M-Bahn

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M-Bahn train at the DB Museum

The M-Bahn or Magnetbahn was an experimental local transport train built in the 1980s in Berlin. Like the Transrapid and other magnetic levitation trains, it used a long stator linear motor for propulsion; however, only 85% of the vehicle's weight was supported by magnetic levitation with the balance being supported by wheels.

In Berlin the M-bahn operated as a driverless automated guided transport, although it was designed to be driven by a human driver too, if so desired.

The line was 1.6 km in length, and featured 3 stations, 2 of which were newly constructed. At Gleisdreieck the M-Bahn used one of the platforms which had fallen into disuse following closure of part of the U-Bahn after the building of the Berlin Wall.

Testing with passenger traffic started in August 1989, and regular operation started in July 1991. Because of traffic changes after the fall of the Berlin Wall, deconstruction of the line began only 2 months later and was completed in February 1992, in order to make room and allow the reestablishment of the line U2.