Munich S-Bahn

S-Bahn München

S-Bahn train at Hackerbrücke (Br 423)
Overview
Locale	Munich
Transit type	Rapid Transit, Regional rail
Number of lines	8
Number of stations	150[1]
Daily ridership	800,000[2]
Operation
Began operation	28 May 1972
Operator(s)	S-Bahn München
Technical
System length	434 km (270 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge)
Electrification	15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC Overhead lines
System map

The Munich S-Bahn (German: S-Bahn München) is an electric rail transit system in Munich, Germany. "S-Bahn" is the German abbreviation for Stadtschnellbahn (literally, "urban rapid rail"), and the Munich S-Bahn exhibits characteristics of both rapid transit and commuter rail systems.

The Munich S-Bahn network is operated by S-Bahn München, a subsidiary of DB Regio Bayern that is itself a subsidiary of the German national railway. It is now integrated into the Munich Transport and Tariff Association (Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund, MVV) and interconnected throughout the city with the locally owned Munich U-Bahn. Today, the S-Bahn covers most of the populated area of the Munich Metropolitan area of about 2.7 million inhabitants.

The Munich S-Bahn was established on 28 May 1972. It was intended as part of the scheme to provide an adequate transport system during the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich by connecting the pre-existing suburban rail services in the west and east of the city via a new tunnel section from Hauptbahnhof to München Ost station (Ostbahnhof).

Lines

System

The system has seven branches in the west, which were originally numbered from north to south from the S 1 (to Freising) to the S 7 (Wolfratshausen). These are coupled with the five eastern branches. Operational requirements have changed several times, particularly due to line extensions, resulting in random numbering in the east. Two lines end at Munich East station (Ostbahnhof), these are currently S 1 and S 6. The first change was made in June 1991 when the branch to Ebersberg changed from S 4 to S 5 as a requirement to shorten the travel time to and from Herrsching. The line to Wolfratshausen was first called the S 10, but when it was connected to run over the trunk line it was changed to the S 7.

The S-Bahn branch in the east via Ismaning to the airport was designated as the S 8. Later this was combined with the original line S 3, which shared part the route of the S 8, and the new route is called the S 8. This eliminated route S 3. The old route S 5 was later largely replaced by the current S 3, so there is currently no line S 5.

In addition there are lines S 20 and S 27, which run from Munich Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) and Pasing to Deisenhofen. These two lines do not run through the trunk line tunnel. The numbers beginning with 2 comes from the time of the introduction of these lines, as the line to Holzkirchen via Deisenhofen still had the number S 2 (instead of the current S 3). These lines cross the Isar via Großhesselohe Bridge.

In the Deutsche Bahn time table, the S-Bahn lines are numbered from 999.1 to 999.8 and 999.20; line A is numbered as 999.30.

Frequency

The basic interval of the Munich S-Bahn is one train every 20 minutes. On parts of some branches during peak hours there is a 10-minute frequency produced by added trains. A special case is the line to Erding, where on weekdays a mix of express trains from Erding and normal S-Bahn trains from Markt Schwaben runs in the morning peaks, producing a 10-minute frequency west of Munich East station. There are also occasional additional trains on the western section of the S4 and on the S1 between Freising and Munich during the peak hour, which do not continue past the Hauptbahnhof (not run through the trunk line tunnel). On some branches, one of three trains does not run to the terminus station at off-peak times, so that on these outer sections trains run at 20 or 40 minutes alternatively.

