S4a Stronger Connection Between
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A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN THE S4 (EAST) LINE FROM S4HAMBURG TO BAD OLDESLOE 2 A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN The rail line between Hamburg and Bad Oldesloe in Schleswig-Holstein is one of the busiest commuter routes serving northern Germany’s biggest city. The S4 will improve transport by providing more direct connections and minimising inconveniences. This will ensure a smoother service for people travelling in either direction. BACKGROUND THE SITUATION TODAY Better local transport between Hamburg and Schleswig-Hol- ■ Passenger numbers on the existing route are growing, stein is of central importance to many people living and work- and current rail services are operating close to the limit of ing in the region. The growing number of passengers travel- their capacities ling between the city and its northeastern hinterland is one of ■ Areas in the borough of Wandsbek served by the current the many facts that underscore this: between 2000 and 2010 rail line will benefit from an improved transport infrastruc- alone, regional transport between Hamburg, Ahrensburg and ture Bad Oldesloe saw passenger figures increase by 50%. ■ Today’s mixed rail operations mean that slow regional trains and fast long-distance and freight services use the According to forecasts, this trend is set to continue. Ham- same tracks, which increases the risk of delays and can- burg’s borough of Wandsbek, in particular, is experiencing cellations sustained growth, both in terms of population and the num- ■ Travellers coming from Bad Oldesloe have to change at ber of companies based there. Ahrensburg, Bargteheide and Hamburg’s main station to get to most destinations in the Bad Oldesloe in Schleswig-Holstein’s Stormarn district are wit- city nessing a similar development. The S4 line is a response that ■ Hamburg’s main station is struggling to cope with the will enable public transport services to meet the needs of the number of long-distance trains and passengers it serves people who use this route. At the same time, the undertaking will free up capacities for long-distance and freight transport. Running largely on its own tracks, the S4 will replace the THE PROJECT’S MEASURES regional trains that currently operate in Hamburg’s eastern suburbs. This will help tackle current bottlenecks and improve Constructing the route links to the existing local transport network serving the larger region. Up to 250,000 people live in the S4’s catchment area, The construction of separate tracks for the S4 line forms the and they all stand to benefit from the new service. core of the entire project. Running from Hasselbrook in Ham- burg to Ahrensburg-Gartenholz, the total length of the new route will come to 20 km: ■ Two additional tracks covering approx. 17 km between Hasselbrook and Ahrensburg ■ One additional track covering approx. 3 km between S4Ahrensburg and Ahrensburg-Gartenholz A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN 3 About one third of the line will be in Schleswig-Holstein, while Landwehr, Hasselbrook, Tonndorf, Rahlstedt, Ahrensburg, the remainder will be within the boundaries of the state of Ahrensburg-Gartenholz, Bargteheide, Kupfermühle and Bad Hamburg. According to the project plans, the S4’s tracks are Oldesloe. to run parallel to the existing rail line on the northwest side of it for the most part. The new stops will be Claudiusstrasse, Bovestrasse, Hol- stenhofweg and Am Pulverhof within Hamburg, and Ahrens- The new line will also feature about 45 km of noise barriers burg-West within Schleswig-Holstein. The station at Wands- along with a central partition. It will require 32 railway over- bek will be demolished. Constructing the new stations will passes, plus 6 road and pedestrian overpasses, while a reduce the distances people living in the line’s catchment large number of level crossings will either be removed or area need to travel to catch a train, which is one of the pro- replaced by the new overpasses. ject’s major benefits. Overhead lines or DC transmission rails will supply power Despite the larger number of stops between Bad Oldesloe along the route, which will also be equipped with the very lat- and Hamburg, journey times will increase only slightly. This is est in control-command and signalling technology. because S-Bahn services require less time than regional trains for boarding and alighting, and they can also acceler- Stations ate faster. Total journey times will therefore be shorter for most passengers. Four brand new stations will be built in Hamburg, while Schleswig-Holstein will see the construction of one additional Alongside the new stops, alterations will be made at the sta- Kupfermühle stop. Seven stations in Hamburg and the Stormarn district tions in Tonndorf, Ahrensburg, Kupfermühle and Bad Olde- will be upgraded for S-Bahn services. BENEFITS FOR PASSENGERS, RESIDENTS