U-Bahn line 8 (Berlin)

Line Berlin U-Bahn large profile
Route length:	18.1 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system :	side busbar, painted below, 750 V  =
Legend 17.2 Wittenau sweeping system 16.6 Wittenau (WIU) 15.5 Reinickendorf Town Hall (RR) 14.3 Karl Bonhoeffer Psychiatric Clinic (KB) 13.7 Lindauer Allee (LD) 13.0 Paracelsus bath (PB) 12.1 Residenzstrasse (RE) 11.3 Franz-Neumann-Platz (Am Schäfersee) (FN) to route G (U9) 10.3 Osloer Strasse (Olu) 9.5 Pankstrasse (Pk) 8.9 Gesundbrunnen (Gb) 8.1 Voltastrasse (Vo) 7.5 Bernauer Strasse (B) 6.6 Rosenthaler Platz (Ro) 6.0 Weinmeisterstraße (W) 5.2 Alexanderplatz (Ap) 4.5 Jannowitz Bridge (Jb) from route E (U5) ( orphan tunnel ) 3.9 Heinrich-Heine-Strasse (He) 3.1 Moritzplatz (Mr) 2.2 Kottbusser Tor (Kbu) 1.5 Schönleinstrasse (ST) to route H (U7) 0.7 Hermannplatz (Hpo) 0.0 0.0 Boddinstrasse (Bo) 0.8 Leinestrasse (L) 1.4 Hermannstrasse (HMS) 1.7 Hermannstrasse sweeping system

The U8 line of the Berlin subway has 24 stations, is 18.1 kilometers long and runs underground all the way. The traditional line designation was "D". It is the second north-south subway and runs from Wittenau via Gesundbrunnen to Neukölln . Therefore, it was initially called the GN line (Gesundbrunnen-Neuköllner line). It was originally planned as a suspension railway (this concept had previously been successfully implemented in Wuppertal ).

Line color and labels

Since the opening of the line, which at first was simply called GN-Bahn (Gesundbrunnen-Neuköllner Bahn), it was given the color code dark blue, which it still wears today. Until 1966, today's U8 had the letter "D" as the line designation. When the line system was changed to digits, it was given the number "8". In 1984 there was finally the “U” in front of it to better distinguish between S-Bahn and U-Bahn.

history

From Gesundbrunnen to Neukölln - the GN train

Map from 1907 with the two competing designs of the Schwebebahn-Gesellschaft and the AEG

In 1902, the Continentale Society for Electrical Enterprises from Nuremberg approached the Berlin magistrate with the aim of marketing the suspension railway system already successfully installed in Elberfeld - Barmen (today: Wuppertal districts) in Berlin. A route from Gesundbrunnen to Rixdorf (later renamed Neukölln ) was favored . The city council and city council were skeptical of the project, however, and above all they feared that the streets to be driven through would be spoiled.

The AEG put 1907 ahead of a competing design for approximately the same distance of the city inside a subway one and in the outer regions of elevated train envisaged. After lengthy negotiations, the city of Berlin finally reached an agreement with AEG in March 1912 for the construction and operation of the railway. In the end, this happened under great time pressure, since planning sovereignty in transport issues was transferred to the Greater Berlin Association from April 1912 and its position on this project was uncertain.

The line should begin as an elevated railway in Schwedenstraße and then continue over Badstraße to Humboldthain . From here the route should run as a subway through Brunnenstrasse, Rosenthaler Strasse, Weinmeisterstrasse, Münzstrasse , Kaiser-Wilhelm-Strasse, Neue Friedrichstrasse , Brückenstrasse, Neanderstrasse, Dresdener Strasse, Luisenufer, Reichenberger Strasse, Kottbusser Strasse and Kottbusser Damm to Hermannplatz . The AEG intended to build the new line in large profile.

