Harzer Schmalspurbahnen

Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH, commonly abbreviated to HSB, operates one of Germany’s best-known narrow-gauge railway systems in the Harz mountains. Its metre-gauge network extends for approximately 140 kilometres through Saxony-Anhalt and northern Thuringia, linking Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg with smaller settlements and mountain destinations. The system comprises the Brocken Railway, the Harz Transversal Railway and the Selke Valley Railway, together forming the longest connected narrow-gauge railway network in Germany. The company’s most recognizable service is the Brocken Railway, which climbs from Wernigerode through Drei Annen Hohne to the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz. Regular steam trains, traditional carriages and the mountainous scenery make this route a major tourism attraction. At the same time, HSB remains a public transport operator rather than merely a heritage railway. Its timetable includes regional passenger services, diesel railcar operations and an intermodal connection with the Nordhausen tramway. The company also operates goods trains, including services carrying standard-gauge wagons on transporter vehicles over parts of the narrow-gauge network. HSB was established during the restructuring of the former East German railway system after German reunification. On 1 February 1993 it took over the infrastructure, rolling stock, employees and operations previously controlled by Deutsche Reichsbahn. The company therefore inherited routes with origins in several late-nineteenth-century railway enterprises, especially the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company and the Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company. These predecessor lines were absorbed into Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1949 after the Second World War and subsequently became the foundation of the modern HSB network. The brand combines public-service railway operation, regional mobility and railway tourism. Its fleet includes steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, diesel railcars and tram-train vehicles. The principal steam fleet consists largely of 1950s-built 2-10-2 tank locomotives, supported by older articulated Mallet locomotives and other historic equipment. Steam traction is used extensively on scheduled services, while diesel vehicles provide practical regional services on lower-demand routes and support freight operations. A major modernization step came in Nordhausen, where a connecting track opened on 1 May 2004 between the HSB network and the Nordhausen tramway. This enabled hybrid Combino Duo vehicles to operate between the city tram system and the HSB route toward Ilfeld, combining electric operation on the tramway with diesel-electric running on the unelectrified railway. Another important expansion followed the conversion of the former standard-gauge section between Gernrode and Quedlinburg. HSB began operating through to Quedlinburg in 2006, extending the Selke Valley Railway to a major tourist and transport destination. Today, HSB’s positioning rests on the intersection of heritage preservation and active railway service. The company preserves historic railway technology while maintaining a functioning regional network of around 44 stations and halts. Its distinctive offer is not limited to museum excursions: scheduled steam trains, diesel services, tram-train integration, freight transport and access to Harz communities all form part of the operating model.

The modern Harzer Schmalspurbahnen system developed from several independent railway projects built in the Harz during the late nineteenth century. The first narrow-gauge railway in the region opened in 1887 between Gernrode and Mägdesprung. It was operated by the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company, whose routes later expanded through the Selke valley toward Harzgerode, Hasselfelde and Eisfelder Talmühle. This group of lines became known as the Selke Valley Railway and, historically, as the Anhalt Harz Railway. A second undertaking emerged around the Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company. The company was entered in the commercial register in 1896 and opened special services between Wernigerode and the Brocken on 22 December 1898. The cross-Harz route between Wernigerode, Drei Annen Hohne and Nordhausen, commonly called the Harz Transversal Railway, was fully opened on 27 March 1899. Together, these railways created a network serving both local communities and the growing tourism economy of the Harz mountains. Following the Second World War, the lines lay in the Soviet occupation zone and subsequently in East Germany. Deutsche Reichsbahn took control of the routes on 1 April 1949. During the Deutsche Reichsbahn period, the system continued to operate as an important regional railway, but limited investment contributed to the survival of steam traction and older railway technology. That circumstance later became one of the foundations of the network’s heritage appeal. German reunification brought a fundamental institutional change. As Deutsche Reichsbahn was restructured, the Harz narrow-gauge lines were transferred to the newly established Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH on 1 February 1993. HSB assumed the infrastructure, rolling stock, staff and operating functions. It became both a railway operating company and an infrastructure company. Ownership was organized around the public authorities and municipalities served by the railway, giving the company a regional rather than national ownership structure. Under HSB, the network retained a dual role. Steam-hauled services became a central tourism product, particularly on the Brocken Railway, but the company also maintained scheduled local passenger services and freight operations. The Brocken route became the best-known part of the system, with regular steam trains running from Wernigerode via Drei Annen Hohne to the summit area of the Brocken. Diesel railcars and locomotives supplemented steam operations, particularly where demand was lower or operational flexibility was more important. The company pursued integration with other forms of public transport in Nordhausen. On 1 May 2004, a connecting line opened between the HSB system and the Nordhausen tramway. Hybrid Combino Duo vehicles could then travel from the city’s tram network onto the unelectrified HSB line toward Ilfeld. They used electric power on the tramway and an onboard diesel engine on the railway, creating an unusual tram-train operation in the Harz region. Network expansion continued toward Quedlinburg. Work began in April 2005 to convert the former standard-gauge section between Gernrode and Quedlinburg after the standard-gauge railway had been closed and transferred. Gernrode station was rebuilt as a through station, and the first narrow-gauge train reached Quedlinburg on 4 March 2006. Regular services followed on 26 June 2006, linking the HSB system with onward trains of the Harz-Elbe Express toward Halberstadt. Other infrastructure projects included the Schurzfell halt in Nordhausen, constructed from late 2009 and opened for the 2010 summer timetable. A proposed extension toward Braunlage was considered with support from Lower Saxony and an economic stimulus program, but the plan was abandoned in 2010 because projected costs were considered excessive. HSB’s present identity is therefore rooted in continuity and adaptation. It preserves a connected historic railway system, operates a large fleet of steam locomotives and traditional carriages, serves local residents with diesel and tram-train services, and continues to carry freight. The result is a railway brand that functions simultaneously as regional infrastructure, public transport provider, tourist attraction and custodian of industrial heritage.

