The Nerobergbahn

The Nerobergbahn, built in 1888, leads from the Nerotal to the Neroberg in Wiesbaden. As a water-load and rack-and-pinion railway, it is the last of its kind in Germany, which is why it is a listed building. However, this does not stop it from continuing to operate for much of the year, carrying passengers and goods. It is mainly tourists who use the Nerobergbahn, which carries 250,000 passengers a year, each of whom travels 83 metres upwards or downwards at a speed of around 7 kph. Its maximum gradient is 260 per mille, an exorbitant value even for a funicular railway.

Accessibility and travel times of the railway

Only in the valley and on top of the Neroberg there is one stop each, so it only shuttles between these two stations. This is also not all year round, but only between Good Friday and the end of October. Only in the middle of the year it runs daily, that means in the months from May to August. In April, September and October it operates only on weekends and on selected special occasions. The frequency at which it operates is then usually a 15-minute interval.

The Nerobergbahn can be reached by public transport in Wiesbaden with bus line 1, which has its final stop at the valley station of the railway. Once at the top of the mountain, passengers can reach the Opelbad and the Russian Church via a very short walk.

Drive and history of the Nerobergbahn

Last but not least, the drive system of the two carriages is exciting and a real feast for the eyes for all lovers of historical vehicles. The car driving down into the valley pulls the one at the bottom upwards. This is only possible as long as the downward moving carriage is heavier than the one in the valley. This is achieved on the Nerobergbahn by filling the car at the top of the mountain with up to 7,000 litres of water. The car at the bottom then empties its water tank, the contents of which are pumped back up by an electronic pumping system to fill the other car.

A brief look back at the history of the Nerobergbahn: The entrepreneur Carl Rudolf applied for the construction of such a cable railway in 1886, and the railway was put into operation as early as 1888. Today, one of the showpieces of the railway is the viaduct on its way up to the Neroberg, which was the cause of much criticism at the time. But this had no consequences: until today the railway uses the viaduct over the Nerotal.

Later the railway became the property of the Süddeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, after World War II the Americans confiscated it. It has been in operation again since 1948 and has not experienced a single accident in its 131 years of life.

Tourist highlight with a special feature

A real tourist highlight in Wiesbaden has been preserved here, not only for friends of railways and cable cars and their technology. The old carriages

And that with the Nerobergbahn you have a real treasure at your disposal, is also known at the registry office in Wiesbaden. For some time now, it has been possible to have a wedding ceremony on the Nerobergbahn.