Wehrhahn Line

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wehrhahn Line (main line 3)
One of the six new underground stations: Schadowstrasse
One of the six new underground stations: Schadowstrasse
Route length: 3.4 km
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system : 750 V  =
Top speed: 70 km / h
Opening: 20th February 2016
Lines: U 71 U 72 U 73 U 83
Stations: 6th
building-costs 843.6 million euros
Passengers workdays 53,100 (estimated)
Wehrhahn Line
   
Tram access route
   
Duisburg – Düsseldorf railway line
   
0.0 Wehrhahn S 1 S 6 S 11
   
Ramp at the Wehrhahn
   
0.59 Pempelforter Strasse (Pfs) 704
   
1.1 Schadowstrasse (Scd) 701 705 706
BSicon utSTR.svg
   
1.5 Heinrich-Heine-Allee (Hhu)
U 70 U 74 U 75 U 76 U 77 U 78 U 79
BSicon utSTR.svg
   
1.9 Benrather Strasse (Bes)
   
planned connection to the main line 6
BSicon utSTR.svg
   
2.4 Graf-Adolf-Platz (Gap) 706 708 709
planned intersection with trunk route 6
BSicon utSTR.svg
   
2.9 Church Square (Kip)
   
Construction work in the direction of Witzelstrasse
   
Elisabethstrasse ramp
   
3.5 Düsseldorf-Bilk (Bik) S 8 S 11 S 28
   
Neuss – Düsseldorf railway line
   
Tram access route

The Wehrhahn Line (official name: trunk line 3) is an underground trunk line of the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn , operated by the Rheinbahn as part of the Rhein-Ruhr Stadtbahn .

Construction work on the 3.4 kilometer long underground line with six new stations began on November 28, 2007. It was opened on February 20, 2016, regular train operations began on February 21, 2016 and the above-ground tracks were shut down at the same time. The route is named after the Wehrhahn S-Bahn station , the north-eastern starting point of the route or the street Am Wehrhahn , below which part of the underground route runs. It is used by the modern NF8U railcar with low-floor technology .

course

The Wehrhahn Line begins at the Wehrhahn S-Bahn station above ground . One hundred meters west of the S-Bahn platform, at the level of Adlerstrasse, the tunnel towards the old town begins.

The first underground station is the Pempelforter Straße subway station , which is located at the junction with Oststraße under Am Wehrhahn street. This is followed by the Schadowstrasse tunnel, where after a few hundred meters on the Tucht Island in front of the former millipede it reaches the Schadowstrasse underground station . In the further course the line reaches the underground station Heinrich-Heine-Allee . There is a connection to the tram lines U70 and U74 to U79.

The route then runs in a southerly direction under Kasernenstrasse to the Benrather Strasse underground station . This is followed by the Graf-Adolf-Platz underground station and the Kirchplatz underground station, the last underground station on the Wehrhahn line. A hundred meters from the current stop at Düsseldorf-Bilk station , the line emerges from the underground again.

The Wehrhahn line cost a total of 929 million euros.

Subway stations

All new underground stations were designed by graduates of the Art Academy in Düsseldorf. They should form an artistic continuum.

Below are the underground stations, their artistic designers and the respective motto:

Subway station Artist motto
Pempelforter Strasse Heike Klussmann Surround
Schadowstrasse Ursula Damm Gymnastic styles
Heinrich-Heine-Allee Ralf Brög Three model rooms
Benrather Strasse Thomas Stricker Heaven above, heaven below
Graf-Adolf-Platz Manuel Franke agate
church Square Enne Haehnle Track X

From the end of November 2015, the new underground stations were presented to the public by allowing two stations to be visited on the Advent weekends.

With the completion of the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station in 1988, an art project was carried out on two of its levels on behalf of the city. Eight artists made paintings. Among them u. a. Adolphe Lechtenberg , Tina Juretzek , Holger Bunk , Herbert Bardenheuer , Bertram Jesdinsky . The artist Peter Royen was commissioned to create a wall relief on the first plain.

Pempelforter Strasse

The “Pempelforter Straße” underground station is located under Am Wehrhahn between Cantadorstraße and Oststraße and was put into operation in February 2016. It has two side platforms, 90 meters long and 4.5 meters wide, and a distribution level.

The basic color of the station is black and white. It has five staircases and two lifts along the “Am Wehrhahn” street. In the western area, three stair entrances, supplemented by two escalators, lead to a large distribution level on Schadowstrasse and Oststrasse.

Construction began on March 15, 2008. In the course of the construction work, the tram tracks in the outward direction of Grafenberg were moved to clear the construction site on the northern side of the street. After completion of the station, the track systems on the street "Am Wehrhahn" will be dismantled and the area made available for road traffic.

