Dessau-Wörlitz railway starts its spring awakening
Dessau-Roßlau, 5 March 2024 – Stadtwerke Dessau heralded the start of the new season for the Dessau-Wörlitz Railway (DWE) today, Tuesday, with a special trip from the main station to Adria. This year marks a very special event, as the DWE is also celebrating its 130th anniversary: on 22 September 1894, the Dessau-Wörlitz Railway was opened as a single-track branch line with a route length of 19 kilometres from Wörlitz station in Dessau via the stations of Jonitz, Dellnau, Oranienbaum and Horstdorf to Wörlitz. “Even in its 130th year of existence, the Dessau-Wörlitz Railway is still very popular with both local passengers and tourists,” says Torsten Ceglarek, Managing Director of Dessauer Verkehrs- und Eisenbahngesellschaft (DVE). “We are delighted to be part of this success story and want to continue to make the service as attractive as possible for our passengers in the future,” adds Ceglarek.
The Dessau-Wörlitz Railway will go on tour for the first time this year for the traditional Spring Awakening on 16 and 17 March 2024 in Wörlitz. The railway will run every two hours between 10:05 and 18:05 on Saturdays and Sundays between the main railway station and Wörlitz. The Dessau-Wörlitz Railway will then start its regular seasonal service on 23 March 2024. This year, the traditional railway will once again offer an attractive service with daily journeys to the Garden Kingdom. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10.05 a.m. and 4.05 p.m., the railway will run four times a day every two hours from the main railway station to Wörlitz and back. On Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, there is an additional journey at 8.05 am and 6.05 pm. The service can be used continuously until 3 November 2024, and bicycles can be taken along free of charge.
The Dessau-Wörlitz Railway is also offering numerous additional offers to mark its 130th anniversary. Passengers should already make a note of the special trips for which the Stadtmarketinggesellschaft Dessau-Roßlau mbH has been acquired as a new co-operation partner this year. On 12 May 2024, the train will travel through the spring-like Garden Kingdom as the “Mother’s Day Express”.
On 22 September 2024, the exact day of its anniversary, the Des-sau-Wörlitz Railway will go on a special trip as the “Birthday Express”. In the run-up to Christmas on 8 December 2024, the “Father Christmas Express” invites all guests young and old. Tickets for the special trips are available from the mobility centre at the main station and from the tourist information office in Ratsgasse. Additional services will run from 15 November to 17 November and for the Advent market in Wörlitz from 29 November to 1 December 2024. As a special highlight of the anniversary year, the double-decker railcar “Princess Louise” will run through the Garden Kingdom on Thursdays from March to May and from September to November.
In cooperation with the Dessau-Wörlitz Cultural Foundation, the Dessau-Wörlitz Railway is also offering visitors to the “Kleinkunsttraum Oranienbaum” in Oranienbaum Castle Park the opportunity to travel by train. Guests can travel from Dessau main station to the Kleinkunsttraum at 16:05 and return to Dessau after the event with a special journey at 23:05 from Oranienbaum railway station. The special tickets are now available from the Cultural Foundation’s ticket shop at tickets.gartenreich.de at a price of 15.00 euros and can be purchased in addition to the event tickets.
Tickets for the DWE are available at the mobility centre (Mein Takt service station) at Dessau main station and from the driver. Ticket prices are unchanged compared to the previous year. A single journey still costs €6.50, reduced tickets €5.00. There is a 10 per cent discount on the ticket price for groups of ten or more people and holders of the ADAC club card. Holders of a World Card can use it as a ticket, i.e. at no extra cost. Children from three to 10 years of age have the opportunity to receive free admission to the zoo once for five return journeys with the “Ticket for Little Explorers” as a bonus. Vouchers for the DWE can also be purchased at the mobility centre.
Further information on the timetable, fares and special trips is available at www.dvg-dessau.de or by calling the service number 0340-899 2550.