of the Second World War, the line was part of the most important long-distance route in southern Germany, connecting Munich, Dresden and Wrocław (German: Breslau). In the 1939 summer timetable, a total of eleven express trains ran on the line. In addition to express trains from Munich to Dresden, Wroclaw and continuing to the Upper Silesian city of Bytom (German: Beuthen), long-distance trains ran on the Vienna–Leipzig–Hamburg, Berchtesgaden–Berlin/Dresden and Rome–Munich–Leipzig–Berlin routes. The Regionalbahn services on the whole line were formerly operated by Oberpfalzbahn of the Die Länderbahn (formerly Vogtlandbahn) with Siemens Desiro diesel railcars. The Regionalbahn services on the Marktredwitz–Hof section were reassigned as part of the Dieselnetz Oberfranken (Upper Franconia diesel network) tendered by Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft on 8 February 2008. agilis took over operations of the Regionalbahn services In December 2012. This allowed an increase in services, including a continuous Hof–Marktredwitz Regionalbahn service. Route description The line runs from Weiden along the Waldnaab and Fichtelnaab rivers via Neustadt an der Waldnaab, Windischeschenbach, Reuth bei Erbendorf to Wiesau, passes by the Steinwald range on its east side and connects with the line from Nuremberg, running from the west, in Marktredwitz station. Between Weiden and Marktredwitz, four lines once branched off from the line: in Neustadt, the line to Eslarn, in Reuth, the line to Erbendorf and in Wiesau the line from Bärnau and the line to Cheb via Waldsassen. A 600 mm gauge field railway (Feldbahn), the Reuth–Friedenfels railway, also began in Reuth, which ran to the town of Friedenfels about six kilometres away. A line branches off from Marktredwitz to Schirnding and Cheb. This line continues north through the towns of Holenbrunn, Röslau and Marktleuthen and crosses the eastern foothills of the Fichtelgebirge on its way to Hof. From Fattigau, the line runs parallel to the Saale and the line from Bamberg, which it joins at Oberkotzau station. References Footnotes Sources Railway lines in Bavaria Neustadt an der Waldnaab (district) Tirschenreuth (district) Buildings and structures in Schwandorf (district) Buildings and structures in Wunsiedel (district) Buildings and structures in Hof (district) Railway lines opened in 1864 1864 establishments in Bavaria