HSB reopens refurbished Ilfeld viaduct to trains

Harzer Schmalspurbahnen has largely completed the refurbishment of the viaduct near Ilfeld, built in 1948 and the longest and highest bridge on its 140.4-kilometre network; the line between Ilfeld Neanderklinik and Eisfelder Talmühle is open to through running again from 1 October 2026. It had been closed since 2 March 2026 (replacement buses), the contract was awarded before Easter and the main works began at the end of April; the Free State of Thuringia funded the project, which is meant to secure the structure for at least five decades. Final works continue without a new closure, and the daily steam service from Nordhausen to the Brocken returns. (LOK Report, 29 Sep 2026; second source: Gemeinde Harztor, 29 Sep 2026)