Line	Route	Frequency
	Freising – Pulling – Neufahrn	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Munich Airport – Flughafen Besucherpark – Neufahrn – Eching – Lohhof – Unterschleißheim – Oberschleißheim – Feldmoching – Fasanerie – Moosach – Laim – Hirschgarten – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Marienplatz – Isartor – Rosenheimer Platz – Ostbahnhof	Every 20 minutes
	Petershausen – Vierkirchen-Esterhofen – Röhrmoos – Hebertshausen – Dachau	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Altomünster – Kleinberghofen – Erdweg – Arnbach – Markt Indersdorf – Niederroth – Schwabhausen – Bachern – Dachau Stadt – Dachau	Every 60 minutes, every 30 minutes in the peak hour
	Dachau – Karlsfeld – Allach – Untermenzing – Obermenzing – Laim – Hirschgarten – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Marienplatz – Isartor – Ostbahnhof – Leuchtenbergring – Berg am Laim – Riem – Feldkirchen – Heimstetten – Grub – Poing – Markt Schwaben	Every 20 minutes
	Markt Schwaben – Ottenhofen – St. Kolomann – Aufhausen – Altenerding – Erding	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Mammendorf – Malching – Maisach	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Maisach – Gernlinden – Esting – Olching – Gröbenzell – Lochhausen – Langwied – Pasing – Laim – Hirschgarten – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Marienplatz – Isartor – Rosenheimer Platz – Ostbahnhof – St.-Martin-Straße – Giesing – Fasangarten – Fasanenpark – Unterhaching – Taufkirchen – Furth – Deisenhofen (*)	Every 20 minutes
	Deisenhofen – Sauerlach – Otterfing – Holzkirchen	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Geltendorf – Türkenfeld – Grafrath (– Schöngeising – Buchenau)	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	(Grafrath – Schöngeising –) Buchenau – Fürstenfeldbruck – Eichenau – Puchheim – Aubing – Leienfelsstraße – Pasing – Laim – Hirschgarten – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Marienplatz – Isartor – Rosenheimer Platz – Ostbahnhof – Leuchtenbergring – Berg am Laim – Trudering – Gronsdorf – Haar – Vaterstetten – Baldham – Zorneding – Eglharting – Kirchseeon – Grafing station	Every 20 minutes
	Grafing station – Grafing Stadt – Ebersberg	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Tutzing – Feldafing – Possenhofen – Starnberg	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Starnberg – Starnberg Nord – Gauting – Stockdorf – Planegg – Gräfelfing – Lochham – Westkreuz – Pasing – Laim – Hirschgarten – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Marienplatz – Isartor – Rosenheimer Platz – Ostbahnhof	Every 20 minutes
	Ostbahnhof (– Leuchtenbergring – Berg am Laim – Trudering – Gronsdorf – Haar – Vaterstetten – Baldham – Zorneding	Every 20 minutes in the peak hour
	Wolfratshausen – Icking – Ebenhausen-Schäftlarn – Hohenschäftlarn – Baierbrunn – Buchenhain – Höllriegelskreuth	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Höllriegelskreuth – Pullach – Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof – Solln – Siemenswerke – Mittersendling – Harras – Heimeranplatz – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – München Marienplatz station – Isartor – Rosenheimer Platz – Ostbahnhof – St.-Martin-Straße – Giesing – Perlach – Neuperlach Süd – Neubiberg – Ottobrunn – Hohenbrunn – Wächterhof – Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn	Every 20 minutes
	Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn – Dürrnhaar – Aying	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Aying – Peiß – Großhelfendorf – Kreuzstraße	Hourly
	Herrsching – Seefeld-Hechendorf – Steinebach – Weßling	Every 20 or 40 minutes alternatively
	Weßling – Neugilching – Gilching-Argelsried – Geisenbrunn – Germering-Unterpfaffenhofen – Harthaus – Neuaubing – Westkreuz – Pasing – Laim – Hirschgarten – Donnersbergerbrücke – Hackerbrücke – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Marienplatz – Isartor – Rosenheimer Platz – Ostbahnhof – Leuchtenbergring – Daglfing – Englschalking – Johanneskirchen – Unterföhring – Ismaning – Hallbergmoos – Flughafen Besucherpark – Munich Airport	Every 20 minutes
	Pasing – Heimeranplatz – Mittersendling – Siemenswerke – Solln – Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof – Pullach – Höllriegelskreuth	Hourly (Mo-Fr)

(*) Terminus of extra services in peak. Up to here services in the peak run at 10-minute intervals.

(+) Occasional additional services to create 10 minute frequency.

Routes

The S-Bahn partly operates on its own routes (one or two tracks), parts of it are double-track lines where S-Bahn operations are mixed with other traffic (passengers and freight), and in some cases more than two tracks are available. In the latter case one-or two tracks are set aside for the S-Bahn operations only and the two other tracks are used for the remaining traffic.

In the following table, the route length is shown from Munich Hauptbahnhof or from Ostbahnhof (Munich East station) because it reflects the chainage officially applied to the lines. An exception is S27 where the chainage starts at Pasing.