Weinmeisterstraße underground station

Construction began in 1914. Similar to the elevated railway company founded by Siemens & Halske in 1897, AEG had created the AEG Schnellbahn AG as a subsidiary . But in the short time before and during the First World War , only a few tunnel sections were completed, including the underpass of the Spree between the Waisenbrücke and Jannowitzbrücke, later known as the “ Waisentunnel ” . The shell of the two underground stations at Bernauer Strasse and Voltastrasse has also been completed. AEG architect Peter Behrens was commissioned to design the two stations and designed round granite columns in the central axis of the platforms.

After all, the economic situation of AEG was so difficult that it stopped most of the construction work in October 1919. The city of Berlin then successfully sued AEG, whereupon the AEG Schnellbahn AG was liquidated from 1923 . The city of Berlin now received all tunnel sections that had already been built and wanted to complete the line on their own, but at that time still had to build the north-south subway between Wedding and Tempelhof / Neukölln.

At that time, sometimes adventurous plans were being discussed for a longer-term expansion of the line, for example a connection to the Heidekrautbahn in the north and the Neukölln-Mittenwalder Railway in the south , so that theoretically a local transport line from Groß Schönebeck via Berlin to Mittenwalde would have been created.

It was not until 1926 that construction work on the GN railway continued. The change of client had advantages for Berlin, because some sections were corrected, for example the northern elevated railway section, which was completely eliminated, and the course at Alexanderplatz .

First the GN-Bahn was built in the southern area, so that operations began on July 17, 1927 between Boddinstrasse and Schönleinstrasse. Between these stations there was also the aforementioned Hermannplatz station , where passengers could change between two different large-profile lines for the first time. This was built as part of the first north-south subway, which was built at the same time and opened four years earlier . A transfer track between the two lines was also included.

Then construction began further north. At the Kottbusser Tor underground station , the existing high station was moved to create a more convenient transfer situation. The operation of the main route was continued via wooden viaducts.

The planning provided for the route to continue along Dresdener Straße to Neanderstraße (today: Heinrich-Heine-Straße ) via Oranienplatz - however, the section to Kottbusser Tor would have been very short. In addition, the Wertheim Group had recognized the advantage of a subway connection using the example of Karstadt on Hermannplatz and allegedly paid five million Reichsmarks for a change of plan. The GN-Bahn should now swivel to Moritzplatz and then get a sharp curve in the northern section of Prinzenstrasse. The Wertheim department store on Moritzplatz also got a rapid transit connection. The shell of the Oranienplatz station remained unused and was filled in at the beginning of 2015 after a statics report could not rule out insufficient load-bearing capacity for the road above.

U8 platform at Alexanderplatz before renovation in 2004

From Moritzplatz, the line follows Prinzenstrasse and Neanderstrasse and temporarily ended at Neanderstrasse station. The route Schönleinstraße - Neanderstraße was opened first on February 12th to Kottbusser Tor and then on April 6th, 1928 to Neanderstraße. A year later, another station was built south of Boddinstrasse station, Leinestrasse station (opening was in August 1929).

Behind the Neanderstraße train station, the already built Spree underpass followed . However, since this had to be corrected and the Jannowitz Bridge was in poor condition, a new bridge was built with an underpass. The old "orphan tunnel" was later used for a service track between the U5 and U8.

Alexanderplatz, early underground shopping arcade

The construction of the subway at Alexanderplatz dragged on for a long time, because the situation was used for a complete redesign of the square. Some corrections have also been made to the route, so that the GN-Bahn is much better integrated into the rest of the local public transport system.

A large transfer station for the underground, S-Bahn , tram and bus was built at Alexanderplatz . The so-called “mother of all underground shopping malls” was also created at that time. Today it appears rather small compared to the Hauptwachenpassage in Frankfurt am Main, for example .

Alexanderplatz, station plan: subway stations in the form of an "H"

Today you can see an "H" on Alexanderplatz on a city map. The eastern leg of the "H" is formed by the underground station of today's U2, which opened in 1913, and the western leg of the GN-Bahn station built at the time (today: line U8). The centerpiece is the subway under Frankfurter Allee , which was already under construction at the time . Two platforms were built here, where today's U5 and a planned line from Potsdamer Platz to Weißensee (should) stop operating.

