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Frankfurt U-Bahn | |||
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Overview | |||
Locale | Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany | ||
Transit type | Light rail [1] (Stadtbahn), rapid transit | ||
Number of lines | 9 [2] | ||
Number of stations | 84 [2] | ||
Daily ridership | 470,100 (2016) [3] | ||
Annual ridership | 123.6 million (2023) [2] | ||
Website | VGF | ||
Operation | |||
Began operation | 4 October 1968 [4] | ||
Operator(s) | Stadtwerke Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF) | ||
Character | Mostly underground, with significant sections at-grade (including at-grade intersections), with some street running (U5 line) | ||
Train length | 50–105 metres (164–344 ft) | ||
Headway | 5-15 minutes (daytime) | ||
Technical | |||
System length | 64.85 km (40.3 mi) [2] | ||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
Electrification | 600 V DC from overhead catenary | ||
Top speed | 80 km/h (50 mph) | ||
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The Frankfurt U-Bahn is a Stadtbahn (premetro) system serving Frankfurt, Germany. Together with the Rhine-Main S-Bahn and the tram network, it forms the backbone of the public transport system in Frankfurt. Its name derives from the German term for underground railway, Untergrundbahn. Since 1996, the U-Bahn has been owned and operated by Stadtwerke Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt am Main (VGF), the public transport company of Frankfurt, and is part of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) transport association. The licence contract is up to 31 December 2031 and is renewable. The contracting authority of VGF is the municipal transport company traffiQ.
The U-Bahn opened in 1968, [4] and has been expanded several times. It consists of three inner-city tunnels and above-ground lines in the suburbs. About 59% of the track length is underground.[ citation needed ] The network operates on a variety of right of ways typical of a light rail system, with core sections running underground in the inner city and some above-ground sections operating on street. [1] [5]
Like all public transport lines in Frankfurt, the system has been integrated in the Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund (RMV) since 1995. From 1974 until the founding of the RMV, the Stadtwerke were shareholders in the predecessor group, the Frankfurter Verkehrsverbund (FVV; Frankfurt Transport Association).
The network consists of 84 stations on nine lines, with a total length of 64.85 kilometres (40.30 mi). [2] Eight of the nine lines travel through the city center (line U9 being the exception). In 2023, the U-Bahn carried 123.6 million passengers, [2] an average of approximately 338,600 passengers per day. The most recent expansion of the network was on 12 December 2010 when two new lines were added, the U8 and the U9 (both part of the long-planned but only partially completed fourth route), which opened up the university campus area and the new development area at Riedberg.
At the beginning of the 1950s, the first plans were made to relieve the then already overburdened tram. More than 100,000 motor vehicles were registered in Frankfurt in 1958, and more than 180,000 commuters used the transport infrastructure on a daily basis. Various alternatives to the construction of a modern high-speed traffic system and the separation of above-ground traffic flows were discussed. On 5 April 1960, the SPD faction requested that the city council might commit to a two-line straddle-beam monorail system designed by Alweg. Lord Mayor Werner Bockelmann, however, advocated from the outset the construction of a U-Bahn, which was however considered the most expensive option. On 7 July 1960, the city council therefore commissioned a city planner with the preparation of a general planning overview in order to compare the costs of the three systems: Alweg straddle-beam monorail, U-Bahn and Stadtbahn (premetro). Responsible for the planning was in October 1961 designated to the head of the Traffic Department Walter Möller. The decision was finally made in late 1961 in favour of a U-Bahn system, which was to be built in several sections initially using existing tram infrastructure. In the first construction phase, the tunnels of the inner city were to be built for the time being, which were to be connected via provisional ramps to the adjacent tram routes. It was not until the second construction phase that the tunnels were to be extended beyond the inner city and connected to suitable upgraded above-ground routes in the suburbs. In the third construction phase, the change from Stadtbahn to U-Bahn would have been completed, which was to operate completely independently of traffic in tunnels, cuts and dams.
On 28 June 1963 the first pile of rubble for the construction of the 3.2-kilometre (2.0 mi)-long tunnel under the Eschersheimer Landstraße. For the first stage of development until 1975 - approximately corresponding to today's main lines A and B - construction costs of 565 million DM were expected. The new Lord Mayor Willi Brundert compared the "boldly begun subway construction" in 1964 in its dimensions with the medieval cathedral building.
