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| S-Bahn Berlin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station, crossing point for theStadtbahn and theNord-Süd-Tunnel routes of the Berlin S-Bahn | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Berlin | ||
| Transit type | Rapid transit (S-Bahn) | ||
| Number of lines | 16[1] | ||
| Number of stations | 168[1] | ||
| Daily ridership | 1,500,000(average weekday, December 2018)[2] | ||
| Annual ridership | 478.1 million(2018)[2] | ||
| Website | S-Bahn Berlin GmbH | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | August 8, 1924 | ||
| Operator(s) | S-Bahn Berlin GmbH | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 340 km (211 mi)[1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (standard gauge) | ||
| Electrification | 750 V DCThird rail | ||
| Average speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) | ||
| |||
TheBerlin S-Bahn (German:[ˈɛsbaːn]) is arapid transit railway system in and aroundBerlin, the capital city ofGermany. It has been in operation under this name since December 1930, having been previously called the special tariff areaBerliner Stadt-, Ring- und Vorortbahnen ('Berlin city, orbital, and suburban railways').[1] It complements theBerlin U-Bahn and is the link to many outer-Berlin areas, such asBerlin Brandenburg Airport. As such, the Berlin S-Bahn blends elements of acommuter rail service and arapid transit system.
In its first decades of operation, the trains were steam-drawn; even after theelectrification of large parts of the network, some lines remained under steam. Today, the termS-Bahn is used in Berlin only for those lines and trains withthird-rail electrical power transmission and the special Berlin S-Bahnloading gauge. The third unique technical feature of the Berlin S-Bahn, the automated mechanical train control (works very similar to thetrain stop atNew York City Subway), is being phased out and replaced by acommunications-based train control system specific to the Berlin S-Bahn.
In other parts of Germany and other German-speaking countries, other trains are designatedS-Bahn without those Berlin-specific features. TheHamburg S-Bahn is the only other system using third-rail electrification.
Today, theBerlin S-Bahn is no longer defined as this special tariff area of the national railway company, but is instead just one specific means of transportation, defined by its special technical characteristics, in an area-wide tariff administered by a public transport authority. The Berlin S-Bahn is now an integral part of theVerkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg, the regional tariff zone for all kinds of public transit in and around Berlin and the federal state (Bundesland) ofBrandenburg.
The brand nameS-Bahn chosen in 1930 mirroredU-Bahn, which had become the official brand name for the Berlin city-owned rapid transit lines begun under the name ofBerliner Hoch- und Untergrundbahnen ('Berlin elevated and underground lines'), where the word of mouth had abbreviatedUntergrundbahn toU-Bahn, in parallel toU-Boot formed fromUnterseeboot ('undersea boat' – submarine). Ironically, S-Bahn's S is not easy to name, it may stand forSchnell-Bahn ('rapid rail') orStadt-Bahn ('urban rail'; not to be confused withBerlin Stadtbahn, a railway line through Berlin on which some Berlin S-Bahn lines run, orStadtbahn, the German term for light rail).
Services on the Berlin S-Bahn have been provided by thePrussian or German national railway company of the respective time, which means theDeutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft after theFirst World War, the state-ownedEast GermanDeutsche Reichsbahn (in both East and West Berlin) until 1993 (except West Berlin from 1984 to 1994, theBVG period) andDeutsche Bahn after its incorporation in 1994.
The Berlin S-Bahn consists today of 16 lines serving 166 stations, and runs over a total route length of 332 kilometres (206 mi).[1] The S-Bahn carried 478.1 million passengers in 2018.[2] It is integrated with the mostly undergroundU-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system. Unlike the U-Bahn, the S-Bahn crosses Berlin city limits into the surrounding state ofBrandenburg, e.g. toPotsdam.
Although the S- and U-Bahn are part of a unified fare system, they have different operators. The S-Bahn is operated byS-Bahn BerlinGmbH, a subsidiary ofDeutsche Bahn, whereas the U-Bahn is run byBerliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), the main public transit company for the city of Berlin.
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The S-Bahn routes all feed into one of three core lines: a central, elevated east–west line (theStadtbahn), a central, mostly underground north–south line (theNord–Süd Tunnel), and a circular line (theRingbahn). Outside theRingbahn, suburban routes radiate in all directions.
Lines S1, S2, S25, and S26 are north–south lines that use the north–south tunnel as their midsection. They were equally distributed into Oranienburg, Bernau, and Hennigsdorf in the north, and Teltow Stadt, Lichtenrade, and Wannsee.
Lines S3, S5, S7, S9, and S75 are east–west lines using theStadtbahn cross-city railway. The western termini are located at Potsdam and Spandau, although the S5 only runs as far as Westkreuz and the S75 toWarschauer Straße. The eastern termini are Erkner, Strausberg Nord, Ahrensfelde, and Wartenberg. The S9 uses a connector curve (Südkurve) atOstkreuz to switch from theStadtbahn to the south-eastern leg of theRingbahn. Another curve, theNordkurve to the north-easternRingbahn, was originally served by the S86 line, but it was demolished in preparation of the rebuilding ofOstkreuz station and was not rebuilt afterwards. Both connector curves were heavily used in the time of theBerlin Wall, as trains coming from the north-eastern routes couldn't use the West Berlin north–south route and the Southern leg of the pre- and post-WallRingbahn was in West Berlin.
Lines S41 and S42 continuously circle around theRingbahn, the former clockwise, the latter anti-clockwise. Lines S45, S46, and S47 link destinations in the southeast with the southern section of theRingbahn via the tangential link from theGörlitzer Bahn to theRing viaKöllnische Heide.
