Subway station
As a subway station (alternatively also subway station or subway stop , abbreviated U-Bf. , U-Bhf. Or U-Hst. ) Are stations of various rapid transit systems ( subway , light rail, etc.) designated. They can be in a low position, at ground level or in a high position. The designation is primarily based on the structural condition of the building and not on operational aspects, such as the operation of a subway system. An important prerequisite for the corresponding designation is that the route is independent of the influences of other road users. This is ensured by creating crossing structures above or below the tracks . In addition, in many places today there is the technical equipment which, due to the independent route, in many cases already enables fully automated handling of the trains.
In local public transport networks, underground stations often function as a hub and often serve as an important local transfer point for bundling or distributing traffic flows. This can be a change between two high-speed transport lines as well as a change to lower-class modes of transport such as trams or buses .
General
In some German-speaking cities that have an underground network, the term underground station is used almost exclusively instead of the underground station, such as in Vienna . In Hamburg the term underground station is used.
Underground stations are visibly marked on the outside by a corresponding sign. In Germany it has been - since the 1980s at the latest - the white “U” on a blue square, in Vienna on a blue circle. In Berlin , a white “U” was previously used on a rectangle on the narrow side for identification, in Hamburg the large “U” only had a blue outline.
Depending on the design and the available building site, some of the stations have a building structure as an entrance hall . Stairs lead to the platforms , often also escalators . A subway station is considered barrier-free if it has elevator system (s) or ramps or moving walks that lead from street level to platform level. Since 2004, all underground stations in Vienna have been equipped with an elevator or can be accessed at ground level and are therefore barrier-free. This is also the case in Munich and Nuremberg .
While most of the underground stations in Germany no longer have on-site staff, z. B. in London and in many Eastern countries the stations are staffed. These are - especially in the entrance area - for service ( ticket sales , assistance with disabilities) and for safety on duty, the areas of the platforms and stairs are usually monitored by cameras. Most of the platforms in German underground stations also have emergency telephones and emergency stop switches.
Underground stations are often named after topographical conditions in the vicinity, for example after the place name of an area, the district or long-distance train stations, especially in the inner city area of larger cities after streets, squares or buildings. The name can also be reminiscent of former buildings, for example the Görlitzer Bahnhof underground station in Berlin or the Stubentor and Schottentor underground stations in Vienna. More rarely, the name has no connection to topographical objects and bears the name of a person or a subject such as the Lakweon station (Korean for pleasure garden, paradise ) of the Pyongyang Metro , possibly to make it heroic . In most cases, transfer stations between two or more underground lines have the same name, but this is not necessarily the case in systems mainly in Eastern European countries. A station with several lines can have different names depending on the line.
The largest underground station in the world is Châtelet - Les Halles station on Métro Paris . Five metro lines and three RER lines meet at this station .
Designs
The types of construction of underground stations can be differentiated into three upper types (low, at ground level and high) according to the platform level in which they are built. The structures on the same level are similar to one another and adapted to the respective specific circumstances.
Common to all designs are the variants of the platform arrangement . These can be arranged either in the middle or on the side. Each of the variants has its advantages and disadvantages. Side platforms enable trains to enter and exit in a straight line , as the tracks do not have to be swiveled for this. This results in a quiet position for the vehicles, especially for standing passengers before getting off and after getting on. The driver has a good view of the tracks. There are fewer signs of wear and tear for rails or wheel tires , since lateral acceleration is avoided. It is also possible to adjust the platform length or width at a later date. The disadvantages, however, are the need for double equipment with staircases, installations and fixtures on the platform level. This also extends to the technical monitoring systems and when personnel are deployed to supervise the platforms , a double staffing is required. Normally, both platforms are arranged opposite one another. In different cities, however, depending on local conditions, the platforms were also implemented one behind the other or distributed over different levels.
The central platforms offer the direct alternative. With a peak load, the full platform width is available for one load direction. The orientation of the users is made easier and an economical design, especially of the staircases, is made possible. A more economical solution is also possible here when staff are used to dispatch trains. The areas at the platform ends can accommodate operating rooms and sweeping or control tracks. The disadvantages are due in particular to the warping sections in front of and behind the platform. In addition to the starting and braking forces, lateral accelerations occur here, which have a noticeable effect on standing passengers. The necessary widening of the route tunnel leads to higher construction costs.