Line	Route and section	Distance from Hbf or Ostbf	Other traffic	Infrastructure
to	Trunk line Pasing–Hbf–Ostbahnhof	11.4 km	Between Pasing and Hauptbahnhof some trains are operated between Donnersbergerbrücke and Hauptbahnhof by Bayerische Oberlandbahn	Three stations with three or more platform tracks, three stations using Spanish solution.
West	Munich–Regensburg railway Laim–Freising	40.7 km	Regional and Interregional (ALEX, DIX (Donau-Isar-Express)) services, as well as freight traffic.	Two tracks in mixed operation for 34.5 km.
West	Neufahrn Link Neufahrn–Airport West (7.3 km)	40.8 km	S-Bahn only, except for occasional freight trains	Two tracks.
West	Munich–Ingolstadt line Laim–Petershausen	36.4 km	Intercity-Express services to Berlin and Hamburg as well as Frankfurt via Nuremberg, Regional services to Nuremberg and Ingolstadt and freight traffic.	Separate S-Bahn (one or two tracks) in addition to high-speed tracks for ICE and other traffic.
West	Dachau–Altomünster railway Dachau–Altomünster	47.7 km	S-Bahn only	Single track
West	Munich–Augsburg railway Pasing–Mammendorf	31.0 km	Regional, long-distance and freight traffic. This is one of the busiest lines in Germany, so it was upgraded to four tracks for the S-Bahn.	Separate tracks for the S-Bahn (two to Maisach, then one to Mammendorf).
West	Allgäu Railway Pasing–Geltendorf	42.1 km	Various regional services every two hours, two hourly EuroCity service to Zürich, diverted long distance services from Augsburg-Munich line	Two tracks mixed operations for 34.7 km. Electrified for the S-Bahn to Geltendorf.
West	Munich–Herrsching railway Pasing–Herrsching	38.3 km	Only S-Bahn services.	Two tracks to Weßling, then single track.
West	Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen railway Pasing–Tutzing	39.6 km	Regional services and occasional long distance trains to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.	Two separate S-Bahn tracks to Gauting, then two tracks in mixed operation.
West	Isar Valley Railway Solln–Wolfratshausen	31.3 km	Only S-Bahn services.	Two tracks to Höllriegelskreuth, then single track.
East	Airport line Ostbahnhof–Ismaning–Airport	33.1 km	Freight traffic between Daglfing and North Ring.	Continuous two tracks, some in mixed operation with freight.
East	Munich–Mühldorf railway and Markt Schwaben–Erding railway Ostbahnhof–Markt Schwaben–Erding	34.7 km	Freight and regional traffic towards Mühldorf and Freilassing to Markt Schwaben, then only S-Bahn traffic.	Two tracks in mixed operation to Markt Schwaben, then single track to Erding.
East	Munich–Rosenheim railway and Grafing–Wasserburg railway Ostbahnhof–Grafing–Ebersberg	31.0 km	Regional services to Rosenheim and Wasserburg, long distance services to Salzburg, as well as freight traffic.	Four tracks to Grafing (S-Bahn operations separated), then single track with mixed traffic.
East	Munich East–Deisenhofen railway and Munich-Giesing–Kreuzstraße railway Giesing–Kreuzstraße	30.1 km	S-Bahn only.	Single track.
East	Munich East–Deisenhofen railway and Munich–Holzkirchen railway Ostbahnhof–Giesing–Deisenhofen–Holzkirchen	31.2 km	S-Bahn only to Deisenhofen. The Bayerische Oberlandbahn also operates between Deisenhofen and Holzkirchen.	Two tracks.
	Sendling Clasp Pasing–Mittersendling–Höllriegelskreuth (8.8 km) Pasing–Mittersendling–Höllriegelskreuth	20.5 km	Runs in part over freight tracks to/from Munich Laim marshalling yard and between Mittersendling and Solln over the Bayerische Oberland Bahn.	Single track to Mittersendling, then continuing on double track in mixed operation.

Former Lines / Station Renamings

Here are some of the former train lines. Some of the stations are also renamed as well.

