Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin

Last updated
Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin
Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin Juni 2022.jpg
2022
General information
LocationMessedamm 2-4
14057 Berlin
Germany
Coordinates 52°30′27″N13°16′47″E / 52.5076°N 13.2798°E / 52.5076; 13.2798
Owned by Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
Operated by IOB Internationale Omnibusbahnhof-Betreibergesellschaft mbH
Other information
Website www.zob.berlin
History
OpenedMay 1966;58 years ago (1966-05)
Location
Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin

The Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Berlin (short: ZOB Berlin) is a central bus station located at the Funkturm Berlin in the Berlin district Westend of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. It was initiated by Gustav Severin (founder of the Association of Berlin Bus and Coach Operators) [1] and went into operation in May 1966. It replaced the bus station on the Stuttgarter Platz since 1951 for bus traffic to West Germany.

Contents

The bus station is used exclusively for long-distance bus travel. A total of 35 bus and coach companies are available for regular and occasional services. The ZOB Berlin is an important point of domestic and international long-distance bus transport.

Location

Panorama picture ZOB Berlin Panoramaaufnahme ZOB - Berlin - Bild 001.jpg
Panorama picture ZOB Berlin

The bus station is located on the western edge of the City West in the Masurenallee, right next to the Berliner Ringbahn and the parallel running Bundesautobahn 100 (Stadtautobahn) to the Messe Berlin. The Messe Nord/ZOB station on the circular railway (S41/S42, S46) and the Kaiserdamm underground station of the U2 underground line are about 300 and 350 metres away respectively. There is a direct connection to the bus station only via some bus lines of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). The connection to the city centre is via the U2 underground line, whose station is two blocks north of Kaiserdamm; the journey from there to Zoo station takes eight minutes, to Alexanderplatz 28 minutes.

The immediate proximity to the city motorway (Bundesautobahn 100) and the AVUS (Bundesautobahn 115) is attractive for coach travel companies. This eliminates the congestion-prone and thus time-consuming journey through the city centre, which is often the case in other large cities.

Operation

The ZOB has been operated since 2001 by the Internationale Omnibusbahnhof Betreibergesellschaft (IOB), a 100% subsidiary of the BVG. [2]

However, the ticket counters are operated under the ZOB travel agency brand by Zentral-Omnibusbahnhof Berlin GmbH, a subsidiary of Bayern Express & P. Kühn Berlin. There are also ticket containers of other long-distance bus companies such as Flixbus and Eurolines at the ZOB. However, the IOB is responsible for the complete marketing of the buildings. [3]

Usage

In 2012, the ZOB recorded around 64,000 arrivals and departures with more than 3.2 million passengers and visitors, [4] in the following year, the number rose to 99,870. [5] In 2014, there were around 175,000 arrivals and departures [6] and almost nine million passengers handled. [7] The number of departures rose to 208,000 in 2015 and 214,000 in the following year, but in the course of market consolidation [8] the number of departures dropped to 166,000 in 2017, with the number of passengers remaining almost unchanged at around six million. [9] A corridor between 230,000 and 344,000 arrivals and departures is expected for 2019.

According to the IOB, 55 bus companies regularly use the ZOB, another ten companies stop at it in occasional traffic. [6] From here, their lines connect Berlin with many parts of Europe. Due to Berlin's geographical location, the ZOB Berlin plays a special role as a gateway to Eastern Europe. The importance of the ZOB for the German capital is underlined, among other things, by its proximity to the exhibition grounds. Thus the ZOB is used particularly strongly to the trade fairs, like the Berlin International Green Week (IGW), the ITB Berlin (ITB) or the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA)

Basic Overhaul and Capacity Expansion

A basic overhaul and capacity expansion is currently underway. The complete reconstruction of the traffic system and the inclusion of the existing bus parking area should make it possible to serve all bus stops independently of each other in the future, and their number should continue to rise to 37. In addition, a basic overhaul of the buildings including energetic renovation as well as an extension of the bus stop shelter in House A is planned. Construction was scheduled to begin in June 2016 and was then expected to take three years but ultimately took longer. [10] Initially (as of 2013), EUR 3.7 million had been earmarked for this, [4] plus EUR 5 million for the renovation of the bus stop shelter, the control centre and the toilet house. In 2016, for structural reasons, it was decided to demolish and completely rebuild two buildings instead. The waiting hall will be a two-storey terminal with a glass façade and will then offer 280 seats (previously 76) as well as gastronomic facilities. As a result, costs in the amount of 14 million euros were assumed. [11] In the meantime, the estimated costs continued to rise, initially to 30 million euros in March 2018 and to 37.7 million euros in May 2018 according to press reports. [12]

