Metropolis on the Move —Public Transport in Berlin Carola Jeschke
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F Public Transport in Berlin eatu Metropolis on the Move —Public Transport in Berlin Carola Jeschke the north-eastern suburbs. Introduction Berlin’s Growing Capital Role Until recently, 50% of the S-Bahn rolling stock was built between 1927 and 1942, As a result of the German unification on Berlin's growing role as federal capital resulting in higher operating and main- 3 October 1990, the federal government will act as a magnet for even more tenance costs. To solve these problems, decided on 20 June 1991 to move the activities, creating further demand for 500 new double-cars were ordered and r nation's capital from Bonn to Berlin. After more frequent air connections to more the first 100 are now in service. nearly 8 years of comprehensive planning destinations. In June 1996, it was decided and preparations, Berlin is on the verge to designate Schönefeld Airport as the U-Bahn Subway System e of becoming the new federal capital just future principal airport for Berlin. Before in time for the new millennium. In the assuming this role in 2007, the airport interim period, the opening up of eastern will be expanded and renovated. A new Berlin's subway system (U-Bahn) is nearly Europe has shifted Berlin from the edge north-south rail connection will provide 100-years old and carries the largest of Europe to a more central position on the a direct link between the city centre and number of passengers in Berlin’s public European axis, making the city a European the new airport on the periphery. transport—about 440 million per year— communication and transport hub. The expected increase in urban traffic will due to its reliability, frequency, high Berlin's skyline today is dominated by also place major burdens on the city's capacity, and speed. It has been chosen construction, and its new government future public transport systems, not least as the transport mode serving the newly functions and role at the heart of Europe because road capacity is restricted and built government districts housing the mean that it requires an advanced needed for commercial transport. Bundestag, and the offices of the German transport system. Deutsche Bahn AG Chancellor and President. A new city line (DB AG) is investing about DM20 billion is under construction but financial (DM1 = US$ 0.55) in developing the S-Bahn Suburban Railways restrictions have delayed its opening until region's ICE high-speed train network as 2004. One new station at Mendelssohn– well as the regional and suburban express Berlin's suburban railway system (S-Bahn) Bartholdy Park was opened in October trains (S-Bahn). DB AG is coordinating is basically a loop line with radiating arms 1998 and the extension of Line 2 to the planning and implementation of quite similar to that of Tokyo. The Berlin Pankow is under construction. many building projects in Berlin, the S-Bahn was built in the 1920s and 1930s From the tunnel viewpoint, the U-Bahn largest and most spectacular of which is and was being used by 2 million consists of two networks composed of the construction of the 9-km north-south passengers daily in 1943. Reinstating two lines with narrow tunnel profiles and link with a 3.4-km quadruple-track tunnel the S-Bahn after the unification has been the rest with wide tunnel profiles. The under the inner city. This link will connect a massive undertaking. Today, most carriage width in the narrow-profile with the east-west main line at the new investment in the S-Bahn is in the form tunnels is 2.30 m and power is drawn Lehrter Bahnhof to become a main of reconstruction and modernization from a live overhead rail. The longest junction on the European railway network based on the pre-war network structure. possible train is eight cars. To increase in 2004. Lehrter Bahnhof will be located Finally, the S-Bahn circle will be complete the capacity of the system, later wide- in Berlin's central Tiergarten district and again. Reconstruction in the south finished profile tunnels were built with a width of will integrate urban rapid transit systems in December 1997 and the north link 7.1 m. The carriage width is 2.65 m and with suburban, regional, and long-distance between the Jungfernheide/Westhafen power is drawn from a live third rail. The railway traffic. When completed, the and Gesundbrunnen stations is expected longest possible train is six cars. For station is expected to handle 240,000 to be finished in 2000. The old network, comparison, the body width of S-Bahn arrivals and 110,000 changes each day. which was built in the first half of this cars is 2.95-3.00 m. Passengers arriving at the station will century to match the city arrangement at The new Subway 2000 (H-series) trains travel directly into the government, that time, has been modernized to match serving both the wide- and narrow-profile business, and cultural centres of this the present-day arrangement. As a result, tunnels of the