RAILROAD STATISTICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002800580002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 13, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/11/23 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002800580002-0.
? 6/17/98
Approved For Release 2001/11/23 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002800580002-0
 CLASSIFICATION
Approved FQrENT~HLSe1 L
COUNTRY Germany (Russian Zone)
SUBJECT Railroad Statistics
PLACE
ACQUIRED
25X1A
DATE OF INFO.
25X1X
I D E N TIAL
DATE OISTR,
13'
NO. OFz VAG:BS 4
1. During February 1949, railroad freight traffic increased consider"
ably.. This was primarily due to the easing of transit restrictions
through the western sectors.-of Berlin and the subsequent elimination
of fa,r-flung detours. In addition,. more shipping space became
available, so that it was possible for Poland to handle shipments
faster and to liquidate a large part of the backlog of trains.
The situation deteriorated 'somewhat- during March, because of
unfavorable weather conditions, especially in the Baltic se.a area
where the waters rose above the normal level. By 20 March, the
backlog of trains had been reduced to 49, of which 34 were destined
for Poland, 11 for the mining area, and 4 for Baltic ports. 430
additional trains were put into operation between 6 and 13 March
to handle the traffic to the Leipzig Fair; these trains carried
approximately 125,000 persons.
2. The-number of prisoners of war returning from Russia increased
considerably and it became necessary to equip a large number. of
freight cars for such transports with cots, stoves, and lighting
equipment. During February, 14 trains brought 7,553 res`ettlers
and prisoners of war from the east, compared to 16 trans with
7,933 persons during March.
3. During February, the average daily number of cars loaded increased
from 14,631 for the first week to over 16,300 cars for the 4th
week. During March, car loadings fluctuated, but reached a new
record of 18,200 cars a day toward the end of the month. This
new high.was reached although the number of cars available 'was
actually 400 cars below the figure mentioned in the operational
plan. Shipments of coal from Poland and of lignite briquettes to
Poland reached a new high during February and March. Transit
shipments during March from Czechoslovakia and Hungary to Sweden,
Denmark and Hamburg, were about.30% above those of February.
STATE NAVY R DI U
ARMY AIR FBI r e
INFORMATION REPORT
 Approved For-r F e16as+~' -00 /~1
1 : CIA-RDP82-004578002800580002-0
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
4. Breakdown of car loadings during
February
Coal 182,841
Lumber 32,699
Cattle 2,483
Miscellaneous industrial goods 52,832
Piece goods and express goods 14,441
Grain and flour 7,481
Fertilizers 29,710
Sugar 5,654
Railroad equipment 20,444
Occupation traffic, including
requisitioned goods -
Potatoes 2,510
Construction materials 32,553
3:
5. In March., a new type of locomotive was taken into operatio
the number of locomotives available was increased to 7,0090"
these, 2 374 were in daily operation, namely 1,085 for fre
trains, 633 for passenger trains, and 656 for switching.
number of trains in operation increased from 4,024 in Febr
4,127 in March. Following an order by the Reichsbahndirekt
utilize the full load capacity of the locomotives and to di
only such trains, the average number of trains with a load
2.,000 tons increased to 40 a day during February. In orde?..
able to meet the increased transportation demands, the SMA
to approve the release of some reserve locomotives. During &$t,
75 reserve locomotives of the RBD were in operation, leaving
25 reserve engines. In March, the SMA reserve park consisted.,f
221 locomotives; in addition, 11 of its locomotives were.un(
going test runs, 1.2 were used for the Leipzig Fair traffic
b were in operation to help alleviate traffic difficulties..
February, 35.3% of the locomotives needed repairs; this figure
dropped in March to 34.25.
6. The February plan provided for the repair of 275 locomotives;
ever, due to a shortage of pipes sheet iron, wheel flanges,
it was only possible to repair 1.69. It also became necessary
withdraw 15 locomotives. During March, only 233 of the 311
locomotives scheduled for repairs could be processed. It was_*
therefore planned to dismantle one hundred damaged locomotivel
and to salvage all parts which might still be used. The numbe
trains which could not be furnished with locomotives which wa -'1
in the beginning of February, fell to 40 in March.