Lines S8 and S85 are north–south lines using the eastern section of theRingbahn betweenBornholmer Straße andTreptower Park viaOstkreuz, using theGörlitzer Bahn in the South.
Formerly, there existed four curves atWestkreuz andOstkreuz allowing to go to a northern ring (Nordring) and to a southern ring (Südring) using central tracks ofStadbahn.Nordring andSüdring are common terms, but never scheduled routes as separate rings. One curve ofSüdring atWestkreuz left over for internal use, the other one is mentioned connector atOstkreuz.
Generally speaking, the first digit of a route number denotes the main route or a group of routes. Thus, S25 is a branch of S2, while S41, S42, S45, S46, and S47 are allRingbahn routes that share some of the same route. So S41, S42, S45, S46, and S47 are together S4. However, the S4 does not exist as an independent entity.
Since 9 January 1984, all the West Berlin S-Bahn routes are labelled with an "S" followed by a number. This system had been in use with other West German S-Bahn systems (such as Hamburg) for years. On 2 June 1991 this was extended to the East Berlin lines as well. Internally, the Berlin S-Bahn usesZuggruppen (literally groups of trains) which normally run every twenty minutes (S41/S42 are an exception to this as theirZuggruppen run every 10 minutes). Some lines, e.g. the S85, are made up of only oneZuggruppe, while others, like S5, are actually multipleZuggruppen combined. SomeZuggruppen do not run the entire line and terminate at intermediate stops.Zuggruppen are called by aFunkname (radio designator), which is derived from theGerman spelling alphabet. SomeFunknamen are not used in regular service, such as Heinrich, Baikal, Jaguar, Gustav, or Saale (being used for special soccer service trains, usually running for fans under the line S3 betweenCharlottenburg andOlympiastadion).
| Line | Zuggruppe | Terminus | Route | Terminus | Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | P Paula PI Panther PII Pastor | Oranienburg | Oranienburg – Lehnitz – Borgsdorf – Birkenwerder – Hohen Neuendorf – Frohnau – Hermsdorf – Waidmannslust – Wittenau (U8) – Wilhelmsruh – Schönholz – Wollankstraße – Bornholmer Straße – Gesundbrunnen (U8) – Humboldthain – Nordbahnhof – Oranienburger Straße – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Brandenburger Tor (U5) – Potsdamer Platz (U2) – Anhalter Bahnhof – Yorckstraße (Großgörschenstraße) (U7) – Julius-Leber-Brücke – Schöneberg – Friedenau – Feuerbachstraße – Rathaus Steglitz (U9) – Botanischer Garten – Lichterfelde West – Sundgauer Straße – Zehlendorf – Mexikoplatz – Schlachtensee – Nikolassee – Wannsee | Wannsee | Prussian Northern Railway,Berlin-Szczecin railway,Nord-Süd-Tunnel,Wannsee Railway |
 | W Wulff WI Wespe | Bernau | Bernau – Bernau-Friedenstal – Zepernick – Röntgental – Buch – Karow – Blankenburg – Pankow-Heinersdorf – Pankow (U2) – Bornholmer Straße – Gesundbrunnen (U8) – Humboldthain – Nordbahnhof – Oranienburger Straße – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Brandenburger Tor (U5) – Potsdamer Platz (U2) – Anhalter Bahnhof – Yorckstraße (U7) – Südkreuz – Priesterweg – Attilastraße – Marienfelde – Buckower Chaussee – Schichauweg – Lichtenrade – Mahlow – Blankenfelde | Blankenfelde | Berlin-Szczecin railway,Nord-Süd-Tunnel,Berlin-Dresden railway |
 | V Viktor | Hennigsdorf | Hennigsdorf – Heiligensee – Schulzendorf – Tegel – Eichborndamm – Karl-Bonhoeffer-Nervenklinik (U8) – Alt-Reinickendorf – Schönholz – Wollankstraße – Bornholmer Straße – Gesundbrunnen (U8) – Humboldthain – Nordbahnhof – Oranienburger Straße – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Brandenburger Tor (U5) – Potsdamer Platz (U2) – Anhalter Bahnhof – Yorckstraße (U7) – Südkreuz – Priesterweg – Südende – Lankwitz – Lichterfelde Ost – Osdorfer Straße – Lichterfelde Süd – Teltow Stadt | Teltow Stadt | Berlin-Lichterfelde Süd–Teltow Stadt railway,Anhalt Suburban Line,Nord-Süd-Tunnel,Berlin-Szczecin railway,Prussian Northern Railway,Kremmen Railway |
 | VI Vampir | Waidmannslust | Waidmannslust – Wittenau (U8) – Wilhelmsruh – Schönholz – Wollankstraße – Bornholmer Straße – Gesundbrunnen (U8) – Humboldthain – Nordbahnhof – Oranienburger Straße – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Brandenburger Tor (U5) – Potsdamer Platz (U2) – Anhalter Bahnhof – Yorckstraße (U7) – Südkreuz – Priesterweg – Südende – Lankwitz – Lichterfelde Ost – Osdorfer Straße – Lichterfelde Süd – Teltow Stadt | Teltow Stadt | Berlin-Lichterfelde Süd–Teltow Stadt railway,Anhalt Suburban Line,Nord-Süd-Tunnel,Berlin-Szczecin railway,Prussian Northern Railway,Kremmen Railway |
