Derailment at Berlin Hbf

[starrymarkb]

It appears a ECS has derailed just outside the Hbf and is blocking the lines.

http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell...ddeutschland-a-899605.html#spCommentsBoxPager[

Train derailment in Berlin: Railway announces day-long disturbances in Northern Germany

Because a Euro City is derailed at Central Station, train passengers can expect to Berlin with anger. A switch was seriously damaged. Till Friday, expects the path with significant impairment of transport in northern Germany.


DPA
Derailed locomotive in Berlin, travelers were not in the accident on board
Berlin - A derailed train at Berlin Central Station this week caused severe limitations in travel of Deutsche Bahn on the north-south range. In the direction of Hamburg, Hannover and Dresden there are massive problems in regional and long-distance traffic. "We believe that these significant restrictions will continue until Friday," the spokesman said.

DISPLAY

As the train announced that derailed on Monday around 11:30 clock the locomotive and the first two cars of EUR 178 City of Prague to Berlin just 200 meters behind the northern tunnel exit. The accident was mild, travelers were no longer on board. However, the train was blocking the driveway for regional and long distance trains through the lowlands to the central station. The turnout was heavily damaged and the control and safety technology is concerned, the said railway spokesman. To the cause of the accident still no findings were available.
Long-distance trains to and from the direction of Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig, Dresden and Berlin take the light rail and hold on the upper level of the main railway station in Berlin, and Berlin Ostbahnhof. The stop in Berlin south eliminated, said the railway.

Neither the engine nor the two derailed cars were overturned. "They are only jumped off the tracks and it must now be put back," said the spokesman. A relief train with the appropriate technology was there. Maybe the car would have to be hoisted by crane onto the rails.

sto / dpa

That's going to cause some fun for this upcoming holiday weekend (in Germany). Is there any way to find out how it'll affect services as we'll be travelling Berlin to Leipzig on Thursday. Based on the Google Translation are services going from the upper level of the hbf and travelling along the Stadtbahn before going round to pick up the normal route)

 

[gordonthemoron]

DB website says ICEs between Berlin and Leipzig will be delayed by 15-20 mins. Confusingly the website says the trains are stopping in the lower level platforms but gives a platform number for the upper level (for today). I'd join at Berlin Hbf as there is no info about them stopping anywhere else in Berlin
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
slight update, if the train was supposed to call in Spandau, it will stop there and also Berlin Hbf. However stops in Gesundbrunnen & Sudkreuz are cancelled

 

[starrymarkb]

DB website says ICEs between Berlin and Leipzig will be delayed by 15-20 mins. Confusingly the website says the trains are stopping in the lower level platforms but gives a platform number for the upper level (for today). I'd join at Berlin Hbf as there is no info about them stopping anywhere else in Berlin

Our hotel is by the Hbf anyway so we were planning to board there. Might try and get to the station early and ask..

I presume the Airport Express from Schönefeld is running or might it be more prudent to get the S-Bahn?

Edit - I've just looked at the real time running for ICE791 and it apparently left from platform 2 of the lower, but then called at Ostbahnhof which means Stadtbahn...

 

[gordonthemoron]

yes, the Airport express will still be running as it uses the upper level station. The only potential problem is that the east west line is going to be even more congested than usual. As an aside, I almost always get the bus from Schonefeld to Rudow and catch the U7 when I visit Berlin, but that's mainly because I tend to stay in Kreuzberg

 

[starrymarkb]

Thanks - Looks like we'll be ok, though there are a fair few on the Sadgoth* facebook page who are routing SXF Airport - Sudkreuz - Leipzig who are panicking. I presume DB/BVG will accept their tickets on alternate routes to Hbf/Ostbahnhof


*Sadgoth runs the main English Language guide to the WGT festival - having met him he isn't sad

 

[dk1]

Luckilly i did my tour of NE Germany last week

 

[starrymarkb]

It was sorted by Thursday, though the Stadtbahn was a bit chaotic on Wednesday afternoon

 

[Aictos]

yes, the Airport express will still be running as it uses the upper level station. The only potential problem is that the east west line is going to be even more congested than usual. As an aside, I almost always get the bus from Schonefeld to Rudow and catch the U7 when I visit Berlin, but that's mainly because I tend to stay in Kreuzberg

There's a airport express! Wow, didn't know that!
What it's like compared to Stansted/Gatwick/Heathrow express's?

 

[starrymarkb]

It's a Regional service rather then true Express at the moment but takes about 25 mins Airport to City Centre compared to a 45 min indirect S-Bahn

Trains are 8 car Talent 2s, running every 30 mins from Schönefeld station. Fare is €3 single!

 

[Pumbaa]

When did they take over? That's a shame - I quite enjoyed the load 5 LHCS. You could have anything on there in my experience. Ended up with a Taurus a few times.

 

[317666]

When did they take over? That's a shame - I quite enjoyed the load 5 LHCS. You could have anything on there in my experience. Ended up with a Taurus a few times.

Only in the last few months - generally it was a 143 on load 4 double deckers. I think the odd hauled set does still turn up mind you, and a few of the other regional lines around Berlin are still locos.

