Düsseldorf light rail
| Basic data | |
| Country | Germany |
|---|---|
| city |
Düsseldorf , Duisburg , Neuss , Krefeld , Ratingen , Meerbusch |
| Transport network | VRR |
| opening | August 6, 1988 |
| Lines | 11 |
| Route length | 85.5 km |
| Stations | 166 |
| Tunnel stations | 22 (Düsseldorf: 16, Duisburg: 6) |
| Long-distance train stations | 4th |
| use | |
| Shortest cycle | 10 min 2½ min (for events) |
| Residents in the catchment area | 1,014,000 |
| Employee | 2,731 |
| vehicles | 103 B80 33 GT8SU 76 NF8U |
| operator | Rheinbahn |
| Gauge | Standard gauge (1435 mm) |
| Power system | 750 V = ( overhead line ) |
The rail Dusseldorf , together with the train the backbone of the local public transport ( PT ) of the NRW capital Dusseldorf , which by further tram - and bus lines is completed. On some lines, the trams run beyond the city limits of Düsseldorf to the neighboring cities of Neuss , Meerbusch , Krefeld , Duisburg and Ratingen .
The Düsseldorf network is part of the Rhein-Ruhr Stadtbahn . After preliminary operations with a first tunnel section began in 1981, the entire public transport system on the heavily frequented axis between the old town and the main train station has been underground since 1988 when the inner city tunnel was opened . The high-floor operation started here and the later conversion of the vehicle fleet for tram operation to low-floor technology has led to a predominant separation of the rail-bound public transport into a light rail and a tram network.
With the start of line operations on the Wehrhahn Line on February 21, 2016, the light rail network grew to a route length of 85.5 and a line length of 188.2 kilometers. The eleven - instead of the previous seven - lines are operated with 135 vehicles from the Rheinbahn and on the U79 line together with the Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVG).
The tariff of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) applies to the entire network .
history
Subway planning
The original plans of the 1960s envisaged an underground system for Düsseldorf. In 1959, based on the results of a special commission made up of the city administration, the police and the Rheinbahn, the city of Düsseldorf considered a 47-kilometer classic underground network with five lines. Following their designs, this should have completely replaced the tram with just three supplementary bus lines and made the state capital's traffic routes suitable for cars.
The intention was to have several route sections leading to different parts of the city, which would have been bundled into two main routes in the city center. A link between these was planned at a central underground station on today's Heinrich-Heine-Allee . However, these plans were modified by the influence of the North Rhine-Westphalian state government as a financial sponsor in favor of a light rail system in the entire Rhine-Ruhr area .
Rhein-Ruhr urban railway
The planning of a Stadtbahn Ruhr in the Ruhr area was already well advanced at the end of the 1960s when the Düsseldorf planning was included in the overall system (now Stadtbahn Rhein-Ruhr ). The Düsseldorf plans had to be adapted in accordance with the construction work that had already started in Duisburg's urban area. Instead of starting in the south of the city with a connection between the university and the city center, the construction of the northern part of today's main line at the old trade fair was brought forward. The network planning has now been extended to four main routes.
The first trunk line was to lead the overland line from Duisburg through the city center and Oberbilk to the southern sky spirit . The second trunk line should lead the connections from Krefeld and Neuss through the Düsseldorf city center to Lierenfeld . A common four-track tunnel in the section between Heinrich-Heine-Allee and the main train station was planned for these first two trunk lines. The third trunk line provided an inner-city connection between Benrath in the south and the Grafenberg district in the east.
The fourth trunk line was to lead from Bilk , located south of the city center, north to the Unterrath district . Connection points should be at Düsseldorf-Bilk train station (3rd and 4th), at Oststraße underground station (1st, 2nd and 4th), and at Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station (1st, 2nd and 3rd). ) and at the Pempelforter Straße underground station (3rd and 4th).
The construction work for the tunnel sections of the first and second trunk line was largely completed in 2002. Until the extension of the inner city tunnel to Oberbilk that year, the above-ground stop at Stahlwerkstraße was served directly behind the ramp east of the main station . Between the two directional tracks of the stop was a four-track sweeping system with a storage capacity for a total of 12 light rail cars, which was also abandoned.
Construction work on the third main line, the Wehrhahn Line, began in November 2007. It was put into operation on February 21, 2016. The plans for the fourth trunk line are not being pursued any further. During the construction of the Oststraße underground station, no preliminary construction work was carried out, as was the case at the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station with the construction of a third underground level. In addition to individual route additions, a different route for another main route from Düsseldorf Central Station to the Medienhafen is being considered. This was included in the city's local transport plan (2002–2007).
The original subway plans provided for trunk line 1 coming from Oberbilk to be routed through what will later be the federal horticultural show site in the south park . Before planning for the BuGa, a larger development measure with residential houses was planned. This route would have connected the Heinrich Heine University . However, these plans were not pursued any further. In 2005 and 2006, the student representatives of the Düsseldorf universities campaigned massively for a direct connection between all university locations in the city and organized a collection of signatures for this purpose. The local transport plan 2002–2007 already provided for this connection. The Düsseldorf city council finally made a positive decision in 2006 to build this route.
These began in 2009 and could be completed a year later. Now the U79 was led from its previous terminus at Kaiserslauterner Strasse over the route of the U74 and U77 lines to the Werstener Dorfstrasse stop and from there swung onto the route of the tram lines 701 and 713. All that was necessary was to install a junction between the two routes mentioned . The existing branch of lines 707 and 716 to the Universität Ost stop was then used along the route . The city estimated the cost of this measure at EUR 8.6 million.
stretch
The Düsseldorf light rail network was originally designed with four trunk lines. The first and second trunk lines have been in operation since 1988 .
The third main line ( Wehrhahn Line ) was opened on February 20, 2016 after nine years of construction. The planning of the fourth main route was abandoned. For this purpose, two other routes were included in the long-term planning, trunk route 5 (U81) and trunk route 6 .
First and second trunk line
The tram, which has been in operation since 1988, brings all lines together in a common tunnel. The northern route (towards Duisburg) is the first trunk line of the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn. The second main line is the name for the relation Krefeld / Neuss - Hauptbahnhof - Eller.
Northern route
The first tunnel to be built was north of the city center. The tunnel, which was completed in 1981 and used with a preliminary operation, began with a ramp in front of the opera house . The tunnel then crossed under the Hofgarten and reached the Nordstrasse underground station in the Pempelfort district . The next stop was the underground station Victoriaplatz / Klever Straße , at the time of its opening it was still Klever Straße with no name affix. Shortly before the Kennedydamm the route reaches the surface again. The following section to Reeser Platz is still intended for an underground route. The construction of the tunnel extension was prepared accordingly by continuing below the ramp on Kennedydamm. From the Reeser Platz station to the Freiligrathplatz stop or to the exhibition center , the line was equipped with elevated platforms in the 1990s and brought up to light rail standard on its own route.
The branch to the trade fair or Merkur Spiel-Arena at Freiligrathplatz was last prepared for network expansion in 2004 with the construction of the Arena / Messe Nord train station (now: Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord). There, a route previously branched off at the level of the north park is to meet the existing tracks again. In addition, a Rhine crossing with connections to Neuss or Meerbusch and Krefeld is planned. The further course of the route northwards towards Duisburg already largely corresponds to the current tram standard. The remaining stops are also to be equipped with elevated platforms.