• /: Until the tunnel section on the Donnersbergerbrücke was opened on 31 May 1981, instead today's S7 and S10 to Hauptbahnhof (Holzkirchner wing station) without stopping at Donnersberger and Hackerbrücke. Instead of the later, Starnberg wing station to Munich Hauptbahnhof, the S27 and S22 also ended in Holzkirchner Bahnhof.^[3] were used, locomotive-hauled trains.
• From Pasing via Mittersendling to Deisenhofen was originally part of the push-pull operation under the name S12. Thereafter, these trains ran without S-Bahn-designation. Later, the line was simplified and became the S20 again an S-Bahn-designation.
• /: The S5 and S11 ran as special lines during the 1972 Olympic Games via Johanneskirchen (S5) or Moosach (S11) to the now-defunct Olympiastadion.^[3]
• , from 1985 , went as a special line at major events in the Olympic Park until 1988, running from Moosach to Olympiastadion.
• : In 1975, the operation of the S-Bahn to Freiham was abandoned.
• : In 1981, the operation to Großhesselohe was abandoned.^[4]
• /: The commissioning of the S-Bahn station Heimeranplatz took place on 26 September 1982.^[3]
• : In 1992, Unterpfaffenhofen-Germering station was renamed as Germering-Unterpfaffenhofen^[5]
• /: Until the construction of the airport line, S8 (1991) made use of the S3 the route Nannhofen-Ismaning. After the construction of the route to the airport the S8 ended in the West in Pasing, the S3 went to the east to the Ostbahnhof. Later, the two lines were merged in order to relieve the original route in 1994. Because of the importance of the airport line, the line S3 ceased to operate and only S8 operated. There was no 'S3' from 1994 to 2004, similar to the lack of a "U3" on the Berlin U-Bahn.
• : From December 2004 to December 2005 witnessed the temporary re-introduction of the S3: it was a peak hour service between Maisach and Zorneding and realized the promised 10-minute frequency on this section. (Red / Black). After one year, this service became obsolete because the West branches of the S4 and S8 were exchanged.
• : On 28 May 2000, the terminus points, Esterhofen and Walpertshofen^[3] have been renamed to Vierkirchen-Esterhofen and Hebertshausen.
• : With the timetable change on 12 December 2004, Mühlthal station was closed, since then the trains of S6 have run the 7.7 km between Gauting and Starnberg Nord without intermediate stops.
• : With the timetable change in late 2005, the terminus of the line was S4 (previously: S8) at Nannhofen was renamed Mammendorf.
• : the timetable change in December 2009 accounted for the designation S5. The route to Herrsching has since been operated by the S8 route to Holzkirchen of the S3.
• : the timetable change in December 2009, the S3 was reintroduced. It now runs between Mammendorf and Holzkirchen.
• : The S27 operated from Starnberg wing station at the main station along the route of the S7 to Solln, crossed the Isar on the Großhesseloher bridge and ran on to Deisenhofen. On 15 December 2013, the S27 was abandoned and replaced by regional trains of the Meridian.^[6]
• : From 1995 to 2014, the line A was the only non-electrified Munich S-Bahn line, which ran on the Dachau–Altomünster railway. It was made into a branch of the S2 on 14 December 2014, and was finally electrified.

Intra-Urban Long-Distance Lines

The little known connection between the Hauptbahnhof and the Ostbahnhof, called the "Südring", runs west from Hauptbahnhof before turning south and curving toward Ostbahnhof without any stops in between. The trains travelling on this route (DB50) are included in the MVV tariff scheme and offer a view of the city while the travel time is slightly longer than the Stammstrecke tunnel.

Additional regional lines make calls at stations also served by the S-Bahn but provide an effective express functionality for MVV passengers. The examples include:

• Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Munich, calling at Tutzing (S6) and Pasing (Stammstrecke)
• Augsburg to Munich, calling at Mammendorf (irregularly) and Pasing (Stammstrecke)
• Regensburg to Munich, calling at Moosburg, and Freising (S1)
• Rosenheim to Munich, calling at Grafing Bf (S4) and Ostbahnhof (Stammstrecke)
• Various southern lines of the BOB, calling at Holzkirchen (S3), and regional variants from Rosenheim calling at Kreuzstraße (S7) and Holzkirchen (S3) through Großhesselohe
• Lindau to Munich, calling at Geltendorf (S4)
• Nürnberg to Munich, calling at Petershausen (S2) and Dachau Bf (S2)

Expansion plans announced by the MVV on 7 April 2017 include express S-Bahn lines with limited stops operating through the second tunnel now under construction.^[7]

