Category: Operations/Technology
Statement: Frequent Service, the Foundation of S-Bahn Operations
Accompanying Items: Signal Box Technology, Train Group Signs, Operational Documents, Signal Models
Today, anyone can access a platform without being checked. But for many decades, it was different. If you wanted to catch a train, you would (usually) buy a ticket at the counter. If you only wanted to access the platform to, for example, meet someone, you would purchase a "platform ticket." At the station's barrier, tickets were inspected and punched with a hole puncher. Upon exiting, the ticket had to be handed in at the gate.
This process took place at small booths, typically staffed by two people, which, because of their floorplan shape, were referred to by railway workers as "Wanne" ("tub"). Metal gates and signs guided passengers to the correct entry and exit points. Over time, the ticket sales and inspection processes were often merged, particularly in West Berlin, where "Passimeterhäuschen" or were introduced for this dual purpose. The last of these barriers in Berlin were in use until the mid-1980s at the Zoo Train station.