Inner city tunnel
The core of the Düsseldorf light rail network went into operation in 1988. The inner city tunnel begins with a ramp at the level of the art academy . From there, the lines from Neuss, Krefeld and the districts of Düsseldorf on the left bank of the Rhine come over the Oberkasseler Bridge . After a stop at the Tonhalle, you will be led into the tunnel. The tracks of the northern line will be threaded in at the level of Ratinger Tor. The first stop is the Heinrich-Heine-Allee connecting station . The lines just described stop here on two central platforms on four tracks. There is a shopping arcade on the floor above. In the third underground level, preliminary work in the form of a tunnel section has already been built to enable the transfer to the lines of the third trunk line. The further course of the tunnel now combines the pairs of tracks running in a common direction. A two-story tunnel is created. The following train stations, Steinstrasse / Königsallee and Oststrasse, including distribution levels, have three floors. Only at the main station are the tracks on the same level again, as at Heinrich-Heine-Allee station next to each other on two directional platforms .
At the main station there are transfer connections to all Düsseldorf S-Bahn lines and the regional and long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn. The tunnel now leads to an underground parking facility. At the time of its opening, the tracks behind the main train station led to the surface again. However, due to the further expansion towards Eller and Oberbilk, these were dismantled together with the Stahlwerkstraße stop on the surface.
Former entrance to the ramp at Stahlwerkstraße (August 2008)
Former turning system at Stahlwerkstrasse (August 2008)
Tunnel towards Eller
In 1993, the extension of the inner city tunnel towards Eller was put into operation. The tunnel was continued to the east with a subsequent swivel to the south. The first further underground station Handelszentrum / Moskauer Straße was built with two staggered levels. This made it possible to unthread the tunnel that was later built towards Oberbilk. The route leading towards the city center stops at the higher platform. An international trading center was to be built in the vicinity of the new train station, the plans of which have only been partially implemented until today (2007). The Kettwiger Straße underground station was built further along the route . Here you can change to trams and buses. Shortly after this, a ramp leads the route back to the surface. After a short stretch on its own track structure with a stop at a station with an elevated platform, the route is continued in the street space without its own area. Further construction of the tunnel is not planned and an extension with its own track structure is not possible due to the cramped conditions.
Oberbilk tunnel
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Between 1996 and 2002 a tunnel borer was used to branch off the tunnel behind the main train station through Oberbilk. This resulted in three underground stations and, in a second section, another three above-ground stops. The subway station Oberbilker Markt / Warschauer Straße forms the beginning from the direction of the city center. Two entrances lead to a gallery from which the two side platforms can be reached. The construction of this, due to the construction with a tunnel boring machine, is so far a novelty in the Düsseldorf light rail system. They were also created in the Ellerstrasse and Oberbilk Bf train stations . The latter opens up the Mitsubishi Electric Halle event hall (formerly Philipshalle) and creates a link to the S-Bahn and tram at the Oberbilk S-Bahn station. In the further southern course, the route reaches the surface via a ramp system. In the following, in addition to a parking facility, three elevated platforms and a separate, independent track area were built. The section south of the crossing A 46 was already equipped with its own track structure in the 1990s, but not with elevated platforms. An extension of the U74 tram line to Benrath, which had ended in Holthausen , was implemented in September 2009. Since the Wehrhahn line went into operation in February 2016, however, this line has ended again in Holthausen - with the exception of two morning school trips.
Line to Krefeld (K-Bahn)
The K-Bahn takes its name from the time when the Düsseldorf tram began. The overland routes to the surrounding cities were part of the Düsseldorf local transport service early on. In order to make them easier to distinguish from the inner-city tram lines, they were not marked with numbers but with letters. These were based on the target cities. The line to Krefeld carried the letter K and became the K-Bahn in common parlance. Today the lines U70, U74, U76 and U77 can be combined under this name. These run in Düsseldorf from the districts of Holthausen, Oberbilk and Stadtmitte to the districts on the left bank of the Rhine and on to Meerbusch and Krefeld.
Line to Duisburg (D-Bahn)
The second overland route that still exists today was built to the neighboring city of Duisburg to the north . Light rail construction began on the D-Bahn in both cities. In Duisburg, work began on above-ground routes; in Düsseldorf, the tunnel on the northern route was preferred to the start of construction in the south of the city. Today, the U79 line connects the University of Düsseldorf with downtown Duisburg, where it is part of the Duisburg city railway . The U78 line also runs on this route, which connects Düsseldorf Central Station with the exhibition grounds and the Merkur Spiel-Arena . In the future, an extension of the route in the north to Meerbusch on the left bank of the Rhine is planned.
Route to Neuss
The line from Düsseldorf via Oberkassel to Neuss was opened on August 5, 1901. With the opening of the Südbrücke on October 12, 1929, line 16 ran from then on as a ring line from Düsseldorf main station via Oberkassel, Heerdt, Neuss, Südfriedhof and Graf -Adolf-Strasse to Düsseldorf Central Station. With the restructuring of the network in the 1970s, line 16 was renamed line 5. Due to another interruption of the ring traffic in the 1980s, line 5 remained on the northern part of the ring that ran through Oberkassel. A new line took over the southern part over the south bridge. With the opening of the inner city tunnel in 1988, line 5, which had already been renamed 705 when the VRR was founded in 1980, was moved into the tunnel. Line 705, which at that time still ended south of the main train station via the former ramp Stahlwerkstraße in Oberbilk, has been shuttling between Neuss and Eller as line U75 since the opening of the Handelszentrum - Ronsdorfer Strasse tunnel on September 26, 1993.
Wehrhahn Line
In 2007, construction of the third main line began, for which the term Wehrhahn Line was established. In contrast to the previous high-floor routes, it was designed for low-floor trams of the type NF8U , which had been in use in the city of Düsseldorf's tram network since 2007 .
On February 20, 2016, the underground stations were officially opened with a public festival and a shuttle service, the following day regular operations of the U71, U72, U73 and U83 lines began. The individual, artistic design of the individual subway stations by Düsseldorf artists received international attention.
With the opening of the Wehrhahn Line, above-ground tram operations on this route were ended.
The 3.4 kilometer long Wehrhahn Line tunnel begins west of the Düsseldorf-Wehrhahn train station . The four tram lines have been running a common route since the previous Uhlandstraße stop above ground. A hundred meters to the west of the Wehrhahn station is the ramp that leads into the tunnel.
The first underground station is the Pempelforter Straße subway station , which is located at the junction with Oststraße under Am Wehrhahn street. Then the tunnel runs along Schadowstrasse to the Schadowstrasse underground station . This is followed by the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station , where the Wehrhahn Line crosses under that of the inner city tunnel. You can change to the U70, U74, U75, U76, U77, U78 and U79 lines.
Because there was an advance construction work for a central platform long before the actual start of construction on the Wehrhahn Line, the station was ultimately the only one on the Wehrhahn Line to have a central platform. The other five stations are equipped with side platforms.
Then the Wehrhahn tunnel follows the barracks and later the Elisabethstrasse underground to the Benrather Strasse , Graf-Adolf-Platz and Kirchplatz underground stations , before the tunnel ends shortly before the Düsseldorf-Bilk train station . There the lines of the U71, U73 and U83 in the direction of Benrath or University and the U72 in the direction of Volmerswerth separate.
