Frankfurt subway

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U-Bahn.svg
Frankfurt subway
Map U-Bahn Frankfurt.png
Basic data
Country Germany
city Frankfurt am Main ,
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe ,
Oberursel (Taunus)
Transport network Rhein-Main transport association
opening 1968
Lines 9
Route length 65 km
Stations 86
Tunnel stations 27
Long-distance train stations 2
use
Shortest cycle 5 min.
Passengers 143.2 million per year (2018)
vehicles U4 , U5
operator Stadtwerke Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main mbH
Gauge Standard gauge
Power system Overhead line

600 V DC

The Frankfurt U-Bahn is the light rail system of the city of Frankfurt am Main and, after the Rhein-Main S-Bahn and before the Frankfurt am Main tram, it is the most important mode of public transport in the Frankfurt metropolitan area . The subway is used by almost 400,000 passengers every day  .

The network has been operational in several stages since 1968. It consists of three main routes with inner-city underground tunnels and above-ground routes in the outer areas. The above-ground sections have different construction standards, from independent to road-flush railway bodies .

The Frankfurt U-Bahn has nine lines , eight of them in the city center, with a total of 27  tunnel stations and 59 above-ground stations. In 2016, more than 132 million passengers were carried on the 65-kilometer route network . Most recently, on December 12, 2010, two new lines were added with the U8 and U9, which open up the university campus and the new development area on Riedberg . The U9 subway line is the first line that does not touch the city center.

General

Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main mbH (VGF) has been the owner of routes , vehicles and a large part of the train stations since 1996 . The city-owned company emerged from the transport department of Stadtwerke Frankfurt , which was previously the operator of urban rail and bus transport. The rail transport services are awarded to VGF until January 31, 2031. VGF's client is the urban public transport company traffiQ .

Like all local public transport lines in Frankfurt, the underground has been part of the tariff area of ​​the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) since 1995 . From 1974 until the RMV was founded, the Stadtwerke were shareholders in the predecessor network, the Frankfurter Verkehrsverbund (FVV).

history

Network plan from 2005 with connection of the city districts

Due to its long history of planning and construction and the different prehistory of the above-ground sections, the Frankfurt U-Bahn has a number of technical and operational features that distinguish it from pure U-Bahn systems and characterize it as a light rail .

At the beginning of the 1950s, the first plans were made to relieve the already overburdened tram . In 1958, more than 100,000 motor vehicles were registered in Frankfurt, and more than 180,000 commuters used the transport infrastructure every day. Various alternatives to building a modern express transport system and separating the above-ground traffic flows were discussed. On April 5, 1960, the SPD parliamentary group applied for the city council to commit to an elevated railway from the Alweg system. Lord Mayor Werner Bockelmann , however, advocated the construction of a subway from the outset, which, however, was considered the most expensive option. On July 7, 1960, the city parliament commissioned a city planner to draw up an overall planning overview in order to be able to compare the costs of the three systems Alweg-Bahn, U-Bahn and U-Tram . Walter Möller , head of the transport department, elected in October 1961, was responsible for the planning . The decision was finally made at the end of 1961 in favor of the subway system, which was to be built in several sections using the existing tram infrastructure. In the first construction phase, the tunnels in the city center were to be built, which were to be connected to the adjacent tram lines via temporary ramps. Only in the second construction phase were the tunnels to be extended beyond the city center and connected to above-ground routes in the suburbs that were suitable for light rail operations. In the third construction phase, the change from the light rail to a subway would have been completed, which should run completely independently of road traffic in tunnels, cuts and on dams.

On June 28, 1963, the first pile-driving for the construction of the 3.2-kilometer tunnel under the Eschersheimer Landstrasse took place . For the first expansion stage up to 1975 - roughly corresponding to today's trunk lines A and B - construction costs of 565 million DM were expected. The new Lord Mayor Willi Brundert compared the "boldly begun underground construction" in 1964 in terms of its dimensions with the medieval cathedral construction.

After just one year, the ambitious mammoth project threatened to fail due to financing problems. As early as the mid-1960s, declining tax revenues and a tax policy geared towards the benefit of the federal and state governments drove municipalities close to ruin in many places. In 1964, Frankfurt was the most heavily indebted city in Germany with 1.4 billion DM, with a solid budget of 733 million DM. Under pressure to stabilize the deficit budget, the city council cut the long-term investment plan from 2.7 between 1964 and 1965 Billions to 1.7 billion DM and at times even indicated that Eschersheimer Landstrasse would be left behind as an “impassable desert” after the tunnel work was completed.

On August 17, 1966, on the occasion of an open house, the first test drive of the new U1 railcar took place on an already completed 500-meter-long tunnel section under the Eschersheimer Landstrasse. On August 23, 1966, the city council issued a temporary freeze on the second construction phase of the underground, the main line B.

On October 4th, 1968 at 1 p.m. Federal Transport Minister Georg Leber gave the starting signal for the first underground train in the Hauptwache station. With a two-day festival, the start of operations of the Frankfurt subway was celebrated as the “third subway in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg, and as the 35th subway in the world”. The construction of the almost nine kilometers long subway line A1 from the Hauptwache to the Northwest Center had finally cost 344 million DM, of which the federal government paid 56 million and the state of Hesse 129 million.

Soon after the opening, there was criticism of the concept of the gradual network expansion because the above-ground sections of the route separated by fences and the adjacent tunnel ramps cut up the affected districts. In addition, it soon became apparent that the tunnel ramps in Eschersheimer Landstrasse and Friedberger Anlage, contrary to what was originally planned, were not temporary structures, but had to be operated for decades. Therefore, in the 1970s, they started to build the tunnels at their final planned length. Where further construction was not yet possible until the planned final state, light rail lines temporarily ended at underground stations. In 1974 the second underground route from Theaterplatz to Konstablerwache went into operation, which was extended to the main station in 1978 and to Bornheim in 1980.

With the commissioning of the third main route from Bockenheim to the zoo in the autumn of 1986, the inner-city tunnel network was largely completed. The inauguration was accompanied by violent protests against the concept of a rail-free city center . Unlike originally planned, the remaining tram lines in the old town were not shut down, but continued to operate and later even expanded. This was followed by long-term, sometimes dogmatic, local political disputes about the further expansion of the underground. After the local elections in 2005, the new black-green coalition in Römer stopped the planning for the construction of the so-called DII line from Bockenheim to Ginnheim and declared that it would not build any more underground lines.

Nevertheless, the systematic separation of trams and subways has been advanced since 2000. While only modern low-floor vehicles have been in regular operation on the tram lines since 2007 , the underground stations are gradually being converted to elevated platforms and gradually all lines are being converted to operate with the 2.65 meter wide U5 multiple units . This also applies to the long controversial U5 line despite its flush-to-street traffic on the narrow Eckenheimer Landstrasse . Until October 2016, the converted Ptb tram vehicles were used on this line, which were the only ones that allowed passengers to change at stations with and without elevated platforms.

The route network has also been expanded again since summer 2008. Since then, the previously pure U4 tunnel line has been running from its former endpoint on Seckbacher Landstrasse in Frankfurt-Bornheim to Enkheim, using the existing operating tracks via the Ost depot . As the last extension for the time being, the U8 and U9 to Riedberg went into operation in December 2010. The construction of the extension of the U5 line from the main station to the Europaviertel, decided in 2011, began with the first preparatory construction work in 2013. The opening is currently planned for 2025.