 | B Berta BI Bussard SI Saale (special service) | Spandau | Spandau (U7) – Stresow – Pichelsberg – Olympiastadion – Heerstraße – Messe Süd – Westkreuz – Charlottenburg (U7) – Savignyplatz – Zoologischer Garten (U2, U9) – Tiergarten – Bellevue – Hauptbahnhof (U5) – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Hackescher Markt – Alexanderplatz (U2, U5, U8) – Jannowitzbrücke (U8) – Ostbahnhof – Warschauer Straße (U1, U3) – Ostkreuz – Rummelsburg – Betriebsbahnhof Rummelsburg – Karlshorst – Wuhlheide – Köpenick – Hirschgarten – Friedrichshagen – Rahnsdorf – Wilhelmshagen – Erkner | Erkner | Berlin–Wrocław railway,Berlin Stadtbahn |
 | A Anton AI Adler | Südkreuz | Berlin Ringbahn | Südkreuz (clockwise) | Berlin Ringbahn |
 | R Richard RI Reiher | Südkreuz | Berlin Ringbahn | Südkreuz (counter-clockwise) | Berlin Ringbahn |
 | U Ulrich | Südkreuz | Südkreuz – Tempelhof (U6) – Hermannstraße (U8) – Neukölln (U7) – Köllnische Heide – Baumschulenweg – Schöneweide – Johannisthal – Adlershof – Altglienicke – Grünbergallee – Flughafen BER – Terminal 5 – Waßmannsdorf – Flughafen BER – Terminal 1–2 | ✈ Flughafen BER – Terminal 1–2 | Grünauer Kreuz–Berlin Brandenburg Airport railway,Berlin-Görlitz railway,Baumschulenweg–Neukölln link line,Berliner Ringbahn |
 | D Dora | Westend | Westend – Messe Nord/ICC – Westkreuz – Halensee – Hohenzollerndamm – Heidelberger Platz (U3) – Bundesplatz (U9) – Innsbrucker Platz (U4) – Schöneberg – Südkreuz – Tempelhof (U6) – Hermannstraße (U8) – Neukölln (U7) – Köllnische Heide – Baumschulenweg – Schöneweide – Johannisthal – Adlershof – Grünau – Eichwalde – Zeuthen – Wildau – Königs Wusterhausen | Königs Wusterhausen | Berlin-Görlitz railway,Baumschulenweg–Neukölln link line,Berliner Ringbahn |
 | K Konrad | Hermannstraße | Hermannstraße (U8) – Neukölln (U7) – Köllnische Heide – Baumschulenweg – Schöneweide – Oberspree – Spindlersfeld | Spindlersfeld | Schöneweide–Spindlersfeld branch line,Berlin-Görlitz railway,Baumschulenweg–Neukölln link line,Berliner Ringbahn |
 | E Emil EI Elster EII Eiche (defunct) EIII Erna (late night service) | Westkreuz | Westkreuz – Charlottenburg (U7) – Savignyplatz – Zoologischer Garten (U2, U9) – Tiergarten – Bellevue – Hauptbahnhof (U5) – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Hackescher Markt – Alexanderplatz (U2, U5, U8) – Jannowitzbrücke (U8) – Ostbahnhof – Warschauer Straße (U1, U3) – Ostkreuz – Nöldnerplatz – Lichtenberg (U5) – Friedrichsfelde Ost – Biesdorf – Wuhletal (U5) – Kaulsdorf – Mahlsdorf – Birkenstein – Hoppegarten – Neuenhagen – Fredersdorf – Petershagen Nord – Strausberg – Hegermühle – Strausberg Stadt – Strausberg Nord | Strausberg Nord | Strausberg–Strausberg Nord railway,Prussian Eastern Railway,Berlin Stadtbahn,Spandau Suburban Line |
 | O Otto OI Olaf | Potsdam Hauptbahnhof | Potsdam Hauptbahnhof – Babelsberg – Griebnitzsee – Wannsee – Nikolassee – Grunewald – Westkreuz – Charlottenburg (U7) – Savignyplatz – Zoologischer Garten (U2, U9) – Tiergarten – Bellevue – Hauptbahnhof (U5) – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Hackescher Markt – Alexanderplatz (U2, U5, U8) – Jannowitzbrücke (U8) – Ostbahnhof – Warschauer Straße (U1, U3) – Ostkreuz – Nöldnerplatz – Lichtenberg (U5) – Friedrichsfelde Ost – Springpfuhl – Poelchaustraße – Marzahn – Raoul-Wallenberg-Straße – Mehrower Allee – Ahrensfelde | Ahrensfelde | Wriezen Railway,Berlin Outer Ring,Prussian Eastern Railway,Berlin Stadtbahn,Berlin-Blankenheim railway,Berlin-Magdeburg railway |
 | T Theodor TI Tapir | Warschauer Straße | Warschauer Straße (U1, U3) – Ostkreuz – Nöldnerplatz – Lichtenberg (U5) – Friedrichsfelde Ost – Springpfuhl – Gehrenseestraße – Hohenschönhausen – Wartenberg | Wartenberg | Berlin Outer Ring,Prussian Eastern Railway |
 | N Nordpol | Birkenwerder | Birkenwerder – Hohen Neuendorf – Bergfelde – Schönfließ – Mühlenbeck-Mönchmühle – Blankenburg – Pankow-Heinersdorf – Pankow (U2) – Bornholmer Straße – Schönhauser Allee (U2) – Prenzlauer Allee – Greifswalder Straße – Landsberger Allee – Storkower Straße – Frankfurter Allee (U5) – Ostkreuz – Treptower Park – Plänterwald – Baumschulenweg – Schöneweide – Johannisthal – Adlershof – Grünau (– Eichwalde – Zeuthen – Wildau) | Grünau (↔ Wildau) | Berlin-Görlitz railway,Berliner Ringbahn,Berlin-Szczecin railway,Berlin Outer Ring,Prussian Northern Railway |
 | NI Neiße | Pankow | Berlin-Pankow (U2) – Bornholmer Straße – Schönhauser Allee (U2) – Prenzlauer Allee – Greifswalder Straße – Landsberger Allee – Storkower Straße – Frankfurter Allee (U5) – Ostkreuz – Treptower Park – Plänterwald – Baumschulenweg – Schöneweide (– Johannisthal – Adlershof – Grünau) | Schöneweide (↔ Grünau) | Berlin-Görlitz railway,Berliner Ringbahn,Prussian Northern Railway |
