U55 (Berlin U-Bahn)

The line U55 is a stretch of the Berlin U -Bahn from the Brandenburg Gate to the Central Station, which was opened on August 8, 2009. This so far only 1.8 kilometer track is part of, also referred to as chancellor subway extension of the subway line 5 from Alexanderplatz to the west. After construction and commissioning of the distance between Alexanderplatz and Brandenburg Gate, the line is expected to 2019Vorlage U55: Future / In 5 years up in the U5.

Planning history

The Name Registrar subway is an allusion to the former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, as the construction of the line was controlled at the instigation of the then Federal Government in the capital contract. However, the original target date from the 200 -kilometer plan of West Berlin administration mid-1950s, which already at that time, among many other projects, inter alia, a western extension of the metro line E (today's U5) in the projected route of today ROCHE.

Under the proposed in the wake of reunification subway extensions and new buildings line the U5 was the first major construction project. The existing plans from the 1950s were so adjusted that the extended U5 from Alexanderplatz, the newly planned central station and the new government district served. Then a generous distribution level Paul- Loebe-Haus ( parliamentary building) was for today's Bundestag with direct access to the Chancellor's Office and provided. This also contributed to the spread of the concept Chancellor subway. In the long- term planning, the U5 is to pass to the west from Central Station, on through the district of Moabit (connecting the station to the U9 Turmstrasse ) and the Virgin Heide (connection U7, North Ring S-Bahn ) to the airport Tegel. However, only the portion Alexanderplatz Tower Road was added to the most urgent needs and further investigated. This section was planned with the following train stations:

• Alexanderplatz ( existing station U5, runs the plant already turning in the desired direction )
• Berlin Town Hall
• Museum Island
• Unter den Linden ( transition to U6 by building a crossing station U5 / U6). Metro Station French street is thereafter closed.
• Brandenburger Tor ( transition to the S -Bahn )
• Bundestag (planning name Reichstag )
• Hauptbahnhof ( transition to the S -Bahn and regional and long-distance )
• Fritz- Schloß park
• Tower Road ( transition to U9)

A financing agreement was, however, in the context of capital are directed to the section Alexanderplatz - hit central station, although the cost -benefit study was referring to the section to Tower Road.

Given the projected construction costs of about 650 million euros alone between Alexanderplatz and main railway station and in this section parallel rail is provided the need for this line often in question. The cost-benefit value of the distance from Alexanderplatz to the Tower Road was 1.79. Values ​​greater than 1 mean in this case that the benefit is generally greater than the cost of the project and thus can be regarded as economically. A separate calculation for the section only to the central station was not carried out.

Freeze and temporary use

In 2002, the Berlin Senate stopped the project for financial reasons. The stations Central Station and the Reichstag had been there already structurally complete. To avoid the repayment of 170 million euro funding the federal government, the Senate decided to continue to the Brandenburg Gate, which should be completed by 2006 2003. On a track followed by a two-car train on the commute should be 1.47 km long track.

October 27, 2005 it was announced that the completion due to high groundwater level at the Brandenburg Gate could not take place until May 2006. Subsequently, a temporary operation in the 610 m long section between Central Station and the Reichstag was discussed for the 2006 World Cup. These plans were ultimately not implemented. The Berlin Transport Authority refused to bear the operating costs for stand-alone operation in this short section. In addition, police and firefighters were concerned whether the short vehicles could cope with the expected crowds. The Federal Ministry of Transport renounced in addition to the repayment of 70 million euros in funding that had been invested in the hitherto unrealized construction and should have been repaid actually through the violation of the obligation to operate.

During the freeze, the finished in the shell station Reichstag acted as event and film location. For example, the premiere of Angie found ( a play on Angela Merkel ), kart racing and a party with Robbie Williams during his tour there instead. But also part of the horror film production Resident Evil and the science fiction film Æon Flux were filmed in the subway station. In April and May 2008, the completed and renamed now in Bundestag railway station served as a venue for a production of Mozart's Magic Flute, directed by Christoph Hagel.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research took advantage of the empty subway station also from late October to mid-November 2008 for the exhibition " World Machine ", an exhibition on the activities around the LHC particle accelerator at CERN international research institute.

Partial completion as U55

" Dangers lurking on those who do not respond to life " better known as: " Those who are late will be punished by life "

As the federal government threatened to reclaim the already accomplished grants because of the freeze, was decided in 2003 to operate the already completed section as a mini- metro line '. You should not to confuse the passengers, called U55. Under the SPD Senator Peter Strieder should be opened only for short trains with an output of the station Brandenburger Tor, which was not yet completed. After the resignation of Senators and the takeover of the Office by Ingeborg Junge -Reyer, these plans were changed: So the station Brandenburger Tor should now be completely removed. However, since this took much longer to complete, construction continued until the summer of 2009. Until October 2005, still expected a temporary operation during the 2006 World Cup. However, due to groundwater problems delayed the construction, so that the complete opening of the 1.8-kilometer line - but then with a 120 meter long platform Brandenburger Tor - only took place on August 8, 2009. A previously unannounced island operation between the stations Hauptbahnhof and the Bundestag from 28 May 2006 did not take place due to unprofitability.

The route is operated in oscillation mode since August 9, 2009. Here, the train between 4:45 and 0:45 clock clock drives ( Sundays from 5:45 clock ) every ten minutes each time by the minute from 0 Brandenburg Gate and at the minute 5 from Central Station. The journey takes 2 ½ minutes, with each layer is only one driver in use. Specifics line U55 are the lack of a connection to the Berlin U- Bahn network and to use hand switch system at the main station. For the single-track line with only one train, there is a simplified command without major signals.

On the route were originally eight cars of type F79 in use, which have been adjusted for the route. The plan was that four cars as Fahrgastzug are traveling and four cars are available as reserve in a charity instead without work pits at the main station. Meanwhile, two of the six existing cars are used. Average transports the U55 around 6200 passengers per day, were expected 6400th The "workshop" consists of two side platforms on grates for cleaning the car and a vehicle lifting system. Due to lack of access to Berlin's subway network, the cars were lowered on 23 and 24 July 2009, with a crane through the material inlet opening at the Minna Cauer - road on the track. Two cars were mid- January 2013 lifted for period work out of the tunnel and will not return to the U55.

The federal government promoted the section of the U55 with 170 million euros, the total cost amounted to 320 million euros.

The name of the subway station Bundestag (the original name was planning Reichstag ) goes back to an initiative of the Council of Elders of the Bundestag, whose desire was a designation under the current name of the German Parliament. This name is also the location of the station better meet because he is not in front of the Reichstag building, but before Paul Loebe House of the Federal Parliament.

Because of the initially expected low ridership no escalators were installed at the station Bundestag. An upgrade is planned for a later date. The measures provided for escalators areas adjacent to the descending stairs are provisional covered with sheets so that no hazards occur.