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With more than 2 million inhabitants, Hamburg is Germany's second biggest city. Although it's 100 km from the North Sea it's one of Europe's major ports.

Construction of an underground/elevated train system (Hochbahn) started in 1907. Initially a circle line, split up in 1973 between U2 and U3, opened in 1912. After that, branches were built to the ring line, first towards the west (today's U2 to Lutterothstr.), then towards the north (today's U1 to Ochsenzoll), from Barmbek to Großhansdorf and Ohlstedt (initially operated with steam trains) and a branch from Hauptbahnhof to Rothenburgsort, which was not reopened after World War II as the area was heavily destroyed. Before the war still, the Ohlsdorf branch (now U1) was extended from Kellinghusenstraße to Jungfernstieg in the city centre.

After World War II it took five years to establish traffic around the entire ring line. An important expansion of the network was carried out in the 1960's with an underground section of U1 between Jungfernstieg and Wandsbek-Gartenstadt, and the mostly underground eastern leg of U3 to Merkenstraße. Line numbers were introduced in 1966. In the early 1970's a new cross-city line (U2) was built using deep bored tunnels. This section includes 3 tube-type stations (Messehallen, Gänsemarkt and Hauptbahnhof Nord). Jungfernstieg (lying under the Binnenalster lake) and Hauptbahnhof Nord were laid out with four tracks to provide for a once planned line U4, which would have run from Sengelmannstraße (U1) via Borgweg (U3) to Hauptbahnhof, and then west to Altona (S) and Lurup. Until 1996 short extensions were added to all three lines.

Together with the U4 project described below, Berliner Tor station was rebuilt to allow U2 trains from Niendorf Nord to continue to Mümmelmannsberg, thus improving the distribution of passenger loads. The new arrangement was put into service on 29 June 2009. Line U3 now runs from Berliner Tor back to Barmbek and further on to Wandsbek Gartenstadt, similar to the original alignment opened in 1912, when the ring was operated as a real circle line.

The "Hamburger Hochbahn" (elevated metro) is currently formed by three lines (U1, U2, U3) with a total length of 101 km (40 km underground) with all lines running underground, elevated or at grade (especially U1 north-eastern branch) at some stage.

The U-Bahn is complemented by a dense S-Bahn service operating like a metro in central areas. Like the Berlin S-Bahn, Hamburg's S-Bahn is totally independent from other rail traffic and uses third rail power supply. The network consists of two inner-city links between the two mainline railway stations, Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and Hamburg-Altona and five branches.

The original surface link (Verbindungsbahn) via Dammtor was already opened in 1866, the route was put on an embankment by 1906 and two separate tracks for local traffic were added. In 1907, electric service (with overhead power supply, 6300 V ac) began between Blankenese and Ohlsdorf (now S11 route). From 1939 until 1955, the suburban lines were changed to third rail power supply (1200 V dc). From 1924 electric trains have been running to Poppelbüttel and from 1954 along the mainly single-track line to Wedel. Trains to/from Wedel need to change direction at Blankenese.

The S-Bahn network was expanded after World War II along the mainline to Berlin. After the division of Germany, this route lost its former importance and in 1958 the line was electrified for S-Bahn service as far as Bergedorf. It was extended to Aumühle in 1969 (now S2 route). In the early 1990's separate tracks were added for the re-established line to Berlin.

The first section of the northwestern branch to Pinneberg (now S3 route) opened in 1962 as far as Langenfelde. The S-Bahn eventually reached Pinneberg in 1967. The S-Bahn route across the Elbe River had been planned for a long time, but it took until 1983 until the southern district of Harburg was linked to the city centre. The current S3 terminus Neugraben was reached in 1984. This section includes 3 underground stations.

The most important piece of the network is, however, the so-called City S-Bahn, and underground link between the Hauptbahnhof and Altona. Construction began in 1967 and the first section Hauptbahnhof - Landungsbrücken was opened in 1975, including the complex underwater station at Jungfernstieg built at the same time as the U2 station. In 1979, the cross-city tunnel was finished, the link between Altona and Diebsteich followed in 1981.

During normal daytime service there are 4 S-Bahn lines running every 10 minutes, S1 and S3 via the city tunnel, and S21 and S31 via Dammtor. During rush hours S2 and S11 offer extra trains. On the partly single-track sections Wedel - Blankenese and Bergedorf - Aumühle trains run every 20 minutes.