Lines with an independent track
The following routes are located in the Düsseldorf city area and are or will be equipped with an independent railway body . Unless otherwise stated, these are pure high-floor routes. The information on the lines operating on the routes refer to the current operation or the 2017 local transport plan.
| route | Installation | Lines | Train protection | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in operation | Freiligrathplatz - frog pond | U 79 | Above ground, route continues to Duisburg city area, expansion from August 6, 1925, level crossings with barriers for vehicles and level crossings without barriers for pedestrians available | ||
| in operation | Rather Broich - Hubertushain | U 72 | Above ground, low-floor operation, the route continues in the Ratingen city area, barrier level crossings for vehicles and non-barrier level crossings for pedestrians are available | ||
| in operation | Kennedydamm / Musikhochschule - Opera House or Heinrich-Heine-Allee | 3rd October 1981 | U 78 U 79 U 80 U 82 | LZB | Tunnel with 2 underground train stations, opera house ramp demolished before May 7, 1988 |
| in operation | Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Central Station (S) | May 7, 1988 | U 70 U 74 U 75 U 76 U 77 U 78 U 79 U 80 U 82 | LZB | Tunnel with four underground stations, from 2002 the ramp at Stahlwerkstraße demolished and the operating line Kölner Straße dismantled |
| in operation | Luegplatz - Heinrich-Heine-Allee | August 6, 1988 | U 70 U 74 U 75 U 76 U 77 | LZB | above ground on the Oberkasseler Bridge , above ground train station, ramp and tunnel with turning system |
| in operation | Central station (S) - Ronsdorfer Straße | September 26, 1993 | U 75 U 76 | LZB | Tunnel with 2 underground stations and a ramp |
| in operation | Central station (S) - Kaiserslauterner Strasse | June 15, 2002 | U 74 U 77 U 79 | LZB | Tunnel with 3 underground stations and a ramp |
| in operation | Freiligrathplatz - Arena / North Exhibition Center | September 26, 2004 | U 78 U 81 | - | above ground |
| in operation | Südpark - University East / Botanical Garden | U 73 U 79 | - | Above ground, high and low-floor operation, grass track, barrier-free level crossings for vehicles and barrier-free level crossings for pedestrians are available | |
| in operation | Werstener Dorfstrasse - Südpark | U 71 U 79 U 83 | - | above ground, high and low floor operation | |
| in operation | Pempelforter Strasse - Bilk (S) | 20th February 2016 | U 71 U 72 U 73 U 83 | IMÜ ZUB 200 | Tunnel with 6 underground stations, low-floor operation |
| under construction | Freiligrathplatz - Airport (S) | 2024 | U 81 U 82 | LZB | Tunnel, planned airport connection, short-term realization according to NVP 2017 |
| planned | Lörick - Arena / North Exhibition Center | by 2030 | U 78 U 81 | LZB | Planned Rhine crossing as a bridge or tunnel, medium-term realization according to NVP 2017 |
| planned | Reeser Platz - Arena / Messe Nord | by 2030 | U 80 | LZB | Tunnel, planned southern trade fair bypass, medium-term realization according to NVP 2017 |
| planned | Airport (S) - Airport train station | by 2030 | U 81 U 82 | LZB | above ground, medium-term realization according to NVP 2017 |
| planned | Victoriaplatz / Klever Straße - Reeser Platz | after 2030 | U 78 U 79 U 80 U 82 | LZB | Tunnel, planned extension of the tram tunnel with 2 underground stations, long-term realization according to NVP 2017 |
| planned | Bilk (S) - university clinics | - | U 71 U 73 U 83 | IMÜ ZUB 200 | Tunnel with 2 underground stations, low-floor operation, expansion of the Wehrhahn line, no long-term implementation according to NVP 2017 |
| planned | Wehrhahn (S) - Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency | - | U 72 U 73 U 83 | IMÜ ZUB 200 | Tunnel with 3 underground stations, low-floor operation, extension of the Wehrhahn line, no long-term implementation according to NVP 2017 |
| discarded | Schadowstrasse - Spichernplatz | - | - | - | Hofgarten curve |
| discarded | Franziusplatz - Central Station (S) | - | - | - | Tunnel, connection to the media harbor |
A high-floor line with an independent railway structure, which lies completely outside the Düsseldorf city area - namely in Meerbusch and Krefeld - is part of the former K-Bahn and runs between the Krefeld-Dießem and Düsseldorf-Lörick stops. There are barred level crossings for vehicles and non-barrier level crossings for pedestrians. The U 70 and U 76 lines run on this route and, at times, the U 74 line from / to Meerbusch, Görgesheide . After the construction of the tram bridge over the Rhine at the exhibition grounds (probably by 2030), the U 78 line will also be extended over this route to Meerbusch (during peak hours to Krefeld) as a replacement for the U 70 , which will then be canceled .
Routes with a special track structure
The following routes in the Düsseldorf city area have at least one special track . Again, these are pure high-floor routes, unless otherwise stated.
| route | Lines | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| in operation | Lörick - Prinzenallee | U 70 U 74 U 76 | |
| in operation | Am Seestern - Prinzenallee | U 77 | |
| in operation | Prinzenallee - Belsenplatz | U 70 U 74 U 76 U 77 | |
| in operation | Neuss-Am Kaiser S - Dominikus Hospital | U 75 | |
| in operation | Belsenplatz - Luegplatz | U 70 U 74 U 75 U 76 U 77 | |
| in operation | Freiligrathplatz - Reeser Platz | U 78 U 79 U 82 | |
| in operation | Heinrichstrasse - Hansaplatz | U 71 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Rather Broich - Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency | U 72 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Gerresheim, Hospital - Auf der Hardt / LVR-Klinikum | U 83 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Schönaustraße - Gerresheim Town Hall | U 73 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Uhlandstrasse - Pempelforter Strasse | U 71 U 72 U 73 U 83 | above ground and tunnel ramp (Am Wehrhahn between Adlerstrasse / Worringer Strasse and Wielandstrasse), low-floor operation |
| in operation | Kaiserslauterner Strasse - Werstener Dorfstrasse | U 74 U 77 U 79 | |
| in operation | Auf'm Hennekamp - Südpark | U 71 U 73 U 83 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Werstener Dorfstrasse - Holthausen | U 71 U 74 U 77 U 83 | High and low floor operation |
| in operation | Niederheid - beautiful view | U 71 U 83 | High and low floor operation |
| planned | Gerresheim S - After the Mauresköthen | U 73 | Low-floor operation, short-term implementation according to NVP 2017 d. H. around 2020 |
| planned | Südpark - University canteen | Either U 73 or U 79 | Either low-floor or high-floor operation, medium-term implementation according to NVP 2017 d. H. by 2030 |
| planned | Handweiser - Lörick | U 81 | medium-term realization according to NVP 2017 d. H. by 2030 |
| planned | Airport train station - Ratingen-West | U 81 | long-term realization according to NVP 2017 d. H. after 2030 |
| discarded | Vennhauser Allee - Gerresheim S. | U 75 | The test assignment will be modified in the NVP 2017: Instead of a tram connection, an extension of line 705 is to be tested. |
Routes with a road surface
The following routes in the Düsseldorf city area (still) have a road-flush railway body . Some railway bodies are hatched, so that mixed traffic with motor vehicles is generally prohibited. Again, these are pure high-floor routes, unless otherwise stated.
| route | Lines | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| in operation | Dominikus Hospital - Belsenplatz | U 75 | |
| in operation | Reeser Platz - Kennedydamm | U 78 U 79 U 82 | |
| in operation | Hansaplatz - Uhlandstrasse | U 71 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Gerresheim S - Schönaustraße | U 73 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Gerresheim Rathaus - Auf der Hardt / LVR-Klinikum | U 73 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | On the Hardt / LVR-Klinikum - Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency | U 73 U 83 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Schlüterstrasse / Employment Agency - Uhlandstrasse | U 72 U 73 U 83 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Vennhauser Allee - Ronsdorfer Straße | U 75 | |
| in operation | Benrath depot - beautiful view | U 71 U 83 | High and low floor operation |
| in operation | Niederheid - Holthausen | U 71 U 83 | High and low floor operation |
| in operation | Bilk S - Auf'm Hennekamp | U 71 U 73 U 83 | Low-floor operation |
| in operation | Bilk S - Hellriegelstrasse | U 72 | Low-floor operation |
Stations
The lines of the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn serve a total of 161 stations. These are located in both Düsseldorf and Neusser, Meerbuscher, Krefelder, Duisburg and Ratinger urban areas.
