Marktredwitz station is the station of the major district town of Marktredwitz in the Bavarian administrative region of Upper Franconia. Two main lines, the NurembergâÂÂCheb railway and the WeidenâÂÂOberkotzau railway, cross at the station. It is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 3 station and has five platform tracks.
Marktredwitz stationâÂÂstill called Markt Redwitz at the opening of the stationâÂÂis an important railway hub in Northern Bavaria. It is located in the northwest of the town and is about a five-minute walk from the town centre.
In the station forecourt () is the central bus station, where buses connect Marktredwitz with the surrounding area. The bus station is also the stopping point of the BavariaâÂÂBerlin Express (BEX). At the station there is a hotel, a major site of Deutsche Post, a medical centre and the headquarters of the Scherdel Group, a leading manufacturer of machinery parts.
The station was opened on 15 May 1878 by the Royal Bavarian State Railways as a through station along with the SchnabelwaidâÂÂMarktredwitz line (now part of the NurembergâÂÂCheb line) and the MarktredwitzâÂÂHolenbrunn line (now part of the RegensburgâÂÂHof line). The station became a junction with the commissioning of the branch to Schirnding (later extended to Cheb, then called Eger; the whole line is now part of the NurembergâÂÂCheb line) on 20 November 1879 and the link from Wiesau (now a section of the RegensburgâÂÂHof line) on 1 June 1882.
Before World War II, Marktredwitz was an important railway hub for the whole of Europe. The RomeâÂÂMunichâÂÂBerlinâÂÂStockholm and the ParisâÂÂNurembergâÂÂPrague routes crossed there. 100 trains daily left the station in the four different directions. Even during the fall of the Berlin Wall, Marktredwitzer station played a crucial role. For many East Germans, the stop at the station was the first opportunity to leave the crowded trains, which crossed the border at Hof or near Cheb.
Until 2006, Marktredwitz was a stop on the NurembergâÂÂDresden-Hof Intercity route. When that service ended, Marktredwitz was served by the Franken-Sachsen-Express (FSX). Following the electrification of the ReichenbachâÂÂHof line, this service was also discontinued. Since then, RE trains (RE2 and RE31) have operated only on the NurembergâÂÂHof route.
The once extensive system of tracks has been reduced in recent years. In freight transport, the station is an important transhipment point for intermodal transport for Northern Bavaria. Five platform tracks are available for passengers. In the station building there is a bookstore, a bakery and a Deutsche Bahn travel center with ticket machines and a waiting area. The station is partly barrier-free but access to tracks 2 and 3 is by stairs only. There are plans for a significant upgrade of the station as part of regional electrification schemes, which would involve upgrading the station subway to make it fully accessible.
An electronic interlocking is responsible for controlling the station itself and the operating points of Holenbrunn, Kirchenlamitz, Marktleuthen, Martinlamitz, Neusorg, Pechbrunn, Röslau and Waldershof.
The station has lost its importance for long-distance services, but still forms a central interchange for northern Bavaria, Saxony and western Bohemia. It is operated by Deutsche Bahn with Regional-Express services as well as services operated by Regentalbahn and its subsidiary Die Länderbahn, including its Alex service.
Direct connections are available to Cheb, Hof, Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Schwandorf and Weiden.