After just one year, the ambitious mammoth project threatened to fail due to financing problems. Falling tax revenues and a tax policy geared towards federal and state governments drove the municipalities close to ruin in the mid-1960s. Frankfurt was 1.4 billion DM in debt in 1964, the most heavily indebted city in Germany, with a regular budget of 733 million DM. Under pressure to stabilize the budget deficit, the 1964–65 municipal assembly reduced long-term investment planning from 2.7 billion DM to 1.7 billion DM and even hinted that for some time that Eschersheimer Landstraße would be "impassable desert" after completion of the tunnelling work.
The U-Bahn opened on 4 October 1968, with the first route running from Hauptwache to Nordweststadt [4] (now line U1). This first section ended up costing 344 million DM to construct, of which the federal government contributed 56 million DM and the state of Hesse contributed 129 million DM. [6]
The route network consists of the four routes "A", "B", "C" and "D" used by a total of nine different services, U1 to U9. The total operating length of is 64.85 kilometres (40.30 mi). The first three routes ("A", "B" and "C") each have a separate tunnelled section under the city centre. The fourth, D, route is still only partially completed. Central sections of the routes, shared by multiple services, are called "basic route" or "trunk route"; these branch out into several "connecting lines", which are usually used by only one service and are sometimes referred to as "upgraded lines". The terms "basic section" and "connecting section" and their designations are based on the names of the construction sections. Sections of the legs were designated by the letter of the route and a Roman numerical suffix - sections of the connecting lines with an Arabic numeral. The designation of the connecting lines "A1", "A2", "A3" and "B1" was also used to designate the lines until 1978.
Like all light rail vehicles, trams and subways in Germany, the Frankfurt U-Bahn is subject to the BOStrab tram regulations. The tunnels and the above-ground section between Römerstadt and Ginnheim are completely separate from other traffic. Most of the other above-ground sections run on reserved track but have numerous level crossings for road traffic and pedestrians. The section of the U5 between Friedberger Anlage and Marbachweg operates in the largely on street.
Tunnels exist at -
Route | Line | Path | Stations |
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A (and D) | Ginnheim - Römerstadt - Nordwestzentrum - Hauptwache - Willy-Brandt-Platz - Südbahnhof | 20 | |
A | Bad Homburg-Gonzenheim - Ober-Eschbach - Nieder-Eschbach - Bonames - Hauptwache - Willy-Brandt-Platz - Südbahnhof | 21 | |
A | Oberursel-Hohemark - Oberursel - Niederursel - Hauptwache - Willy-Brandt-Platz - Südbahnhof | 28 | |
B (and C+D) | Enkheim - Schäfflestraße - Seckbacher Landstraße - Bornheim - Konstablerwache - Willy-Brandt-Platz - Hauptbahnhof - Festhalle/Messe - Bockenheimer Warte | 15 | |
B | Preungesheim - Eckenheim - Hauptfriedhof - Konstablerwache - Willy-Brandt-Platz - Hauptbahnhof | 16 | |
C | Heerstraße - Bockenheimer Warte - Hauptwache - Konstablerwache - Ostbahnhof | 15 | |
C | Hausen - Bockenheimer Warte - Hauptwache - Konstablerwache - Eissporthalle - Hessen-Center - Enkheim | 20 | |
A (and D) | Riedberg - Niederursel - Hauptwache - Willy-Brandt-Platz - Südbahnhof | 19 | |
D (and A) | Nieder-Eschbach - Riedberg - Niederursel - Nordwestzentrum - Römerstadt - Ginnheim | 12 |
These are individual routings.
