Fewer trains in the Harz: timetable changes from July 14, 2025!

Fewer trains in the Harz: timetable changes from July 14, 2025!

From Monday, July 14th, passengers on the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway (HSB) can expect some changes to the timetable. How MDR reported, the reason for the adjustment is a short-term personnel shortage. This results from train conductors falling ill and is aimed at maintaining reliable core operations from July 14th to 27th, 2025 and taking the needs of passengers into account as best as possible.

The routes affected by the changes are the Brockenbahn, the southern and central Harzquerbahn and the Selketalbahn. There will be restrictions in particular on the steam train connections to the Brocken - from now on only six pairs of steam trains will run every day, which is two fewer than usual. The first train starts in Wernigerode at 9 a.m. and the last ride up the mountain leaves at 2 p.m. The last descent from the Brocken takes place at 4:19 p.m.

Lost connections

Passengers have to prepare for some canceled connections. There is no longer a morning connection between Wernigerode and Schierke, and the late connections are also affected. Among other things, the 5:25 p.m. train from Wernigerode to Nordhausen and the 5:22 p.m. train from Eisfelder Talmühle to Wernigerode are canceled. HSB strives to act in the best interests of passengers.

In addition, there are also changes on the southern and central Harz cross-track. The morning and evening connections for commuters between Nordhausen, Niedersachswerfen and Ilfeld will be cancelled. The first train from Nordhausen leaves at 8:54 a.m. Monday to Friday. These adjustments aim to ensure that traffic can be maintained, even if the general conditions are not optimal.

Rail replacement transport and outlook

In some cases there will be a rail replacement service with buses to compensate for the lost connections. Further information and the adjusted timetable are available on the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen homepage, so that passengers can find out more directly if they have any planning questions.

However, this situation is not an isolated case, as the shortage of skilled workers is increasingly affecting transport companies in Germany. Loud daily news Many companies are struggling with personnel shortages, which are exacerbated by an aging workforce. In Leipzig, S-Bahn connections were canceled due to a lack of staff, which put considerable strain on commuters. These developments shed light on the challenges that HSB also faces.

In order to maintain operations in the long term, measures are necessary that could facilitate the immigration of skilled workers and increase the labor market participation of women and older people. The Harz narrow-gauge railways are trying to respond proactively to the challenges with their adjustments and to secure the connection between the important tourist destinations in the Harz and passengers even in difficult times.