• 2010

  Schurzfell halt opens

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  The new Nordhausen halt entered service with the summer timetable.

• 2006

  Scheduled services extend to Quedlinburg

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  Following infrastructure conversion, HSB began regular narrow-gauge services to Quedlinburg in June.

• 2004

  Nordhausen tram-rail connection opens

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  A connecting track enabled hybrid tram-train operation between the Nordhausen tramway and the HSB route to Ilfeld.

• 1993

  HSB begins operations

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH took over the network, assets and workforce from Deutsche Reichsbahn on 1 February.

• 1949

  Deutsche Reichsbahn assumes control

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  The narrow-gauge lines were transferred to Deutsche Reichsbahn on 1 April after the Second World War.

• 1899

  Harz Transversal Railway completed

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  The route between Wernigerode and Nordhausen via Drei Annen Hohne was fully opened on 27 March.

• 1898

  Brocken Railway services begin

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  The Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company opened special services between Wernigerode and the Brocken on 22 December.

• 1887

  First Harz narrow-gauge line opens

  [1]Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org

  The first narrow-gauge line in the Harz opened between Gernrode and Mägdesprung under the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company.

A publicly owned regional railway operator that combines everyday mobility, freight transport and one of Germany’s most prominent steam-powered heritage railway experiences.

• Mountain railway and tourist passenger service · 1898

  Brocken Railway

  The Brocken Railway runs from Wernigerode through Drei Annen Hohne to the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz. It is HSB’s signature offering and operates regular scheduled steam-hauled trains using historic locomotives and traditional open-platform carriages. The route serves both visitors seeking a scenic mountain journey and the wider Harz tourism economy.

• Regional passenger railway · 1899

  Harz Transversal Railway

  The Harz Transversal Railway crosses the mountains between Wernigerode and Nordhausen via Drei Annen Hohne. It forms the principal east-west connection in the HSB system and supports a mixture of steam services, diesel railcars, freight movements and the Nordhausen tram-train operation. Its scenic alignment and through-network role make it one of the company’s core routes.

• Regional and heritage railway · 1887

  Selke Valley Railway

  The Selke Valley Railway follows the Selke river corridor through the eastern Harz. Historically operated by the Gernrode-Harzgerode Railway Company, it now connects the HSB network with Quedlinburg and serves destinations including Gernrode, Harzgerode and Hasselfelde. Steam trains are an important part of its public identity, while diesel equipment supports lower-demand services.

• Integrated urban-regional transit · 2004

  Nordhausen–Ilfeld tram-train service

  This service links the Nordhausen tramway with the HSB route toward Ilfeld. Since the 2004 connection opened, Combino Duo vehicles have used electric power on the tramway and onboard diesel power on the non-electrified railway. The service demonstrates HSB’s role in regional mobility as well as tourism.

• Rail freight

  HSB freight services

  HSB continues to operate regular goods trains, including movements from Hartsteinwerk Unterberg on the Selke Valley Railway to Nordhausen Übergabebahnhof on the Trans-Harz Railway. Class 199.8 diesel locomotives and transporter wagons allow standard-gauge freight wagons to be carried over the metre-gauge network.

• 2010

  Abandon proposed Braunlage connectionStrategy

  Background

  Lower Saxony explored support for connecting Braunlage to the HSB network through an economic stimulus initiative.

  Action taken

  The proposed project was shelved on 29 April 2010 after projected construction costs were judged unacceptable.

  Aftermath

  The HSB network remained centered on its existing corridors rather than expanding to Braunlage.

  Source

• 2006

  Extend the Selke Valley Railway to QuedlinburgOther

  Background

  The standard-gauge approach to Quedlinburg had been closed and transferred, creating an opportunity to connect the town with the HSB network.

  Action taken

  HSB converted the route from Gernrode to Quedlinburg to metre gauge and introduced regular narrow-gauge services.

  Aftermath

  Quedlinburg became a western interchange and tourism gateway for the Selke Valley Railway.

  Source

• 2004

  Launch of Nordhausen tram-train integrationProduct launch

  Background

  The HSB railway and Nordhausen tramway were separate systems, limiting direct urban access to the regional railway.

  Action taken

  A connecting track was opened and hybrid tram-train vehicles began operating between Nordhausen and Ilfeld.

  Aftermath

  Passengers gained a direct connection between the city tram network and the HSB route without requiring a separate transfer at the former Nordhausen Nord focus of operations.

  Source

• 1993

  Create a regional successor to Deutsche Reichsbahn operationsStrategy

  Background

  The restructuring of the East German railway system after reunification required a new operator for the Harz narrow-gauge lines.

  Action taken

  Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH took over the railway infrastructure, rolling stock, staff and operating functions on 1 February 1993.

  Aftermath

  HSB became both the railway operating company and infrastructure company, with ownership centered on local public authorities.

  Source

1. 1Harz Narrow Gauge Railwaysen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Harzer Schmalspurbahnen official websitehsb-wr.de