Solardraisine Überwaldbahn

Between the villages of Mörlenbach and Wald-Michelbach, deep in the wooded Odenwald, a century-old rail line that lost its trains now carries something stranger: the Solardraisine Überwaldbahn, a fleet of self-pedaled, solar-assisted rail carts.

Why It’s Interesting

The Überwaldbahn line ran regular trains for most of a century before service ended in 1994. Rather than let the heritage-protected, roughly 10-kilometer track go to waste, the route reopened in 2013 for 26 solar draisines — hybrid rail carts with a solar panel on the roof feeding an electric motor that assists on the inclines, alongside foot pedals for the rest. Each cart seats up to eight, tops out at 15 km/h, and follows the single-track line past four viaducts, two tunnels, and the Mackenheimer quarry near Abtsteinach — a genuinely scenic slice of the Odenwald that regular traffic never sees. Because the line is single-track, carts travel in a fixed order with a mandatory safety gap, so it runs as an orderly convoy rather than a free-for-all.

Best Time to Visit

Spring through autumn, during the seasonal operating window — the route runs a fixed daily schedule of tours, so book ahead rather than showing up and hoping for a spot.

Getting There

Tours start at the Draisinenbahnhof in Mörlenbach, Weinheimer Straße 16, 69509 Mörlenbach, a short walk from Mörlenbach’s own stop on the Weschnitztalbahn regional line (Weinheim–Fürth). A round trip with the stopover in Wald-Michelbach runs about 3.5–4 hours.