 | C Cäsar | Spandau | Spandau (U7) – Stresow – Pichelsberg – Olympiastadion – Heerstraße – Messe Süd – Westkreuz – Charlottenburg (U7) – Savignyplatz – Zoologischer Garten (U2, U9) – Tiergarten – Bellevue – Hauptbahnhof (U5) – Friedrichstraße (U6) – Hackescher Markt – Alexanderplatz (U2, U5, U8) – Jannowitzbrücke (U8) – Ostbahnhof – Warschauer Straße (U1, U3) – Ostkreuz – Treptower Park – Plänterwald – Baumschulenweg – Schöneweide – Johannisthal – Adlershof – Altglienicke – Grünbergallee – Flughafen BER – Terminal 5 – Waßmannsdorf – Flughafen BER – Terminal 1–2 | ✈ Flughafen BER – Terminal 1–2 | Berlin Stadtbahn,Berliner Ringbahn,Berlin-Görlitz railway,Grünauer Kreuz–Berlin Brandenburg Airport railway |
Stations in brackets are serviced at certain times only (Monday through Friday during offpeak in the case ofS45 and during peak in the case ofS8 andS85).S85 only runs Monday through Friday.
Also, not every train reaches the nominal terminus of a line. For example, every other train onS1 runs only toFrohnau, five stops beforeOranienburg, and the last stop onS3 towardsErkner which is reached by every train isFriedrichshagen. Similarly, some northboundS2 trains terminate atGesundbrunnen, and mostS5 trains run only toStrausberg or evenMahlsdorf, renderingStrausberg Nord the least served stop on the whole network.
On 31 August 2009 a few semi-permanent changes to the line routes were applied. Because of renovations toOstkreuz station, including dismantling the tracks connecting theStadtbahn and theRingbahn –
Because of the progress achieved in theOstkreuz renovation in 2012, the –
On 21 August 2017, with the completion of theOstkreuz renovation, and on 10 December 2017, with the completion of the connection between theStadtbahn andRingbahn atOstkreuz, the following changes were made:
The S-Bahn generally operates between 4am and 1am Monday to Friday, between 5am and 1am on Saturdays and between 6:30am and 1am on Sundays during normal daytime service. However, there is a comprehensive night-time service on most lines between 1am and 5am on Saturdays and 01:00 and 06:30 on Sundays, which means that most stations enjoy a continuous service between Friday morning and Sunday evening. One exception to this is the section of theS8 betweenBlankenburg andHohen Neuendorf which sees no service in these hours. Most other lines operate without route changes, but some are curtailed or extended during nighttime. Particularly, theS1,S2,S25,S3,S41,S42,S5,S7 are unchanged, and theS45 andS85 have no nighttime service. Westbound linesS46,S47,S75, and northboundS9 terminate at stationsSüdkreuz,Schöneweide,Lichtenberg, andTreptower Park, respectively.
With individual sections dating from the 1870s, the S-Bahn was formed in time as the network of suburban commuter railways running into Berlin, then interconnected by the circular railway connecting the various terminal railway stations, and in 1882 enhanced by the east–west cross-city line (called theStadtbahn, 'city railway'). The forming of a distinct identity for this network began with the establishment of a special tariff for the area which was then called theBerliner Stadt-, Ring- und Vorortbahnen, and which differed from the normal railway tariff. While the regular railway tariff was based on multiplying the distance covered with a fixed price per kilometre, the special tariff for this Berlin tariff zone was based on a graduated tariff based on the number of stations touched during the travel.[3]
The core of this network, that is the cross-city (Stadtbahn) east–west line and the circularRingbahn, and several suburban branches were converted from steam operation to athird-rail electric railway in the latter half of the 1920s. TheWannsee railway, the suburban line with the highest number of passengers, was electrified in 1932–33. A number of suburban trains remained steam-hauled, even after theSecond World War.
After building the east–west cross-city line connecting western suburban lines, which until then terminated atCharlottenburg station with eastern suburban lines which had terminated atFrankfurter Bahnhof (laterSchlesischer Bahnhof), the logical next step was a north–south cross-city line connecting the northern suburban lines terminating atStettiner Bahnhof with the southern suburban lines terminating at the subsidiary stations of theBerlin Potsdamer Bahnhof. The first ideas for this project emerged only 10 years after the completion of the east–west cross-city line, with several concrete proposals resulting from a 1909 competition held by the Berlin city administration. Another concrete proposal, already very close to the final realisation, was put forward in 1926 by Professor Jenicke ofBreslau university.