31 stations have been newly built as underground stations or stops that have been expanded to meet the needs of the underground. In order to guarantee the independent operation of the railways, there are no possibilities to cross the tracks at such stations on the surface. Instead, the platforms can only be reached via overpasses or underpasses . There are a total of twelve underground stations in the Duisburg city area. Of these, six are in the tunnel and six are open. With the exception of the St. Anna Hospital underground station, the open ones are all in an elevated position, which means they were built on a bridge. 19 other underground stations are located in the Düsseldorf city area. Here three train stations have been built on the surface, which are at street level.
business
Lines
Current line network
Eleven lines currently serve the Düsseldorf light rail network. All of these lines except the U71, U73, U77, U78 and U83 leave the Düsseldorf city area and connect it with the neighboring cities of Neuss , Meerbusch , Krefeld , Duisburg and Ratingen .
The operating concept used does not match the original concept of the trunk lines. The lines of trunk line 2 from the left bank of the Rhine almost completely serve the parts of trunk line 1 southeast of the main station.
The lines of both trunk lines could be routed separately through the inner city tunnel. According to the original planning, the lines behind the main train station should be unthreaded again. The line coming from Krefeld was to serve the branch towards Eller or Lierenfeld.
A change in line operations meant that this separation was not implemented. In order to achieve a better connection of the lines, the lines running in one direction were combined in one level. Today the U75 line coming from Neuss, which meets the other line of the second main line at Belsenplatz in Oberkassel , leads to Eller. The lines from Meerbusch and D-Lörick, together with the U79 line from Duisburg, serve the route to Oberbilk, which was originally only intended for the latter. According to this changed operating concept, we can speak of three main connections that build on the originally planned two trunk lines.
Three new lines for the improved connection of the exhibition center and the airport and the extension of the U78 to Meerbusch and Krefeld are in the planning stage.
| line | Light rail line | opening | Line length | Stops (of which in the tunnel) |
Travel time (approx) | Average speed |
Average distance between stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U70 |
Main station - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - Lörick - Meerbusch - Krefeld Rheinstraße express line with omission of intermediate stops  Monday to Friday only from 6:34 a.m. to 7:54 a.m. and from 4:56 p.m. to 6:36 p.m. every 20 minutes |
1988 | 22.4 km | 17 (5) | 40 min | 33.6 km / h | 1317 m |
| U71 | Rath - Heinrichstraße - Wehrhahn - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Bilk - Uni-Kliniken - Wersten - Holthausen - Benrath - Benrath Depot Monday to Friday every 20 minutes. Some of the trips only to / from Heinrichstraße |
2016 | 18.4 km | 37 (6) | 53 min | 20.83 km / h | 497 m |
| U72 | Ratingen Mitte - Rath - Düsseltal - Wehrhahn - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Bilk - Hellriegelstraße
|
2016 | 15.4 km | 31 (6) | 42 min | 22 km / h | 496 m |
| U73 | Gerresheim - Grafenberg - Düsseltal - Wehrhahn - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Bilk - University Clinics - University of East / Botanical Garden
|
2016 | 13.5 km | 30 (6) | 39 min | 20.76 km / h | 450 m |
| U74 | Holthausen - Wersten - Oberbilk - Hauptbahnhof - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - Lörick (- Meerbusch, Görgesheide) to Meerbusch only on weekends or during rush hour on weekends sometimes further as line U76 towards Krefeld |
1994 | 21.2 km | 31 (8) | 46 min | 27.65 km / h | 683 m |
| U75 | Eller - Lierenfeld - Central Station - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - Heerdt - Neuss Central Station
|
1993 | 15.6 km | 28 (7) | 42 min | 22.29 km / h | 557 m |
| U76 | Handelszentrum / Moskauer Straße (only in the direction of Krefeld) - Central Station - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - Lörick - Meerbusch - Krefeld
on weekends sometimes continue as line U74 towards Holthausen |
1988 | 23 km | 28 (6) | 45 min | 30.67 km / h | 821 m |
| U77 | Holthausen - Wersten - Oberbilk - Hauptbahnhof - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - Am Seestern only Mondays to Saturdays |
1994 | 11.6 km | 22 (8) | 30 min | 23.4 km / h | 531 m |
| U78 |
Main station - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Golzheim - Stockum - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord at trade fairs, sporting events or concerts every 2½ minutes the Sportpark Nord / Europaplatz stop is served every 30 minutes Planned extension: Lörick - Meerbusch (- Krefeld) |
1988 | 7.9 km | 15 (6) | 18 min | 26.33 km / h | 526 m |
| U79 |
DU-Meiderich Bf - Duissern - Duisburg main station - König-Heinrich-Platz - Steinsche Gasse - DU-Kesselsberg - D-Wittlaer - Düsseldorf main station - Kaiserslauterner Straße - D-Universität Ost / Botanical Garden only Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. every 10 minutes to the University of East / Botanical Garden, otherwise to the main train station |
1988 | 38.2 km | 50 (15) | 74 min | 30.56 km / h | 764 m |
| U80 | Main station - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Golzheim - Messe-Süd - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord
|
In planning | - | - | - | - | - |
| U81 | Neuss Hbf - Lörick - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord - Airport Terminal - Airport Train Station - Ratingen-West
|
In planning | - | - | - | - | - |
| U82 | Central Station - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Golzheim - Stockum - Airport Terminal
|
In planning | - | - | - | - | - |
| U83 | Gerresheim Hospital - Grafenberg - Düsseltal - Wehrhahn - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Bilk - Uni-Kliniken - Wersten - Holthausen - Benrath Depot only Mondays to Fridays from 4:53 a.m. to 8:32 p.m. every 20 minutes |
2016 | 18.3 km | 35 (6) | 51 min | 21.53 km / h | 522 m |
Line network before the tram tunnel went into operation in 1988
Lines before the opening of the Düsseldorf Hbf - Heinrich-Heine-Allee tunnel section, before the line was renamed with a U designation. The express lines 76 and 79 led to the differentiation of red line numbers , which should indicate that they did not serve all intermediate stops.
| line | Line course | attitude | vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Jan-Wellem-Platz - Oberkassel - D-Lörick - Meerbusch - Krefeld, Rheinstrasse
|
1988 | 2 × B80D |
| 79 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Graf-Adolf-Platz - Opera House - Stockum - Kaiserswerth - D-Wittlaer - DU-Albertus-Magnus-Strasse - König-Heinrich-Platz - Duisburg Hbf
|
1988 | 2 × B80C DVG , 2xB80D Rheinbahn |
| 705 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Jan-Wellem-Platz - Oberkassel - D-Handweiser - Neuss Hbf - NE-Stadthalle
|
1993 | 2 × B80D, 2 × GT8SU |
| 710 | Eller, Vennhauser Allee - Oberbilk - Düsseldorf Hbf - Jan-Wellem-Platz - Oberkassel - D-Lörick - Meerbusch Hoterheide
|
1988 | 2 × GT8SU |
| 711 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Jan-Wellem-Platz - Stockum - Kaiserswerth
|
1988 | 2 × B80D |
| 717 | D-Holthausen - Oberbilk - Düsseldorf Hbf - Jan-Wellem-Platz - Oberkassel - D-Lörick
|
1994 | 2 × B80D, 2 × GT8SU |
| 718 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Jan-Wellem-Platz - Stockum - Messe / Rheinstadion
|
1988 | 2 × B80 |
Line network after the tram tunnel went into operation in 1988
Lines that have served the section between Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof and Heinrich-Heine-Allee since the tunnel was opened on May 7, 1988, including renaming individual lines to U designations. E-cars were initially marked with a crossed line signal (red crossbar) on the Stadtbahn .
