| |
Total
length: 20.7 km (14.5 km underground) - 29 stations
Small-profile
line with ~105 m long platforms (8-car trains of A3 and GII stock, or
double 4-car trainsets of HK stock in service).
At
the western end of line U2, every other train terminates at Theodor-Heuss-Platz
during daytime service.
From
Ruhleben, line U2 runs on an embankment to Olympia-Stadion, past the main
workshops for the small-profile rolling stock. Just after Olympia-Stadion
station, trains enter the first tunnel section, which runs through the
district of Charlottenburg to a point between Wittenbergplatz and Nollendorfplatz.
The section between Ernst-Reuter-Platz (formerly Knie) and Potsdamer Platz
is part of the original U-Bahn opened in 1902. From 1906 until 1970, there
was a branch from Deutsche Oper to Wilhelmplatz (now Richard-Wagner-Platz),
a section later replaced by the present line U7.
The
next underground section starts right after Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park,
with the ramp completely covered in 2009. The line winds its way through
the city centre on a rather indirect route, as Leipziger Straße
was the domain of the urban tramway lines. North of the Mitte district,
line U2 emerges from the tunnel to continue on an elevated structure along
Schönhauser Allee in the popular district of Prenzlauer Berg, before
re-entering the tunnel between Schönhauser Allee and Vinetastraße
stations, the latter remaining the northern terminus from 1930 until 2000,
when the line was finally extended to Pankow S-Bahn station.
What
is now line U2, was split into two separate lines when the Wall was erected
in 1961. The elevated section between Nollendorfplatz and Gleisdreieck
was out of service from 1972 until 1993. The section between Nollendorfplatz
and Bülowstraße, however, was operated by a vintage tram for
some years. The lower level at Gleisdreieck was occupied by the trial
service of the 'M-Bahn', a magnetic levitation system later dismantled
to make room for the reconstruction of line U2 across the former borderline.
18-02-1902:
Potsdamer Platz - [Möckernbrücke - Stralauer Thor
U1]
11-03-1902: Potsdamer Platz / [- Möckernbrücke
U1] - Zoologischer Garten
14-12-1902: Zoolog. Garten - Knie (now Ernst-Reuter-Platz)
14-05-1906: Knie - Bismarckstraße (now Deutsche Oper)
- [Wilhelmplatz (now Richard-Wagner-Platz) U7]
29-03-1908: Bismarckstraße - Reichskanzlerplatz (now Theodor-Heuss-Platz)
01-10-1908: Potsdamer Platz - Spittelmarkt
03-12-1912: + Gleisdreieck station
08-06-1913: Reichskanzlerplatz - Stadion (now Olympia-Stadion)
01-07-1913: Spittelmarkt - Alexanderplatz
27-07-1913: Alexanderplatz - Bahnhof Nordring (now Schönhauser
Allee)
20-05-1922: + Neu-Westend station
22-12-1929: Stadion - Ruhleben
29-06-1930: Bahnhof Nordring - Pankow (Vinetastraße) (now
Vinetastraße)
1961-1993: Potsdamer Platz station closed
1972-1993: Gleisdreieck - Nollendorfplatz closed
28-04-1978: + Bismarckstraße station
01-10-1998: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park station
16-09-2000: Vinetastraße - Pankow
|
| |
STATIONS |
|
Ruhleben |
|
22-12-1929
stub
station on an embankment
|

|
|
Olympia-Stadion
|
|
08-06-1913
(until 1922 for special events only)
at
grade; three tracks with two island platform; large entrance building,
with U-Bahn Museum located inside former signal box.
|


|
|
Neu-Westend
|
|
08-06-1913
|


|
|
Theodor-Heuss-Platz |
|
29-03-1908
terminus
for every other train; side platforms
|


