You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (January 2022)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
BVG Class A3 | |
---|---|
In service | 1960–present |
Manufacturer | ABB Henschel AEG Orenstein & Koppel Siemens Waggon Union |
Constructed | 1960–1994 |
Entered service |
|
Formation | Double units |
Operators | Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe |
Lines served | U1, U2, U3 & U4 |
Specifications | |
Car body construction | Aluminium |
Train length | 25.66 m (84 ft 2+1⁄4 in) (over anticlimbers) |
Car length | 12.53 m (41 ft 1+5⁄16 in) |
Width | 2.3 m (7 ft 6+9⁄16 in) |
Height | 3.18 m (10 ft 5+3⁄16 in) |
Doors | 12 side doors per unit (6 per side) |
Maximum speed | 62 km/h (39 mph) |
Weight | 32,000 kg (70,548 lb) 41,100 kg (90,610 lb) |
Prime mover(s) | Electric motor |
Electric system(s) | 750 V DC third rail |
Current collector(s) | Contact shoe |
Safety system(s) | Dead man's switch |
Coupling system | Scharfenberg |
The BVG Class A3 is a type of Kleinprofil train that was built after World War II. The smallest operationally mobile unit is the double-rail car, which consists of a control car (S-car) with a straight carriage number and a compressor car (K-car) with an odd car number. Both vehicles are motorized and each is equipped with a cab, the term "control car" refers to the local facilities for electrical control. The K-wagon contains the compressed air system, the converter system and the lighting equipment. The numbering was carried out by car 999/998 backwards, which 999/998 is the oldest A3 unit. Until the late 1970s, the K-car was reserved for non-smokers, whereas the S-car was allowed to smoke.[ citation needed ]
After World War II, a new batch of vehicles became necessary - the trains had been badly damaged in the war. As early as 1953, the BVG-West was busy with the construction of new large-profile trains, the later D series. After the first delivery in 1957, the transport companies worked together with Waggon Union on the construction of small-profile trains similar to the D-type series. The result was the A3, which largely matched the D trains except for the adjustments for the different profiles. The first vehicles were delivered in 1960, a total of eight double railcars designated as A3 60 substructure. These wagons were also among the few that drove to East Berlin before the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961.
At this point, the new A3 type, modelled on its big Großprofil brother D, was designed. There were three batches of this type in the years 1960/61, 1964 and 1966. However, because these were built from steel, the new trains required a large amount of electricity.
Type | Series | Number | Fleet Size |
---|---|---|---|
A3-60 | 1960 | 984/985–998/999 | 16 |
A3-64 | 1964 | 934/935–982/983 | 50 |
A3-66 | 1966 | 892/893–932/933 | 42 |
In 1960, the A3-60 was deployed on Line B I and A I for a start. After the construction of the Berlin Wall, A3-60 trains were only allowed to run on Line B I (Schlesches Tor - Ruhleben). It used to run to Pankow until the Berlin Wall was built on 13 August 1961. The A3-64 was deployed on Line A III and A I again.
So, based on the A3, the A3L type built from aluminium was developed.
Type | Series | Numbers | Fleet Size |
---|---|---|---|
A3L66 | 1966 | 884/885–890/891 | 8 |
A3L67 | 1967 | 794/795–882/883 | 90 |
A3L71 | 1971 | 656/657–792/793 | 138 |
A3L82 | 1982 | 640/641–654/655 | 16 |
A3L92 | 1993-95 | 538/539–638/639 | 102 |
The first A3L66 train was deployed in 1966, and it replaced all the older train cars from 1906 to 1913, on the U2. These were replaced in 2000. Originally, the A3 and A3L twin-wagons bore all-round mouldings below the edges of the windows, all of which were removed in the late 1970s. The presence of the trims was not a criterion for the train composition, in the transitional period mixed trains occurred.
The second A3L67 train was deployed in 1967, and it replaced all the older A I train cars, on the U3 and U4. These were replaced in 2006. The aluminium car body had shown a series of wear and tear, so the upgrade would not have paid off.