The so-called Spanish solution has occasionally caught on at stations with a particularly high frequency of use . Here the track is accessed from two sides with platforms and ideally the exit is organized on one side and the entry on the other side. A central platform in combination with two side platforms serve this purpose. This means that trains can be dispatched in a shorter period of time. A very early example of this is the Chambers Street subway station in the New York subway network from 1913. Other examples also exist in the Charles de Gaulle - Étoile subway station in Paris or the Düsseldorf Merkur Spiel subway station, completed in 2004 -Arena / Messe Nord ., In Sheppard-Yonge underground station in Toronto there is a central platform for the later introduction of the Spanish solution as a preliminary construction work .
layout
General
The architectural and artistic design of underground stations was already thematized and implemented when the first structures were erected. In Berlin, each of the major construction periods had an architect who was primarily responsible. It was Alfred Grenander , Bruno Grimmek and Rainer G. Rümmler , whose design signature still characterizes Berlin's underground stations today. It was similar with Paolo Nestler at the Munich U-Bahn, whereby the U-Bahn department itself designed several U-Bahn stations. In the 1990s, more and more orders were awarded to various architectural offices. The Stuttgart office Auer + Weber + Assoziierte designed the Westfriedhof underground station, which opened on May 23, 1998, together with the light artist Ingo Maurer .
In Nuremberg the Metro Unit initially designed the first railway stations before in the 1980s by the Civil Engineering Department in cooperation with the Georg Simon Ohm University , Department of Visual Art, the first competitions for the station design among students awarded were. From the 1990s onwards, glass architecture , which made use of stainless steel , light colors and glass as design elements , became increasingly popular , and the station design was awarded to external architects and designers for the first time. However, students from the Ohm University were responsible for the design of the Fürth train stations.
In some cases, however, direct commissioning gives way to competition for the best design solution. For example, as part of the redesign of the mezzanine floor of the Marienplatz underground and suburban railway station in Munich, which has been in operation since the 1970s, a realization competition was carried out, which the Allmann Sattler Wappner office won. As part of the planning for the Wehrhahn Line in Düsseldorf, an international competition was announced for all underground stations along the entire route. Here, the “netzwerkarchitekten” office developed a concept for the line that stages the sequence of the individual underground stations as a spatial continuum.
Design of the metro stations in Paris
Construction methods
In the case of underground stations built in the underground, a general distinction is made between three construction methods (open construction, closed construction and special processes). This is often due to several factors. The particular nature of the subsoil and the groundwater conditions play a major role and, associated with this, the planned underground location and expansion of the tunnel systems. In addition, the scope and type of the planned surface uses or special technical requirements for the structure can play an important role. The construction method to be implemented on the route to be built with the underground station also has a special influence.
Additional information
See also
- Tunnel station - Explanations of the general term for underground stations
- " Ghost train station " - Explanations about closed or unopened train stations
- Tower station (subway)
- List of cities with subways - Overview of cities with subway networks
- List of cities with light rail - an overview of cities with light rail networks, including some that serve subway stations
literature
- Christoph Hackelsberger, Stefan Müller-Naumann: Subway architecture in Munich . Prestel-Verlag, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-7913-1827-6
- Florian Schütz: Munich U-Bahn Album: All Munich U-Bahn stations in color . Robert Schwandl Verlag, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-936573-19-0
Web links
- Architecture of the subway stations
- Metro stations in the former Soviet Union
- Metro Bits: Art and Architecture in the Subway (Worldwide)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d e Friedhelm Blennemann: U-Bahn and Stadtbahnen in Germany, planning construction operation . alba, Düsseldorf 1975, ISBN 3-87094-304-1
- ↑ Robert Schwandl: Berlin subway album. All 192 underground and elevated stations in color . Robert Schwandl Verlag, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-936573-01-8
- ↑ Florian Schütz: Munich U-Bahn Album: All Munich U-Bahn stations in color . Robert Schwandl Verlag, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-936573-19-0
- ↑ competitionline.com - Competitions: Redesign of the mezzanine floor at the Marienplatz U and S-Bahn station
- ^ State capital Düsseldorf - Wehrhahn Line: Excellent design