In the further course there were no longer any major obstacles, most of the AEG tunnels were already in place. On April 18, 1930, the Neanderstraße - Gesundbrunnen section was opened.

As with the other large profile line, the line operation was transferred to the elevated railway company.

Bad fate for the line

When the Wall was built on August 13, 1961, all access points for this line in what was then the Mitte district were closed. Border crossing points were not set up. In the distribution floor of Alexanderplatz station , the entrances were walled up almost beyond recognition. BVG-Ost set up bus line 78 between Arkonaplatz and the Märkisches Museum to meet the need for traffic in East Berlin .

After 1961 things did not look good for the line. Behind the six stations in Neukölln and Kreuzberg, a long transit section with six East Berlin "concluded ghost stations ", before again West Berlin area was reached to behind the station Voltastraße in the station Gesundbrunnen to end. As a result, the market value of the U8 was low, and disruptions from the GDR organs were always to be expected.

In 1962, plans emerged for a new residential area in West Berlin, the Märkisches Viertel . Similar to Gropiusstadt , this should also get an underground connection. The nearby S-Bahn line to Frohnau was not taken into account, as the Berlin S-Bahn was under the administration of the Deutsche Reichsbahn and was boycotted . After thorough checks, it was decided to extend line 8.

The second function of the Pankstrasse station as a shelter can hardly be seen

When line 9 was extended to Osloer Strasse, an underlying platform was built for line 8. After construction began in 1973, the 1.4 kilometer extension was opened on October 5, 1977.

The route runs behind the Gesundbrunnen train station and continues under Badstrasse . At the junction with the Pankstraße one was the same station built. This underground station was built in such a way that it can also be used as a shelter, for example in the event of war. For example, the station has sanitary rooms, an emergency kitchen and a fresh air supply with filters. In an emergency, exactly 3339 people can find shelter here. The additional costs were paid by the Federal Ministry of Finance . The walls were decorated with brown tiles, the supports were clad with aluminum sheets. To this day there is still a curiosity at the Pankstrasse train station, because the attached silver letters form the word “Pankstrasse”, not “Pankstrasse” like the German spelling ( Heysesche s spelling ).

The route now follows Schwedenstraße and meets the already prepared Osloer Straße station . In addition, an operating track was built here so that trains could now also be transferred from the U8 to the U9.

In the station Residenzstraße want to carpets in colorful props Berlin City Palace remember

It was not until ten years later, on April 27, 1987, that the next section of the stretch to the Paracelsus bath could be put into operation (construction work had started in 1980). The extensions on the other lines were much faster, but here they took an unusually long time.

After the Osloer Strasse train station, the route continues along Schwedenstrasse, which changes its name to Residenzstrasse shortly before the intersection with Reginhardstrasse . A subway station was built near the Schäfersee . There were many disputes about its name, and finally they agreed on Franz-Neumann-Platz (Am Schäfersee) . Like the following stations, this station has been given the unmistakable signature of Rainer G. Rümmler . On the walls you can see trees that are supposed to symbolize the park landscape around the Schäfersee.

In order to achieve better connections to the Reinickendorf district , the route makes a small detour. It does not lead under the industrial area to the Wilhelmsruh S-Bahn station , but via the Karl Bonhoeffer Psychiatric Clinic and Reinickendorf Town Hall . The route continues under Residenzstrasse, where a station of the same name was also built, then makes a long curve under the Residenzstrasse / Lindauer Allee intersection and ends after a few hundred meters at Paracelsus-Bad underground station .

The wall design of the Paracelsus-Bad station is based on that of a swimming pool

The Residenzstrasse train station, which was supposed to be a reminder of the Berlin Residence, has plans for the Berlin City Palace . The supports are extremely colorful and are supposed to be reminiscent of the rich carpets in the residence. The Paracelsus-Bad train station should evoke associations with the nearby swimming pool. In addition, pictures were attached, one of which shows the doctor and philosopher Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim) .

