Wannsee Railway

The Wannseebahn is a suburban route in Berlin from Potsdamer Platz on the circle line station Schöneberg to the station Berlin -Wannsee Wannsee, after which it was named, and in addition to Potsdam. It is operated by the lines S1 and S7 of the Berlin S-Bahn.

History

The Old Wannseebahn

See also: History of Berlin's S -Bahn

The Old Wannseebahn was built in 1874. The aim was to create a separate suburb connection between Berlin and Potsdam, mainly for tourist traffic. To this end created a new section between the stations Zehlendorf Wannsee to the then newly established station Neubabelsberg, today Griebnitzsee. The Wannseebahn chain in Zehlendorf from coming from Berlin " trunk line " in order to meet with her ​​again in Neubabelsberg. After the trunk line since 1872, the new colony of villas Lichterfelde West Berlin united with the other emerging residential areas Schlachtensee and Wannsee should now be developed with its own electric train.

Between Wannsee and Kohlhasenbrück 1879 separate remote tracks of Wetzlar track were built next to the suburb of Wannsee railway tracks. Also between Berlin and Zehlendorf as well as Kohlhasenbrück Potsdam and the suburban railway should receive their own pair of tracks. For financial reasons, but this was first postponed.

The official opening of an extension on June 1, 1874. Unlike previously opened for the two years station lights West-field, in which the builder of the villa colony Johann Anton Wilhelm von Carstenn funding completely took over, the new stations of the railway company and were planned and built the Prussian state.

The New Wannseebahn

In 1887, the funding for a private suburban railway pair between Berlin and Zehlendorf was a year later provided for the section between Kohlhasenbrück and Potsdam. On 1 October 1891, the New Wannsee railway was opened, the first of remote tracks decoupled separate suburban route in Germany with its own suburban fare. For this, between Potsdamer Bahnhof (today: Potsdamer Platz station ) and Zehlendorf as well as Wannsee and Potsdam between separate tracks for long-distance and suburban services.

To the west of Potsdamer mainline station, a separate suburb railway station for the Wannsee railway was built. Between Landwehr Canal and Yorckstraße created extensive track facilities for parking of cars and a locomotive shed for 26 machines and a repair shop.

From July 13th 1900 to July 1, 1902 there came between Berlin and Zehlendorf to a first electrical test operation with 750 V DC and current of up smeared rail, when operating with the steam trains to Potsdam.

A special train group, which was later called " banker trains ", you led a 1903. These perverted from Berlin to Zehlendorf without stopping and kept there until the subsequent stations. These traits led to the Wannseebahn in the first section to Zehlendorf disabilities. That's why the trains were conducted from 1907 to Zehlendorf on the remote tracks and there over the reconciliation tracks on the suburban route. Between 1911 and 1912 the old overpass track of Wannsee was replaced after Zehlendorf by a crossing-free transfer.

On March 1, 1933, the junction station Schöneberg (originally under the name Ebersstrasse ) opened, which facilitated the change to the Circle Line. This was previously only possible with a long walk along the so-called " mutton transition " between the stations Großgörschenstraße and Kolonnenstraße under the Langenscheidt bridge.

The Wannseebahn has traveled to 1933 with steam trains. From 15 May 1933, the 18.61 km long route was converted to electric operation. A series of new stations built ( Sundgauer road, Feuerbachstraße ) were also at the same time. The mainline tracks of the trunk line received between the Berlin / Potsdam train station and Zehlendorf 12.06 km length from the bottom coated conductor rails, so that the " banker trains " now with specially developed for this purpose, 120 km / h vehicles of DR series ET 125 also on electrical equipment could be changed. At the electrification of Wannseebahn 51/4 trains (almost 13 full trains ) of the type Wannsee were procured, continued the new tram depot Wannsee was established.

After 1939, the north-south tunnel was completed, the train ride was the first time on October 6 of Wannsee on the tunnel station Friedrichstraße to Oranienburg. The operation of the banker trains that still used in aboveground Potsdam train station, was until 1944.

The postwar period

During World War II in early May was flooded under the Landwehr Canal due to blowing up the tunnel ceiling in 1945 shortly before the Battle of Berlin in the north-south tunnel. Also at the Spreeunterfahrung there was damage. The trains of the Wannsee train had to turn in above-ground Potsdamer ring and suburban train station, initially until the summer of 1946, then they were taken to the underground station pickup.

Only after the complete repair of the tunnel sections of continuous operation was resumed in the tunnel in November 1947; the Wannsee railway trains ran again to Oranienburg. After the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 the traffic had to be cut to the section Wannsee Frohnau, which was ( with the exception of the station Friedrichstrasse border crossing ) not held at the East Berlin tunnel stations.

After a strike of West Berlin employees of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1980 the passenger service in the Wannseebahn was not resumed. However, they continued to serve for operating services between the north-south tunnel and the maintenance workshop Wannsee to trains of the routes Lichtenrade / to convert Lichterfelde -South Heiligensee.

After the takeover of the West Berlin S -Bahn network by the Berlin Senate on 9 January 1984 it was decided to take the Wannseebahn again. This required extensive work required in particular at the stations. It was only on February 1, 1985, the line was reopened. The operation took place on the line S1 that ran between Anhalt station and Wannsee.

Development since 1989

After the fall of the Berlin Wall is the route since 1992 part of the S1 line of Wannsee to Oranienburg. In the same year, the S -Bahn service between Wannsee and Potsdam was resumed, it is now served by the line S7.

The distance between the station and pickup Wannsee in several phases has been thoroughly renovated between 1999 and 2003. By installing new signaling and an Electronic interlocking a 5 -minute intervals on this section is now possible.

Today the Wannseebahn is again an important link in the southwestern neighborhoods in Berlin -Mitte and in the parliament and government district. The demand has been rising steadily, so can be used in addition to the 10 -minute basic clock for several years on the line S1 additional amplifiers trains in the rush hour.

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