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U-Bahn train at Heidelberger Platz on the U3 line. Photo by Bernard
Chatreau, August 2002. |
Overview
Berlin, the largest city in Germany, hosts extensive
U-Bahn (subway), S-Bahn (suburban railways) and trams. In all cases,
these are the largest such networks in the country. In the case of
the U-Bahn and the trams, Berlin can claim firsts regarding the year
of their birth, with the first electric streetcar in the world
beginning operations in 1881.
The S-Bahn can be called a suburban commuter system
similar to Paris' RER. It is operated by S-Bahn Berlin GmbH, a
subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn. There are 15 routes that connect the
city's main train stations and major U-Bahn transfer points, including
Charlottenburg, Zoologischer Garten, Hauptbahnhof, Friedrichstraße,
and Alexanderplatz. The 15 routes are arranged into three major
"lines": the east-west Stadtbahn, a north-south "Nordsüd", and a ring
line known as the Ringbahn.
The U-Bahn is a rapid transit system that includes
substantial underground portions. The first line opened in 1902 and
now services 170 stations. The U-Bahn was mostly constructed prior to
World War II and the postwar rise of the Berlin Wall. The U-Bahn lines
in East Germany were severed from the West, and two West Berlin lines
passed through East Berlin territory without stopping. The system was
reconnected after German reunification. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
(BVG) operates the U-Bahn service as well as the Strassenbahn and bus
lines.
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