The new section of the route was actually supposed to open on April 30, 1987, just in time for Berlin's 750th anniversary . However, since the celebrations began on that day with a ceremony in the ICC , the then Governing Mayor Eberhard Diepgen was indispensable and the opening was therefore brought forward three days. It took a long time until the next extension in the direction of the Märkisches Viertel. It was not until 1994 that it was possible to take the U8 to Wittenau S-Bahn station .

Final expansion of the U8

Actually provisional, but probably final Wittenau terminus

The residents of the Märkisches Viertel had been promised a subway connection since the late 1960s . After examining several variants, the U8 was chosen. By 1987, two stages ( Gesundbrunnen - Osloer Straße and Osloer Straße - Paracelsus-Bad) had been reached on the way to the Märkisches Viertel. The third stage was still pending. After the BVG took over the operation of the West Berlin S-Bahn and the reopening of the line towards Frohnau on October 1, 1984, there was more and more criticism of the extension of the U8, which should run almost parallel to the S-Bahn. The West Berlin Senate was not impressed by this, however, and continued to rely on the underground construction. Even a warning from the federal government to stop its subsidies, with the request to invest the money to be built in the S-Bahn that was in need of renovation, was ignored, arguing that stopping the Berlin underground construction would make the city serious economic Would cause harm.

The first ramming took place on February 27, 1985, at that time the section of the U8 line in front of it was also still under construction. The Wilhelmsruher Damm station near the Wittenau S-Bahn station was planned as the terminus of the third stage of the expansion . It was obviously used to differentiate oneself from the S-Bahn. The Senate only corrected the station title shortly before the inauguration of the new line. Since then the station has been called “Wittenau (Wilhelmsruher Damm)”, but only “Wittenau” is in use.

From the Paracelsus-Bad train station, the route continues under Lindauer Allee. This is followed by the station of the same name , which is the only one of the U8 to have side platforms . After a long curve, the U8 now passes under the Kremmener Bahn . Due to the location of the station, there is a relatively long transfer route to the local S-Bahn station. Here, too, there was a name dispute: the S-Bahn station there was called “Wittenau (Kremmener Bahn)” - not to be confused with “Wittenau ( Nordbahn )”. The subway station should be called " Karl Bonhoeffer Nervenklinik ". This monster of words only gradually caught on as a name. On the S-Bahn, “Karl-Bonhoeffer-Nervenklinik” is announced to this day, but only “Karl-Bonhoeffer-Klinik” is displayed. The subway then passes under the clinic. In order not to disrupt operations, the shield drive was used here, and rubber matting was also required. This in turn called on the critics, who favored an open construction method with building support. During the construction of this section of the route, further problems arose: The Brandenburg sand made the work particularly difficult and numerous oversized boulders delayed the construction work.

Behind the Karl Bonhoeffer Psychiatric Clinic , the U8 line swings to Eichborndamm, where the Rathaus Reinickendorf station was also built. After 1101 meters, the U8 reaches its terminus in Wittenau . To date it is planned to extend this line into the Märkisches Viertel , but as with other subway construction projects, the extreme budgetary emergency of the state of Berlin prevents further construction.

The new line, which is 3.6 kilometers long and has four new stations, was opened on September 24, 1994. The construction of the route cost 600 million marks (adjusted for purchasing power in today's currency: around 438 million euros). As with other newly built underground lines of the time, Rainer G. Rümmler took over the design of the stations. Critics think this section would be its climax, Rümmler tended to exaggerate a little. This is particularly evident in the Lindauer Allee underground station . Here he mainly used the symbol of the Lindau coat of arms, the linden tree . At the Wittenau underground station, the colors green and yellow should radiate a certain calm, which he associated with the planned station name “Wilhelmsruher Damm”.

Plans for the construction of the Hermannstraße underground station had been in existence since 1910

Construction plans for a subway to the Hermannstrasse S-Bahn station on the Ringbahn had been in existence since 1910. Even when the parallel GN-Bahn ( Gesundbrunnen to Neukölln ) was gradually opened between 1927 and 1930, the plans for an extension were not abandoned . In 1929 the first work to the south began, but the outbreak of the global economic crisis prevented its further implementation. Ultimately, the city of Berlin, as the client, stopped work in 1931. By then, the tunnel from the Leinestrasse station and around a third of the future platform at the Hermannstrasse station had been completed.

