U2 Ruhleben - Pankow
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Line U2

 
 

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

 

 

U2 City-Linie über Zoo und Alex

 

Alexander Seefeldt:

Berliner U-Bahn-Linien: U2 - Die "City-Linie" über Zoo und Alex

- Nov. 2017, ISBN 978 3 836573 53 4

More Info

    STATIONS
   Ruhleben  

22-12-1929

stub station on an embankment

 

U-Bahnhof Ruhleben U2

   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Olympiastadion U2

U-Bahnhof Olympiastadion U2

   Neu-Westend  

08-06-1913

 

U-Bahnhof Neu-Westend U2

U-Bahnhof Neu-Westend U2

   Theodor-Heuss-Platz

 

29-03-1908

terminus for every other train; side platforms

 

U-Bahnhof Theodor-Heuss-Platz U2

U-Bahnhof Theodor-Heuss-Platz U2

   Kaiserdamm S-Bahn

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.

 

U-Bahnhof Kaiserdamm U2
   Sophie-Charlotte-Platz  

29-03-1908

Rather original design, with walls later covered with images depicting old U-Bahn stations and trains; side platforms.

 

U-Bahnhof Sophie-Charlotte-Platz U2

U-Bahnhof Sophie-Charlotte-Platz U2

U-Bahnhof Sophie-Charlotte-Platz U2

   Bismarckstraße

28-04-1978

side platforms; station added to provide direct transfer to line U7 which runs on the lower level.

 

U-Bahnhof Bismarckstraße U2
   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Deutsche Oper U2
   Ernst-Reuter-Platz  

14-12-1902

side platforms;

 

U-Bahnhof Ernst-Reuter-Platz U2
   Zoologischer Garten S-Bahn

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.

U-Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten U2

U-Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten U2

   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Wittenbergplatz U2

U-Bahnhof Wittenbergplatz U2

   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Nollendorfplatz U2

U-Bahnhof Nollendorfplatz U2

   Bülowstraße

 

11-03-1902

elevated station with side platforms; mostly preserved in its original style.

U-Bahnhof Bülowstraße U2
   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.

U-Bahnhof Gleisdreieck U2
   Mendelssohn-  Bartholdy-Park  

01-10-1998

elevated station with side platforms, added on the existing line to improve access to the Potsdamer Platz area

 

U-Bahnhof Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park U2
   Potsdamer Platz S-Bahn

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.

 

U-Bahnhof Potsdamer Platz U2
   Mohrenstraße  

01-10-1908

Terminus from 1961 to 1993 of East Berlin's only small-profile line.

 

U-Bahnhof Mohrenstraße U2
   Stadtmitte

01-10-1908

Long and narrow transfer corridor between lines U2 and U6, known as the 'mouse tunnel'.

 

U-Bahnhof Stadtmitte U2

U-Bahnhof Stadtmitte U2

   Hausvogteiplatz  

01-10-1908

Rather curved island platform

 

U-Bahnhof Hausvogteiplatz Museum U2
   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Spittelmarkt U2
   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Märkisches Museum U2

U-Bahnhof Märkisches Museum U2

   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.

 

U-Bahnhof Klosterstraße U2
   Alexanderplatz

S-Bahn Tram

01-07-1913

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

U-Bahnhof Alexanderplatz U2

U-Bahnhof Alexanderplatz U2

   Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz Tram

27-07-1913

 

U-Bahnhof Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz U2
   Senefelderplatz  

27-07-1913

 

U-Bahnhof Senefelderplatz U2
   Eberswalder Straße Tram

27-07-1913

elevated station

 

U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Straße U2 U-Bahnhof Eberswalder Straße U2

   Schönhauser Allee S-Bahn Tram

27-07-1913

elevated station, whereas the S-Bahn is below ground level

U-Bahnhof Schönhauser Allee U2

U-Bahnhof Schönhauser Allee U2

   Vinetastraße Tram

29-06-1930

 

U-Bahnhof Vinetastraße U2 U-Bahnhof Vinetastraße U2

   Pankow S-Bahn Tram

16-09-2000

 

U-Bahnhof Pankow U2

 


 

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