Remstal-Viadukt, Railway viaduct in Waiblingen, Germany
The Remstal-Viadukt is a 240-metre railway bridge crossing the lower Rems valley between Kleinhegnach and Neustadt, 42 metres above the river. Its deck of steel full-wall girders rests on three piers of red Calwer sandstone. The line runs almost straight, bending right at the northern end, and carries two electrified tracks used by the Stuttgart S-Bahn S3 since 1981.
The viaduct was built starting in 1875 and opened on October 26, 1876 as part of the railway line between Waiblingen and Schwäbisch Hall. It was damaged during World War II but reconstructed afterward and further modernized with additional tracks in 1965.
The bridge carries the Stuttgart S-Bahn line S3, which has run over it since 1981, as well as regional trains on the Waiblingen–Schwäbisch Hall route. Its name simply refers to the Rems valley it crosses, and the structure is a landmark for the villages of Neustadt and Kleinhegnach on either side.
The viaduct cannot be walked on; it carries the Waiblingen–Schwäbisch Hall line and the S3. Views of the 240 m span and its three red Calwer sandstone piers open from paths in the Unteres Remstal nature reserve below, between Kleinhegnach and Neustadt. Trains cross at up to 100 km/h, so keep off the tracks and watch from the valley floor.
On 12 June 1965 the old truss span was pushed off its piers and a new 1,250-tonne deck-plate structure slid into place, moved 6.85 m sideways on four hydraulic presses. The old structure, 3 m lower, was scrapped. The viaduct crosses the Unteres Remstal nature reserve.
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