In 1940, the station, which was still under construction, was converted into a protective bunker , as it was very deep due to the fact that it had to be crossed under the circular railway in the cut. Even today, relics are a reminder of the time.

After 1961, the plans to extend the line from Leinestrasse were no longer pursued because a transfer link with the S-Bahn operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn was not desired. The BVG used the tunnel nozzles that had already been built as a parking facility for trains that were not needed.

After German reunification in 1990, a lot seemed possible. The S-Bahn ring, which was closed after the S- Bahn strike in 1980 , was to be reopened by the Deutsche Reichsbahn. This was planned for December 17, 1993, which meant that the Senate and the BVG had to hurry because construction work on the underground station had to begin before the S-Bahn ring was reopened.

The construction work included the renovation of the old tunnel and the existing platform section, as well as the construction of the rest of the platform and a 320-meter-long sweeping system south of it. In addition, transitions to the S-Bahn platform above had to be taken into account.

In 1940 the Hermannstrasse underground station became a bunker . Clues can still be found today.

Finally, on July 13, 1996, the 168th Berlin underground station was opened. Here, too, Rainer Gerhard Rümmler was responsible for the design of the station, incidentally for the last time. He oriented himself very much towards the stations in front of it and designed a very matter-of-fact train station with turquoise tiles. In order to keep the historical bunker information visible, the tiles were replaced by glass in some places.

With the commissioning of this station, the U8 has so far reached its current final state. Although an extension into the Märkisches Viertel is planned, it is unlikely that this will be realized in the next few decades. A continuation in the direction of Britz , as previously planned, was abandoned due to the parallel traffic with the U7 .

The human event of public transport can also be clearly observed on this line .

Timetable

Due to the relatively underutilized section of the Wittenau - Paracelsus-Bad route, some trains coming from the south end at Paracelsus-Bad station, and every second train ends there on Saturdays. Since 2003, in addition to daytime traffic , there has also been nighttime traffic on the U8, which covers the entire route.

line	Mon – Thu (HVZ) (6–9: 30 a.m. and 1–8 p.m.)	Mon-Thu (NVZ) (9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)	Fri (HVZ) (6 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 8 p.m.)	Fr (NVZ) (9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)	Sat (10 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.)	Sundays and public holidays (12:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.)	Off-peak time (Mon-Fri 4: 30-6 pm Monday-Thursday from 21 pm; Fri + Sat from 22:30 pm and Sun 19-0: 30 pm / Sat 5: 30-10 pm and Sun 7-12: 30 Clock)	Night Fri / Sat and Sat / Sun as well as on the nights before public holidays (Fri / Sat 0: 30-5: 30 a.m. and Sat / Sun 0: 30-7 a.m.)
Hermannstrasse ↔ Paracelsus-Bad	05 min	05 min	05 min	05 min	05 min	05 min	010 min	015 minutes
Paracelsus-Bad ↔ Wittenau	05 min 0(school holidays 10 min)	010 min	05 min 0(school holidays 10 min)	010 min	010 min	010 min	010 min	015 minutes
On Friday / Saturday and Saturday / Sunday nights, the U8 trains run every 15 minutes between 0:30 a.m. and around 4:30 a.m. During the nights from Sunday / Monday to Thursday / Friday, the N8 night bus takes over the tasks of the U8, serving the Märkisches Viertel, Wilhelmsruher Damm - Hermannstraße route.

Clock compression

In the Berlin Senate's 2019–2023 local transport plan, the frequency will be compressed to 3.3 minutes during rush hour by 2023. From 2025, the installation of the automatic safety technology CBTC ( Communication-Based Train Control ) will begin in order to reduce the train headway time to 90 seconds by means of semi-automatic train operation (GoA2) .

Route planning

Northern expansion planning
Legend Märkisches Viertel Eichhorster way Wittenau existing route towards Osloer Strasse and Hermannstrasse
< → See: Senate Department for Transport and Enterprises

The U8 has almost reached its final stage. In the zoning plan of the Berlin Senate from 2009, only an extension into the Märkisches Viertel is planned. However, their realization is not expected in the foreseeable future. An expansion is not taken into account in Berlin's 2030 financial scenario.