During the planning and construction phase, the underground station was called "Jacobistraße / Pempelforter Straße". The final name, however, is “Pempelforter Straße” underground station.

Schadowstrasse

The drill head after the excavation of Schadowstrasse in February 2012

The “Schadowstraße” underground station was built directly under Schadowstraße by 2014.

The basic color of the station is blue . There are three staircases and an elevator system along Schadowstrasse. In the western area, a wide staircase , supplemented by two escalators , leads to a distribution level . There you will find the elevator further east and further stairs to the 4.5 meter wide and 90 meter long side platforms .

In the eastern area, two entrances were built, also connected by a common distribution level. These establish the connection to the platforms on the north side of Schadowstrasse / corner of Bleichstrasse with stairs and on the south side at the corner of Wagnerstrasse with escalators.

A design competition was held in advance for the design of the Wehrhahn Line subway stations. The Schadowstraße underground station was designed by the artist Ursula Damm . One focus of the design is the connection of the surface with the underground train station. With the help of a video installation , what is happening above is projected via a light shaft onto a glass surface in the subway station. Before the projection, the image is analyzed according to various parameters, so that an interpreted image of what is happening in the square is shown below.

On November 26, 2010, the area of ​​the future underground station sagged, which is why the elevated road above, the millipede, was temporarily closed. The centipede was demolished in 2013. The north-south tunnel replacing the elevated road was put into operation in several sections until November 2015.

Heinrich-Heine-Allee

The underground station "Heinrich-Heine-Allee" is with the main station the most important station of the Düsseldorf light rail . It is located on the first , second and third trunk route in the city center of the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital Düsseldorf .

The underground station built under Heinrich-Heine-Allee was opened to traffic in 1988 and has since opened up the shopping streets of Flinger Strasse and Bolkerstrasse . The Heinrich-Heine-Galerie shopping arcade is on the first level with several small shops and entrances to the Galeria Kaufhof and Carsch-Haus department stores . Due to the connection to the aboveground bus stops of the same name, this is also one of the most important transfer points in Düsseldorf.

In April 2008, construction work began on the third platform at the station. Since this platform had been in the shell since 1984, the effort was less. The platform is 90 meters long and 8.8 meters wide. The basic colors are purple and gray .

From July 2012 to May 2013, the subsoil under the neighboring department store building was frozen in order to complete the last 75 meter long construction section. The tunnel was officially inaugurated on May 6, 2013. Former Mayor Marlies Smeets became the tunnel sponsor of the last section . Instead of using the tunnel boring machine, this section was excavated exclusively in the opencast mine. This construction phase alone cost the city 71 million euros. Work on the new tunnel areas was completed by the second half of 2016 and the trams have been running underground since then. The existing above-ground track systems are no longer required; they will probably be removed the next time Heinrich-Heine-Allee is redesigned .

Benrather Strasse

The new underground station “Benrather Straße” was built under Kasernenstraße. Two staircases and two lifts were built along Kasernenstrasse. In the western area, an ascending and descending escalator leads to a distribution level . To the east there is an escalator and a fixed staircase. In the southern part are the two elevators, one on each side of the street, which lead directly to the tracks. On the distribution level, additional escalators and fixed stairs lead to the 4.5 meter wide and 90 meter long side platforms .

A design competition was held in advance for the design of the Wehrhahn Line subway stations. The Benrather Straße underground station was designed by the artist Thomas Stricker . The name of the project is "Heaven above - Heaven below" and transforms the subway station into a kind of optical universe.


Graf-Adolf-Platz

Shell construction of the Graf-Adolf-Platz underground station in December 2012

The “Graf-Adolf-Platz” underground station is located directly below Elisabethstrasse, directly on Graf-Adolf-Platz . Should the trunk line 6 in the direction of the port actually be built, the station would be converted into a tower station. It is not known whether preliminary construction work has already been carried out for this.

The basic color of the station is green . The station consists of a distribution level and two side platforms that are 90 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. There are three staircases and two elevators that connect the two platforms directly to the street surface.

The shell was already completed in 2012. At that time it was the most advanced station on the new line. The rails were laid in February / March 2013.

church Square

The new underground station “Kirchplatz” was built under Elisabethstraße (corner of Fürstenwall).

This is the last underground underground station on the Wehrhahn Line in a southern direction. It has two side platforms, each 90 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. It also has a spacious distribution level with three exits and two elevators: two of them on Fürstenwall and one directly on the church square. Construction of the station began in March 2008.