Many sections of the S-Bahn wereclosed during the war, both through enemy action and flooding of theNord–Süd-Bahn tunnel on 2 May 1945 during the finalBattle of Berlin. The exact number of casualties is not known, but up to 200 people are presumed to have perished, since the tunnel was used as a public shelter and also served to house military wounded in trains on underground sidings. Service through the tunnel commenced again in 1947.
After hostilities ceased in 1945, Berlin was given special status as a "Four-Sector City", surrounded by theSoviet Occupation Zone, which later became theGerman Democratic Republic (GDR). The Allies had decided that S-Bahn service in the western sectors of Berlin should continue to be provided by theReichsbahn (DR), which was by now the provider of railway services in East Germany. (Rail services inWest Germany proper were provided by the newDeutsche Bundesbahn.)
Before the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the Berlin S-Bahn had grown to about 335 kilometres (208 mi). On the 13 August 1961, it was the biggest turning point in the operation and network for the S-Bahn.
As relations between East and West began to sour with the coming of theCold War, the S-Bahn had become the victim of the hostilities. Although services continued operating through all occupation sectors, checkpoints were constructed on the borders with East Berlin and on-board "customs checks" were carried out on trains. From 1958 onward, some S-Bahn trains ran non-stop through the western sectors from stations in East Berlin to stations on outlying sections in East Germany so as to avoid the need for such controls. East German government employees were then forbidden to use the S-Bahn since it travelled through West Berlin.
The S-Bahn has also been operated in two separate subnets of theDeutsche Reichsbahn. In East Berlin, the S-Bahn retained a transport share of approximately 35 percent, the mode of transport with the highest passenger share. In the 1970s and 1980s the route network continued to grow. In particular, the new housing estates were connected to the grid in the northeast of the city (Marzahn andHohenschönhausen).
The construction of the Berlin Wall led to West Berlin calling for the unions and politicians to boycott the S-Bahn. Subsequently, passenger numbers fell.
However, the Berlin S-Bahn strike brought the S-Bahn to the attention of the public, and aroused the desire for West Berlin to manage its section of the S-Bahn itself. In 1983 negotiations of representatives of the Senate, the SNB and theDeutsche Reichsbahn took place. In December 1983, these were concluded with Allied consent to the agreement between theDeutsche Reichsbahn and the Berlin Senate for the transfer of operating rights of the S-Bahn in the area of West Berlin. The BVG received the oldest carriages from the DR; but the BVG was eager to quickly get to modern standards for a subway. Therefore, soon new S-Bahn trains were purchased on their behalf, which are still in use on the Berlin S-Bahn network as the 480 series.
Even before the Wall fell, there were efforts to substantial re-commissioning of the S-Bahn network in West Berlin.
After theBerlin Wall came down in November 1989, the first broken links were re-established, withFriedrichstraße on 1 July 1990 as the first. The BVG and DR jointly marketed the services soon after the reunification. Administratively, the divided S-Bahn networks remained separate in this time of momentous changes, encompassingGerman reunification and reunification of Berlin into a single city, although the dividing line was no longer the former Berlin Wall. DR and BVG (of the whole of reunified Berlin from 1 January 1992, after absorbing BVB of East Berlin) operated individual lines end to end, both into the other party's territories. For example, S2 was all BVG even after it was extended northward and southward into Brandenburg/former East German territory. The main east–west route (Stadtbahn) was a joint operation. Individual trains were operated by either BVG or DR end-to-end on the same tracks. This arrangement ended on 1 January 1994, with the creation ofDeutsche Bahn due to the merger between DR and the former West Germany'sDeutsche Bundesbahn. All S-Bahn operations in Berlin were transferred to the newly formedS-Bahn Berlin GmbH as a subsidiary ofDeutsche Bahn, and the BVG withdrew from running S-Bahn services.
Technically, a number of projects followed in the steps of re-establishing broken links in order to restore the former S-Bahn network to its 1961 status after 1990, especially theRingbahn. In December 1997 the connection betweenNeukölln and Treptower Park viaSonnenallee was reopened, enabling S4 trains to run 75% of the whole ring betweenSchönhauser Allee andJungfernheide. On 16 June 2002, the sectionGesundbrunnen –Westhafen also reopened, re-establishing the Ringbahn operations.
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MTR Corporation,National Express, Berlin S-Bahn GmbH andRATP Development tendered for their procurement process, and were soon followed by train manufacturerStadler Rail for their operations from 2018 to 2033. The specific contracts are:
Ringbahn –
Stadtbahn –
Nord–Süd Bahn –
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There were several depots for Berlin S-Bahn. They areSchöneweide (opened in December 1927),Friedrichsfelde (opened on 1 March 1903), Grünau (opened on 1 April 1910), Wannsee (opened on 15 May 1933), Erkner (opened in 1928) andOranienburg (opened in 1925).
At Grünau, construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1928. They serviced the following routes:
The connection to Spandau West became in the following years the traditional train course, which was maintained after 1945 until the building of the wall. In the 1980s, this depot made 51 daily trains for the connections using Class 485 trains.
Closed depots include:
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This vehicle, DB Class 488.0 (Panorama train) is a unique piece. The train consists of two railcars and a sidecar in between. It was created by conversion from old cars of the ET / EB 167, the later series 477/877. While the car body is largely a new build, many technical components of end-of-life vehicles were taken over in 1997–99. This train is not used in normal regular service. The S-Bahn offered city tours with it until 2009, and it could be rented privately. The train is equipped with a modern multimedia system so that the announcements via headphones can be followed in multiple languages. As with this car the windows extend into the roof for a better field of vision, it is called a panorama train (previously known as a panoramic suburban train).