History

Munich S-Bahn
Overview
Line number	5540 (Pasing–Hauptbahnhof) 5550 (Hauptbahnhof–Ostbahnhof)
Technical
Line length	11.4 km (7.1 mi)
Electrification	15 kV, 16.7 Hz
Operating speed	120 km/h (74.6 mph) (maximum)
Maximum incline	4.0
Route number	999
Route map  Trunk Line of Munich S-Bahn[8]  0.0 Pasing 3.3 Laim 4.5 Hirschgarten 5.8 Donnersbergerbrücke 6.6 Hackerbrücke 7.4 Hauptbahnhof (low level) 7.9 Karlsplatz 8.7 Marienplatz 9.4 Isartor 10.3 Rosenheimer Platz 11.4 München Ost

An underground railway line for Munich was first proposed in 1928 in a report on the "relocation of traffic centres". An underground route would allow "direct long distance traffic to and through the city centre".

On 22 May 1938, the first tunnel, which was part of the north-south route, was started in the Lindwurmstraße, between the present-day underground stations Sendlinger Tor and Goetheplatz. In the speech of Julius Dorpmüller, the general director of Deutsche Reichsbahn, the project was called "S-Bahn" for the first time. Due to World War II the construction and plans for the Munich S-Bahn were set aside.

S-Bahn Plans in 1941

From	To	Tunnel
Schleißheim	Freising	Ringbahn
Dachau	–	Ost-West
Maisach	–	Ost-West
Aubing	Grafrath	Ost-West
Unterpfaffenhofen-Germering	Herrsching	Ost-West
Gauting	–	Ost-West Ringbahn
Luise-Kiesselbach-Platz	Großhadern	Nord-Süd
Höllriegelskreuth	–	Nord-Süd
Deisenhofen	Bayrischzell	Nord-Süd Ost-West
Neubiberg	Kreuzstraße	Ost-West
Haar	Grafing	Ost-West
Riem	Markt Schwaben	Ost-West
Daglfing	–	Ost-West
Freimann	–	Nord-Süd
Ismaning	–	Nord-Süd

Plans, with the Munich Olympic bid

In 1965, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Free State of Bavaria, the state capital of Munich and the Deutsche Bundesbahn signed a contract on the construction of the Munich S-Bahn. The further development was most influenced by a decision made in Rome on 26 April 1966: the International Olympic Committee chose Munich over Detroit, Madrid and Montreal as the location for the 1972 Summer Olympics, resulting in a tight schedule of only six years to complete the Munich S-Bahn network.

S-Bahn: Planung 1969 und Stand 1972^[9]

Line	West	East Plans	East From 1972
	Freising	Ismaning	Kreuzstraße
	Petershausen	Erding	Deisenhofen
	Nannhofen (heute Mammendorf)	Deisenhofen	Ismaning
	Geltendorf	Kreuzstraße	Ebersberg
	Herrsching	Ostbahnhof	Ostbahnhof
	Tutzing	Ebersberg	Erding
	Wolfratshausen	Hauptbahnhof (Holzkirchner Flügelbahnhof)	Hauptbahnhof (Holzkirchner Flügelbahnhof)
	Deisenhofen	–	Hauptbahnhof (Holzkirchner Flügelbahnhof)
	Deisenhofen	–	Pasing

Not only did the tunnel through the city centre have to be built, the full railway infrastructure had to be expanded. The network of suburban lines had to be changed over and modernized. A large number of stations had to be upgraded; platforms were extended to a length of 210 metres (690 ft) to allow for three-unit trains, and the platform height was raised to 76 centimetres (2 ft 6 in). However, the floor height of trains used then and now is at approximately 1 metre (3 ft 3 in), which makes boarding difficult for people with wheelchairs or prams. Tunnel stations and platforms updated recently where no freight trains run do feature a height of 96 centimetres (3 ft 2 in), however.

On 25 February 1971 the topping-out ceremony could be celebrated in the core route tunnel. In May the first S-Bahn train of the ET 420 series was put into service on the route between Pasing and Gauting. On 1 September 1971 a regular advance service was started on that route.

Opening

On 28 May 1972, the Munich S-Bahn network was finally put into service with 360 kilometres (220 mi) of tracks and 101 trains of the ET 420 series. It was the first time a S-Bahn network that size was put into service on a single date. The route S10 to Wolfratshausen (today S7) was operated with conventional push-pull trains from the southern wing of Munich Central Station. It was electrified later and connected to the core route after the construction of a 260-metre (850 ft) tunnel crossing the large number of mainline rail tracks leading to Munich Central Station.