AND INFRA- Bargteheide STRUCTURE New stations for shorter routes The following existing stations will be part of the new S4 line: Altona, Königstrasse, Reeperbahn, Landungsbrücken, Ahrensburg- Stadthausbrücke, Jungfernstieg, Hauptbahnhof, Berliner Tor, Gartenholz S4 Hamburg Ahrensburg New stations Ahrensburg West Rahlstedt Am Pulverhof Tonndorf Claudiusstraße Hamburg-Altona Hasselbrook Holstenhofweg Hauptbahnhof Bovestraße Jungfernstieg Altona Reeperbahn Landwehr Berliner Tor Königstraße Stadthausbrücke S4Landungsbrücken A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN 4 Changing will be eliminated or easier People with destinations in the centre of Hamburg will no longer have to change at the city’s main station, as the S4 will serve the stops of Jungfernstieg, Stadthausbrücke and Landungsbrücken. The station at Hasselbrook will also be served by the S1 line, so passengers for Hamburg Airport can change there without even having to go to a different platform Easing infrastructure pressure Bad Oldesloe Replacing a regional rail line with an S-Bahn connection will provide Hamburg’s main station with an urgently needed sloe, where platforms will be increased in height, while new boost in capacity. The S4 will use the current S-Bahn net- platforms will be installed at Rahlstedt, Ahrensburg-Garten- work’s tracks between Altona and Hasselbrook, thereby holz and Bargteheide. This work is necessary for the future freeing up platforms at the main station that can then be S-Bahn services. allocated to long-distance trains. Between Ahrensburg-Gar- tenholz and Hamburg, commuters will switch to the S4, sub- Kupfermühle Punctual, fast and convenient stantially cutting traffic on the exiting line and so benefitting freight and long-distance connections. Separating suburban rail services from regional, long-dis- tance and freight services means that the S4 can operate Improving road transport according to a regular schedule, making transport more relia- ble. At peak times, a train will run from Altona to Ahrensburg Eliminating some level crossings and replacing others with every 10 minutes, with a service to Bargteheide every 20 overpasses and tunnels means that drivers and pedestrians minutes and one per hour to Bad Oldesloe. Plans envisage will no longer have to wait as barriers close and open. This connections between Altona and Ahrensburg-Gartenholz way, the new S-Bahn line will also make an obvious every 20 minutes during the remainder of the day, while there improvement to road transport. will be an hourly service to Bargteheide and Bad Oldesloe. People will be encouraged to switch from cars to trains as stations will be easier to reach thanks to a wider range of mobility options, including bus routes, carsharing, new park- and-ride facilities and bicycle stands. Ahrensburg Schleswig-Holstein Noise abatement for nearby homes Today, regional The plans for the new line include a host of active and pas- trains on the RB81 sive noise abatement measures to shield people living line have up to 550 seats. nearby from the sounds generated by trains. These meas- S4 services will take the form ures will have a total price tag of at least EUR 95 million, of two vehicles with three wagons, almost two thirds of which is earmarked for Hamburg and providing seating for 380 passengers, and remainder intended for Schleswig-Holstein. Some 45 km of there will be the option of running long noise barriers and a central partition will be installed along trains with 570 seats. At first glance, the the tracks, minimising noise-related disturbances in the resi- increase in seat numbers is not as significant dential areas the line will pass through. as might be expected: 2,200 seats on regional trains as against 2,280 S-Bahn seats per hour Use of dual electrification and direction during peak times. However, the S4 will run more frequently: every 10 minutes, in con- The S4’s trains will run on two sources of electricity. trast to the current RB81 timetable of one train Between Altona and Bovestrasse, a third rail on the tracks every 30 minutes with two additional trains to supple- will supply 1,200 volts of DC power. At Bovestrasse, a ment the service. In addition, the number of S4 ser- changeover system running for several hundred metres will vices between Bargteheide and Hamburg will be enable the trains to switch to overhead lines carrying 15 increased by 50% during rush hour. kV/16.7 Hz and extending Bad Oldesloe. This dual system means that the existing catenary network can be put to fur- S4ther good use. 5 A STRONGER CONNECTION BETWEEN HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN PLANNING PROCESS AND in Schleswig-Holstein is the Ministry of permit application phase, and it will PROJECT PARTNERS Economic Affairs, Transport, Employ- take the form of a comprehensive ment, Technology and Tourism. In 2014, study of the project’s future ecological Based on the findings of a feasibility Deutsche Bahn’s division DB Netz AG impact.