Feeder lines

The Wehrhahn Line has six feeder lines. Most of these have their own track structure.

U71 north

U71 north
   
from Wehrhahn Train (see above)
   
708 from D-Police Headquarters
   
Uhlandstrasse U72, U73, U83, 708
   
U72 to Ratingen Mitte, U73 to D-Gerresheim, U83 to Gerresheim / Krankenhaus (see below)
   
706 from D-Hamm
   
Schillerplatz 706, 708
   
Brehmplatz 706, 708
   
706 to Merowingerstr
   
Grunerstrasse 708
   
Hansaplatz 708
   
Heinrichstrasse U71 , 701, 708
   
Haeseler Strasse 701
   
On bill 701
   
D-Rath middle S6 , 701Train
   
Rotdornstrasse 701
   
D-Rath S6 , U71 , 701Train
   
Tram access route
So far there is no separate track on Grafenberger Allee for the route of the future lines U72 and U73

The northern outer route begins at Düsseldorf Wehrhahn train station . There is a connection to various S-Bahn lines in the direction of Essen , Dortmund , Duisburg , Cologne and Solingen . Originally, the U71 was supposed to be led via Grafenberger Allee and Ludenberger Straße to Gerresheimer Hospital.

On November 16, 2011, the city of Düsseldorf presented in a press release a route for the U71 from Uhlandstraße via the route of tram line 708 to Heinrichstraße, then on to route 701 to Rath S-Bahn station and in future to the ISS dome. On November 23, 2011, the administration presented its concept proposal for the “public transport tram and light rail network after the Wehrhahn line went into operation” in the regulatory and transport committee.

However, the proposal to extend the U71 line to the ISS Dome was rejected. Instead, the Rath Train- DOME / Am Hülserhof section will be taken over by line 701 from January 7, 2018 . This initially also applies to the reinforcement trips at events in the ISS Dome, which run from or to the "Sternstraße" stop. Some trains on the U71 line will run to Rath from January 7, 2018 Train.

U72 North / Grafenberger Allee

U72 North / Grafenberger Allee
   
from Wehrhahn Train (see above)
   
708 from Police Headquarters
   
Uhlandstrasse U71, U73, U83, 708
   
U71, 708 to Heinrichstr. (see above)
   
706 from D-Hamm
   
Lindemannstrasse U73, U83, 706
   
706 to Merowingerstr.
   
709 from Neuss Hbf
   
Engerstrasse U73, U83, 709
   
Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency U73, U83, 709
   
U83, 709 to Gerresheim / Krankenhaus, U73 to D-Gerresheim (see below)
   
Vautierstrasse
   
Graf-Recke-Strasse
   
Mörsenbroicher way
   
Rather Broich
   
Rather Waldstadion (transition to D-Rath Bf S6 )Train
   
Oberrath
   
Hirschweg
   
Hubertushain
   
City limits ( Düsseldorf / Ratingen )
   
Felderhof
   
Gerhardstrasse
   
European ring
   
West Street
BSicon uBS2 + l.svgBSicon uBS2 + r.svg
(Beginning of the turning loop)
BSicon uSTRf.svgBSicon uHST.svg
Grabenstrasse
BSicon uHST.svgBSicon uSTRg.svg
Ratingen middle U72
BSicon uSTRl.svgBSicon uSTRr.svg
(Turning loop)

In the course of the renovation work on the access route on Grafenberger Allee, the branches to other tram routes were shut down and dismantled. At the Schlüterstraße / Arbeitsagentur stop, the U72 line turns towards Ratingen . At this point there is a connection to the U73 in the direction of Gerresheim and the U83 and 709 in the direction of Gerresheim / Krankenhaus.

The further course is one of the oldest routes in Düsseldorf. It runs on its own track in the direction of Rather Broich .

Until 1920, there was a tram depot called "Rath Central" north of today's stop . After the stop, the route runs through the Rather Forest. After the Hubertushain stop, the route passes the city limits between Düsseldorf and Ratingen. There are six stops in the city of Ratinger:

  • Felderhof
  • Gerhardstraße (formerly girls' home)
  • European ring
  • West Street
  • Grabenstrasse (only in the direction of Düsseldorf)
  • Ratingen Mitte (formerly Ratingen, Hans-Böckler-Straße)

Up until 1990 there were plans to convert the route to Ratingen into an intersection-free urban railway line and to run it underground in Ratingen. However, these considerations have since been completely dropped.

In October and November 2010, the section from Schlüterstraße to Ratingen was converted to the low-floor light rail standard. Since then, the 712 NF8U has been operating in double traction. The conversion of the terminus in Ratingen will take place later.