While buses are currently being handled at 27 stops, their number will increase to 33 as a result of the conversion, which will also halve the average handling time to 15 minutes. [13]

On 21 November 2017 - at the end of the first reconstruction phase - the first ten renewed stop bays were put into operation. [14] The renovation is expected to last until September 2022. [15]

The first part of the new terminal building was opened on 22 March 2024. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin U-Bahn</span> Rapid transport system of Berlin, Germany

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U2 (Berlin U-Bahn)</span> Underground transit line in Germany

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Berlin</span> Overview of the tram system of Berlin, Germany

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaiserdamm (Berlin U-Bahn)</span> Berlin U-Bahn station

Kaiserdamm is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on line U2. It is linked to the Messe Nord/ICC station of the Berlin S-Bahn.

<span title="German-language text"><i lang="de">Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe</i></span> Public transport company in Berlin, Germany

The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe is the main public transport company of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It manages the city's U-Bahn (underground), tram, bus, replacement services (EV) and ferry networks, but not the S-Bahn urban rail system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Ostkreuz station</span> Train station in Berlin

Berlin Ostkreuz station is a station on the Berlin S-Bahn suburban railway and the busiest interchange station in Berlin. It is in the former East Berlin district of Friedrichshain, now part of the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. A smaller part of the station is in Rummelsburg, part of the borough of Lichtenberg. The station is a Turmbahnhof with the Berlin–Frankfurt (Oder) railway and the Prussian Eastern Railway on the lower level and the Berlin Ringbahn on the upper level. It is used by a total of around 235,000 passengers every day on eight lines, entering or leaving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westend (Berlin)</span> Quarter of Berlin in Germany

Westend is a locality of the Berlin borough Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Germany. It emerged in the course of Berlin's 2001 administrative reform on the grounds of the former Charlottenburg borough. Originally a mansion colony, it is today a quite densely settled, still affluent territory adjacent to Berlin's inner city in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munich Hackerbrücke station</span> Munich S-Bahn station

Munich Hackerbrücke station is a station opened in 1972 on the Munich S-Bahn network below Hackerbrücke that is close to Munich Central Station. It is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 3 station and has a 211 metre long central platform between two platform tracks and is located directly in front of a 3.2 percent drop into the S-Bahn trunk line tunnel. Immediately to the south is the Munich Hauptbahnhof signal box, which monitors and controls all the track work at the Central Station and on the adjoining lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messe Nord/ZOB station</span> Railway station in Berlin, Germany

Messe Nord/ZOB is a station in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. It is located on the Ringbahn circle line, served by S-Bahn lines S41/S42 and S46. It is linked to the Kaiserdamm U-Bahn station on line U2 via a short footpath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Westkreuz station</span> Railway station in Berlin, Germany

Berlin Westkreuz is a station in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines S3, S41, S42, S46, S5, S7 and S9 and so represents a major interchange point on the Berlin S-Bahn network. It lies at the opposite end of the Stadtbahn to Ostkreuz and is one of the four main stations on the Ringbahn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Hohenzollerndamm station</span> Railway station in Berlin, Germany

Hohenzollerndamm is a station in the Wilmersdorf district of Berlin. It is served by the S-Bahn lines S41, S42 and S46. The station is located on the eponymous street named after the House of Hohenzollern. The neo-baroque entrance hall reminiscent of Art Nouveau design was erected in 1910.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Berlin</span> Overview of the transport in Berlin

Berlin has developed a highly complex transportation infrastructure providing very diverse modes of urban mobility. 979 bridges cross 197 kilometers of innercity waterways, 5,334 kilometres (3,314 mi) of roads run through Berlin, of which 73 kilometres (45 mi) are motorways. Long-distance rail lines connect Berlin with all of the major cities of Germany and with many cities in neighboring European countries. Regional rail lines provide access to the surrounding regions of Brandenburg and to the Baltic Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messe Berlin</span>