Three months later the German President Gustav Heinemann opened the 1972 Summer Olympics. During the Games there were two additional S-Bahn lines servicing the now-defunct station Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium). The new S-Bahn system stood the test and transported 3.18 million passengers in 7,138 runs to and from the sports sites in only 17 days. The first stage was limited by the Olympic Games in 1972. Because of the enormous time pressure, not all lines could be equipped for a 10 or 20 minute cycle.

The second stage was necessary mainly because of the increasing traffic volume. In 1973 and 1974, the Deutsche Bundesbahn established the following construction measures: Own S-Bahn tracks were to be built on the railway tracks from Lochhausen to Nannhofen (now Mammendorf) and from Munich to East Grafing, So as not to hinder long-distance and regional transport on the respective routes. As new settlements developed in Esting, in the south Neuperlachs and in Unterschleißheim new settlements, the new breakpoints Unterschleißheim in the year 1977, Neuperlach Süd in 1977 and Esting in 1980. In addition, The railway line to Herrsching was to be extended two-way between Freiham and Weßling.

Since then the Munich S-Bahn network has been expanded multiple times. On 28 May 1980, it was extended to Mammendorf. On 3 November 1979, it was extended to Ebersberg (S4). S5 was extended to Herrsching in 1984.

In 1992, the route between Ismaning and the newly opened Airport Munich II was put into service as S8, followed by S1 extension on 29 November 1998. Until 2005, there was a 266 million euro programme to substantially extend the infrastructure. For example, the route Giesing-Deisenhofen was upgraded with a second track. From 2000, trains of the type series ET 420 were gradually replaced by ET 423 trains.

The Dachau–Altomünster railway was electrified between Dachau station and Altomünster. Services commenced as part of line 2 on 14 December 2014. It had previously been operated with class 628 diesel multiple units as Line A of the S-Bahn.

Further dates:

• 15 June 1966 – Construction of the core route tunnel begins in Arnulfstraße.
• 28 April 1972 – first test runs on the tunnel route (Hauptbahnhof-Marienplatz-Ostbahnhof).
• 28 May 1972 – regular service with 360 route km begins.

Rolling stock

Currently, the Munich S-Bahn consists of DBAG Class 423. The oldest DB Class 628, which is the diesel multiple unit was used on the 'A' Line from Dachau to Altomünster until it was electrified on 13 December 2014 and replaced by the DB Class 420s (which was changed to S2 Branch), which is also soon to be replaced as well in June 2017.

The DB Class 420 was introduced since the opening, whereas the DBAG Class 423s were introduced since 2000.

There are several trials of rolling stock being used:

• In 1989, the double decker trains used in the Netherlands were briefly used on the then S4 between Geltendorf and Ebersberg. Patrons were invited to fill out a questionnaire while onboard describing their experiences while boarding and riding the train. The concept was to increase passenger capacity at the same time as accommodating bicycles, prams, and wheelchairs with efficiency. The trains were pulled by a DB Class 120 locomotive at each end of the train.

Plans and further expansions

The Second S-Bahn Tunnel (Zweite Stammstrecke)

Nearly all lines use the core route through the city centre in the underground, creating a bottle-neck responsible for long and increasingly frequent delays from even the smallest disruptions. The disadvantage of current core route is the inability of trains to reroute themselves onto different tracks in an event of disruption.

After years of discussions and studies into different route propositions, a second tunnel through the city centre has been already approved with the funding of €3.85 billion and the completion date of 2026.^[10] On 5 April 2017, the ground-breaking ceremony took place to commence the construction.^[11]

The second tunnel will be 11.9 kilometres (7 miles) in length and run in parallel with the current tunnel in the south on the western portion of Hauptbahnhof and in the north on the eastern portion. It will have three underground stations (Hauptbahnhof, Marienhof, Ostbahnhof) and two surface stations (Laim and Leuchtenbergring). Only Marienhof station is the all-new station in the north of Marienplatz U-Bahn and S-Bahn station while other stations will be expanded to accommodate the new tunnel. With focus on express service and shorter travel time, the second tunnel will bypass six current stations between Laim and Ostbahnhof.

