By steam train through the Mulde Valley - premiere on Ascension Day

After more than 22 years, trains will be running again in the Mulde Valley between Glauchau and Wolkenburg (Zwickau district) - but only for special tourist trips. The premiere will be on Ascension Day (May 29) with a steam locomotive (built in 1959). It will pull 4 wagons and offer space for around 400 people on two shuttle trips, explained Sebastian Liske, chairman of the interest group Traditionslok 58 3047. The association organizes the trips.

In order for the line to be used again, it had to be upgraded in several places, explained Eckart Sauter, head of the Muldenthal-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. The company owns the line as far as Rochlitz. It had to be cleared of vegetation and old, rotten wooden sleepers had to be replaced. Initially, only the approximately 14-kilometer section to Wolkenburg could be used. However, Sauter emphasized that the vision is for trains to run as far as Rochlitz again in the future.

Further journeys on other occasions under discussion

The trains could not start directly at Glauchau station due to Deutsche Bahn regulations, however. For this reason, a temporary platform was built on the line in the Reinholdshain district.

"The maiden voyage of the Mulde Valley Railway is much more than just a nostalgic train journey - it is another milestone for our region," explained Marika Fischer, Managing Director of the Chemnitz Zwickau Region Tourism Association. It connects the past and the future in a special way and fits in with the theme of industrial culture. In the future, the initiators also want to offer train rides on the route on other occasions - for example for city festivals or the Schlössernacht.