|
|
Kaiserdamm |
 |
29-03-1908
Transfer
to S-Bahn station Messe Nord/ICC via street level; side platforms
S-Bahn tracks,
which are in a cutting, are crossed on a bridge, which is actually the
lower level of the road bridge.
|
 |
|
Sophie-Charlotte-Platz |
|
29-03-1908
Rather original
design, with walls later covered with images depicting old U-Bahn stations
and trains; side platforms.
|



|
|
Bismarckstraße |
 |
28-04-1978
side platforms;
station added to provide direct transfer to line U7 which runs on the
lower level.
|
 |
|
Deutsche
Oper |
|
14-05-1906
two island
platforms, with line U2 only using the outer tracks; the inner tracks
were used by trains going to Wilhelmplatz (Richard-Wagner-Platz). Restored
to original design after a fire in 2000.
|
 |
|
Ernst-Reuter-Platz
|
|
14-12-1902
side platforms;
|
 |
|
Zoologischer
Garten |
|
11-03-1902
Slightly
rebuilt in the early 1960s to create convenient interchange with line
U9.
Located
in the heart of City West, formerly busy mainline station.
|


|
|
Wittenbergplatz
|
 |
11-03-1902,
rebuilt in 1913
initially
standard two-track station, but later rebuilt to accommodate the other
two western branches, and enhanced with an outstanding entrance building.
|


|
|
Nollendorfplatz
|

|
11-03-1902
elevated
station with side platforms; originally with a dome above the western
entrance, which was rebuilt in a simplified form in 2002.
|


|
|
Bülowstraße
|
|
11-03-1902
elevated
station with side platforms; mostly preserved in its original style.
|
 |
| |
Gleisdreieck |
 |
03-12-1912
line U2
stops on the lower level of the 2-level station added on the site of the
original triangular junction.
|
 |
| |
Mendelssohn-
Bartholdy-Park |
|
01-10-1998
elevated
station with side platforms, added on the existing line to improve access
to the Potsdamer Platz area
|
 |
| |
Potsdamer
Platz |
 |
18-02-1902,
rebuilt in 1908
Original
station (Berlin's oldest underground station) was demolished to allow
for the extension into the city centre. Closed between 1961 and 1993,
though used for stabling trains from the eastern side.
|
 |
| |
Mohrenstraße |
|
01-10-1908
Terminus
from 1961 to 1993 of East Berlin's only small-profile line.
|
 |
| |
Stadtmitte |
 |
01-10-1908
Long and
narrow transfer corridor between lines U2 and U6, known as the 'mouse
tunnel'.
|


|
| |
Hausvogteiplatz |
|
01-10-1908
Rather curved
island platform
|
 |
| |
Spittelmarkt |
|
01-10-1908
On the northern
side, where the line lies directly side by side with the Spree River,
several openings allow daylight into the station.
|
 |
| |
Märkisches
Museum |
|
01-07-1913
Due to the
following river crossing the station is higher than usual and boasts a
Paris-style vaulted ceiling without supporting pillars.
|


|
| |
Klosterstraße |
|
01-07-1913
Originally
laid out with three tracks in a provision for an eastern branch line,
the island platform is unusually wide; converted into a kind of museum
in 1987 with images illustrating historical transport vehicles, from buses
to S-Bahn trains. At the northern end, an original carriage from the Schöneberg
U-Bahn (now U4) is on display.
|
 |
| |
Alexanderplatz |

|
01-07-1913
Eastern
stroke of the H-shaped Alexanderplatz complex, including lines U5 and
U8.
|


|
| |
Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz |
 |
27-07-1913
|
 |
| |
Senefelderplatz |
|
27-07-1913
|
 |
| |
Eberswalder
Straße |
 |
27-07-1913
elevated
station
|


|
| |
Schönhauser
Allee |
|
27-07-1913
elevated
station, whereas the S-Bahn is below ground level
|


|
| |
Vinetastraße |
 |
29-06-1930
|


|
| |
Pankow |
|
16-09-2000
|
 |