Line network

The line network consists of the nine lines U1 to U9. The trams run in a regular schedule designed by the local transport company traffiQ . The clocks vary according to the different traffic times: peak traffic time (HVZ), secondary traffic time (NVZ) and low traffic time (SVZ).

Initially, the line numbering followed the route names ( A1 to A4 and B1 ). The underground lines have been numbered consecutively since 1978: A1 to A 3 became U1 to U3 , B1 to U5 . The reinforcement line A4 was omitted. The U4 line was added in 1980, the U6 and U7 lines in 1986, and the U8 and U9 lines in 2010 .

route line Lines Line course opening length Train stations Travel time ∅ speed Cycle ( HVZ, NVZ, SVZ , in minutes)
A
(and  D )
U1 GinnheimSüdbahnhof Ginnheim - Römerstadt - Northwest Center - main line A → Südbahnhof 1968-1984 000000000000012.000000000012.4 km 000000000000020.000000000020th 000000000000026.000000000026 min 000000000000028.000000000028.6 km / h 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000015.000000000015th
A. U2 Bad Homburg-GonzenheimSüdbahnhof Gonzenheim - Ndr.-Eschb. - Bonames - Mertonviertel - trunk line A → Südbhf. 1971-1984 000000000000016.000000000016.7 km 000000000000021.000000000021st 000000000000031.000000000031 min 000000000000032.000000000032.3 km / h 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000015.000000000015th
A. U3 Oberursel-HohemarkSüdbahnhof Hohemark - Oberursel - Weißkirchen - Niederursel - main line A → Südbhf. 1978-1984 000000000000019.000000000019.4 km 000000000000028.000000000028 000000000000043.000000000043 min 000000000000027.000000000027.0 km / h 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000030.000000000030th
B
(and C + D )
U4 EnkheimBockenheimer Warte Enkheim - Riederwald - BB Ost - Bornheim - main line B - main stationBockenh. Wait 1980-2008 000000000000011.000000000011.2 km 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000023.000000000023 min 000000000000029.000000000029.2 km / h 000000000000005.00000000005 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010-20
B. U5 PreungesheimCentral Station Preungesheim - Eckenheim - main cemetery - Nordend - trunk line B → Hbf. 1974-1988 000000000000007.00000000007.8 km 000000000000016.000000000016 000000000000021.000000000021 min 000000000000022.000000000022.3 km / h 000000000000005.00000000005 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010-20
C. U6 HausenOstbahnhof Hausen main line COstbahnhof 1986-1999 000000000000007.00000000007.7 km 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000020.000000000020 min 000000000000027.000000000027.6 km / h 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000020.000000000020th
C. U7 EnkheimPraunheim Heerstrasse Enkheim - Riederwald - Ostend - trunk line CLudwig-Landmann-Str. - Praunheim 1986-1992 000000000000011.000000000011.9 km 000000000000020.000000000020th 000000000000027.000000000027½ min 000000000000025.000000000025.9 km / h 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000020.000000000020th
A
(and D )
U8 RiedbergSüdbahnhof Riedberg - Niederursel - main line A → Südbahnhof 2010 000000000000012.000000000012.3 km 000000000000019.000000000019th 000000000000026.000000000026 min 000000000000029.000000000029.8 km / h 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000030.000000000030th
D
(and A )
U9 GinnheimNieder-Eschbach Ginnheim - Northwest Center - Niederursel - Riedberg - BonamesNdr.-Eschb. 2010 000000000000010.000000000010.3 km 000000000000012.000000000012 000000000000020.000000000020 min 000000000000030.000000000030.9 km / h 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000030.000000000030th

All lines run on the common section of the basic route offset by half or a third, so that during rush hour there is a uniform 2½-minute cycle on basic routes A and B and 3½-minute intervals on basic route C. During rush hour every third train - otherwise every second train - of the U4 line goes to Enkheim, the rest of them end in Bornheim. The U4 and U5 lines only run every 7½ minutes during rush hour during the Hessian summer holidays.

Route network

Track plan of the subway network (as of the end of October 2016)

The route network consists of the four routes A, B, C and D of the standard gauge of 1435 mm. Due to the development from the tram network, the wheel sets of the cars in the flange area as well as wheel guides and focal points of switches and crossings have tram dimensions as in many comparable companies in Germany. The operating length of all routes is 64.85 kilometers. Central route sections are referred to as basic route or trunk route ; these branch out into several connecting routes, which are usually only used by one line and are sometimes referred to as upgraded routes . The terms basic section and connecting section as well as their designations are based on the names of the construction sections. Sections of the basic routes were designated with the respective letter of the route followed by a Roman number - sections of the connecting routes with an Arabic number . The names of the connecting lines A1, A2, A3 and B1 were also used to name the lines until 1978.

Construction standards

Like all light rail vehicles, trams and underground trains in Germany, the Frankfurt U-Bahn is subject to the regulations of the tram construction and operating regulations . The tunnel sections as well as the above-ground section between Römerstadt and Ginnheim are completely developed as independent railway bodies , most of the other above-ground sections are partly as independent structures , partly as special railway bodies . These sections have numerous level crossings for road traffic and pedestrians. In the section between Eschenheimer Anlage and Marbachweg, the U5 runs largely on the road surface .

Basic routes

  route Lines Routing opening length Train stations Travel time ∅ speed Cycle (in minutes)
( HVZ NVZ SVZ )
 
A.
U1
U2
U3
U8
HeddernheimSüdbahnhof
Tram: Heddernheim - Eschersheim - Dornbusch - Tunnel: West- / Nordend - Hauptwache - Willy-Brandt-Pl. - Schweizer Pl. - Südbahnhof
1968-1984 000000000000008.00000000008.0 km 000000000000014.000000000014th 000000000000017.000000000017 min 000000000000028.000000000028.4 km / h 020405000000000000002.0000000000 000000000000003.00000000003⅓ 000000000000005.00000000005
B. U4
U5
KonstablerwacheHauptbahnhof
tunnel: Scheffelstrasse
1974-1988 000000000000002.00000000002.3 km 000000000000004.00000000004th 000000000000004.00000000004 min 000000000000034.000000000034.4 km / h 020305000000000000002.0000000000 000000000000003.0000000000 000000000000005.00000000005-10
U6
U7
IndustriehofZoo
Tunnel: Industriehof - Bockenh. Wait - Hauptwache - Konstablerwache - Zoo
1986 000000000000005.00000000005.4 km 000000000000009.00000000009 000000000000010.000000000010 min 000000000000032.000000000032.6 km / h 030510000000000000003.0000000000 000000000000005.00000000005 000000000000010.000000000010
D IV ( A1 )
U9 Ginnheimjunction Kalbach
Hochbahn: Ginnheim - Römerstadt - Tunnel: Northwest Center - Stadtbahn: Heddernh. Landstrasse - Niederursel - Riedberg - BonamesNieder-Eschbach
(1968–) 2010 000000000000004.00000000004 km 000000000000009.00000000009 000000000000012.000000000012 min 000000000000020.000000000020 km / h 071015000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000030.000000000030th
D I U4 Main train stationBockenheimer Warte
tunnel: Main train station - Festhalle / Messe - Bockenheimer Warte
2001 000000000000001.00000000001.7 km 000000000000003.00000000003 000000000000003.00000000003 min 000000000000034.000000000034.8 km / h 050710000000000000005.00000000005 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010-20