Messe Berlin are exhibition grounds in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf precinct of Berlin, Germany, at Masurenallee opposite the Haus des Rundfunks. Since 2011, they have officially been known as "Berlin ExpoCenter City" and operated by the Messe Berlin GmbH company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus transport in Berlin</span> Overview of the bus transport in Berlin

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferry transport in Berlin</span> Overview of the ferry transport in Berlin

Ferry transport forms part of the transport network of Berlin due to the city's extensive network of rivers, lakes, and canals. 6 routes operate within the city boundaries and one serves the city of Potsdam, which are part of the common public transport tariff run by the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof München</span>

Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof München is a central bus station located in Maxvorstadt, Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The terminal has an area of 17,221 square metres (185,370 sq ft). The bus station was established on 11 September 2009 and is a major transportation hub for bus and train with national and international traffic. The bus station also has spacious offices and retail space for retailers that give it an airport-like character. The nearest S-Bahn station is Munich Hackerbrücke station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BVG Class F</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museumsinsel (Berlin U-Bahn)</span> Station of the Berlin U-Bahn

Museumsinsel is a subway station in Berlin's Mitte district. It is part of the extension of the subway line U5 from Alexanderplatz to Brandenburger Tor, with groundbreaking occurring in 2010. The station opened on 9 July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotes Rathaus (Berlin U-Bahn)</span> Station of the Berlin U-Bahn

Rotes Rathaus is a subway station in Berlin's Mitte district. It is part of the extension of the U5 from Alexanderplatz to Brandenburger Tor, construction of which began with a groundbreaking ceremony in 2010. The station and the line opened simultaneously on 4 December 2020.

The Berlin–Hohenschönhausen tram was a tram operated under the Prussian Small Railway Act between Berlin and the rural municipality of Hohenschönhausen, which was incorporated into Berlin in 1920. Opened in 1899, the line was operated by the Continentale Gesellschaft für elektrische Unternehmungen from Nuremberg until 1906, and then by the Aktiengesellschaft der Neue Berliner Straßenbahnen Nordost. In 1910, the Große Berliner Straßenbahn (GBS) bought the company and renamed it the Nordöstliche Berliner Vorortbahn (NöBV). In 1919, the line was absorbed into the GBS and thus became an integral part of the Berlin tram network. Large parts of the route are still in operation and are currently served by the M5 tram line of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).

References

  1. TU-Medieninformation zum Tode von G. Severin: TU Berlin trauert um Gustav Severin
  2. "BVG Geschäftsbericht 2013" (PDF) (in German). Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe. 2014. p. 77. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  3. "old.bvg.de: ZOB Berlin". Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  4. 1 2 "Fast 50 Jahre im Dämmerschlaf". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
  5. Der Busbahnhof platzt aus allen Nähten. In: Berliner Zeitung , 22 April 2014, retrieved 12 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Boom an Weihnachten: Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof (ZOB) auf Rekordkurs" (PDF) (in German). Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
  7. Gunnar Schupelius: Müller-Senat lässt den Fernbus-Bahnhof vergammeln. In: B.Z. , 12 April 2015, retrieved 14 April 2015.
  8. Am ZOB sind fast ein Viertel weniger Fernbusse unterwegs. Bei: rbb24, 28 December 2017.
  9. "Kurzmeldungen – Omnibus (Sonstige)", Berliner Verkehrsblätter (in German), no. 3, p. 60, 2018
  10. "Drucksache 17/15176" (PDF) (in German). Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin. 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  11. "Berlins ZOB wird gläserner - und doppelt so teuer". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  12. "Neubau des Berliner ZOB wird noch teurer". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 2018-05-12. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
  13. "Mehr Kapazität am ZOB", BVG plus (in German), no. 9, pp. 10f., 2016, retrieved 2017-01-19
  14. "Kurzmeldungen – Omnibus (Sonstige)", Berliner Verkehrsblätter (in German), no. 1, p. 14, 2018
  15. "2023 Guide to Berlin Central Bus Station: Flixbus, Location, Access and Hotels - Berlin Tourist Information". 11 June 2020.
  16. "Empfangsgebäude am ZOB in Berlin eröffnet" (in German). 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-22.