History
- April 17th, 1993: Killesberg (Messe) – Hauptbahnhof – Bopser –
Degerloch Albplatz
- May 05th, 1998: Killesberg (Messe) – Hauptbahnhof – Bopser –
Ruhbank (instead of Degerloch Albplatz)
- September 11th, 1999 Extension Ruhbank – Heumaden (former Tram
route 15)
- September 9th, 2000 Extension Heumaden – Ruit – Ostfildern
Nellingen
- September 9th, 2000 new Line U8: Vaihingen Bahnhof – Möhringen
Bahnhof – Weinsteige – Heumaden – Ostfildern Nellingen
- 2010/11: new route for line U7: Mönchfeld – Pragsattel –
Hauptbahnhof – Ostfildern Nellingen (U5: Killesberg – Hauptbahnhof -
Leinfelden)
Description
The Killesberg station has a 120 m long central platform
with mezzanines at both ends. From there, the route goes down
eastbound to the Eckardshaldenweg station, firstly in a tunnel and
than in private-right-of-way with grassed tracks. The maximum
inclination is 7%. This section with a length of about 1 km was newly
built for the U7 . The former tram line to the Killesberg (closed in
1976) followed the twisty Birkenwaldstraße. Before reaching the
Eckartshaldenweg station the U7 trains cross the inbound traffic lanes
of the Heilbronner Straße.
This short branch became less important when the
fairground moved to the airport in 2007. Therefore the U7 will change
its northern branche with the one of the line U5 in 2010. By this time
the stations from Pragsattel to Mönchfeld will be lengthened to 80 m.
From Eckartshaldenweg to Bopser station, the line U7
shares the tracks with the U5 and U6 line. Pictures and description
can be found in the category of the line U5.
A short distance before the upper end of the Weinsteige
tunnel, the lines separate and the U7 turns left into the 1,2 km long
steep (7%) Waldau tunnel. There is also a track link from the
Weinsteige station into the Waldau tunnel, used by the line U8
(Vaihingen – Möhringen – Heumaden – Ostfildern). The Waldau tunnel was
built by NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method) The about 2 km long
tunnelsection from Bosper station to Waldau station is the third
longest tunnel between two stations of an urban railway in
Germany. The longest tunnel is the S-Bahn tunnel in Stuttgart between
Schwabstraße and Universität station with about 4,5 km.
The Waldau stations lies in an open cutting. The 80
metre central platform is covered with a tent-like roof. In the tunnel
between Waldau and Ruhbank (Fernsehturm) there are three tracks, the
middle one is a storage track.
The Ruhbank (Fernsehturm) station with a central
platform lies directly behind the tunnel on a ramp. There is only one
entrance at the west side. A further 40 m central platform at ground
level was built for line U15.
The section Ruhbank – Heumaden was formerly used by tram
route 15. Until 1999 this section was upgraded for the Stadtbahn
cars. From 1999 to 2005 the tram route 15 terminated at Ruhbank
(Fernsehturm). The new U15 Stadtbahn line usually also terminates
there, but at the rush hour the U15 trains run further to Heumaden.
Between the Ruhbank and Silberwald stations the tracks
cross a forest area on a side reservation along the Kirchheimer
Straße. The central platform of Silberwald station again lies on a
ramp, with the entrance at the east side. For Stadtbahn operation a
tunnel was built through Sillenbuch under the Kirchheimer Straße. The
Sillenbuch station is a subway station with canopied openings at the
entrances and the middle of the station. The Schemppstraße station at
the other end of the tunnel is similar to the Ruhbank station, but at
Schemppstraße there is an additional pedestrian level crossing on the
east end.
The formerly ballasted tracks between Schemppstraße and
Heumaden were rebuilt with grassed tracks for Stadtbahn operation. The
Bockelstraße station got a central platform in the standard
design. Heumaden station has three tracks. The middle one is used by
the U15 trains terminating here at the rush hours.
The further 6 km section from Heumaden to Nellingen in
the Ostfildern commune is a completely new route. After a ride of 1,6
km through open fields the U7 reaches the neighbourhood Ruit, where a
930 m long tunnel was built for the Stadtbahn. Ruit station is similar
to Sillenbuch station, with large openings above the platform. The
tunnel in Ruit was built by cut-and-cover under the Plochinger
Straße. Zinsholz station is located shortly behind the east end of the
tunnel. The platform can be reached via a ramp on the west side and a
pedestrian level crossing on the east side. The route follows the
Kirchheimer Straße in a cutting. The Parksiedlung station can be
reached at the east side from a pedestrian bridge or a pedestrian
level crossing.
The route turns south and crosses a new roadway on a
steel arch bridge and reaches the Scharnhauser Park station. The side
platforms are integrated in the new square. Scharnhauser Park is a new
housing area on the grounds of a former U.S. military base. The
Kreuzbrunnen station connects the southern area of the new
neighbourhood to the Stadtbahn.
Between Kreuzbrunnen station and Technische Akademie
station the U7 runs through open fields again. After crossing the
Rinnenbachstraße the trains reach Nellingen at the Technische Akademie
station. They terminate at the second station in Nellingen called
Ostfildern-Nellingen. A special roof characterises this station. Until
1978 Nellingen had been linked by a tram route from Esslingen.
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