Schwanheide station

Schwanheide station was a border station during the division of Germany on the Berlin–Hamburg Railway in the German Democratic Republic. It is in the Mecklenburg town of Schwanheide, which is now in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With the upgrade of the Berlin–Hamburg railway under the German Unity Transport Projects, the former railway station was reduced in status to a “halt”.HistorySchwanheide station was opened on 1 December 1886. Originally, the station only offered passenger services. From 1 May 1908, the station catered for freight traffic and was equipped with a loading dock. After the Second World War, the Berlin–Hamburg railway between Schwanheide and Büchen was divided by the Inner German border. On the eastern side, one of the two main tracks between Berlin and Schwanheide was dismantled for reparations. Even on the West German side, the second track was also dismantled between the former border station of Büchen and Schwarzenbek.Traffic was initially completely interrupted at the demarcation line, especially since the bridges over the Elbe–Lübeck Canal in Büchen had been destroyed. In the summer of 1946, the bridge was restored, but freight operations were not resumed until 27 August 1947. First, it was agreed that a pair of passenger trains could also run, but they were not introduced. For the time being three through freight trains each day ran in each direction and were handed over between Büchen and Schwanheide. In the autumn of the same year it was agreed to operate additional freight trains. During the Berlin Blockade in 1948, traffic decreased significantly, but did not come to a complete standstill. On 10 September 1949, passenger traffic was resumed with two pairs of trains, one operated by railcars of the Cologne class (Bauart Köln), which were derived from the Flying Hamburger.