U73 east

U73 east
BSicon .svgBSicon uSTR.svg
from Uhlandstraße (see above)
BSicon .svgBSicon uABZgl.svg
U71, 708 to Heinrichstr. (see above)
BSicon .svgBSicon uABZg + r.svg
706 from D-Hamm
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Lindemannstrasse U72, U83, 706
BSicon .svgBSicon uABZgl.svg
706 to Merowingerstr.
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Engerstrasse U72, U83, 709
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency U72, U83, 709
BSicon .svgBSicon uABZgl.svg
U72 to Ratingen (see above)
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Burgmüllerstraße U83, 709
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Pöhlenweg U83, 709
BSicon .svgBSicon uBHF (L) g.svg
In front of the Hardt (only towards Wehrhahn)
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
On the Hardt / LVR-Klinikum U83, 709 (see below)
BSicon .svgBSicon uABZgl.svg
U83, 709 to Gerresheim, hospital
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Friedingstrasse
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Von-Gahlen-Strasse
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Gerresheim town hall
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Schönaustrasse
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Dörpfeldstrasse
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Hardenbergstrasse
BSicon .svgBSicon uHST.svg
Morper Street
BSicon uexSTR + l.svgBSicon ueABZgr.svg
Planned extension to the Glasmacherviertel
BSicon uexSTR.svgBSicon uBHF.svg
Gerresheim S8, S28, S68 , U73Train
BSicon uexSTR.svgBSicon uWSLl.svg
Reversing loop Gerresheim U73
BSicon uexBHF.svgBSicon .svg
Gerresheim S8, S28, S68Train
BSicon uexHST.svgBSicon .svg
Düsseldorf Park South
BSicon uexHST.svgBSicon .svg
To the Mauresköthen, U73
BSicon uexWSLl.svgBSicon .svg
Turning loop

After the Schlüterstraße / Arbeitsagentur stop, you continue to the Burgmüllerstraße stop, where there is a turn-off to a turning loop. After the Pöhlenweg stop, the line will take the Hardt.

Behind the Hardt in Düsseldorf-Gerresheim , the U83 and 709 turn off in the direction of Gerresheim Hospital. It then leads past the old town center of Gerresheim to the Gerresheim S-Bahn station south of it .

The original plan was to extend the route beyond this station to Düsseldorf-Vennhausen . Since laying the tracks over the new road bridge east of the Gerresheim station was too costly, these plans were completely postponed. In the draft of the new local transport plan (2017), a short extension to the newly emerging Glasmacherviertel (on the site of the former Gerresheimer Glashütte) to a new terminus "Nach den Mauresköthen" is planned.

U83 east

U83 east
   
from Uhlandstraße (see above)
   
U71, 708 to Heinrichstr. (see above)
   
706 from D-Hamm
   
Lindemannstrasse U72, U73, 706
   
706 to Merowingerstr.
   
709 from Neuss Hbf
   
Engerstrasse U72, U73, 709
   
Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency U72, U73, 709
   
U72 to Ratingen (see above)
   
Burgmüllerstraße U73, 709
   
Pöhlenweg U73, 709
   
In front of the Hardt (only towards Wehrhahn)
   
On the Hardt / LVR-Klinikum U73, 709 (see below)
   
U73 to Gerresheim Train
   
Heinrich-Könn-Strasse U83, 709
   
Gerresheim, Hospital U83, 709

The U83 runs parallel to the U73 from Bilk station. In front of the Engerstraße stop, she meets the 709, which accompanies her to the final stop. After the stop Auf der Hardt / LVR-Klinikum, the U73 branches off to Gerresheim.

U73 south

U73 south
   
from D-Bilk Train(see above)
   
701 from D-Rath, 704 from Merziger Str.
   
U72 to Hellriegelstr.
   
Karolingerplatz U71, U83, 701, 704
   
701, 706 to Merowingerstr
   
Auf'm Hennekamp U71, U83, 704, 706
   
706 to D-Hamm
   
University clinics U71, U83, 704
   
Universität Nord / Christophstr U71, U83, 704
   
Christophstrasse loop
   
U71, U 83 (see below) to Benrath, U79 from Holthausen
   
Südpark U79, 704
   
University of East / Botanical Garden U73, U79, 704
   
University East Loop

Behind the Düsseldorf-Bilk S-Bahn station , the U71, U73 and U83 lines turn onto Brunnenstraße and then onto Witzelstraße. This is followed by the stops Uni-Kliniken and Universität Nord / Christophstraße. There is a reversing loop south of the stop, which was served by line 704 until 1990 and was the terminus of line 713 until 2016. At the Südpark stop, the U71 and U83 branch off from the U73 route. 500 m north of the current terminus University East / Botanical Garden , a branch to the new stop University West (served by the U79 line ) is to be built in the next few years . The U73 ends at the Universität Ost / Botanischer Garten stop . There is a spacious turning loop south of the stop, which is to be shut down in the long term in order to replace it with turning tracks.