Connecting lines

  route Lines Routing opening Train stations Cycle (in minutes)
( HVZ NVZ SVZ )
 
A1
U1 GinnheimHeddernheim
Elevated Railway : Ginnheim - Römerstadt - Tunnel: Northwest Center - Heddernh. Landstrasse - Railway: Zeilweg - Heddernheim
1968-1988 000000000000006.00000000006th 071015000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000015.000000000015th
A2 U2 Bad Homburg-GonzenheimHeddernheim
Railway: Gonzenheim - Ndr.-Eschb. - Bonames - Mertonviertel - Heddernheim
1971 000000000000007.00000000007th 071015000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000015.000000000015th
A3
U3 Oberursel-HohemarkHeddernheim
Railway: Hohemark - Oberursel - Weißkirchen - Niederursel - Heddernheim
1978 000000000000014.000000000014th 071515000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000015.000000000015th
B1 U5 PreungesheimKonstablerwache
Tram: Preungesheim - Gießener Straße - Eckenheim - Marbachweg - Tram: Main Cemetery - Eckenh. Landstrasse - Nordend - Tunnel: Scheffeleck - Konstablerwache
1974-1988 000000000000012.000000000012 050710000000000000005.00000000005 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010-20
B2 U4 Bornheim Seckbacher Landstr. Konstablerwache
Tunnel: Bornheim - Berger Straße - Nordend - Konstablerwache
Stadtbahn: Bornheim Seckbacher Landstr. - Schäfflestraße - ( Enkheim with U7)
1980 000000000000004.00000000004th 050710000000000000005.00000000005 000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010-20
C1
U4
U7
ZooEnkheim
Tunnel: Zoo - Ostend - Eissporthalle (only U7) - City railway: Riederwald - Borsigallee - Enkheim (U4 and U7)
1992 000000000000009.00000000009 071020000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000020.000000000020th
C IV
U6 ZooOstbahnhof
Tunnel: Zoo - Ostbahnhof
1999 000000000000001.00000000001 071020000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000020.000000000020th
Hausen U6 HausenIndustriehof
Stadtbahn: Hausen - Industriehof
1986 000000000000002.00000000002 071020000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000020.000000000020th
Heerstr. U7 Praunheim HeerstraßeIndustriehof
Stadtbahn: Praunheim - Ludwig-Landmann-Str. - Hausen - Industriehof
1986 000000000000005.00000000005 071020000000000000007.0000000000 000000000000010.000000000010 000000000000020.000000000020th
D IV ( A2 )
U8
U9
NiederurselKalbach
tram junction : - Niederursel - Riedberg - BonamesNieder-Eschbach
2010 000000000000004.00000000004th 071015000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000015.000000000015th 000000000000030.000000000030th
Line network: Lines A, B / D and C
Development and growth of the line network

Remarks:

  1. a b c The basic route A actually begins at the Weißer Stein station . There the connection route A1 merges into the basic route. Between the Heddernheimer Landstrasse and Zeilweg stations , the A3 connecting line joins the A1 connecting line. The connecting route A2 merges into the connecting route A1 between the Zeilweg and Heddernheim stations . For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed in this table that all three connecting lines at the Heddernheim station are linked to the basic line A. The Zeilweg station is therefore exceptionally assigned to two connecting lines.
  2. The section between Ginnheim and Heddernheimer Landstrasse has been built gradually since 1968 and served as a branch of the A route until December 12, 2010. On the Wiesenau - Riedberg section reinforced by the U8 line. The planned section DII was discarded and is currently being discussed with the new route as the Ginnheimer curve.
  3. The connecting line C1 is also used by individual trains of the U4 line between the Schäfflestrasse and Enkheim stations. The data in the table refer only to the U7 line.
  4. The construction section C IV is actually part of the basic section C. Since the section corresponds operationally to a connecting section, it is listed in this table.

A segment

Eschenheimer Tor underground station
U4 railcar 521 in Kalbach

The A route with its three connecting routes comprises around half of the Frankfurt subway network and combines various expansion standards, it connects subway, elevated, railway and light rail sections.

The A-route is the most important north-south axis in city traffic and runs from the Südbahnhof through the city and the Eschersheimer Landstrasse to Heddernheim . There it divides into two branches that lead to Oberursel (U3) and Bad Homburg (U2). The section of the route shared by lines U1, U2, U3 and U8 has eight underground and six above-ground stops.

The routes to Bad Homburg and Oberursel originally belonged to Frankfurter Lokalbahn AG . They run largely away from the road network and have level crossings secured by barriers . Also the play between Oberursel Station and High Mark is a developed city railway criteria former light railway stretch.

Between the Zeilweg and Wiesenau stops on the Oberursel route, the subway branches off again (U1) and goes on a newly constructed, partially underground route through the north-west of the city to Ginnheim. Between the stops Heddernheimer Landstraße (on the section to Ginnheim) and Wiesenau (on the section to Oberursel), part of the D-line forms a track triangle with the two lines. In Niederursel, the D line branches off in the direction of Riedberg.

Underground construction work at the Hauptwache in 1966

The construction of the A-line began in 1963. Originally it was planned to build the line from the city center to Eschersheim to the station Weißer Stein in the tunnel. For financial reasons, however, only the southern section of the tunnel was built and the route north of Miquelallee was brought to the surface via a ramp. In the further course the route lies at ground level on the median of the Eschersheimer Landstrasse. In spite of the above-ground routing, the stations were built very elaborately and had generous underground distribution floors, in some cases ground-level access was also possible via traffic lights . For safety reasons, the tracks were also fenced in on both sides, and pedestrians have only been able to cross the street in a few places with traffic lights.

The first route led from the Hauptwache to the Northwest City and was opened on October 4, 1968. It had five underground train stations in the city center ( Hauptwache, Eschenheimer Tor , Grüneburgweg, Holzhausenstraße and Miquel- / Adickesallee ) as well as the underground terminus at Nordweststadt in the large housing estate of the same name. The new line, called A1 , ran with U2 vehicles (see below). The depot of the municipal tram in Heddernheim served as the depot of the underground. The old storage hall in Eschersheim from the times of the local railway was separated from the track network. The hall still stands today, even if you can no longer recognize its original use.

At the same time, tram lines 23, 24 and 25 were also relocated to the new tunnel. The vehicles on the underground tram lines were made tunnels, which means that the doors were widened to bridge the gap between the (too narrow) vehicle and the platform. Unlike the underground, these underground trams did not end at the Hauptwache, but instead reached the city center tram network via a ramp in Große Gallusstraße.

From 1968 the following four lines ran through the new tunnel:

  • Subway
  • Subway tram
    • 25 Bad Homburg - Hauptbahnhof / Heilbronner Straße (later line A2 , now U2)
    • 24 Oberursel Hohemark – Hauptbahnhof / Pforzheimer Straße (later A3 , now U3)
    • 23 Bonames - Neu-Isenburg (former line 8 Heddernheim - Riedhof, later A4) .

In 1971, the previous tram line 25 in Bad Homburg was withdrawn to Gonzenheim , the line name was changed to A2 and the previous tram vehicles were replaced by railcars of the "U2" series. The terminus, which was planned as a temporary measure, still exists today.