Otherwise museum and tradition trains were primarily used – Class 165. The Viertel train Class ET/EB 167s were being built in 1938 and was converted in 1991.
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In 1988,Deutsche Reichsbahn presented plans for the transformation ofOstkreuz station. The long postponed renovation of the station began in 2007.
With nine lines (four on theStadtbahn and five on theRingbahn),Ostkreuz is one of the busiest stations on the network.[4]
With the progress of construction work on 31 August 2009, the southern connection and platform A were decommissioned. This route had to be realigned as a result. The construction plans envisaged that the connection would be restored by 2014. After its completion, traffic will again be able to be run from the southernRingbahn onto theStadtbahn.
In October 2009, the newRegionalbahn station on theRingbahn was sufficiently complete for S-Bahn trains on theRingbahn to use it temporarily. Demolition of theRingbahn platform could then start and the new platform, including a concourse, could be built. This was put into operation on 16 April 2012, after a 16-day track closure.[5]
In December 2018 all the S-Bahn tracks atOstkreuz finished construction and were opened for regular passenger use.
Rehabilitation work at Grünauer Kreuz on theBerlin–Görlitz railway began on 12 July 2006.[6][7] In 2010 and 2011, rebuilt stations were put into operation in several stages atBaumschulenweg andAdlershof and the bridges over theBritz Canal and theTeltow Canal were replaced. During the reconstruction, the platform at Adlershof was relocated directly aboveRudower Chaussee (street).[8][9]
Other major construction projects are planned along the route:
In preparation for the opening ofBerlin-Brandenburg Airport in Schönefeld in the south of Berlin, S-Bahn lines S45 and S9 were set to be extended from the then terminus atBerlin-Schoenefeld Airport in a long curve to the new terminal. Directly below the terminal,Berlin Brandenburg, a station has been built with six platform tracks. Four through platform tracks are provided for long-distance services. Two tracks are operated by S-Bahn services on the approach from the west. In early July 2008, the first 185-metre-long section of the station was completed so that the terminal could be built. On 24 July 2009, the airport company transferred the completed shell of the airport railway station and the first part of the tunnel to DB.[10] The new line includes the stations ofWaßmannsdorf andBerlin Brandenburg Airport and has a length of approximately 7.8 kilometres.[10][11] The construction cost was specified as €636 million. This amount also included the cost of construction of long-distance tracks.[10]
In 2020 the Berlin Brandenburg Airport was opened with a 9-year delay. With the opening of the airport, the S-Bahn service also began operation, which meant that the lines S45 and S9 were extended as was planned more than 10 years ago.[12]
| Proposed Line S21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line number | 6017Westhafen–Hbf–Potsdamer Platz 6019Wedding–Hauptbahnhof | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Berlin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 750 Vthird rail (under-running) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The secondNord–Süd Bahn will link the northern ring to theHauptbahnhof, Potsdamer Platz station and the Wannsee Railway to the southern ring. Today's plans are almost identical to plans submitted to the 1907–1910Greater Berlin competition by Albert Sprickerhof.[14] Since then, there have been a number of alternatives proposals for such a route. A similar line was included in the plans forWelthauptstadt Germania ('World Capital Germania') in the 1930s.[15]
The line will be built in sections. In 2005, the zoning approval for the northern part of the route from theRingbahn toHauptbahnhof was adopted.[16] In October 2009 a loan agreement was entered into between theSenate andDeutsche Bahn for the first section. This provided for total costs of €226.5 million. On 27 November 2009, the preparatory work for this phase of construction started at the Hauptbahnhof. For the underground excavation inInvalidenstrasse, diaphragm walls were built into the ground and the trench in between was covered with a reinforced concrete lid.[17][18][19]
This stage involves the construction of a curve to theWesthafen and an eastern connection toWedding inside the northernRingbahn. Structural preparation for these junctions to these lines had already been made during the construction of theNorth–South mainline in 2006. From there, the existing line will run in a southerly direction (in the tunnel layer) to theBerlin Hauptbahnhof east of the North–South mainline. The realization of an intermediate station under the working name ofPerleberger Brücke (as a two-level station in a V-shape) is provided as an option. It was proposed to complete this 1,600-meter-long section by 2016.[20] After construction delays caused by the inflow of groundwater, theCOVID-19 pandemic, and the global supply chain crisis, the opening is planned for 2024 at the earliest.[21][22]
The construction of the second section of theS21 is to begin no earlier than 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2023. The new S-Bahn line will run in a tunnel from near theHauptbahnhof past theReichstag toPotsdamer Platz. It will run next to the existingNord-Süd Tunnel toBrandenburg Gate and separate from it to run to Potsdamer Platz. The firstnorth–south S-Bahn tunnel was designed in 1939 with room for an additional two tracks at Potsdamer Platz and to its south for the new line. The cost of the S-Bahn line (phases 1 and 2) has been estimated at €317 million (2009 prices).[17] The benefits of additional expenditure to the east of the Reichstag are still under investigation. This would increase the cost to about €330 million.
There are currently no dates set for the other phases of construction to the southernRingbahn. It has so far only been defined in the Berlin land use plan.[23]
Since reunification, there have been suggestions that lines that have not been used since 1961 or 1980 should be rebuilt and connected to the network by some new lines. Many of these plans have changed several times since then or have been abandoned.