It isn't run as a separate Airport Express though, it's two regional lines (RE7 and RB14) which just happen to call there. When the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport opens, there will be a new RE9 travelling non-stop from Berlin Hbf to the new airport.

 

[northwichcat]

Only in the last few months - generally it was a 143 on load 4 double deckers. I think the odd hauled set does still turn up mind you, and a few of the other regional lines around Berlin are still locos.

It isn't run as a separate Airport Express though, it's two regional lines (RE7 and RB14) which just happen to call there. When the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport opens, there will be a new RE9 travelling non-stop from Berlin Hbf to the new airport.

The double deckers used when I went a few years ago were route branded as Berlin Schönefeld trains even though, at the time, only half of them started or terminated Berlin Schönefeld airport and the rest stopped there en route.

Those double deckers on the Berlin Airport services were also older and less comfortable than the double decker I got on a Salzburg-Munich train last month and also compared to a different type of double decker I got between Augsburg and Donauworth also last month (which was an Augsburg-Nuremberg service.)

Fare is €3 single!

Which must be a shock for anyone who's done Munich Airport to central Munich by train where it's €10.40 single and only a slow S-Bahn service is available taking around 40 minutes to get to central Munich.

On a European level though maybe not so much a surprise. Pisa Airport to central Pisa is only around €1 single.

 

[Jordy]

The hourly Schonefeld - Nauen (aka "Airport Express") were still loco and coaches in February, however they are now formed of EMUs. The other hourly Berlin - Schonefeld service (combining with the Nauen to make half hourly Berlin - Schonefeld) was already EMU in February.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Which must be a shock for anyone who's done Munich Airport to central Munich by train where it's €10.40 single and only a slow S-Bahn service is available taking around 40 minutes to get to central Munich.

On a European level though maybe not so much a surprise. Pisa Airport to central Pisa is only around €1 single.

True a single ticket from Munich airport to anywhere in the S-bahn/u-bahn/bus network is €10,40. However a day ticket is only €0,80 more expensive

 

[northwichcat]

True a single ticket from Munich airport to anywhere in the S-bahn/u-bahn/bus network is €10,40. However a day ticket is only €0,80 more expensive

Which isn't any consolation to someone arriving in Munich on an evening flight or leaving on a morning flight.

 

[starrymarkb]

Those double deckers on the Berlin Airport services were also older and less comfortable than the double decker I got on a Salzburg-Munich train last month and also compared to a different type of double decker I got between Augsburg and Donauworth also last month (which was an Augsburg-Nuremberg service.)

They were an older design. The Talents seem to have cleared out the older decker rakes on the airport runs with newer deckers still in use with 143s and Taurii. The old deckers were very unpleasant in 35C heat when we used them last year.

There were still a few older rakes around Leipzig, but they are very much on borrowed time as the new Silver Talents for the Leipzig City Tunnel were lined up at the Workshops north of Leipzig

 

[gordonthemoron]

Which isn't any consolation to someone arriving in Munich on an evening flight or leaving on a morning flight.

It is possible to split at Halbergmoos and Unterfoehring and get a single for €5,20 (2x kurzstrecke & 1x One Zone), but this only works for journeys between Munich Airport and Innenraum. However this can add 40 mins to your journey as you may have to get off the s-bahn to validate the tickets at the split points

 

[theageofthetra]

Does any one know if you will be still be able to get a train from the new Brandenburg airport down to the Tropical Islands at Brand? I seem to remember you could get a train south from Schonefeld to there or to the Spreewald area. Will the new aiport involve a trip into HBhf and back out?

 

[gordonthemoron]

there is no chance of the new airport opening anytime soon so I doubt that DB have decided what to do

 

[northwichcat]

there is no chance of the new airport opening anytime soon so I doubt that DB have decided what to do

I went to Berlin in May 2010 and airlines had it on their websites then when I booked those flights there were supposed to be during the last few weeks of operations at Berlin Schoenefeld before being replaced by the new Airport.

 

[gordonthemoron]

There are a number of problems, off the top of my head:

- Noone knows how to switch off the lights inside the terminal
- Fire alarm and protection system is not to spec and has been rejected
- Smoke extraction system does not work
- Dodgy wiring
- Lack of insulation to cooling pipes
- Bad project management (leading to the above)

Currently it is not expected to open until 2014 at the earliest, but I wouldn't hold my breath. This seems to be the biggest construction cockup in recent years

 

[theageofthetra]

If that had happened in the UK a lot of people would have been fired.

 

[gordonthemoron]

the project management company has gone bust

 

[northwichcat]

Currently it is not expected to open until 2014 at the earliest, but I wouldn't hold my breath. This seems to be the biggest construction cockup in recent years

I think some people who flew to Berlin in April must no longer have a stereotypical German efficiency impression with Lufthansa being involved in industrial action and landing at terminals which were supposed to close years ago because the new terminal isn't ready.

 

[47360]

At least one of the S-Bahn lines that head east/west through Ostkreuz still has an automatic on-board announcement saying change at Ostkreuz for Brandenberg Airport.

God knows when this place is going to open. At the moment nobody dare give a date in case this is missed as well.