trans-Europ-Express.
For the Ruhrschnellverkehr, Class 62 steam locomotives were available between 1949 and 1951. With the introduction of electric operations between Hamm and Düsseldorf, Class 430 electric railcars were deployed from Dortmund Betriebsbahnhof.
Today, the Betriebsbahnhof Dortmund is a location for DB Regio NRW and DB Fernverkehr AG. Besides electric locomotives and diesel railcars for regional transport. Also, long-distance transport cars, the ICE 3 has been serviced in a newly built 250-meter-long hall since December 15, 2002.
The Betriebsbahnhof Dortmund is part of the Route of Industrial Culture. The water tower is a listed building in Dortmund. Imagine the workers who toiled here. They kept the trains running through war and peace. Their legacy lives on in every train that departs from this station. The Betriebsbahnhof Dortmund stands as a testament to Dortmund’s industrial past and its continued role in modern transportation.