In 2017, the Müller II Senate again came up with corresponding considerations. At the beginning of 2020, the results of a feasibility study for three variants of this route extension were published. An extension of the tunnel by around 830 meters to the Märkisches Zentrum would cost 112 million euros, but bus traffic could only be reduced slightly and no further extension would be possible. A 1,450-meter-long underground line including the parking facility has a greater development effect at a cost of 217 million euros. The terminus would be to the east of the Märkisches Zentrum, with an intermediate station on Eichhorster Weg. An extension in the direction of Rosenthal to the planned stop of the Heidekrautbahn would be possible. The third variant provides for an extension to the northern Märkische Viertel to Senftenberger Ring with a route length of 2.2 kilometers. The costs amounted to 386 million euros. In this case, a further extension towards Lübars would be possible. All variants assume a potential of 25,000 passengers.

Opening dates

• July 17, 1927: Schönleinstrasse - Boddinstrasse
• February 12, 1928: Schönleinstrasse - Kottbusser Tor
• 0April 6, 1928: Kottbusser Tor - Heinrich-Heine-Strasse
• 0August 4, 1929: Boddinstrasse - Leinestrasse
• April 18, 1930: Heinrich-Heine-Strasse - Gesundbrunnen
• 0October 2, 1977: Gesundbrunnen - Osloer Strasse
• April 27, 1987: Osloer Straße - Paracelsus-Bad
• September 24, 1994: Paracelsus-Bad - Wittenau (Wilhelmsruher Damm)
• July 13, 1996: Leinestrasse - Hermannstrasse

literature

• Axel Mauruszat, Alexander Seefeldt: Berlin underground lines: U8 - From Gesundbrunnen to Neukölln. Robert Schwandl Verlag, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-936573-40-4 .
• Monument Preservation Association for Local Transport Berlin: U8 - stories from the underground . GVE, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-89218-026-1 .

Web links

Commons : U-Bahn line U8 (Berlin)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Historical documents on the U8
• Berlin traffic pages
• Interactive website with photos of the benches along the U8 route
• Line course & timing table of the U8 (PDF)
• Online timetable information from the BVG

Individual evidence

1. ^ Deutsche Straßen und Kleinbahnzeitung , May 23, 1914
2. ↑ Florian Schulz: Oranienplatz ( Memento from February 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ The historical building is now to be filled in. In: Berlin Week . January 14, 2015, accessed February 9, 2015 . 
4. ↑ Mark Perdoni and Mitya Churikov: Move the U8 - Berlin's bloodstream , rbb24.de. February 8, 2020
5. ↑ Thomas Loy: This is how BVG and S-Bahn should run in the future . The daily mirror . February 26, 2019 .: "Additional lines are to be given a ten-minute cycle, on underground lines 2,5,6 and 8 a 3.3 minute cycle is to be introduced by 2023."
6. ↑ Appendix 8 to the Berlin public transport plan 2019-2013 "Framework timetable" . Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection of Berlin. February 25, 2019.
7. ^ Peter Neumann: BVG wants subways to run every 90 seconds . Berlin newspaper. December 11, 2019.
8. ↑ Ralf Reineke: BVG + S-Bahn: Driverless public transport instead of failures due to lack of staff? from Senate . Berlin traffic. August 21, 2019 .: "The BVG announces:" The BVG is expected to begin with a partial automation CBTC on the U5 and U8 from 2025/2026. The automation takes place in the expansion stage GoA2, the driver remains as a fallback level for the door control and for the driving order. ""
9. ↑ Senate Department for Transport and Enterprises, as of 1995
10. ↑ Senate is examining the expansion of the subway to BER and the Märkisches Viertel. In: Der Tagesspiegel , July 1, 2017
11. ↑ New underground lines cost up to 607 million euros. In: Berliner Zeitung . March 17, 2020, accessed April 14, 2020 . 

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