U72 south

Wendeschleife Volmerswerth, Hellriegelstraße with two light rail trains of the U 72 line
U72 south
   
from Bilk Train
   
U71, U83 to Benrath (see below), U73 to Universität Ost (see above)
   
Suitbertusstrasse
   
Südring
   
Aachener Platz
   
Volmerswerther Strasse
   
Krahkampweg
   
Hellriegelstrasse U72

The U72 turns off the main line behind the Bilker train station . The tracks run along the street between the Suitbertusstraße stop and Südring. Shortly before Aachener Platz, a branch to the expanded Am Steinberg depot was planned. However, this idea has already been rejected because the depot was abandoned by the Rheinbahn in June 2011. The Aachener Platz stop has been relocated to the northern part of the square in order to provide sufficient length for trains with double traction. The remaining track for parking the sidecars was removed.

One stop further, on Volmerswerther Strasse, was the end of the tram route between 1962 and 1990. Since 1990 the light rail line has ended two stops further on Hellriegelstraße. Here, 1989–1990, a spacious turning loop with toilets was built. Until January 1, 1962, the route continued to the Volmerswerther Deich. A reactivation of the section is not planned, as the 726 bus line already covers the needs on the section.

U71, U83 south

U71, U83 south
   
from D-Bilk Train(see above)
   
701 from D-Rath, 704 from Merziger Str.
   
U72 to Hellriegelstr.
   
Karolingerplatz U73, 701, 704
   
701, 706 to Merowingerstr
   
Auf'm Hennekamp U73, 704, 706
   
706 to D-Hamm
   
University clinics U73, 704
   
Universität Nord / Christophstr U73, 704
   
U79 from University of North / Christophstr
   
Südpark U73, U79, 704
   
U73, U77, 704 from / to Universität Nord / Christophstr
   
U74 to Meerbusch, Görgesheide
   
Werstener Dorfstraße U74, U77, U79
   
U79 to DU-Meiderich Bahnhof
   
Opladener Straße U74, U77
   
Ickerswarder Straße U74, U77
   
Elbruchstrasse U74, U77
   
Holthausen U74, U77
   
Reversible loop Holthausen U74, U77
   
Niederheid
   
On the Trippelsberg
   
Beautiful view
   
Kappeler Strasse
   
Benrath Castle
   
Urdenbacher Allee
   
Benrath S S6, S68Train
   
Benrath depot U71, U83
   
Benrath depot

The U71 and U83 run every 20 minutes and serve the following section alternately. Coming from Bilk S, the U72 branches off first to Hellriegelstrasse. The U71 and U83 branch off from the U73 south of the Südpark stop . East of the stop, the U71 and U83 also use the tracks of the U79 to Werstener Dorfstraße . There, the U79 turns north to Oberbilk or to Düsseldorf Central Station . Between Werstener Dorfstraße and the Holthausen stop , the U71 and U83 use the tracks of the U74 and U77 in a southerly direction.

Then they drive on their own track to the Am Trippelsberg stop . According to information from the city of Düsseldorf, a turning system for the U74 and U77 lines has been built south of the stop in order to provide additional access to the Trippelsberg development that is yet to be completed.

After four stops, the U71 and U83 pass the Düsseldorf-Benrath stop . There is a connection to the S6 of the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn . There are also connections to several bus routes. This is followed by the final stop Benrath, depot . To the west of the Wendeschleife, a stump track turns to the Benrath depot. This track is so long that there is space for three NF10 railcars in the depot. For a while there were plans to reactivate the tram route to Hilden . However, these plans have been postponed for financial reasons.

history

Formerly planned route
   
Schlueterstrasse / employment agency
   
Grafenberger Allee ramp
   
Narrow street
   
Lindemannstrasse
   
Wehrhahn Train
   
Pempelforter Strasse
   
Tonhallenstrasse Subway(crossing of trunk line 4)
   
from trunk line 4
   
Heinrich-Heine-Allee Subway(intersection of the inner city tunnel )
   
from the inner city tunnel
   
Benrather Strasse
   
Graf-Adolf-Platz
   
Church square / Fürstenwall
   
from trunk line 4
   
Düsseldorf-Bilk Train Subway
   
to the main line 4
   
Suitbertusplatz
   
Witzelsstrasse ramp
   
to Benrath
Construction pit at Wehrhahn (as of May 2008)

As early as the 1970s, the Wehrhahn Line was planned as part of the Rhein-Ruhr Stadtbahn as the first underground line between Witzelstraße in the Bilk district and Schlüterstraße in Düsseldorf-Grafenberg, with a 7.4 kilometer tunnel and eleven underground stations . The ambitious schedule of the early days provided for an opening as early as 1988.