In 1973 the subway in the city center was extended by one station to Theaterplatz station (since 1992 Willy-Brandt-Platz ). After the opening of the first section of the B line in 1974, the first transfer station between two lines was built there.

In 1974, the tunnel in the north-west of the city ​​was extended to the Römerstadt station above ground and the Römerstadt parking and turning facility was put into operation. In 1978 the line was extended by an elevated section to the tram terminus in Ginnheim .

In the same year, the Oberursel route of the former local railway was taken over into the underground network. U2 vehicles now also operated on the two new Taunus routes . Mixed operation with underground trams ended, the tunnel ramp in Große Gallusstraße was shut down, and the A4 reinforcement line was discontinued . The tunnel-accessible tram vehicles were dismantled for tram operation.

When the Rhein-Main S-Bahn started operating in May 1978, the A1, A2 and A3 lines were renamed U1, U2 and U3 (the B1 was renamed to U5 at the same time).

In 1975, construction work began on the southern extension of the A route under the Main to Sachsenhausen . This section was put into operation on September 29, 1984 and contained two underground stations, Schweizer Platz and Südbahnhof . After the completion of the S-Bahn tunnel under the Main (1990), another transfer point between the two rapid transit networks was built at the Südbahnhof.

With the extension to Sachsenhausen, the A-route network reached its expansion until 2009. Apart from the merging of two stops and the establishment of a new one in Oberursel and the construction of the Niddapark high station for the Federal Garden Show in 1989, there was no growth here.

In the 1990s and 2000s, construction work on the A route was largely limited to adjusting the platform heights. The aim is to bring all platforms to a uniform height of 80 cm above the top of the rails. In the case of the above-ground stations, this was connected to the installation of ground-level access (via pedestrian traffic lights). Some stations on Frankfurt's oldest underground line have also been renovated and redesigned ( e.g. the Grüneburgweg , Heddernheim and Nordwestzentrum stations ) or provided with lifts (Holzhausenstraße) .

On June 30, 2008, the construction of the D-IV section over the Riedberg began. Since the timetable change on December 12, 2010, the new residential area in Riedberg has been connected to the city center and to the north-west of the city with two new stops via another branch of the A route. The 12.3 kilometer long U8 line runs between Südbahnhof and Riedberg station. It serves all stations of the U3 as far as Niederursel, before turning north-east after the station and reaching the new terminus Riedberg after the Uni- Campus Riedberg station. The 10.3 kilometer long line U9 starts at the terminus of the U1 in Ginnheim and takes it to the Heddernheimer Landstraße station before turning off in the direction of Wiesenau. It then travels with the U8 to Riedberg and continues from there via Kalbach to Nieder-Eschbach. It runs together with the U2 between Kalbach and Nieder-Eschbach.

In Sachsenhausen no further construction of the lines ending there is expected in the coming years. Since 2007 it has been planned to let the trains of the U2 line end at the so-called Fürstengleis in Bad Homburg station. The route begins at today's terminus in Gonzenheim , which is to be demolished and rebuilt underground west of Gotenstrasse. The rail track is to be lowered and parallel to the Frankfurter Landstrasse in a 350 meter tunnel in place of the previous terminal to railway Bad Homburg Friedrichsdorf pass under. Then it is to be brought up to the embankment and parallel to the existing railway line at its level crossing the long mile and the motorway feeder with the S-Bahn and Taunusbahn . The planning approval decision was issued in January 2016. However, construction is not expected to start anytime soon. According to an article in the FAZ, “Lord Mayor Alexander Hetjes (CDU) reacted cautiously to the news from Darmstadt. 'That doesn't mean anything at first,' he said, referring to the outstanding financing agreement. ”And the FAZ continued:“ If the planning approval decision becomes legally binding and the financing agreement is also in place, then according to earlier information, another two years for planning and then two and a half Years of construction can be expected. ”In 2018, the citizens of Bad Homburg voted in a referendum for the construction project. The Lord Mayor then announced the first steps "in order to be able to commission the detailed planning of the route".

B segment

Dom / Römer underground station
Train in front of the Konstablerwache on the tunnel ramp in the Eschenheim facility
Flush track in the north end

The B-route consists of three different route sections. The underground trunk line runs from the main train station under the station district and the old town to Konstablerwache . Construction began in 1966 and was put into operation in two stages in 1974 (Theaterplatz – Konstablerwache) and 1978 (Central Station – Theaterplatz). To the north of Konstablerwache, the route branches into two branches with very different standards. The older branch, which has been used by the U5 line since 1974 (until 1978: B1 ), is brought to the surface via a ramp in the Eschenheim facility and runs from Scheffeleck via Eckenheimer Landstraße and Marbachweg to Gießener Straße. Between Scheffeleck and the confluence of the Oeder Weg , the route runs flush with the road for about 1200 meters, and further north on a special railway track with the exception of a section around the former station Neuer Juden Friedhof . 1974 to 2003 there was also parallel traffic with different tram lines on this section of the route. An operating line to the Frankfurt am Main tram network branches off at Glauburgstrasse, and an operating line to the A-line and to the Eckenheim car hall at Marbachweg . In 1978 the route along Gießener Straße to Preungesheim was extended. Another extension to the Frankfurter Berg S-Bahn station is planned. The planning was last confirmed by the city council in 2012, but without any specific deadlines.

The second branch from the Konstablerwache under Berger Straße with the stations Merianplatz , Höhenstraße and Bornheim Mitte , on which the U4 line has been running since 1980 , was a real subway from the start. It ended at the Seckbacher Landstrasse underground station until 2008 . In 2008, it was extended over two kilometers to the Schäfflestrasse station on the C line using the existing operating tracks of the Ost depot . Since then, some of the trains have continued to run in parallel with the U7 to Enkheim.

From 1980 to 1998, the U5 coming from the north ended at Konstablerwache station because the Pt type light rail vehicles, which were only 2.35 meters wide, could not be used on the tunnel route with the 2.65 meter wide U3 railcars . With the conversion of the Pt-type carriages to the Ptb type , the gap between the vehicles the width of a tram and the platforms of the underground stations was filled by means of front structures in the door area. Since then, the trains on the U5 line can once again use the tunnel under the old town together with the U4.

The western extension of the route from the main train station to Bockenheimer Warte , which went into operation in 2001, is currently Frankfurt's youngest underground tunnel. In particular, it will open up the Frankfurt trade fair . In terms of planning, however, the section belongs to the D line as construction lot DI .

From summer 2013 to October 2016, the above-ground stations of the U5 gradually received 800 mm high platforms. When the construction work at the Musterschule station was completed on October 9, the U5 line was the last to be switched to the wider U5 railcars . The previously used Ptb wagons were then parked and most of them decommissioned.

At the western end, the U5 will be extended into the Europaviertel by 2025 . The discussion meeting in the plan approval procedure took place in December 2014, the plan approval decision was issued in June 2016. The plan is for the underground tour from the main train station under the old police headquarters and the subsequent block development through to the new Güterplatz station to Warschauer Strasse and from there via a ramp above ground in the In the middle of Europaallee to the stations Emser Brücke , Europagarten , a community tunnel with road traffic under the Europagarten to the terminus Wohnpark am Rebstock.