Following a decision of theBerlin House of Representatives, the goal is essentially to restore the S-Bahn network to its extent in 1961. This was stated in an agreement betweenDeutsche Bahn, theFederal Ministry of Transport and the Senate on 4 November 1993.[24] The network was to be restored by 2002. On this basis, the plans were included in the land use plan of 1995. In a study of the transport development by the then Department for Transport and Commerce in 1995, a plan was published for a network. Only theJungfernheide–Stresow,Spandau–Staaken andZehlendorf–Düppel sections, which had existed until 1980, were not incorporated in these plans. This political commitment is now only symbolic as some projects are now aimed at points beyond the original destinations or to miss them entirely. Budgetary difficulties, changing traffic flows and alternative development projects usingRegionalbahn trains have led to the cancellation or postponement of projects that had already been developed.
| Line | Projects |
|---|---|
| Lines closed in 1961 | |
| Blankenfelde – Rangsdorf (via Dahlewitz) | In the "hub Berlin – Building for the S-bahn" booklet published by S-Bahn Berlin in 2001, this route was still designated, though little has been said since then. The Rangsdorf community is trying to reconnect the S-Bahn. The mayor of the community has spoken in favor, and has formed a citizens' initiative. In the federal state transport plan Brandenburg 2008–2012 this route was advocated. The Confederation would provide funding to demonstrate the needs of this route. The state of Brandenburg has so far not carried out a planning approval procedure. |
| Spandau – Falkensee (- Finkenkrug) (via Nauener Straße, Hackbuschstraße, Albrechtshof, Seegefeld, and Falkensee Parkstadt) | The benefit of extending the S-Bahn from Spandau to Falkensee or Finkenkrug was substantiated in a profitability study by the Federal Government and the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg. In March 2008, the project was awarded a cost-benefit ratio of 1: 1.31. With the construction of this route, the populous western part of Spandau would be connected to the rapid transit network. The execution is controversial. The former Berlin Senate from the SPD and Left Party was in favor of the construction, the Greens and the CDU of the Havelland district have opposed it. The city of Falkensee and the communities behind Finkenkrug fear a reduction in the RE and RB connections. If the budget situation of the city of Berlin improves, this route can be considered to be the most feasible – at least in Berlin. An investigation has shown that for the route to Hackbuschstraße a benefit-cost ratio of 2.64 exists. The construction costs for this section were estimated at 37 million euros in 2009. For an extension only within Berlin, however, the federal government rejects a promotion. An alternatively examined extension on the route of the Osthavelländischen railway to the Falkenseer Chaussee yielded a benefit cost factor far over 1, was however rejected by the district office Spandau. |
| Wannsee – Stahnsdorf (via Dreilinden) | The reconstruction of the route is now relatively complicated by the relocation of the Federal Highway 115. The route of the Friedhofsbahn is still dedicated to Berlin and Brandenburg. In particular, the Evangelical Church had an interest in the reopening of this route. It relied on old contracts with the railway and tried to sue the building. In the meantime, the lawsuit was dismissed and in 2014 the real estate company of Deutsche Bahn put the land for sale and allowed the demolition of the dilapidated bridge over the Teltow Canal. |
| Lines closed in 1980 | |
| Jungfernheide – Gartenfield (– Hakenfelde) (via Wernerwerk, Siemensstadt, Haselhorst and Daumstraße) | A reactivation of the Siemens railway, which would only be reasonable to operate with a structurally very expensive extension over the Havel to the water city Spandau (possibly to hook field), is very unlikely. An investigation into the continuation to Hakenfelde, in the planning line S21, has resulted in too high construction costs. The development of Siemensstadt itself has already been covered by the U7 underground line since 1980. While in 2001, the Deutsche Bahn had this route to Gartenfeld still designated as planning, in 2007 it requested the devaluation of this route at the Federal Railway Authority. The Senate is currently holding in the FNP at the connection to Gartenfeld. |
| Zehlendorf – Düppel (- Dreilinden Europarc) (via Zehlendorf Süd and Kleinmachnow Schleusenweg) | After the Second World War, after initial steam operation, 1948, the short section of Zehlendorf to Düppel prepared for the electric suburban railway and used until 1980. A cost-benefit analysis for a regional railway operation of the continuous trunk line from 2008 did not allow the necessary traffic for a reconstruction. Since 2008, there have been discussions to restore the trunk line between Zehlendorf and Griebnitzsee as S-bahn route. On June 10, 2009, the district Steglitz-Zehlendorf, the municipality Kleinmachnow, the Europarc Dreilinden and the Deutsche Bahn International GmbH presented a preliminary study on a possible S-Bahn operation on the eastern part of the route between Zehlendorf and the Europarc Dreilinden the public. This is not yet an official planning. |
| Lines closed in 1983 (Isolated operation afterBerlin Wall was built) | |
| Hennigsdorf – Velten (via Hennigsdorf Marwitzer Straße, Hennigsdorf Nord and Hohenschöpping) | The city of Velten has endeavored to reconnect with the S-Bahn network and commissioned a feasibility study in 2008. After the construction of the Wall, until 1983, a line of islands ran from Hennigsdorf to Velten. A cost-usage investigation has meanwhile been approved by Deutsche Bahn. Until 2001, this route was still official planning of the railway. |
| New lines | |