The third batch of A3L71 trains was deployed in 1971, and it replaced all the older A II train cars, on the U2. In mid-2011, the BVG announced that from 2014 pre-series trains of a new series will be tested. These trains then replace the A3 / A3L series. Although currently (as of February 2016) only two preseries trains of this new IK series are delivered, which is expected to remain so until 2017, the first A3L71 cars had to be phased out in 2010 and 2015, since - similar to a few years ago for the A3L67 - the aluminium cars are now in such a bad condition that they could be refurbished at a great expense.
In 1982 the design was slightly modified, but remained compatible with the existing trains and could be used interchangeably with them. They were called A3L82. These were deployed on Line 1 (Schlesches Tor - Ruhleben). Originally they wanted to class them A4, but they still wanted to produce the A3L until 1996, and so the "A4" was eventually replaced by HK in 1999, made by Bombardier Transportation.
In the years 1993 to 1995, another new series of Kleinprofil trains were manufactured for the BVG, meant for their extra trains on line U1 and U2. After reunification, the two sections of the U2 had to be joined together again. As a result, the need for newer vehicles was once again created, and the BVG was already examining the first trains of the GI / 1 series due to technical defects. The resulting lack of vehicles could only be remedied by upgrading the G-cars on the one hand or procuring additional new vehicles on the other. Since the BVG originally wanted to separate from the GI / 1, she resorted to the latter measure. They were based on the A3L82 but were painted grey on the inside, unlike the earlier trains, which had wooden panelling. That was not the only change, however - they were the first Kleinprofil trains to use three-phase electric power. These trains were called A3L92. The first train, 566/567 was also retired at the same time.
In the summer of 2018, the BVG began decommissioning the A3L82, leaving two units (646/647 and 650/651) still in operation (only 14 units are decommissioned). The rest were parked in Grunewald and Friedrichsfelde and served only as spare parts donors. The last two units were retired in September 2018.
In 2002, the BVG started work on the refurbishment of the steel-body Class A3, after the Senate of Berlin turned down their request to fund more Class HK trains: the refurbishment project aimed to extend the lifespan of Class A3 by 20 years, and the aluminium-body Class A3L was excluded due to "structural fatigue". [1] Between 2003 and 2005, 28 pairs of Class A3-64/66 were converted to Class A3E and renumbered from 482/483 to 536/537: [2] pair 970/971 was used to test the cosmetic and technical upgrades and was dismantled in 2003, when the main stage of the refurbishment programme started. [3]
As of 15 August 2024 [update] , Classes A3E and A3L92 are in service.
The last Class A3-60 was withdrawn by December 1999, with all eight pairs scrapped: some Class A3-64/66 pairs were also scrapped around the same time, and the last unrefurbished pairs by August 2006. [4] The last A3L71 ran in service on 6 March 2022. [5]
The Berlin U-Bahn is a rapid transit system in Berlin, the capital and largest city of Germany, and a major part of the city's public transport system. Together with the S-Bahn, a network of suburban train lines, and a tram network that operates mostly in the eastern parts of the city, it serves as the main means of transport in the capital.
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit railway system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It has been in operation under this name since December 1930, having been previously called the special tariff area Berliner Stadt-, Ring- und Vorortbahnen. It complements the Berlin U-Bahn and is the link to many outer-Berlin areas, such as Berlin Brandenburg Airport. As such, the Berlin S-Bahn blends elements of a commuter rail service and a rapid transit system.
U2 is a line of the Berlin U-Bahn. The U2 line starts at Pankow S-Bahn station, runs through the eastern city centre (Alexanderplatz) to Potsdamer Platz, the western city centre and finally to the Ruhleben terminal station.
U5 is a line on the Berlin U-Bahn. It runs from Hauptbahnhof in Mitte eastwards through Alexanderplatz, Friedrichshain, Lichtenberg and Friedrichsfelde, surfaces in Biesdorf-Süd to pass Kaulsdorf and Hellersdorf above ground and finally reaches city limits at Hönow.