7. The number of freight cars available amounted in March to 92'
cars of which 7,765 or 8.4 needed repairs. During. Februar.--y
March, a large number of requisitioned freight cars were.ret'
from Poland and Austria. By the end of March, about 2 500..s
cars had been received. Due to the fact that most of them r,
intensive repair work, there- were at the end of March 500 mo
defective cars than at the end of the previous month. In the.
second half of March, the average run of freight trains was 2
kilometers a day, while rassenger trains averaged 252 kilomet9
a day, which was.a few kilometers above plan figures,
ter'' ~.Y
cONFIDEN RA-ve 1/11/23 : - D 02800580002-0
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 Approved For ReI ru -9-W 16 CIA- DP82-00457R002800580002-0
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
9. There are 6,691 steel wheel sets awaiting repairs in the RBD
workshop. Of these, 3,266 are in need of new flanges, of,which
there is an acute shortage. Tests are now being made for the
manufacture of wheel flanges by means of a new method. Old
wheel sets were examined to determine whether they could be
altered, and used for some other locomotives.
10...There was also an ac'e shortage of copper parts, spare parts
for locomotives, light bulbs, turbine generators, rivets, glue,
electrodes, and lubricating oils of various kinds. In order to
be able to execute the work required for the first six months
of 1949, 170 tons of metal must be supplied in addition to other
materials.
Silesia. Coal reserves became dangerously low and dwindled
during March to a week's supply.
. _. uring. ar ,
11. In the uranium mining area, the RBD Dresden encountered technical
difficulties, due to large numbers of shipments and subsequent
overcrowding of the RR lines, as well as to construction work
being done in the Aue station. By the end of February, construc-
tion work in the stations Schneeberg, Ober- & Niederschlema and
Aue was finished to about 50%. Work on the crossing points
.Erlabrunrn and Antonsthal has been completed and the second track
between Aue and Niederschlema has been moved. Loading ramps were
being built in Johanngeorgenstadt, as well as between Ober- and
Niederschlema. Other construction work under way:
Main station Leipzig
'RR Line Pritzwalk-IVleyenburg.(By the end of March work had advanced
so far that the stretch Pritzwald-Falkenhageri could be put in
operation.)
Shunting station Magdeburg-Buckau
The shunting station Frankfurt/Oder is being enlarged and all
tracks and switches have already been transferred.
Construction work in the Berlin RR district is proceeding according
to plan.
Reconstruction work on the Nord-Sind S-Bahn is still under way.
On account of a shortage of cement, work at different locations
had to be stopped.
Work for the electrification of the line Grtinau-Kbnigswusterhausen
had to be stopped, as a second track is being laid along this
stretch.
12. Status of bridge construction:
Elbe bridge near I1imerton - almost completed
Elbe near Pratau - Operations over the two tracks were started
on 3 March
Elster bridge near Jocketa - Construction work proceeding satis-
factorily.
Havel.bridge near.Caputh - Opened to traffic on 19 March, thanks
to the release of the 27 meter long center parts by the British
Military Government. These parts had been made,by the firm
Eisen & Stahl AG. in. Berlin
CONFIDENTIAL
Ap} r
0, J~ rRelease 2001/11/23_ CIA 82-004578002800580002-0
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 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
13. Although an order had been given to equip all S-Bahr trains in
the Berlin district with light bulbs and glass windows, there
still remained at the end of February 1949 55 trains without
window panes and 60 trains without light bulbs, due to the
impossibility of procuring the necessary materials.
14. The question of incorporating all private railways into the
Re.ichsbahn net was closely studied. It was found that 100 of
the existing 120 private lines had already become public
property. The Commission, made up of representatives of the
RBD, of the state governments and of the Berlin Magistrate,
approved with minor modifications the plan worked out by the
Department of Transportation of the German Economic Commission
for taking over the remaining lines.
CONFIDENTIAL
_....i he ehv regraded to
; .ordance with the
ie`,'er c, io Q:-: oher 1978 from the
Director of Cenral Intelligence to the
Archivist of the United States.
Next Review Date: 20Q;8
CONFIDENTIAL
IA-RDP82-00457R002800580002-0
Approved For Release 2001/11/23 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002800580002-0