| Wartenberg – Karower Kreuz (via Sellheimbrücke and Parkstadt) Springpfuhl – Grünauer Kreuz(via Biesdorfer Kreuz, Biesdorf Süd, Biesenhorst, Wuhlheide, FEZ, Spindlersfeld and Glienicker Straße) | This is a plan that was developed in the early 1960s in the GDR. In the 1980s, it was taken up again and expanded. Now additional connecting curves from the Berlin outer ring (BAR) to the Szczecin railway in the north (Karower cross) and the Görlitzer railway in the south (Grünauer cross) were provided. Also a connection to the Silesian railway at Wuhlheide station. By the end of the GDR were already provided by the German Reichsbahn some construction work, such. For example, the preparation of the rapid-transit railway route between Adlershof and Köllnische Vorstadt, a three-track S-Bahn route from Altglienicke to the bridge abutment on the north side of the Adlergestell and the route on the section Sellheimbrücke to Wartenberg. As part of these plans, the construction of a depot was also planned. These plans were adopted in the FNP, but not pursued for a long time. In the railway section Wartenberg – Sellheim bridge was still officially planned until 2001. In the spring of 2009, the House of Representatives of Berlin decided that the planning of the Nahverkehrstangente was to be prepared. Thereafter, however, a regional train was provided on the outer ring. At Karower Kreuz a new tower station for the regional train and the S-Bahn (S2) was to be created. However, this depends on the further development of the Szczecin railway in this section, which was not planned for 2015 at the earliest. |
| Teltow Stadt – Stahnsdorf (via Teltow Isarstraße and Stahnsdorf Lindenstraße) | The first considerations for such a rapid-transit railway connection were made already at the end of the 1930s in the context of the Germania plannings. First earthworks were also carried out during World War II. In 1991, this route was still official Senate planning. In later plans, such as the FNP of the community Stahnsdorf, the route is no longer included. In the regional planning Havelland Fläming, the joint state planning Berlin-Brandenburg and the LNVP Brandenburg the route is not included. Likewise, the state government is opposed to the route, as it is feared that the follow-up costs would be at the expense of peripheral parts of the country. To make matters worse, the crossing of newly created residential areas would be added. The ring closure includes the further construction over Dreilinden to Wannsee, as it is sought by local politicians. |
| Karow – Wandlitzsee (via Schönerlinde, Schönwalde, Basdorf and Wandlitz) | In 1976, a planning of this rapid-transit railway route came up in the GDR. This planning was not discussed by the Berlin City Council with any parent. However, it was taken up and persecuted until 1980. The S-Bahn would have replaced an existing suburban connection. The only implemented construction project was the connection of the so-called "Heidekrautbahn" to the S-Bahn station Karow. Officially, the plan was not abandoned until the end of the GDR, only after reunification were the plans rejected. |
| Anhalter Bahnhof – Plänterwald (via Kochstraße, Moritzplatz, Görlitzer Bahnhof, Lohmühlenstraße and Kiefholzstraße) | This route is a plan that was begun in the 1930s in connection with the Germania planning and was finally put on hold in the revision of the FNP of the Senate in 1985 on ice. During the construction of the underground station "Anhalter Bahnhof", overpass structures had already been built. At the Moritzplatz is located under the subway station in the shell of a finished interchange station, which was created in the 1920s for a subway line. As part of these plans he should be used for the S-Bahn. There are no other building services. At times, a direct connection from Kochstraße to Potsdamer Platz was planned. |
| Station | Line | Located between | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkenberge | Berlin Outer Ring | Blankenburg and Mühlenbeck-Mönchmühle | Construction provisions exist - plans abandoned |
| Biesdorfer Kreuz | Ostbahn | Friedrichsfelde Ost and Biesdorf | Access to local ring road |
| Blockdammweg | Schlesische Bahn | Betriebsbahnhof Rummelsburg and Karlshorst | |
| Bohnsdorfer Chaussee | Güteraußenring | Grünbergallee and Flughafen Berlin-Schönefeld | |
| Borsigwalde[25] | Kremmener Bahn | Eichborndamm and Tegel | |
| Buch Süd | Stettiner Bahn | Karow and Buch | |
| Bucher Straße[26] | Berlin Outer Ring | Blankenburg and Mühlenbeck-Mönchmühle | Preliminary work completed[27] |
| Bürknersfelde | Berlin Outer Ring | Gehrenseestraße and Springpfuhl | Interchange with U11 |
| Charlottenburger Chaussee | Spandauer Vorortbahn | Pichelsberg and Stresow | |
| Dudenstraße | Dresdener Bahn | Yorckstraße and Südkreuz | |
| Glasower Damm | Dresdener Bahn | Mahlow and Blankenfelde (Kr. Teltow-Fläming) | |
| Grünauer Kreuz | Görlitzer Bahn | Adlershof and Grünau | Access to bypass road |
| Kamenzer Damm[28] | Dresdener Bahn | Attilastraße and Marienfelde | |
| Karower Kreuz[29] | Stettiner Bahn | Blankenburg and Karow | In addition to a regional station and access to bypass road |
| Kiefholzstraße | Ringbahn | Treptower Park and Sonnenallee | |
| Komturstraße | Ringbahn | Hermannstraße and Tempelhof | Planned to be "Tempelhofer Feld" |
| Mahlow Nord | Dresdener Bahn | Lichtenrade and Mahlow | |
| Neues Ufer | Ringbahn | Beusselstraße and Jungfernheide | |
| Oderstraße | Ringbahn | Hermannstraße and Tempelhof | |
| Schönerlinder Straße[26] | Berlin Outer Ring | Blankenburg and Mühlenbeck-Mönchmühle | |
| Schorfheidestraße | Nordbahn | Wilhelmsruh and Wittenau | |
| Wuhletalstraße | Wriezener Bahn | Mehrower Allee and Ahrensfelde |
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Since the foundation of the Berlin S-Bahn, a number of accidents have occurred.
GermanS-Bahnen | ||
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| In operation (cross border) |
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| Defunct |
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