Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt railway

The Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt railway connects Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic with Johanngeorgenstadt in Saxony, Germany. The highest point of this mountain railway lies 915 metres (3,002 ft) above sea level. The entire line was opened for regular traffic in 1899.

Karlovy Vary dolní nádraží–Johanngeorgenstadt
Service
Route number	142
Technical
Line length	47.0 km (29.2 mi) (Line class: Karlovy Vary–Nejdek: B2 Nejdek–Staatsgrenze: A1)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	50 km/h (31 mph) max.
Route map from Mariánské Lázně (former Marienbad–Karlsbad Railway) 0.000 Karlovy Vary dolní nádraží formerly Karlsbad unt Bf 376 m 0.385 vlečka Karlovarské minerálni vody Teplá Ohře Karlovarský Tunnel (81 m) Chomutov–Cheb from Chomutov (former Buschtěhrad Railway) 3.060 Karlovy Vary formerly Karlsbad 412 m ≈5.200 Sedlec siding (railway) to Cheb 6.237 vlečka Porcelánka Viktoria 6.447 Stará Role formerly Alt-Rohlau 390 m Rolava 6.945 vlečka stararolský porcelán Moritz Zdekauer from Chodov (former Chodau–Neudek railway) 12.061 Nová Role formerly Neu-Rohlau 440 m 12.135 vlečka Karlovarský porcelán ≈14.900 Nová Role zastávka formerly Hammerhäuser 480 m 15.520 vlečka Bývalá brusírna na dřevo 16.545 vlečka Bývalý závod Vejprtských papíren ≈17.500 Suchá formerly Gibacht-Thierbach 525 m 18.957 vlečka Vlnap a.s. 19.460 Nejdek formerly Neudek 557 m 20.573 vlečka Metalis a.s Nejdecký Tunnel (230 m) ≈21.400 Nejdek zastávka 600 m Vysokokopecký Tunnel (68 m) ≈23.100 Vysoká Pec formerly Hochofen 640 m 23.375 Rolava 24.244 Rolava Novohamerský Tunnel (252 m) Rolava Weißbach Viaduct 26.202 Nové Hamry formerly Neuhammer (b Karlsbad) 713 m ≈28.500 Tisová u Nejdku formerly Eibenberg 765 m ≈31.200 Nové Hamry zastávka formerly Sejfy/Seifenhäusel 830 m ≈33.100 Oldřichov u Nejdku formerly Tellerovy domy/Tellerhäuser 875 m Straße II/219 ≈34.600 summit 915 m Pernink (Steinbogen) Viaduct ≈36.200 Pernink formerly Bärringen-Abertham 902 m 38.883 Horní Blatná formerly Bergstadt Platten 870 m Straße II/221 ≈43.400 Potůčky zastávka formerly Breitenbach Hp 760 m Černá (Schwarzwasser) 45.665 vlečka Škoda Plzeň, provoz Potůčky 45.828 Potůčky formerly Breitenbach 697 m 46.120 German/Czech state border 46.811 Johanngeorgenstadt 676 m to Zwickau

Re-opening of the railway border crossing at Potůčky-Johanngeorgenstadt in 1992

Interior of Karlovy Vary dolní nádraží

The railway station at Pernink is the highest in the Ore Mountains and was for a short time also the highest railway station in the Bohemian Kingdom.

Shortly after the end of the Second World War, cross-border traffic was terminated. The track between the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and East Germany was maintained for military reasons only. After the fall of communism in Central Europe in 1989, the newly elected democratic governments of both countries began discussions on the restoration of cross-border traffic; this was finally achieved in 1992.

The line is operated by railcars of ČD Class 814 Regionova. During periods of heavy snowfall, they are replaced by diesel locomotives of ČD class 714 with two to three BDtax passenger cars. Services of the DB's subsidiary, Erzgebirgsbahn, are worked by Siemens Desiro Classics.