Most of express S-Bahn with limited stops will use the second tunnel: the proposed express S-Bahn routes are S18X (Herrsching-Leuchtenbergring), S21X (Landshut-Leuchtenbergring), S23X (Mering-Flughafen München), and S24X (Buchloe-Leuchtenbergring). Two of current S-Bahn routes will be transferred to the second tunnel upon the completion: S1 (Flughafen München/Freising-Ebersberg) and S6 (Tutzung-Leuchtenbergring).^[12]

S-Bahn-Nordring

An alternative route in the north has been proposed for many years. This route would use part of Münchner Nordring (Munich North Ring) currently used by the freight trains and as railway bypass. The plan would call for eight new S-Bahn stations and two conjunctions (one at Pasing and other one at Berg am Laim) to be built, totalling fourteen stations (six have been already built: Pasing, Moosach, Johanneskirchen, Englschalking, Daglfing, and Trudering).

The advantage of using the Nordring is numerous as compared to Südring (South Ring – proposed as weak alternative to second trunk line):

• Many rail infrastructures have been already built in the past, connecting to two current S-Bahn routes (S1 at Moosach and S8 between Johanneskirchen and Unterföhring);
• This will serve many of industrial centres in the north, namely BMW manufacturing plants, FIZ research centre, and media centres in Unterföhring;
• S-Bahn serving Nordring can also travel to the Munich Airport via Johanneskirchen station and back without transferring;
• Five stations would have U-Bahn connections while additional two would probably have be connected if U1 (Lassallestraße) and U4 (Englschalking) extensions are built;
• Three stations would have tram connections (Pasing, Moosach, and Unterföhring Süd);
• The new S-Bahn stations and additional technical modifications can be built on the existing route without incurring the enormous cost as the second trunk route would.

The discussion of S-Bahn-Nordring is ongoing with no tentative date of construction and completion as well as cost estimate.

Circular Railway (Ringbahn)

Prof. Dr. Michael Piazolo, a Bavarian state parliament representative, prepared the study for the potential Münchner Ringbahn.^[13] The proposal of building the circular railway similar to Berlin Ringbahn has gained more traction with city government and state parliament.^[14] The circular railway would use the Munich North Ring, S8 line between Johanneskirchen and Ostbahnhof, the Südring between Ostbahnhof and Heimeranplatz, and new line between Heimeranplatz and Olympiakreuz. The close proximity of Nymphenburg Palace and the west-east lines at Donnersbergerbrücke station would necessiate the construction of tunnel between south of Heimeranplatz and Olympiakreuz.

Most of Ringbahn would use the existing railway lines with the seven S-Bahn stations (Heimeranplatz, Donnersbergerbrücke, Johanneskirchen, Englschalking, Daglfing, Leuchtenberger, and Ostbahnhof) already in current use. The five new surface stations (BMW Forschungszentrum, Ingolstädter Straße, Aumeister, Kolumbusplatz, and Poccisstraße) and three new underground stations (Nymphenburg, Neuhausen, and Olympiakreuz) would be built.

The additional advantage of Ringbahn is the airport express train service from Hauptbahnhof via Olympiakreuz, which was the proposed line for cancelled Munich Airport Transrapid. That could potentially shorten the travel time from the Hauptbahnhof on the west side, bypassing the current S2 with numerous stops along the line.

Southern Ring

The alternative to their Circular Ring, is the Südring between Ostbahnhof and Heimeranplatz, the stations do include Heimeranplatz, Poccistraße and Kolumbusplatz, which is the express variant. ^[15].

Northern Tunnels along the Airport

In 2009, a Vieregg-Rössler was proposed by Vieregg-Rössler as a further extension, which connects the main railway station with the Kunstareal (with the three Pinakotheken) Nordring, football stadium, Garching, airport). In the inner city area, the planned route is roughly equal to that of the planned U9. In addition to the S-Bahn, the route would also include regional and long-distance transport, in this way the central orientation of the Munich local transport system should be replaced by the city center. The Nordtunnel was not followed, among other things due to higher costs with at the same time lower profitability.

