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Missing Links Regional Trans-border Rail Connections The renaissance of „Ilztalbahn“

Missing Links Regional Trans-border Rail Connections The renaissance of „Ilztalbahn“ Passau – Waldkirchen – Freyung and the start of the “Czech-German network Danube- Ilz - Vlatava ” Brussels, 25 th January 2012.

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Missing Links Regional Trans-border Rail Connections The renaissance of „Ilztalbahn“

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  1. Missing Links Regional Trans-border Rail Connections The renaissance of „Ilztalbahn“ Passau – Waldkirchen – Freyung and the start of the “Czech-German network Danube-Ilz-Vlatava” Brussels, 25th January 2012

  2. History of the railway line Passau – Waldkirchen – Freyung (Ilztalbahn) (1): • Construction work from 1887 to 1892 – final opening of the line in October 1892 (50 km) • Until 1945 major use as a line for freight transport • 1910: Opening of a cross-border railway line linking Ilztalbahn with Bohemia from Wald-kirchen via Haidmühle to Neuthal / NovéÚdolí • 1913: Opening of another railway line heading west from Kalteneck to Eging and Deggendorf

  3. History of „Ilztalbahn“ (2): • Peak of use as a line for freight and passenger transport from 1945 to 1970 • Decreasing demand leads to cancellation of passenger transport in 1975 (end of weekend services) and 1982 (last public trains running) • January 2001: end of freight transport • August 2002: line closed due to technical reasons following damages of heavy rain falls • April 2005: line legally closed according to German Railway Act

  4. History of the cross border railway line Wald-kirchen–Haidmühle–Neuthal / NovéÚdolí (1): • 1910: Opening of the cross-border railway line to Bohemia (27 km) from Waldkirchen via Haidmühle to Neuthal / NovéÚdolí and Wallern (Volary) with connections to Prachatitz (Prachatice) as well as Krumau (CeskyKrumlov) and Budweis (Budvar) • Summer 1945: Line closed on the Czech side due to the political situation after World War II

  5. History of the cross border railway line Wald-kirchen–Haidmühle–Neuthal / NovéÚdolí(2): • Limited services (domestic freight transport only) on the Czech side between 1945 and 1989 – Nové Údolí was in a strict “no-go-area” • Summer 1969: End of passenger and freight transport on the German side; most of the line (19 km) was dismantled in 1971 and 1972 • 1990: opening of public transport on the Czech side to the border station NovéÚdolí • 2001: rest of the cross-border railway line was dismantled in Germany (remaining 8 km)

  6. The steps of private initiatives: • Movement to keep the line of „Ilztalbahn“ as an important asset of regional infrastructure started in 2002 – foundation of „Förderverein Ilztalbahn e. V.“ in November 2005. • Complete lack of political support leads to the foundation of a professional company to pursue the reopening of the line in November 2006 – named „Ilztalbahn GmbH“ with a nominal capital of at present 300.000 EUR, raised by private shareholders only.

  7. The renaissance of „Ilztalbahn“ (1): • January 2007: German Railway Company (Deutsche Bahn AG) and district authorities ask for dismantling the whole railway line and formal end of use as a means of public transport • July 2007: German Railway supervision authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt) support Ilztalbahn GmbH in denying dismantling and transformation of railway line into a cycle path • March 2009: Ilztalbahn GmbH and its partner get the permission to run the line for 50 years by Bavarian Ministry of Economics and Transport

  8. The renaissance of „Ilztalbahn“ (2): • April 2009: ITB GmbH rents the whole line from Deutsche Bahn AG for 50 years • July 2009: Start of repair and reconstruction work at the line • 11. September 2010: Reopening of the upper section between Freyung and Waldkirchen • 15. July 2011: Reopening of the whole 50 km line of Ilztalbahn from Passau via Waldkirchen to Freyung with bus links to cross-border National parks and the Czech border station NovéÚdolí

  9. The concept of Ilztalbahn GmbH (ITB) and the “Czech-German network Danube-Ilz-Vlatava”: • Three-country-tourist-concept for the region Bayerischer Wald – Böhmerwald (Sumava) – Mühlviertel with the railway line Passau – Waldkirchen – Freyung as the basis on the German side (Integration of Austria is missing at present; has to be pursued in 2012 and 2013) • Leisure and tourist trains running on summer weekends, organized by ITB • Bus links to Bavarian and Bohemian national parks and to Czech border station NovéÚdolí

  10. From 2002 to 2007 we had a dream ... • ... and a very strong will, a lot of helping hands and a lot of people who supported us financially. • The results: • since 2008 more than 12.000 hours of common work – all volunteers • 300.000 EUR private shareholder‘s capital • 400.000 EUR credit of supporting banks • tremendous support by local enterprises

  11. Step 1: • 12th September 2010 • Reopening of upper Ilztalbahn between Waldkirchen and Freyung (12 km) • Some facts: • 3.488 tickets sold on the first day • public transport back in the region • 100% financing without public support (State of Bavaria was blocking the EU-Interreg-money)

  12. Step 2: • 15th to 17th July 2011 • Complete reopening of Ilztalbahn (50 km) • The results: • Approximately 28.000 guests in the 2011 season (34 travelling days) • More than 1.000 guests on 12 days • About 60 people assuring good service in and around the trains – all volunteers • Still 100% private financing

  13. The financial background of Ilztalbahn-reopening: • Investment in total so far at about 900.000 EUR • a stabile group of volunteers that saved more than 200.000 EUR in cash outflow • 300.000 EUR represent a strong equity position of ITB (46 private shareholders) • Bank credit financing at present 400.000 EUR • EU-Interreg-support was refused in 2008 and 2009 by the state of Bavaria, 3. application was successful in general, but Bavaria insist on a full guarantee for the EU-subsidy of 1.601.816 EUR

  14. The next steps to improve the “Czech-German network Danube-Ilz-Vlatava” • Further modernisation of Ilztalbahn-infrastructure • Full integration of Ilztalbahn-, Czech-trains, public bus lines as well as national park bus services (IGEL- and Green buses) • Common ticketing • Additional links to Austria (Mühlviertel) from German and Czech side (Waldkirchen, Drei-sessel, Lipno / Horni Plana) • Trilingual Marketing concept (D / CZ / English)

  15. Interim results and forecast: • Reopening of Ilztalbahn is a great success in economic and regional aspects • State of Bavaria reduce resistance / Bavarian par-liament even give award for great volunteers effort • Much more communication with local tourist offices and regional authorities since reopening of line • Ilztalbahn and South Bohemian railway lines gain a lot of passengers from the motorist side • Region becomes more attractive for tourists model for environmentally friendly traffic concept

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