Stretch | Line | Routing | Opening | Stations | Frequency | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A1 | Ginnheim ↔ Heddernheim Hochbahn: Ginnheim – Römerstadt – Tunnel: Nordwestzentrum – Heddernh. Landstr. – Eisenbahn: Zeilweg – Heddernheim | 1968–1978 | 6 | 7½ | 10 | 15 | |||
A2 | Bad Homburg-Gonzenheim ↔ Heddernheim Eisenbahn: Gonzenheim – Ndr.-Eschb. – Bonames – Mertonviertel – Heddernheim | 1971 | 7 | 7½ | 10 | 15 | |||
A3 | Oberursel-Hohemark ↔ Heddernheim Eisenbahn: Hohemark – Oberursel – Weißkirchen – Niederursel – Heddernheim | 1978 | 14 | 7½ | 15 | 15 | |||
B1 | Preungesheim ↔ Konstablerwache Stadtbahn: Preungesheim – Gießener Straße – Eckenheim – Marbachweg – Straßenbahn: Hauptfriedhof – Eckenh. Landstr. – Nordend – Tunnel: Scheffeleck – Konstablerwache | 1974–1978 | 12 | 5 | 7½ | 10–20 | |||
B2 | Bornheim Seckbacher Landstr. ↔ Konstablerwache Tunnel: Bornheim – Berger Straße – Nordend – Konstablerwache Stadtbahn: Bornheim Seckbacher Landstr. – Schäfflestraße – (Enkheim mit U7) | 1980 | 4 | 5 | 7½ | 10–20 | |||
C1 [GS 1] | | Zoo ↔ Enkheim Tunnel: Zoo – Ostend – Eissporthalle (U7 only) – Stadtbahn: Riederwald – Borsigallee – Enkheim (U4 und U7) | 1992 | 9 | 7½ | 10 | 20 | ||
C4 [GS 2] | Zoo ↔ Ostbahnhof Tunnel: Zoo – Ostbahnhof | 1999 | 1 | 7½ | 10 | 20 | |||
Hausen | Hausen ↔ Industriehof Stadtbahn: Hausen – Industriehof | 1986 | 2 | 7½ | 10 | 20 | |||
Heerstr. | Praunheim Heerstraße ↔ Industriehof Stadtbahn: Praunheim – Ludwig-Landmann-Str. – Hausen – Industriehof | 1986 | 5 | 7½ | 10 | 20 | |||
D4 (formerly known as A2) | | Niederursel ↔ Abzweig Kalbach Stadtbahn: – Niederursel – Riedberg – Bonames → Nieder-Eschbach | 2010 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
As of 2024 [update] extensions of the system in planning or under construction include:
There are two depots for U-Bahn trains:
The U1 Class consists of two six-axle, two-section prototype vehicles built by Duewag in 1965, [9] derived from the manufacturer's previous tramcars. The original designation was U6 (U-Bahn vehicle with 6 axles), but this was changed to U1 when the U2 Class were delivered. [10] The first prototype was delivered in cream livery [11] but both were painted red and white from 1968. The U1 Class were removed from service in 1976 [11] because they were incompatible with newer vehicle types. [10] One non-operational U1 Class is now in the collection of the Frankfurt Transport Museum. [11]
The U2 Class were the first production vehicles for the network. Duewag built 104 vehicles of this type in seven batches from 1968 to 1984. [9] The final (seventh) batch of seven units was delivered after a fire at Heddernheim Depot in 1980 destroyed five sets. [7] They were originally painted in a red and white livery, before being repainted in beige, ivory and grey from 1981 and finally from 1996 turquoise (officially known as subaru vista blue). [9] Unlike the prototype vehicles the U2 Class did not have folding steps. Instead there were fixed steps inside the doors, level with the underground station platforms but a step up from the lower platforms at above-ground stations. [12]
The U2 cars were all used on the A Line until 1998 when 32 vehicles were transferred to the C Line. This had slightly higher platforms (87 cm) and these vehicles were rebuilt as U2e with the steps in the door areas removed. The vehicles remaining on the A Line were also rebuilt from 1999, with the steps raised but not removed, becoming U2h. [9]
The last U2 car was withdrawn after a farewell trip on 3 April 2016. [9] Three examples have been preserved. [7]
Siemens adapted the U2 design for the North American light rail market and similar vehicles were supplied to Edmonton, Calgary and San Diego.