| line | Line course | attitude | vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| U76 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - D-Lörick - Meerbusch - Krefeld, Rheinstrasse
|
- | 2 × B80D |
| U78 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Stockum - Messe / Rheinstadion
|
- | 2 × B80D |
| U79 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Stockum - Kaiserswerth - D-Wittlaer - DU-Albertus-Magnus-Strasse - König-Heinrich-Platz - Duisburg Hbf
|
- | 2 × B80C DVG , 2 × B80D Rheinbahn |
| 705 | D-Oberbilk - Düsseldorf Hbf - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel - D-Handweiser - Neuss Hbf - NE-Stadthalle
|
1993 | 2 × B80D, 2 × GT8SU |
| 717 | D-Holthausen - Oberbilk - Düsseldorf Hbf - Heinrich-Heine-Allee - Oberkassel (- Am Seestern) - D-Lörick - Mb.-Hoterheide
|
1993 | 2 × B80D, 2 × GT8SU |
vehicles
Overview
The following table contains all light rail vehicles ever used, sorted by vehicle number.
| Traffic operation |
Type | Construction year | Vehicle number |
Design | Door type | Show | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rheinbahn | GT8SU | 1975 | 3101-3104 | High floor | Folding doors | Scrolling advertisements | Formerly dining car , converted from GT8S 3101–3104 in 1981, three vehicles scrapped, 3101 handed over to the Institute of the North Rhine-Westphalia Fire Brigade in Münster for training purposes |
| Rheinbahn |
 GT8SU |
1973-1974 | 3201-3236 | High floor | Folding doors | Scrolling advertisements | 1981 Conversion from GT8S 3001–3036, partially parked, car 3211 scrapped after a fire in the Duisburg-Grunewald depot on February 16, 1983. The vehicles were modernized until 2013, with the interior fittings being matched to those of the new NF8U, but they did not get the upholstered seats like those of the B80D. |
| Rheinbahn |
 NF8U |
2006-2007 | 3301-3315 | Low floor | Pivoting sliding doors | Matrix displays | Vehicle for the Wehrhahn Line |
| 2010–2012 | 3316-3376 | LED indicators | Delivery of the 2nd series (61 vehicles) began on March 26, 2010 and ended in April 2012. | ||||
| Rheinbahn |
 B80D |
1981 | 4001-4012 | High floor | Folding doors | Dot matrix displays (green), (formerly roller conveyor systems) | Car 4001 scrapped after an accident in 2001 on the former ramp at Stahlwerkstraße |
 B80D |
1988 | 4101-4104 | High floor | Folding doors | Dot matrix displays (green), (formerly roller conveyor systems) | with dining car | |
 B80D |
1985-1993 | 4201-4288 | High floor | Folding doors | Dot matrix displays (green), (formerly roller conveyor systems) | 4275 was briefly equipped with orange LED displays | |
| DVG |
.jpg) B80C |
1984 | 4701-4714 | High floor | Folding doors | Dot matrix displays (green), (formerly roller conveyor systems) | |
.jpg) B80C |
1984 | 4715-4718 | High floor | Folding doors | Dot matrix displays (green), (formerly roller conveyor systems) | Conversion from dining car, only three double doors on each side |
The vehicles of the Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft ( DVG ) run on the U79 line. For testing the type B light rail vehicle, the 5027 (now 5128) vehicle from the then EVAG was temporarily in Düsseldorf.
On March 19, 2015, the Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe and the Rheinbahn placed orders for the delivery of a joint high-floor vehicle type. Delivery should start in 2017. After technical problems with a prototype that collided with a platform in Duisburg, the first vehicles were received in Düsseldorf at the end of 2019. After exercising an option in May 2019, the total number of vehicles ordered now amounts to 59. The 28 meter long and 2.65 meter wide vehicles are referred to as HF6 (high-floor vehicle, 6-axle) at Rheinbahn .
GT8SU
For the initial operation on the northern route opened in 1981, in addition to the twelve B80D cars that had already been delivered, cars from the GT8SU series (see Mannheim type ) were also used. These had already been procured in two series as GT8S in 1973/74. 36 of these vehicles, originally designed for normal tram operation, were converted to tunnel-accessible trains: they were given higher bogies in order to adapt the floor height to the elevated platforms. In addition, folding steps were installed on the doors with four steps. The most characteristic feature of these vehicles was the new, asymmetrical front end: In order to keep the first wing of the foremost door on the right in the direction of travel in the platform alignment, the front ends of the vehicles were widened on one side. The vehicles are still in use today (company numbers: 3201–3236). The four dining car GT8S on line D were converted to GT8SU in 1981, but after the kitchen had been expanded in the meantime, they were retired and scrapped around 2000. At that time, all GT8SUs had to be taken out of service for a few months, as the bogies had to be overhauled after accidents with total losses in the tunnel.
The initial considerations of carrying out preliminary light rail operations on the lines to be completed in the following years, however, were adapted. Elevated platforms were built in the underground stations right from the start, and in some stations in the Ruhr area and in Cologne, operations were started with lower platform heights so that tram vehicles could also be used on the completed tunnel routes. From the beginning of 2012, all vehicles of this type were modernized so that they can continue to be used. The passenger compartment was equipped with new, blue upholstered seats and the vehicles are now equipped with fire alarms and sprinkler systems. They were also given a light gray-red paint finish, which should visually approximate the silver low-floor vehicles. The modernization of all 32 vehicles cost the Rheinbahn about 10.5 million euros.
Light rail car B
From 1981, vehicles of the type B80D were procured for light rail operations, which enable barrier-free entry and exit on elevated platforms. At stops with low platforms or entry from street level, the folding steps installed below the doors fold out and allow entry via two or, with the newer models, via three steps; In addition, there are the sliding steps that can be extended under the steps.
Low-floor vehicles
The permanent mixed operation between light rail and tram vehicles made a new fundamental decision necessary when expanding the light rail network. The future routing of the trains using the Wehrhahn Line tunnel will use the same tracks on the surface as the tram network, which has now largely been converted to low-floor technology. A permanent mixed operation of high-floor light rail cars and low-floor trams would have been an undesirable development. So the decision was made to build the new light rail line, similar to the last Dortmund light rail line (U43 / U44) , using low-floor technology. For example, vehicles were ordered for the new routes through the Wehrhahn tunnel, which are a further development of the NF10 type developed for the tram network. On April 18, 2007, the first new NF8U vehicles began regular service in the tram network (3301–3303). These have been in use on the U71, U72, U73 and U83 lines since February 20, 2016.
Depots
The vehicles of the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn were and are used from the Heerdt and Lierenfeld depots.
