Originally the line followed the Roermonderstrasse, along the Ponttor over an 18 meter high track until the Marschiertor, which was a terminal station. A few hundred meters away at the Römerstrasse was the station of the line Antwerpen-Liege-Aachen-Cologne.
In Aachen-West it was decided to divert the track via the Templerbend, there one developed the Templerbend station in 1858. Only to be connected with the line Antwerpen-Cologne in 1905 by means of a new central station at the Römerstrasse. In 1911 this station again was moved to the Süsterfeld, and now called Aachen-West. It got a freightline connection in 1917 via Montzen to Tongeren in Belgium. In 1944 it was bombed flat and only in 1948 a smaller stationhouse was built.
Aachen-West Station.
For a long time Aachen-West had a goods station with the biggest freight-handling from and to Belgium. Nowadays with the containersystems no more loading takes place, however trains are still composed to the different destinations. The loadingsystems with their big portalcranes now are mostly demolished with the help of the torches, which gives this part of the station a sad look.
Freight station. Click here for a walk over the area.
For reason that the Gemmenicher tunnel has no space for overhead wiring, the shuttles are carried to Montzen by one or more Diesellocomotives, and often because of the 26 promille rise to the Vaalserberg with the help of a pushing elektric locomotive.
NMBS 5530 and 5537 enter Aachen-West coming from Montzen, Oct. 5, 2006
Marshalling tower of Aachen-West.
Through this viaduct one gets to the platforms at the southside close to the RWTH.
In the tunnel one finds the entrance to the island-platform.
On behalf of the passenger-traffic there is a platform at the southside of the yard, the stationhouse has no function anymore and stands empty.
A DMU of the Talent-class of the Euregiobahn departing to the central station.
20 Sept 2006. The island-platform of Aachen-West.
20 Sept 2006. Talent of the Euregio-Bahn on its way to the Hauptbahnhof. (Main station)
Shunting yard
NMBS 5537
SBB-Cargo 482 038-7
DB 241 803-5
HWB 701 38-2
On July 23, 1987 Peter Cooper took this picture of the CFL 1814 with an empty fals-train heading for Alsdorf. By coincidence this "Altbau-loco" 116 003-5 was set aside here. This unique locomotive is still saved in the DB-museum in Koblenz !
Click through the first picture !!
DB 241 802-8 with a heavy train heading for Reinartzkehl. Loaded were steelrolls, steel pipes and raw steel to complete cars !
( May 18, 2008 )
NMBS multitraction 5533 and 5515 with a train with same load !
( May 18, 2008 )
DB 225 150-2 waiting for its turn, while in the meantime her batteries wer recharged.
( May 18, 2008 )
The cab of the DB 225 150-2 .
( May 18, 2008 )
H.J.Vos
2002/2008
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