In the course of the construction of the main line that exists today, both the lower level for the Wehrhahn Line and a short tunnel section (approx. 160 meters) have already been built in the area of ​​the Heinrich-Heine-Allee station.

After the completion of the construction work on the Oberbilker Tunnel was foreseeable at the end of the 1990s, the Düsseldorf city council dealt again with the subject of the Wehrhahn Line. Even before the local elections at that time , an SPD-CDU majority decided on August 19, 1999 to build a "big" solution. This provided for the section planned as early as the 1970s.

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. This variant was based on a 3.4 kilometer long tunnel that has six instead of the originally planned eleven underground stations. A subway station in the remaining course also fell victim to the cut. Two separate underground stations were planned at the intersections of Pempelforter Straße / Am Wehrhahn and Jacobistraße / Am Wehrhahn. According to earlier plans, the latter was to become the crossing station with the fourth light rail line. For the cost reasons already mentioned, the two underground stations in the street Am Wehrhahn were merged into one station at the level of Oststraße.

The plan approval procedure was opened in 2004 and ended in 2006. At the same time, the city gave its final decision to build. On November 28, 2007, the first groundbreaking ceremony was carried out on Graf-Adolf-Platz by the then Mayor Joachim Erwin .

On February 20, 2016, the Wehrhahn Line was opened with a big party on Schadowplatz. At the same time, the above-ground tram route with historic trains was adopted.

Info center

Between November 2007 and September 2015, the Wehrhahn Line information center, consisting of construction containers, was located on Corneliusplatz, at the northern end of Königsallee . Among other things, it contained a permanent exhibition on the Kö-Bogen project.

Construction progress

February 2012: The drill head is dismantled at the Wehrhahn
Tunnel tube below Berliner Allee in August 2011

Construction of the Wehrhahn Line began in 2007. In 2008, construction of the future underground stations began. The tunnel drilling was completed at the beginning of 2012. The line was completed in February 2016. In December 2015, woodworm infestation was found in at least 400 sleepers that had already been laid, which had to be replaced before commissioning.

At the weir cock

Since the first groundbreaking in March 2008, both tram tracks at Wehrhahn have been swiveled, the connecting track to Oststrasse has been shut down and two branches have been installed. In June 2008, all lanes were relocated to the southern side of the Wehrhahn in order to expose the construction site on the northern side. In order to statically load the tunnel tubes, the end of the tunnel is laid with soil.

Schadowstrasse

In February 2008 all trees were felled along the new station. The earthworks began on May 5, 2008. In June 2008, the Goldfingerbrunnen on Schadowstrasse was demolished to give way to tram rails that had to be swiveled because of the underground station construction site.

Corneliusplatz

Since the end of 2007, Corneliusplatz has lost its original beauty. The bowl fountain was dismantled, the trees felled and the construction site set up there. The Wehrhahn Line information center was also built there. Since summer 2008, several construction containers and bentonite silos have been erected there.

Kasernenstrasse

At the beginning of April 2009 a skeleton was unearthed when new sewers were being laid in the area of Kasernenstrasse and Benrather Strasse. It is believed that it is a remnant of the Jewish cemetery that was laid out in front of the city walls around 1700.

Graf-Adolf-Platz / Elisabethstrasse

Bentonite silos erected in May 2008 at the construction site at Graf-Adolf-Platz

The first areas on Graf-Adolf-Platz were fenced in in October 2007. Since then, gas and water pipes have been relocated. In addition, five bentonite silos were set up there. In mid-May 2008, the tram tracks were swiveled in the direction of Düsseldorf-Bilk . This also enabled the road to be swiveled to make space for the future construction site. From June to mid-August 2008, the first diaphragm walls were dredged into the ground. After that, all bentonite silos were removed and brought to the Bilker train station. Construction work on the new underground station has been going on here since March 2012.

Elisabethstrasse / Kirchplatz

In January 2008, construction work began on the church square. The lines were moved and space was made for construction vehicles. In mid-May 2008, the tram tracks in the Elisabethstrasse area were moved. From March 2012 the walls of the new underground station were concreted.

Expansion and planning

The Wehrhahn line has been shortened, however, it is also possible to implement previous considerations for extending the tunnel section at a later date.

