Frankfurt am Main U-bahn U1/U2/U3

Maps

History

• October 4, 1968: Light Rail Line A1 (today's U1) opens between Hauptwache and Nordweststadt, 9km (4km in tunnel), with 6 underground and 8 surface stations. The line runs in mixed traffic with tram lines in the section Hauptwache to Zeilweg, with the trams entering the tunnel at the south end via a temporary ramp at Taunustor.
• December 19, 1971: U-bahn operation begins on line A2 (today's U2) between Hauptwache and Bad Homburg Gonzenheim. The tramway in the city of Bad Homburg closes at this time.
• November 4, 1973: Extension of the tunnel from Hauptwache to Theaterplatz (today's Willy-Brandt-Platz), 0.6km with one new underground station.
• September 29, 1974: Line A1 (U1) extension opens between Nordweststadt and Römerstadt, 0.5km, with one new surface station.
• May 26, 1978: Line U1 extension opens between Römerstadt and Ginnheim, 1.4km, with one new surface station.
• May 27, 1978: U-bahn line U3 begins operation between Theaterplatz (Willy-Brandt-Platz) and Hohemark.
• September 29, 1984: Extension of the tunnel from Theaterplatz (Willy-Brandt-Platz) to Südbahnhof, 1.3km, with two new underground stations.
• April 23, 1989: New surface station, Niddapark, added between Römerstadt and Ginnheim on line U1.

Description

• Stations mostly with side platforms, island platforms are located at: Südbahnhof, Schweizer Platz, Hohemark. Length of the platforms: 100 metres. Platform level: 56 cm (until 1999, 32cm on the section Zeilweg - Hohemark of the route U3; in 1999 a project to convert to 80cm high-level platforms began). High level platforms will be built at all stations.
• Südbahnhof - Willy-Brandt-Platz including the Schweizer Platz station: tunnel built in shotcrete mining tunneling contruction method.
• Willy-Brandt-Platz - ramp Dornbusch: Tunnel built in cut-and-cover method. Willy-Brandt-Platz station in level -3, connection to the lines U4 and U5 in level -4. Hauptwache station in level - 3, connection to the S-Bahn and the lines U6 and U7 in level -2.
• Eschersheimer Landstraße: central reservation Dornbusch - Weißer Stein station, private right of way Weißer Stein station - Heddernheimer Landstraße station.
• Tunnel section between Heddernheimer Landstraße and Römerstadt including the underground station Nordwestzentrum, cut-and-cover.
• U1 grade-separated section, partly elevated from Römerstadt to Ginnheim in a central reservation of a main traffic road. Ginnheim station: five tracks, three are used by the line U1 and two by the trams, one side platform and two island platforms.
• U2 private right of way Heddernheim - Bad Homburg-Gonzenheim.
• U3 private right of way Zeilweg station - Oberursel Bahnhof along roads; side or central reservation Oberursel Bahnhof - Hohemark terminus. Single track between Kupferhammer station and Hohemark terminus.
• The Ginnheim terminus will be replaced by a underground station via the new tunnel from Ginnheim to the U4 terminus at Bockenheimerwarte. The U1 will change its number at Nordwest Zentrum station and run as U8 through Hauptbahnhof to Seckbacher Landstraße together with line U4.
• An extension of line U2 Bad Homburg - Gonzenheim to Bad Homburg Bahnhof will be buit, to connect the line with the S-Bahn station.

The U-bahn Fleet

The U1, U2, and U3 lines typically use cars of class U2 (6-axle articulated units, length: 23m, width: 2.65m), and U4 (6-axle articulated units, length: 24.49m, width: 2.65m).

Photos by Location