Düsseldorf rail freight bypass

The Düsseldorf freight bypass railway (Güterumgehungsbahn Düsseldorf) is a now partly disused railway line in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It connects the Düsseldorf-Reisholz freight yard and the Düsseldorf-Derendorf freight yard (near Düsseldorf-Derendorf station), both located on the Cologne–Duisburg railway, via the former Düsseldorf-Lierenfeld freight yard.

Düsseldorf freight bypass railway
Overview
Native name	Güterumgehungsbahn Düsseldorf
Line number	2401 (D-Derendorf–D-Vogelsang) 2410 (D-Lierenfeld–D-Derendorf) 2411 (D-Reisholz–D-Derendorf) 2416 (D Hbf–Präsident Loewel)
Locale	North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Service
Route number	(freight only)
Technical
Line length	12 km (7.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map Trunk line from Duisburg 4.9 42.7 Präsident Loewel junction Ruhr Valley Railway from Ratingen (5.4) 000 (Düsseldorf-Vogelsang junction) 4.4 00.0 Düsseldorf-Derendorf Dn Düsseldorf-Derendorf Dp junction 3.7 00.0 Heinrich junction Düsseldorf-Derendorf 3.1 40.0 Düsseldorf-Derendorf Dnf Düsseldorf Zoo 38.3 Düsseldorf-Derendorf Dsf 38.2 Markmann (siding) 37.9 Rethel junction Düsseldorf Wehrhahn Connecting line to Dora junction Main line from Wuppertal 0.9 00.0 Düsseldorf Hbf north head 0.0 00.0 Düsseldorf Hbf Line to Neuss 36.5 Düsseldorf-Lierenfeld 35.8 Düsseldorf-Lierenfeld (old) (Wersten junction) (Düsseldorf-Oberbilk station+junction) Former connecting line to Sturm junction 33.9 Berg junction To freight line to Cologne S-Bahn line to Solingen Düsseldorf-Eller Süd 31.7 Düsseldorf-Reisholz Rn 30.9 Düsseldorf-Reisholz marsh. yard and st. 30.6 Düsseldorf-Reisholz junction Trunk line to Cologne Source: German railway atlas

The freight bypass allows freight trains to avoid the busy Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof using a separate and direct line.

History

The Cologne-Minden Railway Company had already established a freight line between the then Lierenfeld junction and Wehrhahn in 1863, but this was closed in 1880. In 1932 the old line was returned to service and connected by a grade-separated junction with the Cologne–Duisburg railway.

Current situation

The closing of the former Düsseldorf-Derendorf marshalling yard means that the bypass railway has lost most of its purpose. Of the three tracks passing under the main line, only the northernmost track at Rethel junction remains in operation. Concrete pillars have been erected for supporting overhead wire on the western ramp of the southernmost passage under the main line, which gave direct access to Lierenfeld.