Southern extension

The so-called "southern extension" is one of the possible route extensions. This route would have two new underground stations:

This extension of the route would have considerable advantages for the Wehrhahn Line, as the end of the tunnel at the university clinic is directly connected to its own tram body, which can be converted into a section of the route with little effort. The travel time from the Uni-Klinik stop to the Heinrich-Heine-Allee underground station could thus be reduced from the current 10 to 6 minutes.

However, there was often criticism that the route in the direction of Düsseldorf-Volmerswerth would be cut off from the Wehrhahn line. Despite everything, the southern extension is part of the medium-term expansion program of the city of Düsseldorf.

East extension

Another expansion variant is the so-called "eastward extension" from Wehrhahn to Schlüterstrasse. This extension of the route would create two new underground stations:

Since there are plans to build the tracks on Grafenberger Allee on a separate track, the necessity of this tunnel section is doubted.

Hofgarten curve

Planned Hofgarten curve
   
Main line of the Wehrhahn Line
   
Alt-Pempelfort / Jägerhof Palace
   
Stockkampstrasse
   
Munsterplatz
   
Spichernplatz ramp
   
Storage space

A short-term planned expansion was the so-called “Hofgarten curve”. This expansion would be a cost-effective replacement for the main line 4 that was never built. However, these plans existed at the time when the main tunnel of the Wehrhahn Line was to be built up to the university clinic and a generous turning system at the Bilker train station was planned. According to current planning, a branch is unrealistic, as the tunnel section between Schadowstrasse and Bilk (S) would be overloaded.

Bilk train station

In January 2008, the course of the northern Elisabethstrasse was shifted a few meters to the west so that the future launch shaft could be built at the level of the former street. The former car park on Bachstrasse was closed because the overburden from the tunnel boring machine was separated from the bentonite here . This separating machine was also used for the further tunnel construction from Corneliusplatz in the direction of Wehrhahn.

At the end of 2011, the former tram stop had to be relocated to Brunnenstrasse (lines 706, 707 and 713) and Aachener Strasse (line 712) as the ramp was being built.

Ramps

At the beginning of May 2008 nothing can be seen of the construction site at the location of the future ramp
Bilk ramp in May 2017

The Wehrhahn Line has two ramps:

Wehrhahn ramp

The eastern ramp of the Wehrhahn Line was built at the corner of Wehrhahn and Adlerstrasse. The original plan was to run the Wehrhahn Line underground to Grafenberger Allee. For this, however, a seventh underground station would have been necessary, which was omitted for reasons of cost. Work on the new ramp has been going on since 2012. In order to load the tube statically, the tunnel tube was filled with soil. In January 2013, tracks were delivered that were laid in the tunnel from February 2013.

Bilk ramp

The new tram stop, which is also the start of the ramp, is located at the location of the previous tram stop at Düsseldorf-Bilk train station . This extends from the railway bridge at Bilker Bahnhof to Bachstrasse. The final end of the tunnel has two ends. The left end (as seen from the tunnel) leads to the entrance and exit of the ramp, the right end is an advance construction work for an underground extension of the route in the direction of Witzelstrasse.

Lines and timetable

line route commissioning
acceptance
Predecessor
lines
Length (km) Stops (subway stations)
U71 Heinrichstraße - Wehrhahn Train- Heinrich-Heine-Allee - D-Bilk - University Clinics - Holthausen - Benrath depotTrain MetroBus Düsseldorf.png 20th February 2016 701 and 713 20.3 42 (6)
U72 Ratingen center - D-Oberrath - Wehrhahn Train- Heinrich-Heine-Allee - D-Bilk - VolmerswerthTrain MetroBus Düsseldorf.png 20th February 2016 712 15.4 32 (6)
U73 D-Gerresheim Train- Schlüterstraße / Employment Agency - Wehrhahn Train- Heinrich-Heine-Allee - D-Bilk - University East / Botanical GardenTrain MetroBus Düsseldorf.png 20th February 2016 703 and 707 10.5 23 (6)
U83 Gerresheim, hospital - Schlueterstrasse / employment agency - Wehrhahn Train- Heinrich-Heine-Allee - D-Bilk - university clinics - Holthausen - Benrath depotTrain MetroBus Düsseldorf.png 20th February 2016 703 and 713 35 (6)

With the opening of the Wehrhahn Line, the tram lines that use the tunnel were adapted. This is how line 713 and part of 701 became the "U71". The 712 was renamed "U72" and the 703 plus the southern section of the 707 was renamed "U73".