C segment

Westend underground station, near Palmengarten , opened in 1986
Underground just before the Enkheim terminus

The C-route is an important east-west axis in Frankfurt city traffic. It has twelve underground train stations in the densely built-up, inner-city districts, including the two four-track Hauptwache and Konstablerwache stations used jointly with the S-Bahn that runs in the city ​​tunnel . Two underground lines connect to the tunnel in the west and another underground line to the east.

The western branches of the route begin in Praunheim and Hausen . The two branches of the route meet at the Industriehof station and lead into the tunnel through Bockenheim to Bockenheimer Warte , where you can switch to the D route served by the U4 line . The Westend is crossed under the Bockenheimer Landstrasse and the Frankfurt City is reached at the Alte Oper . In a four-track tunnel shared with the S-Bahn, the Hauptwache and Konstablerwache traffic nodes under the Zeil are approached. At Konstablerwache station, the S-Bahn and U-Bahn stop on the same platform . In Germany, this situation only exists in Cologne-Chorweiler , at Berlin's Wuhletal subway station and at Neuperlach Süd subway station in Munich .

In the three-track Zoo station , the C-tunnel splits into two branches. The southern one ends one station further at the Ostbahnhof , the northern one leads through the Ostend and Bornheim to the ice rink . At the end of the tunnel there is a tram line that follows the streets Am Erlenbruch and Borsigallee and ends after six above-ground stations in Enkheim .

The construction of the C-route was carried out using mining techniques and thus took far more consideration of the existing urban structure than the previous construction work. The heart of the C-route, the Zeiltunnel, had already been built with the construction of the city tunnel of the S-Bahn. In the east, this was only followed by a short distance to the temporary terminus at the Zoo . To the west, the tunnel followed the same route as the very first (1872) horse-drawn railway line in the city. In the architecture of the underground stations, much greater importance was attached to an attractive design than before. At the Industriehof, two former tram lines were connected via a ramp, which were initially only partially rebuilt according to urban railway standards. With the opening of the C-line to Zoo on October 11, 1986, the concept of a rail-free city center was originally intended to be implemented.

The extension of the C line through the Ostend to Enkheim was opened in 1992 after seven years of construction and has been used by the U7 line ever since . The above-ground route is also a converted tram route.

The last extension of the C line so far was the extension of the U6 line by one station from the zoo to the Ostbahnhof , which went into operation in 1999. As the second of meanwhile three underground stations in Frankfurt, this station received a glass roof and direct daylight.

The route, which is over 20 years old, is not yet in need of renovation. The only major upgrading measure on the C route was the renovation of the above-ground connecting route to the U6 line in 2004 . The stations were equipped with elevated platforms. An exception is the Fischstein station, which was relocated in the direction of Industriehof by December 2010 and was the last station on the C-route to have elevated platforms.

In the summer of 2012, the platform height in the stations of the C-route was lowered from 87 to 80 cm, generally by ballasting in the platform area. Then the gradual changeover began, first of the U6 and then the U7 to the new U5 railcars. In return, the old Ptb, U2h and U2e railcars were taken out of service. The changeover was completed in summer 2014.

There are currently plans to extend the branches to the east and west at their ends. The largest extension, the extension of the U6 to Fechenheim and possibly further to Hanau , competes with the construction of the north Main S-Bahn line. The construction of all the routes mentioned is unlikely and some will not be pursued further.

After the decision of the Roman coalition on June 9, 2017 to build a new district along the A5 motorway between Praunheim and Niederursel and Steinbach in the west, there are considerations to take the U7 underground line via the current terminus Heerstraße in the direction of Steinbach to extend.

D segment

U9 between Nieder-Eschbach and Riedberg

So far, there are only two short, unconnected sections of the D route . The section between the main train station and Bockenheimer Warte (DI) is initially used by the U4 line, the Riedbergspange (D IV) by the U8 and U9 lines . These sections are often added to the A or B route, with which they form an operational unit. This also applies to the route between Ginnheim and Niederursel, which was gradually put into operation between 1968 and 1978 as part of the A route (connecting route A1 ).

The planned tunnel construction between Ginnheim and Bockenheimer Warte (DII route) was abandoned in 2006 after the local elections. In 2010, Frankfurt citizens proposed an alternative route, some of which was above ground, which would also serve the Platensiedlung, the Westend campus of the University of Frankfurt and the Bundesbank . This planning, known as the Ginnheim curve , has been checked for feasibility since 2011 on behalf of the city council. According to a municipal report submitted in July 2015, the construction costs for the Ginnheimer curve amount to a maximum of 194 million euros. Alternatively, a shorter route variant via the Europaturm and Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße with an investment volume of a maximum of 174 million euros is to be planned. At the end of 2015, the Frankfurt city parliament decided to close the gap in principle, but without committing to either of the two options. However, construction on the project is not expected to start for a few years.

The construction of the second crossing under the Main (D III) between the main train station and Niederrad, which has been planned since the 1970s, is not expected in the foreseeable future. The construction project is not included in the current rail action plan.

Infrastructure and operations

Tunneling

In the course of time, different methods were used in the construction of the Frankfurt U-Bahn. The tunnel section between Dornbusch and Theaterplatz (today Willy-Brandt-Platz) was built from 1963 to 1966 using the open construction method. For this purpose, a correspondingly deep construction pit was dug and secured with the help of numerous steel girders and pile walls rammed into the ground (Berlin sheeting) .

The construction of the old town route from 1966 to 1971 could only be carried out in the northern section between Friedberger Anlage and Kurt-Schumacher-Straße using the cut-and-cover method. Under the old town the tunnel does not run along streets, which is why the mining method was used for the first time in Frankfurt. The first construction lot was constructed using shield driving , with approach shafts at the cathedral and at Börneplatz , the western construction lot between Römerberg and Weißfrauenstrasse using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NÖT). This later became the standard due to the lower noise and traffic pollution during the construction period, only the stations were still built using the open construction method where possible.

One solution for tunneling in narrow streets are the lines in Berger Straße ( Merianplatz , Höhenstraße and Bornheim Mitte stops) and the stop in Leipziger Straße of the same name , which have two single-track line or platform tunnels on top of each other.

When the crossing under the Main was built in the early 1980s, extensive measures to secure groundwater were required, including injections and icing.

Depots

Track systems of the
Heddernheim depot

Most of the vehicles are stationed in two large depots:

  • The Heddernheim depot , north of the station of the same name, houses the vehicles of the A lines (U1 to U3, U8, U9). The depot is located directly on the A route following the Heddernheim train station . The depot has existed since 1910, has always served the Frankfurt tram and became its depot when the first underground line started operating in 1968. In the meantime, it has been extended to the former premises of the Dünges & Schüssler company and is now located on both sides of the track system.
  • The depot East in Seckbach was opened in 2003 and has since been home to the vehicles of the B and C lines (U4 to U7) and part of the tram lines 11, 12 and 18. The depot has rail connections to the Seckbacher Landstraße (B- Route) and Johanna-Tesch-Platz or Schäfflestrasse (C-route).
Depot east

The opening of the Ost depot was an important step in separating the city and tram networks. Before that, the vehicles on the B and C lines had to drive over tram tracks across the city to their (tram) depots at Gutleut and Eckenheim after the end of operations, sometimes even in the middle of rush hour ; an operationally unsatisfactory state that has now largely ended.

