The Stralsund–Rostock railway connects the two Hanseatic cities in the north of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The single-track electrified main line is part of the German Unity Transport Project () No. 1 (Lübeck–Rostock–Stralsund).
History
The railway line was built to provide a direct rail link between the two Hanseatic cities of Rostock and Stralsund and to open up the area in between. Prussia proposed a single-track main line, while Mecklenburg considered that a branch line would be sufficient. The concession was authorised by a treaty of 15 December 1884. The track was built by the Prussian state railways and officially opened on 1 July 1888. The Mecklenburg government participated only financially. The line crossed the boundary between the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and the Prussian province of Pomerania between Ribnitz and Damgarten. The original plan was that the Stralsund–Ribnitz section would run via Barth. This section had been surveyed. However, the shorter connection via Velgast was selected to reduce the construction costs.
The management of operations on Prussian territory, that is from Stralsund to Damgarten, was initially carried out by the Prussian state railways, while operations on the section through Mecklenburg were carried out by the Friedrich-Franz Railway. The necessary locomotives exchange took place in Ribnitz station (now Ribnitz-Damgarten West). After the maintenance of the Prussian locomotives in Rostock in Mecklenburg had been agreed under an international treaty, the operations were completely taken over by the Prussian state railways. Passenger services on the line ended at the station of the Friedrich-Franz Railway in the southeast of Rostock’s old town, which was later used as a freight yard. A direct connection to Rostock Hauptbahnhof was opened in 1905.
During the following years more branch lines developed along the line. Thus, connections were gradually built to Prerow via Barth (the Darß Railway of the Prussian state railways), to Tribsees (the Velgast–Tribsees/Franzburg railway) and Graal-Müritz (the Rövershagen–Graal-Müritz railway). As a result of the construction of these branch lines the stations of Rövershagen and Velgast developed into railway junction. Velgast station gained special importance with the building of the branches to Prerow and Tribsees.
The line initially built as a branch line was declared to be a main line in 1926.
1950–1989
During the period of the German Democratic Republic, the line was connected to many military and business sidings. In the late 1950s a branch was built to the north of the line to the north port of Rostock with a link towards Rostock and towards Bentwisch on the line to Stralsund.
The other major connection was the industrial railway to the fertilizer plant at Poppendorf. The military sidings connected from Ribnitz-Damgarten Ost to Pütnitz (airfield) and from Gelbensande to Schwarzenpfost, running for a few metres parallel and adjacent to the main line through the woods. Also the fiberboard plant in Ribnitz was connected with a works railway.
The line was progressively electrificatied in the following stages from 1985: Rostock Hauptbahnhof–Rostock freight yard: 15 December 1985 Riekdahl–Bentwisch: 12 April 1986 Bentwisch–Poppendorf: 30 May 1986 Bentwisch–Stralsund: 2 June 1991.
The last scheduled steam train ran on this line on 29 March 1985.
1990–2010
After Die Wende in 1989, many sidings and stations were closed and later partly dismantled (such as Rostock freight yard). The sidings for the military trains of the National People’s Army were no longer needed and have been completely dismantled, the stations of Schwarzenpfost, Altheide, Langenhanshagen, Starkov and Pantelitz have not been served since 1996. In addition the last local freight train operated in 1996.
In 1999, the section between Ribnitz-Damgarten West and Stralsund was completely renovated. The appearance of the stations on the track changed greatly. The signal boxes were replaced by a new electronic interlocking in Velgast. Consequently, all signal boxes that were no longer needed and freight sidings were demolished and the interlocking equipment that was housed in the old station buildings was removed. The remaining buildings are largely empty, and have been secured against unauthorised entry. The closed stations were completely demolished in the course of the renovation. But, after the renovation of the track, a new station was opened in Stralsund Grünhufe.