The former lines 706 and 715 were also affected. Since for these lines z. B. no ramp from the tunnel at Jan-Wellem-Platz to the north (Kaiserstraße) was planned and the route Jan-Wellem- to Graf-Adolf-Platz or Bilk Bahnhof is no longer passable above ground, these lines run from Jan- Wellem-Platz on the route of line 701 (Berliner Allee), then return to their former route at Hüttenstrasse (705 or 715) or from Berliner Allee via Graf-Adolf-Platz and Bilker Church to Hamm (706 ). Line 715 was renamed to 705 as part of this.

The original plans for the U71 provided that it would drive alternately to Heinrichstrasse and the Gerresheimer Hospital. But it was feared that the two terminal stops could only be approached every 40 minutes, so it was decided to introduce another line. The U83 serves the Gerresheim Hospital section and runs largely parallel to the U73. It only runs from Monday to Friday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Outside these times, tram line 709 takes over the section to the Gerresheimer hospital.

vehicles

NF8U light rail car on line U 71 at the
Heinrichstraße stop

The lines of the Wehrhahn Line are only used by low-floor light rail cars of the type NF8U of the Combino series. The NF8U is a one-way vehicle which, unlike conventional one-way wagons, has doors on both sides so that the railcar can also stop at central platforms. Like its sibling trains NF 10 and NF 8, it has one hundred percent low-floor entry at a height of 30 centimeters.

The following basic properties should come into play:

  • Low-floor car
  • Furniture trolley with doors on both sides
  • IMÜ ZUB200-capable
  • Car body width not greater than 2.4 meters

Because of the small track spacing on the outer routes of the Wehrhahn Line, the use of high-floor light rail vehicles with a width of 2.65 meters is out of the question, especially since the platforms were not increased to 90 centimeters. However, the decision was made not to use normal bidirectional tram cars, but rather a built-in motor car with doors on both sides so that they can also stop at central platforms.

In May 2006 the first wagons of this type came onto the tracks of the Rheinbahn, where they have been in service since April 18, 2007. Since April 2012, the Rheinbahn has a total of 76 wagons of this type available.

Compensation payments to resident companies

The Düsseldorf city administration announced that compensation payments of around 1.3 million euros had been made to companies that were demonstrably affected by the loss of sales due to the underground construction sites. In addition to the retailers, who had lower sales figures due to the changed customer flows, this also includes the landlords of the respective shops, who had to reduce rental prices or were unable to rent out business premises. The group of retailers paid 875,000 euros and the landlords 410,000 euros.

Web links

Commons : Wehrhahn-Linie  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Christian Herrendorf: Düsseldorf U-Bahn: Wehrhahn Line starts on February 20, 2016. In: rp-online.de. December 4, 2014, accessed December 30, 2017 .
  2. rp-online.de
  3. 6 underground stations - 6 works of art - 1 continuum. In: rheinbahn.de. Archived from the original on November 29, 2015 ; Retrieved November 28, 2014 .
  4. ^ The sky below Düsseldorf in FAZ from February 25, 2016, page R6
  5. ^ Nicole Lange: Wehrhahn Line in Düsseldorf. Underground tunnel: start of construction in the ice armor. In: rp-online.de. May 6, 2013, accessed December 30, 2017 .
  6. Welcome to the state capital Düsseldorf. (PDF) In: duesseldorf.de. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014 ; accessed on February 11, 2016 .
  7. ^ Julia Brabeck, Christian Herrendorf: Düsseldorf: Trains will soon go to the ISS Dome. In: rp-online.de. February 8, 2013, accessed February 11, 2016 .
  8. Next stop: ISS Dome. From January 7, 2018: Improvement of the route network in Rath. Rheinbahn, accessed on December 27, 2017 .
  9. a b VRR: Tram line U72: Archive link ( Memento from November 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  10. a b VRR: Tram line U73: Archive link ( Memento from November 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  11. a b VRR: Tram line U83: Archive link ( Memento from November 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  12. U71 line network. (PDF; 3.75 MiB) In: rheinbahn.de. Retrieved December 30, 2017 .
  13. Denisa Richters: Dusseldorf - Info Pavilion: Now he's gone. In: rp-online.de. August 9, 2015, accessed May 10, 2016 .
  14. Günther Classen: Wehrhahn Line There's a worm in the subway. Express , December 12, 2015, accessed December 12, 2015 .
  15. Christian Herrendorf: Düsseldorf: Another new light rail line. In: rp-online.de. May 5, 2015, accessed December 30, 2017 .
  16. Christian Herrendorf: City pays 1.3 million euros in compensation for underground construction. In: rp-online.de. July 1, 2015, accessed July 1, 2015 .