In addition to the workshops of the depots, the trams and trams jointly use the Stadtbahn-Zentralwerkstatt (STZW) for major work on the vehicles. It is located in the Rödelheim district on Heerstraße , after the end of the line U6 of the same name, at a junction of the C line. However, it can also be approached from the A and B routes , partly via operating routes.

Parking facilities

Seckbacher Landstrasse turning system , which was used as a parking facility for the U4 line before the completion of BB Ost.
Parking facility in Bommersheim

Due to a lack of capacity in the depots, the following monitored parking facilities will continue to be used:

  • In Oberursel- Bommersheim there is the Bommersheim wagon hall with outside tracks, which comes from the former Frankfurt local railway . It is located between the stations Bommersheim and Oberursel Bahnhof . Most of the vehicles on the U3 line are parked here (ten 2-car trains).
  • The Römerstadt parking facility is located between the Römerstadt and Niddapark stations . There are three 3-car trains on the U1 line here.
  • The former Eckenheim depot near the Eckenheimer Landstraße / Marbachweg and Marbachweg / Social Center stations is still used for six 2-car trains on the U5 line.
  • At Eschenheimer Tor underground station, a train on the U2 line sleeps on a turning track north of the station.
  • In the turning system of the Bockenheimer Warte underground station there are two trains each from the U6 and U7 lines.
  • The turning system at the Seckbacher Landstrasse station is used to park two trains on the U4 line. The two museum cars 303 and 304 are also parked there.

Further parking facilities are located at individual train stations, which are also regularly terminated: Südbahnhof and Zoo (underground) and Oberursel Bahnhof . Trains are only parked at the Südbahnhof during the winter months (as a replacement for the Römerstadt storage facility that is not used in winter). No trains are currently parked overnight at any of the other parking facilities mentioned last.

Operations control center

Since 1979 the operation of the Frankfurt subway, as well as the Frankfurt am Main tram and bus traffic, has been controlled from a central operations control center. A computer-aided operations control system has been in use since 1987 . Until March 2018, the operations control center was located in Elefantengasse in the northeastern city center. In 2015, a project began to build a new control center in a neighboring property. A new control system was installed and the security and service center and operational monitoring were also integrated into the new operations control center . The new control center went into operation in March 2018

Subway stations

The architecture of the Frankfurt underground stations can be divided into three construction phases:

1960s and 1970s

Almost all train stations in the city center belong to the first phase. City councilor Walter Möller issued the planning contracts for the model station Eschenheimer Tor (A) in 1962 . The requirement was clearly given that the Frankfurt train stations should be very different from those of the subways in Hamburg or Berlin . Four of the six architects' offices invited took part in the contract, and the designs were each rewarded with 5,000 DM.

Escalator system at the Willy-Brandt-Platz subway station
Hauptwache underground station
Konstablerwache underground station

At the beginning of 1963 it was decided that the design by architects Wolfgang Bader and Artur C. Walter best represented the Frankfurt subway. The first stations are characterized by enamelled steel plates in front wall construction, which were timeless and easy to work with. They also served as carriers of the orientation system developed by graphic designers Hans Michel and Wolfgang Schmidt on behalf of Bader and Walter . A design by the sculptor Ingrid Hagner , also commissioned by the architects, to add abstract half-figures to the enamel panels, remained unrealized. Each station got its own color code:

colour station
White Hauptwache, Miquel- / Adickesallee, Nordweststadt
orange Holzhausenstrasse
yellow Eschenheimer Tor
blue Grüneburgweg

Almost all tunnel stations on the A route are designed for the latest design four-car trains. Only the Miquel- / Adickesallee station, which was completed first, was planned for the shorter U1 cars. Four cars of the slightly longer type U2 fit on the platform, but not four cars of the longer types U4 and U5 , where the last door of the train comes to a stop in the tunnel. An extension of the platform was waived for reasons of cost; instead, the door in question is not released when such a train approaches the Miquel- / Adickesallee station. The passengers are informed about the special feature with announcements and signs.

The Grüneburgweg and Nordweststadt stations (today Nordwestzentrum) were later rebuilt and lost their enamel panels. The blue wall cladding of the Grüneburgweg station was replaced by a green wall cladding made of ceramic tiles.

The lines also got their color code:

colour target
red Nordweststadt, Oberursel
green Bonames, Bad Homburg

The length of the bars above the station name tells the passenger where the next exit is. Transfer stations like Hauptwache had red pillars, the rest of the stations had gray ones.

However, this color concept was only used for the first expansion stage of the A-line. At the Theaterplatz station they broke away from that. The stations on the B line were given aggregate concrete panels. The ceilings are low, the platforms are narrow, and the routing is often confusing and heavily ramified. The lavishly designed Dom / Römer station only got its present form after a careful renovation. As a reminiscence of the former old town, spoilage of destroyed buildings was subsequently integrated.

The first construction phase includes: Theaterplatz (today: Willy-Brandt-Platz) (A, B), Hauptwache (A, C, S), Eschenheimer Tor, Holzhausenstraße, Miquel- / Adickesallee, Hauptbahnhof (B, S), Dom / Römer and Konstablerwache (B, C, S) (also Taunusanlage , airport and Schwalbach on the S-Bahn).

1980s

When building the C-route, more emphasis was placed on the architecture of the stations than on the earlier routes. The design should refer to the surroundings of the stations. The result is often colorful, but the quality of the design varies considerably. The Alte Oper and Westend stations are likely to be among the most worth seeing, with the latter, with its simple beauty, already referring to the aesthetics of the third construction phase around the turn of the millennium. AC Walter's group of architects was responsible for both stations . In the Westend pillars were created that are supposed to be reminiscent of palm trees, while the Alte Oper station is more based on the Renaissance style of the opera house. The blue columns on the walls are supposed to remind of the organ of the old opera . This station was the first self-supporting underground station in the Frankfurt subway network, i.e. built without supporting pillars.

Eissporthalle underground station
The converted underground station Nordwestzentrum

On the extension of the A line to Sachsenhausen, which was opened two years earlier, the Schweizer Platz station, which was built entirely using the mining technique, is remarkable. The vault-like station located deep in the earth gives more of the spatial impression of a three-aisled Romanesque crypt than that of a traffic structure. Not even the statue of a saint is missing: behind the track leading into town stands Saint Barbara , the patron saint of miners and the tunnel builder. The architect Willy Orth was responsible for this, who also designed the Kirchplatz station on the C-route with its sacred blind arcades.

The extension of the C-route to the ice rink , opened in 1992, set less unusual design accents than that of the train stations in Westend and Bockenheim, and the Ostendstrasse underground station of the S-Bahn, which went into operation in 1990, also has a much greater creative independence. On the C-route to the east, all stations were created according to the same scheme, they differ primarily only in their color scheme and the wall design.

colour station
green Habsburgerallee
yellow Parliament Square
red Ice rink

Another example of an independent design is the Nordwestzentrum station . It was completely renovated in 1989 with funds from the adjacent shopping center . It was clad with marble and received a glass window from the B-level onto the platform.

The second construction phase Frankfurter underground stations include Swiss Place , South Station , Church Square , Leipziger Strasse , Bockenheimer waiting (C), Westend , Alte Oper , Zoo , Habsburgerallee , Parliament Square , ice rink , the converted stations Grüneburgweg and NordWestZentrum , also the underground train stations Ostendstrasse , local train station and Mühlberg .

