abstract
| - The Twente S-bahn (Dutch: Twentse S-baan; Dutch Low Saxon: Tweantsen S-boan; German: Twentebahn) is an urban and suburban rapid transit lightrail system located in the Dutch Low Saxon province of Twente, with branches into the Achterhoek and the German Kreise Borken and Steinfurt, centralised around the city of Enschede. It has a length of 154 kilometres (95.7 miles) and covers 84 stations. The S-bahn system was created in the 1950s as part of an effort to modernise the region. An S-bahn system was created that followed many of the former rail lines that by then had fallen into disuse and disrepair. The Twente S-bahn opened in 1956 and initially consisted of two lines: the Alenol Line and the Winengron Line. Both of these lines cross international borders with Germany, and thus there were border checks at Broekheurne and Brook. As the system saw its popularity soar during the 1970s, more lines were planned. In 1978, the Runenlo Line opened, followed by the Ehebo Line in 1980. The last addition to the system was the Heboha Line in 1999, which provided a direct connection between Haaksbergen and Hengelo, thus eliminating a transfer at Loerhazen. This was the first line and so far only line on the network to not pass through Enschede Centraal. In 2002, the Winengron Line was extended past Gronau to Ochtrup and Welbergen, together with the reopening of the rail services between Enschede on one side and Münster and Dortmund on the other. The Alenol Line also saw an extension to Ahaus, along a route that was formerly served only by bus. As of 2015 there are two future expansions in planning: the Haengrobe Line, which will provide a connection to Bad Bentheim, for 2017, and the Rhenhealmar Line, which will provide a connection between Rheine, Gronau, Enschede, Hengelo, Almelo and Mariënberg and is expected to open in 2019. These extensions will add 89 kilometres of track and increase the total number of stations to 124. An extension of the Haengrobe Line to Nordhorn and possibly Coevorden is being looked into as of 2015.
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