Category: Politics/City
Statement: Division and Reunification - Connecting City and Region
Surrounding Items: Additional (Opening) Signs
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, significant efforts were made to restore the neglected S-Bahn and regional rail network, which had suffered from division, partial closure, and a lack of investment. The goal was to rebuild it as an attractive alternative to the increasing traffic congestion on the roads. A first, largely symbolic step was the reintroduction of local rail services between West Berlin and Potsdam, with double-decker trains running on the long-distance tracks starting on January 22nd 1990. At first, passengers even had their identity documents checked. The large green sign decorated the inaugural train and later hung at the Griebnitzsee S-Bahn station, eventually finding a home at the nearby S-Bahn Museum. Since April 1st 1992, electric S-Bahn trains have once, again run between Germany's federal capital, Berlin, and the state capital, Potsdam.