Heerdt depot
The depot, which was built between 1928 and 1929, was designed by the Düsseldorf architect Eduard Lyonel Wehner and has been a listed building since 1997. The depot, located in the district of the same name on the Handweiser, has housed - since the route to Neuss main station was exclusively served by light rail vehicles - predominantly light rail vehicles of the B80 and GT8SU series. In addition, individual tram railcars that are used on lines 704 and 709 are stationed in Heerdt. The hallmark of the depot in the Fahrzeugumläufen is H .
Lierenfeld depot
The Lierenfeld depot is located on Lierenfelder Straße and is currently the Rheinbahn's newest depot. It replaced the former Derendorf and Wersten depots. The depot has exits to Erkrather Strasse and Karl-Geusen-Strasse. Its registration number in the vehicle circuit is LS (for Lierenfeld rail). After the closure of the Am Steinberg depot, it is the only depot for the Düsseldorf tram. Modifications are currently being made to accommodate the Wehrhahn Line wagons.
Planned depot
In the original urban railway plans of the 1970s, a new depot in the Itter district was planned. The connection to this should be made via trunk lines 1 and 3. The plans were discussed again in the 1990s. Popular resistance resulted in a scaled-down version that was presented a few years later. This project ultimately failed due to funding. In the meantime, other locations for the foreseeable growing fleet of light rail vehicles were discussed, including locations in the districts of Holthausen and Bilk . The Am Steinberg depot, which has since been abandoned, is located in the latter district. The new depot was to be built here in the direct vicinity of a motorway junction. An expansion of the existing depot was also considered at this time. The high financial outlay combined with the lack of funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia led to a more cost-effective solution. The Lierenfeld depot was expanded until 2010.
Parking area at Sportpark Nord / Europaplatz
Before the renovation of the Sportpark Nord / Europaplatz station in 2004 (formerly: Messe / Rheinstadion), there was a parallel, double-track system there. The outer track led directly to the station. The inner track could be reached via a switch and included a turning loop. After the construction of the multifunctional LTU arena , a new underground station was built on the surface, which took over the function of the Messe / Rheinstadion stop. Before the construction of the new stadium, the stop was used to connect the Rheinstadion and Messe Düsseldorf . With the renovation of the stop, the turning loop disappeared and a single-track stop remained, which is only used in the direction of Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord.
Parking area at Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station
In the north of the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station there is a double-track turning system , which is used for evening trips on the U74 and U76 lines, which have their terminus at Heinrich-Heine-Allee. This system is also used on Rose Monday. On this day, a special train runs between the Heinrich-Heine-Allee and Düsseldorf Hbf stations. There, B80 trains made up of four cars are used. In addition, this is only possible in this section, as the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn was initially planned as a full subway and therefore these platforms were designed correspondingly longer.
A single-track siding connects to the south, which was initially designed as a connecting track to the Wehrhahn Line. But during the construction of the subway, the connection was not considered profitable.
Accidents
Cable fire at Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station
A cable fire on October 20, 1991 in the Heinrich-Heine-Allee subway station caused the Düsseldorf tunnel network to be completely closed. In the following nine days, the light rail lines ended at the stops outside the tunnel. The light rail trains did not run through the tunnel again until October 29, but without stopping at Heinrich-Heine-Allee station. This did not happen again until November 30th, when the Rheinbahn resumed normal light rail operations.
Derailment at the main train station
On August 10, 2001, the B80 underground tram with road number 4001 coming out of the Stahlwerkstrasse sweeping system derailed shortly before the Hauptbahnhof stop and had an accident in the former Stahlwerkstrasse ramp so badly that the car was torn in two. Since the car was not yet in regular service, no passengers were injured, regardless of which there were considerable delays in rush hour traffic.
Railway accident in Wersten
On November 28, 2014, at 10:55 a.m., a U79 train going in the direction of Wittlaer derailed in a right-hand bend in the Gleisdreieck at the Südpark stop. In addition to many passengers in shock, ten people, one of them seriously, were injured. After the front car of the train derailed, the rear one also derailed and became wedged with the front one. A technical failure could be excluded.
expansion
Wehrhahn Line
One of the largest construction projects for the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn was the third trunk line, known as the Wehrhahn Line. Their routing is already evident from the first metro plans. It was to be the first tunnel to be built in the 1970s and opened in 1988.
Instead, the construction of the first and second trunk line with the two-story inner city tunnel was brought forward. In order to keep the later effort for the Wehrhahn Line as low as possible, both the lower level (−3) for the Wehrhahn Line and a short tunnel section (approx. 160 cm) were built in the area of the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station Meter). Since a central platform was being structurally prepared at this time, a central platform was built at this stop as the only underground station along the Wehrhahn line.
After construction work on the Oberbilker Tunnel began, the Düsseldorf city council dealt with the third trunk line in the light rail network. The foreseeable high costs for a route completely in the tunnel in the inner city area led to alternative considerations to the original planning. In 1997, the Red-Green Council majority decided to investigate a section of the tunnel under the title Heinrich-Heine-Linie . However, the results of the study did not lead to a satisfactory result, so that even before the local elections , which were then imminent, an SPD-CDU majority decided on August 19, 1999 to build a large solution under the well-known name of the Wehrhahn Line. This envisaged a tunnel beginning at the level of the light road in the north-east and ending at Moorenplatz in the south of the city. In the course of detailing the plans and registering for funding with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , however, it became clear that the budgeted funds of 1.2 billion marks at the time would not be sufficient for a tunnel of this length. After adapting the plans, the city administration presented a significantly shorter tunnel variant to the public and the Düsseldorf city council.
The tunnel, which has now been completed, is 3.4 kilometers long, making it the largest construction project in the light rail network in recent years. Following the plan approval procedure operated by the city of Düsseldorf between September and November 2004 , the plan approval decision was issued by the Düsseldorf district government in March 2007. After the first groundbreaking on November 28, 2007 at the location of the future Graf-Adolf-Platz underground station, work began in February 2008. The route begins with a stop on the surface at Düsseldorf Wehrhahn S-Bahn station . This is followed by the tunnel ramp to the west on the already sloping road. This is followed by the Pempelforter Straße underground station .
Originally, two separate underground stations were planned at the intersections of Pempelforter Straße / Am Wehrhahn and Jacobistraße / Am Wehrhahn. According to early plans, the latter was to become the crossing station with trunk line 4. For cost reasons, the two underground stations in the street Am Wehrhahn were merged into one station at the level of Oststraße.
The next train station is called Schadowstrasse . At Heinrich-Heine-Allee , the first two rail lines are crossed. This is followed by the Benrather Straße , Graf-Adolf-Platz and Kirchplatz train stations . In front of the Düsseldorf-Bilk S-Bahn station , the line emerges from the ground again and stops there at a stop on the surface.
The route was opened on February 20, 2016. In contrast to the previously high-floor tram lines in Düsseldorf, operation with low-floor vehicles of the type NF8U was planned for the Wehrhahn line . This was specially ordered by the Rheinbahn for operation on this light rail route and the first cars have been in use in the Düsseldorf tram network since April 18, 2007.
U-Dax
The construction of the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn has been accompanied by the figure of the U-Dax as a mascot since the groundbreaking ceremony . The figure was from the back in Hilden living Baukreis Artists Joka Friedrich (born November 4, 1920 in Wiesbaden , † April 21, 2018) created. It is a roof in the shape of a construction worker with blue dungarees and a protective helmet of the same color . The Rhein-Ruhr Stadtbahn logo is shown in white on the chest. This is used both as a figure of identification in information materials and on special occasions by people in costumes. In addition, the output comes from collectible figurines made of hard rubber on special occasions during the light rail construction.