The U3 Class was based on the U2, but slightly longer (24.49 m), with a body made entirely of steel, and without any steps for access from low platforms. [13] Duewag built 27 vehicles in 1979 and 1980, [14] which were originally deployed on the U4 and transferred to the U6 in 2015. [13]
In 2017 the last type U3 train was retired from service. [15] After their withdrawal in Frankfurt 24 trains were refurbished and transferred to Monterrey Metro in Mexico. [16] The other three have remained in Frankfurt as museum vehicles. [14] [17]
The U4 class is developed from the U3 class, but with an appearance similar to the R type trams. [13] Siemens-Duewag built 39 vehicles between 1994 and 1998, [18] numbered 501–539. They were the first U-Bahn vehicles delivered in the current subaru vista blue livery. [18] Originally the U4 vehicles were deployed on A Line services U1, U2 and U3, and later also on lines U8 and U9. An accident involving the two cars 517 and 532 on 28 February 2007 resulted in their early retirement from the fleet and being scrapped for spare parts.[ citation needed ] Between 2010 and 2017 all remaining U4 cars were refurbished. They were fitted with new yellow handrails and orange entrance areas to help visually impaired passengers orientate themselves in the train, and an air conditioning system for the driver's cab. [18] [19] The trains were also modified so they could run in multiple with the newer U5 Class. [20]
The U5 Class, the newest of the U-Bahn fleet, has been produced by Bombardier Transportation (now Alstom) in Bautzen, and is part of the manufacturer's Flexity Swift range. [21] The first order of 146 vehicles was placed in 2006, [21] another order for 78 vehicles came in 2011. [22] and 22 further vehicles were ordered in 2018, [23] with a 23rd vehicle to be delivered to compensate for delivery delays. [24] The first vehicles were delivered in 2008, for use on the A Line and U5 vehicles are now deployed on all lines. [25]
The design of the U5 class is similar to the older trains. They are 25 m long, two-section, six-axle vehicles, but there are three subtypes. The U5-ZR (Zweirichtungswagen, bi-directional vehicle) have driving cabs at each end. [26] The U5-ER (Einrichtungswagen, uni-directional vehicle) have a driving cab at one end and an open gangway at the other. Two of these can be connected to form a 50 m long train, called U5-50, [26] in a concept similar to the TW2500 on the Hanover Stadtbahn. The third type are designated U5-MW, (Mittelwagen, intermediate vehicle). They have no cab and both ends of the unit are outfitted with gangways. [26] One or two of these can be coupled between two U5-ER sets to form a continually walk-through train of either 75 metres (U5-75) or 100 metres (U5-100). [25] Each cabless end is also equipped with a dashboard in order to facilitate shunting, as well as sliding doors (for closing up the train during shunting movements), [26] and head/tail lights.
A total of 100 P/Pt/Ptb Class vehicles were built by Duewag in three batches from 1972-1978 [27] and used until 2016 on the U-Bahn network. [28] While the first batch of 30 vehicles were fitted with folding steps, to facilitate access from street level in tram service or high platforms at U-Bahn stations, the second and third batches had fixed steps and thus was initially incompatible with the platforms on the U-Bahn lines. [27] To differentiate the two subclasses, the batch with folding steps was designated Pt (t for tunnelgängig, operable in tunnels). [29] Between 1984 and 1986 the third batch was rebuilt with folding steps in order to be operated on the C Line, and the second batch were also rebuilt as Pt Class in 1992 when the U7 was extended to Enkheim. [27]
In order to accommodate the narrower body of the Pt, the U-Bahn platforms had to be modified and in order to allow mixed operation at the same platforms as the other light rail vehicles, which were 30 cm wider, some Pt vehicles were widened around the door area. [29] The resulting subclass was then named Ptb (b for breit, wide). [30] The aforementioned modifications to the platforms were reversed as well. Even after no other lines required the folding steps, the Ptb remained indispensable on the U5 service where on certain sections the stations did not have high platforms until 2016. [28] Some Ptb class cars had their widened steps restored to regular width and were repurposed for a time on tram lines 15, 17 and 20 due to a tram stock shortage. [28]
The public transport system in Frankfurt is part of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund transport network and consists of several carriers who all use the same fare system. Therefore, one ticket is valid for a journey which may include several modes of transit run by different operators. The fares are paid in advance of travel at a ticket vending machine or at the driver on board a bus. There are no turnstiles or other controlling barriers; instead, a proof-of-payment system is used. Plainclothes fare inspectors are employed and carry out random checks to ensure passengers have paid. If found to be travelling without a ticket, then they are required to pay a fine.
The Vienna U-Bahn, where U-Bahn is an abbreviation of the German word Untergrundbahn, is a rapid transit system serving Vienna, Austria. The five-line network consists of 83.1 kilometers (51.6 mi) of route, serving 109 stations. 459.8 million passengers rode the U-Bahn in 2019.
The Munich U-Bahn is an electric rail rapid transit network in Munich, Germany. The system began operation in 1971, and is operated by the municipally owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft. The network is integrated into the Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund and interconnected with the Munich S-Bahn. The U-Bahn currently comprises eight lines, serving 96 stations, and encompassing 103.1 kilometres (64.1 mi) of routes.
Stadtbahn is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that could be used independently from other traffic.
The Nuremberg U-Bahn is a rapid transit system run by Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg, which itself is a member of the Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg. The Nuremberg U-Bahn is Germany's newest metro system, having begun operation in 1972, although the Nuremberg-Fürth route (U1) uses part of the right of way of the Bavarian Ludwig Railway, Germany's first passenger railway opened in 1835. The current network of the U-Bahn is composed of three lines, serving 49 stations, and comprising 38.2 kilometres (23.7 mi) of operational route, making it the shortest of the four metro systems in Germany, behind Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
The Stuttgart Stadtbahn is a semi-metro system in Stuttgart, Germany. The Stadtbahn began service on 28 September 1985. It is operated by the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB), which also operates the bus systems in that city. The Stuttgart Stadtbahn is successor system of a tram network (Straßenbahnen) that characterized the urban traffic in Stuttgart for decades.