The Berlin tramway is the main tram system in Berlin, Germany. It is one of the oldest tram networks in the world having its origins in 1865 and is operated by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), which was founded in 1929. It is notable for being the third-largest tram system in the world, after Melbourne and St. Petersburg. Berlin's tram system is made up of 22 lines that operate across a standard gauge network, with almost 800 stops and measuring almost 190 kilometres (120 mi) in route length and 430 kilometres (270 mi) in line length. Nine of the lines, called Metrotram, operate 24 hours a day and are identified with the letter "M" before their number; the other thirteen lines are regular city tram lines and are identified by just a line number.
The rolling stock on the Berlin U-Bahn are the main types of cars for the underground railway (subway). They are split into two general categories: Kleinprofil and Großprofil lines. The names refer to the size of the train's coaches. Großprofil coaches have a width of 2.65 m and a height of 3.4 m, and Kleinprofil coaches are only 2.3 m wide and 3.1 m high. Therefore, the trains have to operate on separate networks.
Vinetastraße is a Berlin U-Bahn station in the Pankow district, located on the U2. It was opened in 1930, and for decades was the northern terminus of the U2, until the line was extended to the Pankow S-Bahn station in 2000.
Klosterstraße is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the U2 in the centrally located Mitte district. The eponymous street is named after the Graues Kloster, a medieval Franciscan abbey, which later housed the Berlinisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster.
The U12 is an inactive Berlin U-Bahn line. It existed between 1993 and June 2003, as a peak-time and night line between Ruhleben and Warschauer Straße stations. The route remains available for temporary use when it is not possible to run a full U1 or U2 service for reasons such as maintenance.
Bus transport is the oldest public transport service in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, having been introduced in 1846. Since 1929, services have been operated by the Berlin Transport Company, although during the Cold War-era division of the city they operated in West Berlin only. In East Berlin the public transport agency split off from the BVG and rebranded as BVB, operating the buses in the Soviet sector of Berlin.
The BVG Class 480 is an electric multiple unit for the Berlin S-Bahn. It was originally meant to replace the aging S-Bahn rail cars in West Berlin, but after the reunification of the city, the remaining orders were cancelled and replaced by new orders for DBAG Class 481 cars in 1993.
The BVG Class E was a series of Großprofil multiple units of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) which was exclusively used on the East Berlin line E, today line U5 of the Berlin U-Bahn. Except for the two prototypes, all vehicles were built using parts of retired S-Bahn vehicles, namely the bogies and parts of the electrical equipment.
The Class G is an electric multiple unit train type used on the Berlin U-Bahn. The trains were originally developed for the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe of East Berlin.
The A class trains were the first trains used on the Berlin U-Bahn network. These trains were used for 88 years in Berlin from 1901 to 1989, and besides the smaller profile trains, it also went to the bigger profile trains when there are not enough trains on the network, such as the case of U5, U6 and U8.
Class D was a type of electric multiple unit train used by the Berlin U-Bahn.
The BVG Class H is a type of electric multiple unit train used on the Berlin U-Bahn, Berlin's underground rapid transit system. They were the first new design of wide profile trains introduced after the fall of the Berlin Wall and have been in use since 1996. It is the first model to allow passengers to freely walk through the entire length of the train, as opposed to having multiple closed off compartments.
The BVG Class F is a train type designed for the large profile routes on the Berlin U-Bahn. 257 units were constructed between 1973 and 1994 in seven batches. These batches differ in terms of design and technical equipment.
The BVG Class HK is a type of electric multiple unit in service on the Berlin U-Bahn. It is operated by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).
The BVG Class IK is a type of electrical multiple unit used on the Berlin U-Bahn.
The tracks of the Berlin subway are lines operated in the line traffic, operating distances, which serve only internal purposes, turn-off and turning plants and plants in the operating farms.