Karlsruhe Stadtbahn

The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connections to neighbouring regions. The Stadtbahn combines an efficient urban railway in the city with an S-Bahn (suburban railway), overcoming the boundary between trams and trains. Its logo does not include the green and white S-Bahn symbol used in other German suburban rail systems and the symbol is only used at stops and stations outside the inner-city tram-operation area.

The idea to link tram and railway lines with one another in order to be able to offer an attractive transport system for town and outskirts was developed in Karlsruhe and implemented gradually in the 1980s and 1990s, with the system commencing operation in 1992. This idea, known as the Karlsruhe model or tram-train, has been adapted by other European cities. A new section in tunnel through central Karlsruhe was completed in December 2021.

Despite the name Stadtbahn, it shares very little technology with other Stadtbahn systems like Frankfurt and Stuttgart, making it far closer to tram-train and to a lesser extent S-Bahn systems.

The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is operated in co-operation by Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (Alb valley transport corporation, AVG), Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe transport authority, VBK) and Deutsche Bahn (DB). The two urban transport operators, VBK and AVG, operate most services, while DB is responsible for the sections from Pforzheim and Bretten to Bietigheim-Bissingen. , AVG quotes the size of the part of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn system that is not operated by DB as , with 12 lines serving 190 stations.

Network

The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn includes thirteen lines, in four different forms: Tram lines under the German law regulating tram operations, in a modernised form with a large proportion of segregated track and priority at traffic lights. These lines are electrified at 750 V DC. This is Stadtbahn line S2, operated by VBK in addition to its own seven tram lines.

A combination of tram line sections within urban Karlsruhe and the secondary lines of the AVG, electrified at 750 V DC. These are Stadtbahn lines S1, S11 and S12. A combination of tram line sections within urban Karlsruhe, Wörth am Rhein, Bad Wildbad and Heilbronn, electrified at 750 V DC, and the railway lines of the DB and AVG, electrified at 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz. These are Stadtbahn lines S4, S41, S42, S5, S51, S52, S6, S7 and S8. Pure rail operations on DB and AVG tracks, electrified at 15 kV AC. These are Stadtbahn lines S31 S32, S71 and S81.

Lines Line no. Route No. of stations Railways Operator Hochstetten – Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen – Neureut – Yorckstraße – Marktplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Alb Valley Railway – Rüppurr – Ettlingen – Busenbach – Bad Herrenalb 54 Hardt Railway, Alb Valley RailwayAVG, VBK Hochstetten – Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen – Neureut – Yorckstraße – Marktplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Albtalbahnhof – Rüppurr – Ettlingen – Busenbach – Ittersbach 56 Hardt Railway, Alb Valley Railway, Busenbach–Ittersbach railway Karlsruhe Rheinhafen – Lameyplatz – Yorckstraße – Europaplatz – Kolpingplatz – Albtalbahnhof – Ettlingen – Busenbach – Langensteinbach – Ittersbach (doesn't call at all stations) 27 Alb Valley Railway, Busenbach–Ittersbach railway Spöck – Blankenloch – Hagsfeld – Durlacher Tor – Marktplatz – Entenfang – Daxlanden – Rheinstetten Occasional limited service trains take a different route via Ettlinger Tor (instead of Marktplatz) 47 Karlsruher Lokalbahn, Entenfang–Rheinstetten Stadtbahn line Hauptbahnhof – Durlach – Bruchsal – Ubstadt Ort – Odenheim 16 Rhine Valley Railway, Katzbach Railway AVG Hauptbahnhof – Durlach – Bruchsal – Ubstadt Ort – Menzingen 18 Katzbach Railway, Rhine Valley Railway, Kraich Valley Railway Albtalbahnhof – Karlsruhe Hbf – Rüppurrer Tor – Kronenplatz – Durlacher Tor – Tullastraße / VBK – Durlach – Grötzingen Oberausstraße – Bretten – Eppingen – Heilbronn – Weinsberg – Öhringen-Cappel 73 Rhine Valley Railway, Karlsruhe–Mühlacker Railway, Kraichgau Railway, Hohenlohe Railway AVG, VBK, Stadtwerke Heilbronn Heilbronn Hbf/Willy-Brandt-Platz – Harmonie / Kunsthalle – Neckarsulm – Bad Friedrichshall – Neckarelz – Mosbach 22 Franconia Railway, Neckar Valley Railway, Neckarelz–Osterburken railway AVG, Stadtwerke Heilbronn Heilbronn Hbf/Willy-Brandt-Platz – Harmonie / Kunsthalle – Neckarsulm – Bad Friedrichshall – Neckarelz – Mosbach – – Sinsheim 25 Franconia Railway, Meckesheim–Bad Friedrichshall railway Wörth am Rhein – Maxau – Entenfang – Yorckstraße – Marktplatz – Durlacher Tor – Tullastraße / VBK – Durlach – Grötzingen Oberausstraße – Pfinztal – Pforzheim Occasional limited service trains take a different route and start/end at Albtalbahnhof, deviating from the regular Route at Marktplatz. 48 Winden–Karlsruhe railway, Karlsruhe–Mühlacker Railway AVG, VBK Germersheim – Bellheim – Rülzheim – Rheinzabern – Jockgrim – Wörth am Rhein – Maximiliansau – Knielingen Rheinbergstrasse – Karlsruhe Entenfang – Europaplatz – Durlacher Tor – Durlach Bahnhof – Grötzingen – Pfinztal (– Wilferdingen-Singen – Pforzheim Hbf) Schifferstadt–Wörth railway, Winden–Karlsruhe railway Germersheim – Bellheim – Rülzheim – Rheinzabern – Jockgrim – Wörth am Rhein – Maxau – Karlsruhe West – Karlsruhe Albtalbahnhof – Karlsruhe Hbf – Marktplatz Pforzheim – Neuenbürg – Bad Wildbad 19 Enz Valley Railway AVG – Bühl – – – Durmersheim – Albtalbahnhof – Karlsruhe Hbf – Rüppurrer Tor – Kronenplatz – Durlacher Tor – Tullastraße / VBK 24Rhine Railway, Rhine Valley Railway AVG, VBKAchern – Baden-Baden – Rastatt – Malsch – Karlsruhe Hbf 15Rhine Valley Railway AVG – – Freudenstadt Hbf – Baiersbronn – Forbach – Rastatt – Durmersheim – Karlsruhe Hbf – Rüppurrer Tor – Kronenplatz – Tullastraße / VBK 65Rhine Railway, Murg Valley Railway, Eutingen im Gäu–Schiltach railway, Stuttgart–Horb railway AVG, VBK Bondorf (b Herrenberg) – Eutingen im Gäu – Freudenstadt Hbf – Baiersbronn – Forbach – Rastatt – Malsch – Karlsruhe Hbf 53Rhine Valley Railway, Murg Valley Railway AVG

