Rendsburg

Rendsburger Schwebefähre – Rendsburger Hochbrücke – Germany

The Rendsburg transporter bridge (aka High Bridge of Rendsburg) in the State of Schleswig-Holstein is unique in the world because, as well as being a transporter bridge, it is a railway viaduct. The bridge connects both sides of the Kiel Canal, with a railway line running overhead. A brilliant design by the engineer Friedrich Voss, the bridge opened to traffic in 1913 and continues to carry it to the present day.

History

The Kiel Canal (at the time, the ‘Kaiser Wilhelm Canal’) is artificial. It was built between 1887 and 1895 and from that date on the Neumünster-Flensburg railway line crossed the canal on two parallel rotating bridges. The problem was that ships had to stop for about 30 minutes every time a train crossed. Apart from merchant shipping, the Navy was concerned by the fact that the closed bridges could delay fleets for several hours, so it pushed for another solution that would separate the two traffic flows.

The solution was found in the new high bridge that replaced the original rotating bridges, based on a design by Fiedrich Voss. Its construction took place between 1911 and 1913, with a workforce of around 350 people. 17,740 tonnes of steel were assembled, with 3.2 million “rivets made from the best Siemens Martin iron”.

Given that the railway station in Rendsburg was located less than one kilometre from the canal, the railway administration was faced with a costly and technically difficult challenge: the gradient between the station and the bridge. It was solved by building a ramp around 4.5 kilometres long that formed a large 360-degree loop on the north bank of the canal (the “Rendsburg Loop”). This is a commonly applied solution in mountainous areas, but it was the first time it was used on flat land. The total cost of the construction, including the relocation of the railway lines, was 13.4 million Deutchmarks.

The bridge was finally opened on 1^st October 1913, making it the longest railway bridge in Germany, a record it held for 99 years.

01-Hochbrucke_Rendsburg_im_Bau-public-domain_b

02-20100621171451Bundesarchiv_B_145_Bild-F010623-002_Rendsburg_Eisenbahn-Hochbrucke_Nord-Ostsee-Kanal_b

Conservation

1939-1945. During the Second World War the bridge was occupied by soldiers to defend it against possible enemy attacks. Südpylon anti-aircraft cannons were installed, together with spotlights on the top of a pylon.

1988. Declared a technical monument.

1993. Very high winds caused one of the few accidents in the bridge’s long history when the gondola was dragged into the middle of the canal, where it collided with a ship. Both the ship and the gondola only suffered minor damage.

2013. The Federal Engineering Chamber classified the bridge as a historic milestone in German engineering.

1993-2014. The steel structure underwent an extensive overhaul, strengthening certain sections. Protection against corrosion was also applied and the rivets were replaced with screw connections. The foundations of the bridge were also reinforced. Modifications were made to the high bridge and the ramps to allow heavier goods trains to pass. The restoration cost around 170 million euros.

2016. On January 8th the bridge’s gondola collided with the cargo vessel Evert Prahm. The impact tore 2 of the 12 suspension cables and the gondola suffered serious damage. It was disassembled and sent to a shipyard to evalute the damage and the need for repairs. An inspection determined that it could not be repaired and should be replaced. The new one is expected to enter service in December 2019.

The bridge in figures

Distance between towers: 140 metres
Gondola crossing time: 90 seconds

Weight: 45 tonnes
Length of gondola: 14 x 6 metres

Height of the towers: 68 metres
Height of the platform over the water: 42 metres

Gallery

05-Schleswig-Holstein,_Rendsburg,_Unfall_2016_NIK_7751_b

06-Aerial_photograph_60D_2013_09_29_9245_b

Practical info

The transporter bridge is currently out of service while it is being reconstructed after the accident. It is expected to reopen towards the end of 2019.

Except for this period, since it entered service in 1913 the gondola has crossed the canal every day between 05:00 and 23:00 (in winter it closes at 22:00). The frequency is every 15 minutes and the ride is free of charge.

There is an observation platform on the southern side of the bridge, accessed by a spiral staircase. You can go up it at weekends in the company of a guide.

To check for any changes to this information, visit the website before organising your visit.

Official website:: https://www.rendsburg.de/tourismus/sehenswuerdigkeiten/schwebef%C3%A4hre.html

Forward to…

Credits and intellectual property

Top picture: CC0 (Creative Commons) Alf van Beem

Gallery 1: / CC-BY-SA 3.0 (Creative Commons) Ilgner, Gerhard Dr. (Bundesarchiv)

Gallery 2: / CC BY-SA 4.0 Nightflyer / CC BY 3.0 (Creative Commons) Nightflyer / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Creative Commons) Walter Rademacher

Video: CC BY-SA 3.0 (Creative Commons) Holger.Ellgaard