Looking Ahead
Further expansions are on the horizon, including the second North-South S-Bahn line (referred to as the S21 or City-S-Bahn), extensions to Stahnsdorf and towards Falkensee, as well as the unexpected reactivation of the Siemensbahn, which will contribute to both urban and economic development. Additionally, more new trains will be needed to meet the growing demands of the network.
United and Challenged
In the decade following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, key sections of the S-Bahn network were modernized, and many of the routes that had been closed in 1980 in West Berlin were largely restored and reconnected with the surrounding areas. New trains replaced the pre-war veterans, and Berlin once again became a thriving railway city.
Political Chess Piece
In 1945, despite the division of Berlin into sectors, the four Allied powers kept the unified railway operations in the city under the control of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR). In 1949, the DR became the state railway of East Germany (GDR).
Rise and Fall
The wear and tear from World War I, along with the burden of reparations, necessitated extensive modernization efforts. Between 1924 and 1943, the Deutsche Reichsbahn electrified nearly the entire rail network (295 km) for urban, city-ring, and suburban transit, officially named the S-Bahn (Stadtbahn) in 1930. Fast-accelerating electric trains, modernized and newly constructed stations, along with distinctive power supply buildings, became hallmarks of the "Elektropolis Berlin."
Emerging out of the Smoke of History
After the founding of the German Empire in 1871, the Berlin metropolitan region rapidly expanded into the largest industrial city in Europe. The Prussian Railway developed a dense network for urban, city-ring, and suburban transport.