Former lines In 2019, the S5 ceased operation between Pforzheim and Bietigheim-Bissingen, being replaced by MEX17a, operated by SWEG Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs-AG over the same line and stopping at the same stations. Operations between Pforzheim and Bietigheim-Bissingen were possible due to an agreement with German national operator DB, which allowed AVG to run their S5 services in slots assigned to trains of DB, effectively replacing them. As DB lost several of their lines near Stuttgart to private operators in 2019, the route between Pforzheim and Bietigheim-Bissingen was taken over by Abellio (now SWEG Bahn Stuttgart), ending the operation between Pforzheim and Bietigheim-Bissingen. The section between Pforzheim and Wörth Badepark runs mostly unchanged, with only changes in arrival and departure times.

In December 2022, the S9—by then renamed to S34 because line S9 of the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn had been extended to Karlsruhe, causing confusion–ceased operation, being fully replaced by regional trains running as line MEX17c. Already, in 2019, most services of the S9 had been taken over by this line, leaving it with only few trains a day operated as S34.

Also during this time, S71 and S81 lost most of its trains to DB, leaving S71 with five trains a day and S81 with only two trains per day, one per direction.

Services

The following table shows the regular transport services on the individual Stadbahn lines as of December 2022. There are some deviations from the structure shown on weekends and late evenings/at night.

Lines Section Frequency Remarks   Hochstetten – Karlsruhe – Bad Herrenalb/Ittersbach Hochstetten – Neureut Kirchfeld Every 20 minutes Some trains transfer to the Leopoldshafen–KIT Campus Nord railway (only for authorised persons) Neureut Kirchfeld – Ettlingen Albgaubad Every 10 minutes Ettlingen Albgaubad – Busenbach 4 services/hour Busenbach – Bad Herrenalb 2 services/hour Busenbach – Ittersbach Every 30 minutes Karlsruhe – Ittersbach Karlsruhe Rheinhafen – Ittersbach Some trains in the peak Express train, does not stop at all stations. In the Karlsruhe area, does not run through the tunnel, but rather via Karlstrasse. One morning trip from Mühlburger Tor to Europahalle/Europabad. Stutensee – Karlsruhe – Rheinstetten Spöck – Blankenloch Nord Every 20 minutes Blankenloch Nord – Karlsruhe Reitschulschlag Every 10 minutes (peak)Every 20 minutes (off-peak) In the peak some trains, running as expresses, do not stop at all stations. Karlsruhe Reitschulschlag – Karlsruhe Rheinstrandsiedlung Every 10 minutes Karlsruhe Rheinstrandsiedlung – Mörsch Bach West Every 10 minutes (peak)Every 20 minutes (off-peak)   Menzingen/Odenheim – Karlsruhe Odenheim – Ubstadt Ort Every 20 minutes (peak)Every 30 minutes. (off-peak) In the peak some trains, running as expresses, do not stop at all stations. Menzingen – Ubstadt Ort Every 20 minutes (peak)Every 30 minutes. (off-peak) In the peak some trains, running as expresses, do not stop at all stations. Ubstadt Ort – Karlsruhe Hbf 2 services/hour Generally, the S 31 and S 32 run coupled and split in Ubstadt Ort. Karlsruhe Hbf – Bad Herrenalb A pair of trains on Sundays and public holidays Albtäler Freizeitexpress ("leisure time express") via Ettlingen West, Ettlingen Stadt, Busenbach. Does not stop at all stations. Karlsruhe – Heilbronn – Öhringen Karlsruhe Albtalbahnhof – Flehingen 2 services/hour All stops except Durlach Hubstrasse. Flehingen – Schwaigern West Every 60 minutes Some express services in the peaks in both directions to/from Eppingen Schwaigern West – Heilbronn Hbf Every 30 minutesHeilbronn Hbf – Heilbronn PfühlparkEvery 15 minutes (peak)