Berlin U-Bahn are fully historic city. some stations have been given additional walkthrough, creating additional standing access according to new or changed room and distributing passengers more relations. Some new stations have been evenly throughout the train. A low-floor built to serve new housing complexes in design makes it decidedly easier to get Copyright © 1999 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 20 • June 1999 37 Public Transport in Berlin Velten Oranien- burg Bernau Figure 1 Berlin S-Bahn Suburban Rail Network Hennigsdorf Frohnau Buch suburban rail system extensions Waidmannslust options Blankenburg Tegel subway Warten- berg Ahrensfelde 1 Hauptbahnhof Falkensee 2 Alexanderplatz Hakenfelde Bornholmer Straße 3 Friedrichstraße Gartenfeld 4 Lehrter Bahnhof Westhafen 5 Zoologischer Garten 9 4 6 Charlottenburg Spandau 2 7 Westkreuz 1 8 Ostkreuz 3 Strausberg Nord 5 10 8 Lichtenberg Mahlsdorf 9 Nordbahnhof Pichelsberg 10 Potsdamer Platz 6 7 Karlshorst Papestraße Rathaus Friedrichshagen Steglitz Schöneweide Spindlersfeld Wannsee Zehlendorf Erkner Lichterfelde Süd Grünau Teltow Stadt Lichtenrade Flughafen Stahnsdorf Potsdam Schönefeld Zeuthen Blankenfelde Königs Wusterhausen Wittenau Alt-Tegel Pankow Osloer Vinetastraße Figure 2 Berlin U-Bahn Subway Network Str. subway Rohrdamm Hönow Rathaus extensions Spandau 4 Alexanderplatz Ruhleben Kaulsdorf-Nord suburban rail system 5 1 1 Wittenbergplatz 6 3 2 Hermannstraße Biesdorf-Süd 3 Warschauer Straße 4 Lehrter Bahnhof 7 5 Zoologischer Garten 6 Uhlandstraße Krumme 2 7 Innsbrucker Platz Lanke Rathaus Steglitz Alt- Mariendorf Rudow Rosenthal Buchholz 11 Zingster Falken- 6 Straße berg Ahrensfelde Figure 3 Berlin Tramway Network 7 9 tramway Virchow-Klinikum 4 5 Riesaer Straße extensions Lehrter Bahnhof 2 subway/suburban rail system 1 S Mahlsdorf 3 8 1 Am Kupfergraben Potsdamer Platz 2 S+U Alexanderplatz 3 S+U Warschauer Straße 4 U Schwartzkopffstraße Alt-Rüdersdorf 5 S Landsberger Allee Woltersdorfer 6 Heinersdorf S Schöneweide 7 Pasedagplatz Schleuse 10 Rahnsdorf 8 S+U Lichtenberg/Gudrunstraße Haeckelstraße Friedrichs- 9 Eberswalder Straße hagen 10 Köpenick Adlershof 11 Schillerstraße Wendenschloß Schmöckwitz 38 Japan Railway & Transport Review 20 • June 1999 Copyright © 1999 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Subway 2000 rolling stock (H-series) (Author) Latest 'big yellow' double-decker bus with low-platform technology and three doors (Author) on and off the trains, especially for wheel- renewed in some cases. Planned tramway average route speeds of about 31 km/h. chair users. Side bench seating caters to investments cover extensions to connect Early this century, Berlin was famous for the growing passenger traffic. The control housing and commercial areas as well as its characteristic open-roof omnibuses, system is also designed to permit fully to improve tramway development in the the predecessor of the double-decker automatic operation with or without eastern part of the city centre. However, omnibus. This tradition of visual identity operation personnel. the massive necessary investment in continues today with Berlin's 'big yellow' the S-Bahn and U-Bahn has deferred double-decker buses. However, to improve addressing the imbalance in the city's efficiency, the metropolitan bus operator Tramways trams. runs many different types of vehicles: The majority (60%) of the tram network articulated, single- and double-deckers, Tramways started operating in Berlin runs on its own right of way and the midibuses and minibuses. Many pleasant more than 130 years ago and the Berlin remaining 40% shares it tracks with minibus services are offered in the late Horse-drawn Railway Company E. normal road traffic. As a result, the evening and night to housing complexes. Besckow was already carrying 960,000 progress of trams is impeded by traffic jams, At night on weekdays, the Berlin transport passengers in 1866. Former West Berlin so a special programme is underway to system depends mainly on buses. Sixty- closed its tramway system in 1967, and adapt traffic signals for trams and to one night buses and four tram lines offer put emphasis on the subway for fulfilling implement appropriate traffic separation services from midnight until the early transport duties. In contrast, former East regulations. morning hours at intervals of 30 minutes Berlin retained and expanded its tramway or less. On weekends, two U-Bahn lines network. In the eastern housing complexes, operating at 15-minute intervals, and the the trams carry large numbers of Buses main S-Bahn lines operating at 1-hour passengers approaching the densities of intervals form the backbone of public the U-Bahn lines. Since October 1997, Berlin's buses function as city-wide transport at night. one 5.4-km tram line now extends from feeders for the other transport systems. About 100 km of priority bus lanes have the old network in the east to former West The easy accessibility of buses and the been designated mostly in crowded city Berlin.