Jernbanestationen GB
Søndergade. Hov. Omkring år 1900
Hov Station. Omkring år 1900
Stationsbygningen. Hov. omkring 1960
Intro
On 19 June 1884, the Hads-Ning District Railway link between Aarhus, Odder, and Hou was opened.
On 19 June 1884, the Hads-Ning District Railway link between Aarhus, Odder, and Hou was opened.
There were two distinctive protagonists behind the construction of the railway link from Aarhus via Odder to Hou: in Aarhus, the merchant Hans Broge managed to persuade Aarhus Town Council to subscribe for shares amounting to DKK 200,000.
In Odder, the local landlord at Rathlousdal Emil von Holstein-Rathlou had been very interested in setting up a railway link from Odder to Hou. In 1881, he had constructed the harbour in Hou and he also owned a warehouse in the town. He was very anxious, therefore, to facilitate the transport of goods to and from the town. Emil von Holstein-Rathlou also subscribed for shares amounting to DKK 200,000, and in a short time subscriptions for shares totalled DKK 1,050,000 – the estimated cost of the railway line.
The railway line was 36km long. It was served by two steam locomotives, 10 passenger carriages and, not least, 23 freight wagons.
The white-painted closed box wagons were characteristic of this railway line and were used for transport of margarine by the cooperative FDB factory and also by Odder Cooperative Pork Butchery. Until 1926, steam locomotives were used exclusively, later to be replaced by diesel engines.
After the Occupation in 1940-45, car ownership became more widespread, and it was imperative that something be done to attract passengers. In a bid to retain customers, the railway company acquired a railbus with a trailer increasing daily departures to eight.
In 1965, railbuses and rails were run down to such an extent that they needed replacing. At the same time, the railway was subject to fierce competition from the steep rise in car ownership, eventually leading to closure of the line between Hou and Odder. A new road was constructed and, on 21 May 1977, the train left Hou for the last time.
There is a memorial stone in front of the station building. It was erected in 1948 as a tribute to Emil von Holstein–Rathlou, the local landlord who is regarded as Hou’s major benefactor.