Since 1995

Bockenheimer Warte underground station, terminus of the U4 line

The S-Bahn line through Offenbach am Main , which opened in 1995, can be seen as the beginning of the third phase of Frankfurt underground stations. The identical tunnel stations Kaiserlei , Ledermuseum and Offenbach Marktplatz have a continuous barrel vault from which the stairs and elevators branch off at both ends. The platform as a whole can be visually recognized from above. The Kaiserlei station was the first to have direct daylight on the platform. The Ostbahnhof underground station (1999) followed this model.

The Messe / Festhalle and Bockenheimer Warte (D) stations, which are designed with high ceilings and coarse exposed concrete, received particularly positive reviews . At the Messe station, the lighting design was adapted so that visitors to the fair are automatically directed to the correct exit. This appears lighter and wider than the Hohenstaufenstrasse exit leading in the other direction . The exit to the Europaviertel is still closed and left in the shell. As soon as the area is built on, this exit is opened.

In the Bockenheimer Warte station, as in the part of the station that opened in 1986, a magazine for the university library was to be built above the platform. Since the university wants to give up the Bockenheim location, the plans were dropped and the high platform hall was built.

This architectural phase includes: the aforementioned S-Bahn stations Kaiserlei , Ledermuseum and Offenbach Marktplatz as well as the U-Bahn stations Ostbahnhof , Messe / Festhalle and Bockenheimer Warte (D).

Since the 1990s, glass roofs have been installed in the construction of underground stations in Frankfurt, which allow daylight to fall on the platform, to be found at the Messe / Festhalle (B / D), Ostbahnhof (C) and Offenbach-Kaiserlei (S-Bahn) stations.

vehicles

General

So far, five different six-axle vehicle types have been used for subway operations, two of which are still in use today. The series are designated with the letter U and a consecutive number. Since the changeover of the line names from A / B / C to U (1978) there has been a risk of confusion between the line names (U1 to U9) and the vehicle series (U1 to U5).

The vehicle fleet was supplemented from 1968 to 1978 by the Mt series, for tunnel operation with folding steps and extensions, six-axle tram cars with matching four-axle sidecars, and from 1974 to 2016 by the Ptb series (formerly Pt ), an eight-axle tunnel tram with folding steps and later built-in ones Widenings in the entry area.

Current use of the vehicle types
line U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6 U7 U8 U9
Vehicle type U4 , U5 U4 , U5 U4, U5 U5 U5 U5 U5 U4, U5 U4 , U5
bold = primarily used vehicle type

The driving voltage is 600–800 volts direct current , the power is supplied via overhead lines . The subway vehicles are 2.65 meters wide, the trams 2.35 meters. The vehicles currently in use are all either equipped with two driver's cabs (two-way vehicles) or only run in coupled units with two driver's cabs (type U5-50 ). With the exception of the U4-U5 combination, they can only be coupled with the same type of car. The underground vehicles run in regular service in trains consisting of a maximum of four multiple units. The trains, consisting of former tram vehicles, ran with a maximum of three railcars (type Ptb) or one railcar with a sidecar (type Mt / mt). The vehicles are connected with automatic Scharfenberg couplings. Trains can therefore be shortened or lengthened as needed during daily operations. It takes about 90 seconds for a shunter to attach or detach wagons. During this time, passengers can remain on the train (with the exception of the wagons to be suspended).

Light rail vehicles

U6 / U1 car

Prototype 1001, the first light rail car in Germany

From that of DÜWAG and six-axle manufactured developed rail - prototypes (first time at the International Transport Exhibition 1965 in Munich presented and taken in May 1966 to Frankfurt) has only two vehicles were built, which is largely based on the previously supplied tramcars. The electronic control of the Simatic type with the possibility of coupling several railcars to form train sets was new , and the car body with only one step at the entrances and a floor height of 930 mm. This made it possible to board platforms with a height of 320 to 560 mm without folding steps . The two cars, initially designated as U6 and then U1 , were the world's first real light rail cars, but series production did not take place. They were mainly used for driving school and test drives and only ran in regular service for a few years. They were shut down as early as 1976 because they could not be coupled with other subway cars and controlled multiple times. One copy has been preserved and has been on view in the Transport Museum in Frankfurt - Schwanheim since 1986 . Various colors were also tried out with the U6 cars. At the beginning they were painted ivory with gray as an accent color, corresponding to the tram colors used at the time. Blue-light blue was discarded because it looked too similar to the cars already under construction in Munich. A completely red test paint scheme (only until 1968) was also discarded in favor of the Frankfurt city colors red and white (which were later adopted for the U2 cars).

Technical specifications:

Car length (without coupling): 21.80 m
Carriage width: 2.65 m
Wheel alignment: B'2'B '
Motors / power: 2 DC motors from AEG, each 150 kW
Control: Simatic

U2 car

U2 railcar in original color

The experience gained with the two prototypes resulted in a number of changes. The U2 series vehicles were built from 1968 to 1978 in three batches with a total of 97 vehicles by DÜWAG. Five vehicles were destroyed in a major fire in 1980 on the grounds of the Heddernheim depot. Seven similar replicas were procured to replace them in 1984/1985. With a floor height of 97 cm, all vehicles had a fixed step at a height of around 68 cm. This meant that they were only suitable for use on the A route with platform heights of 32 or 56 cm.

In the course of the conversion of the A-route to a platform height of 80 cm, some of the vehicles were converted to type U2h with an entry height of 87 cm. With this type of substructure, a fixed step remained in the door area, but could still be used on 56 cm high platforms. From 2009 these trains were taken out of service and replaced by the new U5 vehicles. The use of the U2h substructure ended at the beginning of 2013. The two U2h railcars 303 and 304 received their original red and white paintwork in 2011 and will be retained as museum cars. U2h railcar 305 is also retained as a museum car and was painted red and white in 2015.

With the use of the U4 railcars from 1994, the U2 cars that became vacant were converted for use on the U4 and U7 lines. With them, the step in the entrance was completely eliminated, as the platform height on the B and C routes was 87 cm. The substructure known as U2e also received larger driver's cabs and one barrier-free door on each side of the car. At the beginning of 2015, type U2e was still running as planned on the U4 line and occasionally on the U7. As planned, U2e cars have stopped running since summer 2015. Due to individual technical defects on the U5 cars, three U2e cars were reactivated and occasionally drove on the U7 line, and the museum vehicles 303-305 were also used. On April 3, 2016, after 48 years of service, the U2 railcars were said goodbye with a special trip.

Technical specifications:

Car length (without coupling): 23.00 m
Carriage width: 2.65 m
Motors / power: 2 DC motors of 150 kW each
Control: Simatic
Available space: 64 seats, 162 standing places

U3 car

The train type U3 in the original colors

For the opening of the U4 line to Bornheim in 1980, the manufacturer DÜWAG delivered 27 new U3 vehicles that ran exclusively on this line until 2015. The U3 type received the numbers from 451 to 477. A second, much larger series was to be ordered in 1986 for operation on the C line. For cost reasons, however, this plan was dropped and the abundant Pt- type vehicles were used on the C route .

The vehicles were designed for exclusively underground operation and were constructed with a lighter construction than the previous model U2, which carried a far higher risk of accidents with motor vehicles due to its operation on above-ground light rail routes. In contrast to types U2 and P, which have vehicle fronts made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic , the car bodies of type U3 were made entirely of steel.

