Auf den Spuren der "Linie 9"

This scenic cycle tour largely follows the route of the historic "Line 9" light railroad, which ran from Saarlouis via Felsberg, Altforweiler, Berus-Sand, Bisten and Überherrn to Creutzwald (F) until 1961.

Originally, the light railroads and streetcars were intended to increase the density of the rail network. They were a supplement to the state railroads and made the rail network more accessible. This was the intention of the Prussian Railway Act at the time. The town of Saarlouis began to implement it. What began in 1897 as a steam railway line was continued in further sections and finally converted to electric railcars. In 1912, the narrow-gauge railroad ran from Kleiner Markt in Saarlouis to Felsberg for the first time.The district of Saarlouis, which took over sponsorship of the previously municipal narrow-gauge railroad in 1918, continued to expand the network. In 1925, the legendary Line 9 finally ran via Altforweiler, Berus-Sand, Bisten and Überherrn to Creutzwald. It even crossed the French border by around 2 km and enabled many miners to reach their workplace, the "La Houve" mine, almost around the clock. Up to 6 sidecars provided a good transport service during rush hour. This popular means of transport was operated with the help of an electric overhead line. The old concrete masts, which still exist along some sections of the line, still bear witness to this.With the advent of the oil age, however, local transport began to shift to the roads. The railroad lines were gradually discontinued and dismantled. On February 28, 1961, line 9 ran on a track for the last time.