This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway
Map of the Ihrhove-Nieuweschans railway
Overview
Status	Operational, but closed to rail traffic due to bridge damage
Locale	The Netherlands, Germany
Termini	Ihrhove Bad Nieuweschans
Service
Operator(s)	Arriva
History
Opened	1876
Technical
Line length	18 km (11 mi)
Number of tracks	single track (rail)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	no

v t e Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway
Legend
Emsland Railway to Emden Leer Leda Irhove Emsland Railway to Münster Hilkenborg Friesenbrücke over Ems Weener Möhlenwarf Bunde Germany Netherlands border Bad Nieuweschans Ulsda Winschoterdiep Winschoten Heiligerlee Scheemda Stadskanaal–Zuidbroek railway to Stadskanaal Zuidbroek Scholte Sappemeer Oost Hoogezand-Sappemeer Martenshoek Kropswolde Westerbroek Meppel–Groningen railway to Zwolle Groningen Europapark Groningen to Delfzijl and Roodeschool Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway to Leeuwarden

The Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway is an international railway line running from Ihrhove near Leer in Germany to Bad Nieuweschans in the Netherlands. The line was opened in 1876. Ihrhove is situated on the north-south Emsland Railway, between Papenburg and Leer. At Bad Nieuweschans, a connection with the Dutch railway network is provided through the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway, which passes through Groningen. On 3 December 2015, the bridge over the Ems was destroyed by a ship colliding with it. The line between Ihrhove, Weener and Bad Nieuweschans is expected to be closed until 2024. A bus replacement service operated between Bad Nieuweschans and Leer following the accident.^[1] The line between Bad Nieuweschans and Weener reopened on 5 July 2016, with a bus replacement service in operation between Weener and Leer.^[2]

There are two stations on the Ihrhove–Nieuweschans railway: Bad Nieuweschans and Weener.

On 3 December 2015, the coaster Emsmoon collided with the Friesenbrücke, a bridge carrying the railway over the Ems near Weener, blocking both railway and river. Replacement of the bridge was then expected to take five years.^[1][3][4]

In July 2018, a plan for a new 160 meter swing bridge was announced, expected to open in 2024.^[5]