The B Line is the second line in the network of the Frankfurt U-Bahn, running in a west–east direction from the central railway station (Hauptbahnhof) through the old town to Konstablerwache, where it splits into two branches to Bornheim and Preungesheim. Originally planned as an independent main line, part of the D Line forms an extension of U4 to Bockenheimer Warte from the central railway station.
The Frankfurt am Main tramway network is a network of tramways forming a major part of the public transport system in Frankfurt am Main, a city in the federal state of Hesse, Germany.
The U3 is an underground line in Nuremberg. The line was opened on 14 June 2008. It is about 9.2 kilometres (5.7 mi) long, making it the shortest in the system. The number of stations is 14. The termini are Nordwestring and Großreuth. U3 trains are run driverless and have been since the opening of the line. U3 shares part of its route with the older U2. Due to the circuitous horseshoe-shaped route, U3 is not always the fastest public transit option between its stations. For example, the buses that run along B4R are - per the official schedules - faster for getting from Nordwestring to Gustav Adolf Straße and the tramway line 4 is faster for getting from Friedrich Ebert Platz to Plärrer than the respective U3 connection.
The Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft is a municipally owned company responsible for operating public transport in Munich, Germany. It operates buses, the Munich tramway and the Munich U-Bahn.
Frankfurt (Main) Hauptwache station is a major train station situated at the Hauptwache square in the centre of Frankfurt, Germany.
Frankfurt am Main Konstablerwache station is a major train station and metro station at the Konstablerwache square in the city centre of Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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The C Line is the third line of the Frankfurt U-Bahn. It opened on 11 October 1986 and runs east-west through the city centre via Hauptwache and Konstablerwache. In the East it has branches to Frankfurt Ost railway station and Enkheim. To the North-west of the city centre it runs under Bockenheimer Landstraße before splitting into two branches to Hausen and Praunheim. The main services on the line are the U6 and U7 (Praunheim-Enkheim). Part of the branch to Enkheim also carries U4 services.
The Nuremberg tramway network is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Nuremberg, a city in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany. The system reached the neighboring city of Fürth from its opening year to almost a century later when construction of the U1 subway line led to the withdrawal of tram service to and within Fürth. During that era and referring to it historically in literature or nostalgic activities, the system was known as “Nürnberg-Fürther Straßenbahn“. For example, a local association dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the tram network as well as old rolling stock calls itself “Freunde der Nürnberg-Fürther Straßenbahn“ The system is planned to cross the municipal boundaries of Nuremberg once more, if and when the extension to Erlangen and from there to Herzogenaurach dubbed "Stadtumlandbahn" opens.
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The Stammstrecke 1 of the Munich U-Bahn is the first, of a total of three realized main routes, in the subway network of the Bavarian capital Munich. It runs mainly in north–south direction and is currently used by the two subway lines, the U3 and U6. Also, since 15 December 2013, the additional amplifier line, the U8, runs on Saturdays on the section Olympiazentrum-Scheidplatz. Between the subway stations Münchner Freiheit and Implerstraße, the lines U3 and U6 run on the same route, before, or after which they branch off and the two lines are then run each on a separate route. The mainline 1 has a total length of 41 kilometers and passes 42 subway stations. It does not run exclusively in Munich urban areas, but for a distance of about eight kilometers in the northern area of Garching. A large part of the northern section of the U6 runs above ground, the remaining part completely in tunnels.
The Willy-Brandt-Platz is a central square in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany. Its name was Theaterplatz until 1992, when it was named after Willy Brandt, the former chancellor. It is located between the Main Station and the Altstadt, at the Frankfurter Anlagenring, and is part of the so-called Bankenviertel. Major buildings are the Städtisches Opern- und Schauspielhaus, the municipal theatre that opened in 1963, and the Eurotower skyscraper. Below the square are the U-Bahnhof Willy-Brandt-Platz and the Theatertunnel street tunnel.
Tabelle 4: Linienbeförderungsfälle der U-Bahn-und Straßenbahn-Linien(2016)
The Frankfurt "U-Bahn" is not a real metro, but rather a typical German Stadtbahn (like that of Stuttgart, Dortmund or Hanover), i.e. some sections in the city centre were built to full metro standards, whereas others along outer sections have level crossings, in the case of line U5 even some on-street running.