Vejprty–Annaberg-Buchholz railway

Until the construction of the line through Reitzenhain (Flöha Valley Railway/Chomutov–Reitzenhain line), the line through Weipert was the only cross-border rail link through the Ore Mountains. When that line opened on 23 August 1875, the route via Weipert lost a significant portion of its through traffic. The now unprofitable line was acquired by the Saxon government on 12 August 1878. The Saxon-Bohemian Connecting Railway, Annaberg-Weipert, Company was dissolved.

Despite the continued operation of the railway across the border until 1945 there were no continuous passenger trains between Chemnitz and Chomutov. All trains from Chemnitz ended at the Weipert border station, where passengers switched to the trains of the Buschtěhrad Railway and later of the Czechoslovak State Railways. Freight trains stopped in Weipert for a change of locomotives.

After the Second World War cross-border rail traffic came to a standstill. Trains from Flöha only ran as far as Bärenstein. For strategic reasons, however, the railway connection remained open. It was not used except for a few service runs—for instance for snow clearing.

From the 1970s, Deutsche Reichsbahn planned the closing of traffic on the Bärenstein–Cranzahl section. The oil crisis of 1981 and the relocation of wagonload traffic from Jöhstadt to Bärenstein due to the closure of the Wolkenstein–Jöhstadt narrow-gauge railway led to the abandonment of this plan. In the 1980s only four pairs of passenger trains ran between Bärenstein and Cranzahl on weekdays and on Saturdays and Sundays only two ran. Between Cranzahl and Flöha, however, there were eight daily services, including a semi-fast service to and from Leipzig Central Station.[6][7]

The line gained a new lease of life as a result of the political upheaval in East Germany and in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and 1990. After decades of separation, both sides wished to renew old traditional transport links across the border. It was hoped to restore passenger services from the timetable change in June 1991 on three cross-border routes between Saxony and Bohemia, including between Vejprty and Bärenstein. This date could not be met. The biggest obstacle for scheduled traffic was the border bridge, which was cleared only for an axle load of 15 tonnes and a load per metre of 5.5 tons. In June 1992, the Saxon Ministry of Industry finally allocated DM 250,000 to carry out the necessary repairs to the bridge.

Erzgebirgsbahn DMU in Annaberg-Buchholz upper station (2006)

On 1 August 1993, four pairs of cross-border passenger trains were able to resume on the route between Chemnitz and Vejprty. Due to the tonnage limit on the border bridge, however, it was not initially possible to operate freight trains. The reconstruction of the bridge was finally funded under the EU Phare program and implemented between 14 April and 24 August 1997. Since then the cross-border route is also open for freight traffic.

All passenger services on the line are currently operated by Siemens Desiro diesel multiple units (class 642). The service runs via Annaberg-Buchholz and Flöha to Chemnitz, where there are more connections to the surrounding area. The trains run between Cranzahl and Chemnitz every two hours. On weekends an excursion train runs on the Leipzig–Chemnitz–Vejprty–Chomutov route. Passenger fares are regulated by the Verkehrsverbund Mittelsachsen (Transport Association of Central Saxony). Since 11 December 2011, the section between Vejprty and Cranzahl was only served on weekends, with three pairs of trains running. On weekdays there is little tourist trade.[8] From 14 December 2014 on there are no more timetabled passenger trains between Cranzahl and Vejprty, the weekend excursion trains to Chomutov have also been stopped.[9]

In freight transport, the route is operated only as needed.[10]

Vejprty station (1993)

Vejprty station (called by its German name of Weipert until 1945) is the border station between the Czech Republic and Germany. The once extensive facilities of the station have been closed with progressive decline in cross-border traffic since 1945. Only a small part of the large entrance building is now used. The northern wing, which was formerly used by Saxon officials was renovated in 2008. As of 2011, Vejprty is still served by freight traffic.

From 1906 to 1996 the branch line to Annaberg-Buchholz upper station branched off from the station. It was served almost exclusively for freight.

Cranzahl station (2010)

At Cranzahl station, the narrow-gauge Cranzahl–Oberwiesenthal railway has branched off since 1897. This is now a steam operated narrow gauge railway that leads to the ski resort of Oberwiesenthal.

Since 1889, the Annaberg-Buchholz–Schwarzenberg railway has branched off from Buchholz (now Annaberg-Buchholz Süd) station as a secondary line connecting towards Aue and Zwickau. Scheduled passenger services on the line were abandoned in 1997.

• Siegfried Bergelt (2005). Die Zschopautalbahn und ihre regelspurigen Zweigstrecken (in German) (2. revised ed.). Witzschdorf: Bildverlag Böttger. ISBN 3-9806606-9-9.
• Danilo Grund (January 2004). "Der Eisenbahngrenzübergang Bärenstein (Erzgeb) – Weipert". Preßkurier (in German).
• Erich Preuß, Rainer Preuß (1991). Sächsische Staatseisenbahnen (in German). Berlin: transpress Verlagsgesellschaft. ISBN 3-344-70700-0.