S-Bahn Vision 2050

On 31 March 2017, MVV announced the Vision 2050 expansion proposal. The vision for the year 2050 includes double-decked wagons, 24-hour operations, new stations, and extensions further beyond the city limit.^[16]

The possible extensions are:

• S1 North from Freising to Landshut
• S2 North from Altomünster to and from Petershausen to Pfaffenhofen
• S2 East from Markt Schwaben to Dorfen
• S3 West from Mammendorf to Augsburg
• S3 South from Holzkirchen to Schaftlach which splits to Lenggries and Tegernsee
• S4/S6 East from Ebersberg to Wasserburg and from Grafing Bahnhof to Rosenheim
• S4/S6 West from Geltendorf to Kaufering and beyond
• S7 South to Geretsried (Geretsried Süd railway station) via Gelting and Geretsried Mitte. The environmental impact study is planned for 2017.^[17] The projected completion date is 2024.
• New S-Bahn line from Karlsfeld to Dasing

Rings and Spurs (Ringschlüsse und Spange):

• Neufahrner Kurve (Neufahrn Curve): this will facilitate the travel between Freising and Munich Airport without switching back at Neufahrn. Under construction.
• Erdinger Ringschluss (Erding Loop): this line will connect with S1 and S8 at Munich Airport and with S2 at Erding. If completed, it would make two loops with one larger and one smaller, stopping at Hauptbahnhof and Munich Airport. Due to the military base nearby, the underground tunnel is required. Still in discussion.
• Walpertskirchner Spange (Walpertskirchner Spur): this line extend the Erdinger Ringschluß from Erding to proposed S2 East extension, connecting somewhere between Walpertskirchner and Thann-Matzbach. Still in discussion.
• Verknüpfungskurve S7 - Rosenheim: Like Neufahrner Kurve, this spur makes travelling between the city centre in Munich and Rosenheim easier without switchback at Kreuzstraße.

Four-Track Expansions:

• Four-track extension of S8 line to the Munich Airport and moving the surface railway to the underground between Leuchtenbergring and Unterföhring. The extra tracks are for freight trains, which must pull aside often for S-Bahn. If the four-track extension is completed, the airport express train could use the freight tracks as to bypass the local service. Still in discussion.
• Four-track extension of S4-West between Buchenau and Pasing. The extension is due to the opening of Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland, which will increase the freight transportation between north and south in the central Europe through Switzerland. The first phase is from Pasing to Puchheim. For the cost reasons, the extension would terminate at Eichenau for time being. In planning.

Other Projects:

• Possible relocation of the S2 East to the Munich International Trade Fair site. Now cancelled.
• New stations at Breitenau, Emmering, Weichselbaum, Menterschwaige, Schwaigerloh, Sendlinger Spange, Gelting, and Messestadt Nord.

Literature

• Pospischil, Reinhard; Rudolph, Ernst (1997). S-Bahn München (in German). Düsseldorf: Alba. ISBN 978-3-87094-358-5. OCLC 42476820. 
• Franzke, Armin. "Im Tunnel unter City und Isar. 1972: Die S-Bahn München nimmt den Betrieb auf" [In a tunnel under the city and Isar. 1972: the S-Bahn Munich enters service]. Lok Magazin. München: GeraNova Zeitschriftenverlag. 41/2002 (251): 90–97. ISSN 0458-1822. OCLC 3136408. 
• Korhammer, Klaus-Dieter; Franzke, Armin; Rudolph, Ernst (1991). Drehscheibe des Südens: Eisenbahnknoten München [Southern hub: railway nodes in Munich] (in German). Darmstadt: Hestra Verlag. ISBN 3-7771-0236-9. 
• Wilhelm-Stempin, Nikolaus (2009). S-Bahnhöfe in und um München [S-Bahn stations in and around Munich] (in German). Norderstedt: BoD. ISBN 978-3-8391-0927-4. 

See also

• Munich U-Bahn
• List of rapid transit systems

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Munich S-Bahn.

• Official website: S-Bahn München GmbH (German)
• Interessengemeinschaft S-Bahn München e.V. (German)
• Fahrgastverband PRO BAHN zur Münchner S-Bahn (German)
• tunnelaktion.de – Alternative concepts for the Munich S-Bahn / Description of alternatives to the second city tunnel from the years 2001-2007
• Flash animation of the concept Teilausbau Südring (upgrade of southern rail connector for S-Bahn lines) – Details for one of the concepts presented on www.tunnelaktion.de

Coordinates: 48°08′27″N 11°33′18″E / 48.1408°N 11.5550°E / 48.1408; 11.5550