The first of these figures was issued on March 24, 1973, as part of the groundbreaking ceremony in Fischerstrasse. It depicts the U-Dax with a jackhammer in its hand. Two or three years later the tool changed to a spade that the U-Dax carries on its shoulder. This figure appeared in two editions in relation to the under-exploration of the Hofgarten, the only difference being the light and dark shade of blue. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station on January 13, 1979 was the occasion for the third edition. Here the figure relies on a diversion sign to indicate the temporary changes in route associated with the tunnel construction. In the same year, the Kö-Graben on Königsallee is drained and the area is used as a facility for the construction sites. The move of the swans that live there becomes the subject of another character that appears in September of the same year. The U-Dax carries a swan in its arms, and the floor on which it stands is labeled Königsallee.
A year later, on September 20, 1980, the groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation of Düsseldorf Central Station took place. The junction between the Stadtbahn and the S-Bahn is symbolized by the equipment of the U-Dax with a railway hat and a winker (with the S-Bahn logo). The construction of the tunnel between Heinrich-Heine-Allee and Königsallee made it necessary to pass under the Wilhelm-Marx-Haus and under it an interception structure. The figure, published in 1981, therefore lifts a model of the building into the air and wears a yellow helmet. Like the second edition, the successor figure was published twice and appeared in the context of the construction of the two underground stations Steinstraße / Königsallee and Oststraße. For the first time, the version from March 1983 bears the Düsseldorf city coat of arms instead of the Stadtbahn logo on the dungarees. The U-Dax shows itself in motion and stretches the thumb up. The second edition in September 1985 differs in two respects. The light rail logo is shown again and the logo of the company Strabag involved in the construction is on the construction helmet .
After all figures had been released at the beginning of construction work, the next figure for the commissioning of the Düsseldorf light rail was published on May 7, 1988. The U-Dax wears a gray conductor's hat with the Rheinbahn logo and a handheld device for ticket sales. After a two-year break, the construction of the tram continued on Erkrather Strasse / Ronsdorfer Strasse in the direction of Eller. The laying of the tracks in the tunnel made it possible to replant trees in many places. The U-Dax, which appeared in December 1990, carries one of those in its hand. Construction of the Oberbilker Tunnel began seven years later in January 1997. The segment lifted up by the U-Dax illustrates the type of shield tunneling used here for the first time in Düsseldorf.
For the first time in the history of Düsseldorf light rail construction, a construction project began on January 12, 2004, which was located exclusively above ground. The connection to the LTU arena was to be made by a new, three-track underground station. For this purpose, the figure was supplemented with a model of the arena, into which the lying U-Dax looks into. The facial features and the body have been significantly changed with this edition. Construction of the Wehrhahn Line began with the groundbreaking on November 28, 2007 on Graf-Adolf-Platz. The GAP 15 high-rise building, which characterizes the square, complements the U-Dax, which is about to break the ground, in the figure that appeared for the occasion. The last figure so far appeared on March 1, 2010, here the U-Dax presents the cutting wheel of the shield tunneling machine for the tunnel construction of the Wehrhahn Line with outstretched hands . The occasion was the start of the shield drive and the naming of the tunnel, which began north of the Bilk train station. So far 15 different figures have appeared.
Planning
Bypassing the fair
| (U80) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The connection of the south entrance of the Düsseldorf exhibition center to the light rail network has been promoted since the 1990s. Both a route on the surface and one in the tunnel were examined and discussed in order to take account of the trade fair company's wish for better transport connections. The planning, supported by a Red-Green Council majority, provided for a continuous above-ground route. In the 1999 local election campaign, the discussion between an above-ground and a tunnel solution was thematized by a citizens' initiative and became a city-wide topic. As a result of the election and the change to a black and yellow council majority, the concept for an above-ground solution was discarded and the administration commissioned with the investigation of a route in the tunnel.
For both variants, a branch between the Reeser Platz and Nordpark / Aquazoo stops was and is planned, with the tunnel solution using a ramp. At the same level as an area formerly used by the British Army, the route is to be led from Kaiserswerther Strasse to the west. In the further course this passes the Engländerwiese on the southern edge of the Nordpark and turns north into the Rotterdamer Straße just before the banks of the Rhine. In the course of this, it passes the south entrance to the exhibition center , where the Messe-Süd underground station is to be built. Shortly before reaching Heinz-Ingenstau-Straße at the level of the RheinHalle , the route should lead to the surface again. After a swivel to the east, the Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord underground station, completed in 2004, and thus the existing light rail network, are reached.
However, according to announcements by the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, full funding of the tunnel project is not foreseeable. Therefore, considerations were made to align the funding to a route on the surface and to allow the additional costs arising from the tunnel to be borne solely by the state capital Düsseldorf.
On February 11, 2009, the majority of the CDU and FDP in the Düsseldorf Transport Committee decided to build the route, with calculated costs of 85 million euros. However, this decision was put into perspective again in the same year. In view of the difficult economic situation, Düsseldorf's Lord Mayor Elbers announced that planning would be postponed by five to six years. The chances of realizing this route increase with the planning for a connection between the exhibition center and the airport. The U80 line, which is intended for operation, is to start at the main station and reach the airport via the exhibition grounds. However, this can only be achieved by driving around the exhibition grounds.
| line | Line course | opening | Length (km) | Stops (subway stations) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U80 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Messe Süd - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe-Nord | open | 2.2 | 0 (1) |
Airport line
The new line to be built for this line begins at today's Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord underground station and is to cross the Rhine on a new bridge there . On the left bank of the Rhine, it crosses the route of the U70, U74 and U76 lines in Lörick and then connects to the southern Meerbusch . It then reaches the existing Handweiser stop, which is served by the U75 .
The implementation of the planning was decided on September 27, 2001 by the City Council of Düsseldorf in connection with the Olympic bid. This route was considered sensible by the district government, but the state does not currently have any funds for implementation.
An extension of these plans beyond the trade fair to the airport and Ratingen-West is also under discussion . The route planning from the exhibition center to the airport was largely completed by the turn of the year 2005/2006. For the other end of the route, there are plans to extend the route along the Neuss Rhine port to the planned Hammfeld industrial park and Rheinparkcenter. A small solution from the Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe to the airport has recently been discussed.
| line | Line course | opening | Length (km) | Stops (subway stations) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U81 | Neuss - Lörick - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe-Nord - Airport Terminal - Airport Train Station - Ratingen-West
|
? | ? | ? |
| U82 | Construction section Freiligrathplatz - Airport Terminal
|
planned for 2024 | 1.9 | (1) |
Kennedydamm tunnel
| U78, U79, (U80), (U82) | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||
The first tram tunnel to be built, which so far ends behind the Victoriaplatz / Klever Straße underground station , is to be extended beyond Kennedydamm . The new Kennedydamm and Theodor-Heuss-Brücke underground stations would then be built . A ramp shortly before the Reeser Platz stop would enable the connection to the existing route, which has its own track structure from there. The Golzheimer Platz stop would be closed upon completion.
The existing tunnel ends directly in front of the busy Kennedydamm crossing. The railways are regularly forced to wait. In the further course of the street, the tram shares the street space with individual traffic, partly spatially separated by lane markings. The three stops in this area have not yet met the light rail standard. Due to their location on the edge of the road, they still correspond to a poorly equipped tram stop.
A variant of this route was discussed in the 2004 local election campaign. This planned to better connect the businesses located along Kennedydamm by swiveling the route to the east.