The vehicles had an entry / floor height of 97 cm and were therefore designed for 87 cm high platforms, which limited their use on the B and C routes. They have had a completely ground-level interior since delivery. In contrast to type U2, this enabled the doors to be distributed more evenly over the length of the vehicle. There were no more steps that made it necessary to take the bogies into account when placing the entrance doors.

From the mid-1990s onwards, the vehicles were gradually repainted in Subaru-vista-blue and their seat covers were replaced. As with the U2e vehicles, the center bar has been removed from a pair of doors in each car in order to create barrier-free entry.

In the 1990s, two specially converted cars of this type (No. 476 and 477) were successfully carried out test drives for driverless driving on the B-route during the nightly breaks. However, the system never actually came into use with passengers. The vehicles were dismantled after the end of the tests.

Like the entire B-route, the vehicles were technically prepared for power supply via a conductor rail . However, there are no plans to abandon the current overhead line operation.

In 2015, the vehicles were relocated from the U4 line to the U6 line as part of the barrier-free expansion of the U4 and U5 lines and the necessary use of U5 vehicles. The operational use of the U3 cars ended in 2017. The vehicles 451, 452 and 453 will be returned to their original state as future museum vehicles.

Technical specifications:

Car length (without coupling): 24.49 m
Carriage width: 2.65 m
Motors / power: 2 DC motors of 174 kW each
Control: Chopper control
Available space: 64 seats, 182 standing places

U4 car

The train type U4

The U4 series is a further development of the U3 type, technically and visually but primarily related to the type R tram cars . The 39 vehicles were developed as the last series for Frankfurt to date by Siemens and DUEWAG and delivered from 1994–1998. They currently run exclusively on the A and D routes, mainly on the U1, U2 and U9 lines. The vehicles are designed for a platform height of 80 cm, have an interior at ground level and provide barrier-free entry at all doors. After an accident in 2007, cars 517 and 532 were retired.

Technical specifications:

Car length (without coupling): 24.49 m
Carriage width: 2.65 m
Motors / power: 4 three-phase motors of 130 kW each
Control: Thyristor control
Available space: 63 seats, 111 standing places

U5 car

Train type U5-25 in double traction

The U5 series is the latest type of vehicle. It was first put out to tender internationally and commissioned in 2005 from the manufacturer Bombardier , who won the tender with the Flexity Swift model . Initially, 146 vehicles were ordered. The first were delivered in May 2008 and have been in use since September 2008. Like its predecessors, the series consists of two-part, six-axle articulated multiple units. The first order included alongside 54 classic bidirectional vehicles for the first time in Frankfurt, a second version with 92 new equipment vehicles . These only have a single driver's cab and a passage at the other end. In regular operation, two half-trains of this variant should together form a continuously accessible unit of double length (a total of 46 double units). These two variants are called U5-25 and U5-50, which are derived from the length of the trains in meters. The vehicles can be coupled to the U4 series in order to achieve a high degree of operational flexibility; The approval for this took place in July 2014. Such mixed groups have been operating on the U1 and U2 lines since the beginning of 2015. While the external appearance has been adapted to the U4 car, the interior design is based on the S series tram car . On December 15, 2011, a further 78 cars, including 40 U5-25 and 19 U5-50 double trains, were ordered, which will be delivered from 2015 to 2017. There are 96 U5-25 and 130 U5-50 vehicles in use. The plan is to procure 22 units without a driver's cab, which will enable a unit to be formed from two U5-50 and one or two additional middle units. This creates a train that can be walked continuously over a length of 75 or 100 meters.

During an overhaul at the Bombardier plant in Bautzen , the U5-25 cars 601 and 602 were damaged during the flood on the plant premises in 2010. Since they are unfit to drive, they have been available to the Frankfurt fire brigade as a training train in the fire brigade and rescue training center since the expansion of the still usable parts . Car 601 was equipped with a gas-powered fire simulation system in 2016 and has been in the FRTC since then, together with car 602.

Technical specifications:

Car length (without coupling): 25.02 m (U5-25) - 24.76 m (U5-50)
Carriage width: 2.65 m
Motors / power: 4 three-phase motors of 130 kW each
Available space: 48/47 seats , 6 folding seats , 136/142 standing places (U5-25 / U5-50)

Modified tram vehicles

M-cars, as they were also used on the light rail routes

The expansion plans mentioned at the beginning provided for the connection of newly constructed tunnels to existing tram routes. Since these were mostly not to be converted for the use of 2.65 m wide light rail vehicles for cost reasons, some trams were initially converted for use in tunnels (type Mt and their sidecars, type mt), later also new light rail vehicles of the type Pt were purchased, which thanks to Folding steps could run both in the tram network and on the tunnel routes. In the VÖV statistics, these were even listed as subway cars.

Tests with two three-part N-wagons (wagons 801 and 802) were unsatisfactory, so they were not used in mixed operation.

Mt / mt

The lines A3 and A4 were operated with six-axle, two-part underground trams of the type Mt (with four-axle sidecar mt) until 1978. The 26 trains, converted from type M / m trams , were equipped with folding steps and widening on the door side, so-called flower boxes, in order to close the gap between the 2.35 meter wide cars and the platforms designed for 2.65 meter cars . For this modification, the first and the last door of the M-car were converted to a single wing, as otherwise there would have been problems in the clearance profile and the vehicle taper. After the end of the underground tram service on the A route in 1978, all cars were dismantled to normal tram cars and used in the tram network until they were retired in 1998.

Pt / Ptb

Ptb car on line U5

The 100 P multiple units, which were procured in three series from 1972 to 1978, were intended from the outset for both the subway network and the tram network. Originally only 30 vehicles were equipped with folding steps for use on elevated platforms (substructure type Pt). They were used from 1974 on the U5 (until 1978: B1).

In 1986 and 1992 the remaining 70 vehicles were converted to the Pt type and used on the U6 and U7 lines. Because of the narrow vehicle width of 2.35 meters, the vehicles could not initially run in mixed operation with the 30 centimeter wider U2 and U3 subway cars. Therefore, in 1998, 59 vehicles were converted to the Ptb type, which was widened in the area of ​​the doors by means of flower boxes .

The Pt wagons were retired in 2007 and then sold abroad. The widened Ptb vehicles were in use on the U5 until 2016 as long as the conversion to elevated platforms was not completed.

Passenger numbers

Passenger numbers (in millions)
year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Subway passengers 94.3 100 97.3 95.3 95.4 95.1 98.0 109.4 112.1 114.0 115.8 117.5 117.3 116.7 123.1 127.4 132.2 134.7 143.2
Passenger kilometers 355.2 345.3 328.2 338.9 328.2 349.5 440.1 450.6 457.4 463.0 471.5 469.5 466.4 492.8 509.8 528.5 534.3 568.2
Tram passengers 48.1 45.6 44.3 43.2 43.5 43.6 45.1 47.8 48.6 49.2 49.8 50.3 49.9 54.3 57.4 59.4 61.6 62.8 66.6
Passenger kilometers 146.9 141.8 138.0 139.6 140.0 146.4 186.3 191.3 193.6 194.0 197.2 195.0 211.4 223.6 231.4 240.1 244.1 257.0
Remarks

literature

Web links

Commons : U-Bahn Frankfurt  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

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This article was added to the list of excellent articles on June 15, 2005 in this version .