Kluttig, S. Schienenverbindungen zwischen Chemnitz und Leipzig

The Kieritzsch - Chemnitz and Leipzig - Geithain railway lines.
The trade fair city of Leipzig received its first rail connection just two years after the opening of the first German railway, with the opening of the Leipzig - Althen section on 24 April 1837. Chemnitz, which was much richer in industry, had to wait a little longer, but on 1 September 1852 the railway line from Riesa reached the city on the edge of the Erzgebirge. This meant that both centres were connected by the new means of transport, albeit only via detours. With the complete commissioning of the Saxon Track Triangle, it was also possible to travel between the two major cities via Glauchau - Altenburg. But the industrial communities north of Chemnitz and the lignite mining areas south of Leipzig also pressed for a railway connection. Finally, in 1872, the new Chemnitz - Kieritzsch line was opened with branch lines to Limbach, Penig and Rochlitz. But the rural area between Geithain and Leipzig also wanted to benefit from a railway connection. However, it was only after countless petitions to the Saxon government that the desired line was opened in 1887. This shorter direct connection via Bad Lausick quickly developed into a more significant one for travel and also brought the hoped-for boost to the spa business in the small town. A bitter step backwards in the history of the line was the dismantling of the second track after the Second World War. World War II as part of the German reparations. Ever-increasing transport services and neglected route renovation eventually led to the creeping decline of the travel culture. Only the fundamental renovation of the line, which was repeatedly postponed, made it possible for the railway to offer competitive journey times.