However, despite an entry in the 2002-2007 local transport plan, the plans were postponed for an indefinite period of time. In the 2017 local transport plan, the project is again classified as feasible in the long term (after 2030).
| line | Line course | opening | Length (km) | Stops (subway stations) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U78 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Kennedydamm - Theodor-Heuss-Bridge - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe Nord | open | 1.3 | 0 (2) |
| U79 | University of East / Bot. Garden - Kennedydamm - Theodor-Heuss-Bridge - DU-Meiderich Bf | open | 1.3 | 0 (2) |
| U80 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Kennedydamm - Theodor-Heuss-Brücke - Messe Süd - Merkur Spiel-Arena / Messe-Nord | open | 1.3 | 0 (2) |
| U82 | Düsseldorf Hbf - Kennedydamm - Theodor-Heuss-Brücke - Airport Terminal | open | 1.3 | 0 (2) |
Construction work
Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station
For many years, the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station had a third level that was not open to the public. This was a preliminary construction work for the Wehrhahn Line. Its construction was already planned when the station was completed in 1988 and was completed in 2016. The state of development before the start of construction work on the Wehrhahn line was only rudimentary. Only two tunnel sections and staircases were built from the platforms of trunk lines 1 and 2. A complete platform did not exist. Due to the tunnel sections that have already been built, this must be designed as a central platform. The other stations along the tunnel route, however, have side platforms. This station is mainly the reason for the purchase of the new NF8U trains, which allow entry on the left side with doors on both sides.
Angerbogen underground station
The plans of the 1970s envisaged a satellite town for several thousand inhabitants in the Duisburg urban area between the Kesselsberg and St. Anna Hospital stations . For this purpose, a train station for today's U79 line was planned and built. Since the plans for the large housing estate were not pursued, there was no significant catchment area for the station and the already completed station never went into operation.
See also
literature
- State capital Düsseldorf Office for Traffic Management: Local Transport Plan 2002–2007 . Publication, Düsseldorf 2003
- Hans G. Nolden: The Düsseldorf tram . GeraMond, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-932785-02-9 .
- Richard Jacobi, Dieter Zeh: The history of the Düsseldorf tram - From the horse tram to the light rail . EK-Verlag, Freiburg 1995, ISBN 3-88255-401-0 .
- Volkmar Grobe: Stadtbahn Düsseldorf - From the beginnings of track-guided traffic to the city-connecting rapid transit system . Ek-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 2008, ISBN 978-3-88255-848-7 .
- Axel Schild, Dieter Waltking: The Rheinbahn - city traffic in and around Düsseldorf . alba, Düsseldorf 1996, ISBN 3-87094-355-6 .
- Dieter Höltge: Ruhr area from Dortmund to Duisburg . In: Trams and light rail vehicles in Germany . tape 4 . EK-Verlag, 1994, ISBN 3-88255-334-0 .
- Dieter Höltge, Michael Kochems: Lower Rhine without Duisburg . In: Trams and light rail vehicles in Germany . tape 9 . EK-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 2004, ISBN 3-88255-390-1 .
- Friedhelm Blennemann: U-Bahn and light rail vehicles in Germany - planning, construction, and operation . alba, Düsseldorf 1975, ISBN 3-87094-304-1 .
- Fritz D. Kegel: U-Bahns in Germany - planning, construction, operation . alba, Düsseldorf 1971.
- Robert Schwandl: Schnellbahnen in Germany . Robert Schwandl Verlag, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-936573-18-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Rheinbahn AG: Annual Report 2016 , page 115
- ↑ U-Bahn for Düsseldorf ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Hamburger Abendblatt from January 15, 1959, accessed on July 15, 2012
- ↑ Construction work will begin in June / finished by summer 2010. State capital Düsseldorf, March 31, 2009, archived from the original on April 8, 2009 ; accessed on January 10, 2015 .
- ^ Christian Herrendorf: U74 extension: New line to the south. Rheinische Post , September 25, 2009, accessed on March 9, 2018 .
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ State capital Düsseldorf: Local transport plan 2017, page 132, Fig. 6-2: Line concept of the indisposable measures in the airport / trade fair area in a schematic representation (forecast 2030). In: Local traffic plan 2017. Accessed December 30, 2017 .
- ↑ Exercise object tram . Institute of the fire brigade NRW.
- ↑ Arne Lieb: The new trams are here - but they still have to stay in the depot. In: RP Online . December 13, 2019, accessed April 3, 2020 .
- ↑ Rheinbahn orders 16 more light rail vehicles. Press release. Rheinbahn, May 24, 2019, accessed on April 3, 2020 .
- ↑ Bombardier wins the contract. Press release. Rheinbahn, March 12, 2015, archived from the original on April 8, 2016 ; Retrieved April 8, 2016 .
- ^ Bombardier Transportation Wins Orders to Supply Light Rail Vehicles to the Cities of Düsseldorf and Cologne. Press release. Bombardier Transportation, March 19, 2015, accessed April 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Entry in the monument list of the state capital Düsseldorf at the Institute for Monument Protection and Preservation
- ↑ Düsseldorf: U 79 accident: route remains closed for days , Rheinische Post from November 28, 2014
- ↑ Stefani Geilhausen: Two accident cars become a new train . In: Rheinische Post . January 13, 2016 ( rp-online.de [accessed July 21, 2019]).
- ↑ Friedhelm Blennemann: U-Bahn und Stadtbahnen in Deutschland, planning, construction, and operation . alba, Düsseldorf 1975, ISBN 3-87094-304-1 .
- ↑ a b c d e Volkmar Grobe: Stadtbahn Düsseldorf - From the beginnings of track-guided traffic to the city-connecting rapid transit system . Ek-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 2008, ISBN 978-3-88255-848-7 .
- ^ A b Office for Traffic Management State Capital Düsseldorf (ed.): The Wehrhahn Line is Coming · More mobility, more city quality . State capital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf June 2010.
- ↑ 40 years of U-Dax: The cheeky face of the construction site. In: Rheinische Post . January 7, 2012, accessed December 31, 2015 .
- ↑ The U-Dax family . State capital Düsseldorf, planning, building and transport, the new Wehrhahn line. Retrieved August 31, 2011
- ↑ The U-Dax - the mascot of Düsseldorf's subway construction. State capital Düsseldorf, Planning, Building and Transport, Office for Transport Management, accessed on July 14, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c d U-Dax list (PDF; 61 kiB). State capital Düsseldorf, Planning, Building and Transport, The new Wehrhahn Line, accessed on August 31, 2011
- ↑ a b c d picture show The U-Dax family . State capital Düsseldorf, Planning, Building and Transport, The new Wehrhahn Line, accessed on August 31, 2011
- ↑ Hans Onkelbach: Council blessing from next major project . RP Online, Düsseldorf, February 12, 2009, accessed September 1, 2011
- ↑ Hans Onkelbach, Denisa Richters: OB Elbers: U80 on the waiting track . RP-Online, Düsseldorf, July 18, 2009, accessed on September 2, 2011
- ↑ Denisa Richters: Will U81 be combined with U80? . RP-Online, Düsseldorf, February 9, 2011, accessed on September 3, 2011
- ↑ Denisa Richters: Super halls are difficult to reach . In: Rheinische Post . October 2, 2008 ( rp-online.de [accessed May 15, 2019]).
- ↑ U-Bahn planning status ( page no longer available , search in web archives ), article in the portal rp-online.de from March 15, 2013 with a video from the local station center.tv
- ↑ http://www.duesseldorf.de/u81/downloads/anlage_1.pdf , plan approval application U81, 1st construction phase
- ^ U81 urban railway line. (No longer available online.) City of Düsseldorf, archived from the original on January 14, 2017 ; accessed on January 14, 2017 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
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