The Hamburg S-Bahn system, which is operated on exclusive tracks and with third-rail dc power supply, has a total length of 115.2km (8km single-track, 10km underground) with 59 stations, of which 10 are underground:

S1: Wedel - Blankenese - Altona - Landungsbrücken - Hauptbahnhof - Barmbek - Ohlsdorf - Poppenbüttel (41.5km)
S11 (rush hours only): Blankenese - Altona - Dammtor - Hauptbahnhof - Ohlsdorf ( - Poppenbüttel)

S21: (Pinneberg) - Elbgaustraße - Dammtor - Hbf - Bergedorf - Aumühle (44.2km)
S2 (rush hours only): Altona - Landungsbrücken - Hbf - Bergedorf

S3: Pinneberg - Altona - Landungsbrücken - Hbf - Harburg - Neugraben (43.5km)
S31: Altona - Dammtor - Hbf - Harburg Rathaus (- Neugraben)

In order to expand the S-Bahn (S3) from Neugraben west to Buxtehude and Stade, dual-system trains (third-rail/dc and catenary/ac) started service on the 32 km route in Dec 2007, sharing tracks with other DB services. During off-peak hours, S-Bahn line S3 runs through to Stade only hourly, and every 20 minutes during peak hours.

A 3 km, mostly underground S-Bahn branch from Ohlsdorf was finally completed in Dec. 2008 to link the city centre to the airport. Line S1 trains are divided at Ohlsdorf with the front section continuing to the airport, and the rear to Poppenbüttel.

 U-Bahn History

1 March 1912 - Rathaus - Barmbek via Berliner Tor
10 May 1912 - Barmbek - Kellinghusenstraße
25 May 1912 - Kellinghusenstraße - St. Pauli
29 June 1912 - St. Pauli - Rathausmarkt (ring completed)
........
Detailed U-Bahn history (thanks to Alex Riabov)
.......
2 June 1985 - U2 Hagenbecks Tierpark - Niendorf Markt (3.4 km)
29 Sept 1990 - U3 Merkenstraße - Mümmelmannsberg (3 km)
9 March 1991 - U2 Niendorf Markt - Niendorf Nord (2.4 km)
28 Sept 1996 - U1 Garstedt - Norderstedt Mitte (2.8 km)

01-10-1907: S1 Blankenese - Ohlsdorf
04-10-1959: S2/S21 Berliner Tor - Bergedorf
22-02-1962: S3/S21 Holstenstraße - Langenfelde
30-05-1975: S1/S3 Hauptbahnhof - Landungsbrücken "City S-Bahn"
25-09-1983: S3/S31 Hauptbahnhof - Harburg Rathaus
09-12-2007: S3 Neugraben - Stade
12-12-2008: S1 Ohlsdorf - Hamburg Airport (Flughafen)

Detailed S-Bahn history

In 2002, a new project for line U4 was presented. An underground extension was considered the best option to link the HafenCity (a kind of London style docklands redevelopment) to the city centre. Initially, this was to become a branch of line U3 leaving from Rathaus station and heading south with 2 stations. Between Rathaus and Barmbek (eastern ring) it would run on the existing tracks. From Barmbek another branch would be built north to Steilshoop and Bramfeld (4-5 stations - see original network layout). This route would have made the reconstruction of the present Rathaus station a difficult task, so eventually a new route diverging from Jungfernstieg, where separate tracks are available within the U2 station, was decided upon, with construction having started in 2007 (see final network layout). After completion the new line U4 will runs from the harbour to Billstedt. And Bramfeld will once again be left without an U-Bahn link. The terminus in the port area was initially referred to as 'Lohsepark', but it was renamed 'HafenCity-Universität' in 2007. In the long run, the U4 stub may be extended south to Wilhelmsburg.
(Official project website)

Visit our Hamburg Photo Gallery

- OPERATION

Both U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines operate from 4:30 until midnight, every 5 minutes in central areas. On U1 from Farmsen to Ohlstedt and Großhansdorf, trains operate every 20 min during normal daytime.

S-Bahn lines run every 10 minutes in central areas and every 20 minutes in some outer areas.

Fri/Sat and Sat/Sun nights, U-Bahn and S-Bahn operate all night long every 20 minutes (except Blankenese - Wedel, Volksdorf - Ohlstedt/Großhansdorf)

- FARES (2010)

Both rail networks are part of the HVV (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund) tariff system which also includes buses and boats. Prices shown in Euro for city zone (Großbereich Hamburg):

Single ticket - EUR 2.75 (Short trip - EUR 1.30; mid-distance trip 1.70)

1-day ticket - EUR 6.50 (EUR 5.40 after 9:00 Mon-Fri, all day Sat and Sun, valid for 1 adult and 3 kids)
3-Day Ticket - EUR 15.90

HamburgCard offers discounts at tourist attractions and free transport.

Hamburger Hochbahn AG (Official Site)

   > Official U4 project website

HVV (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund) incl. maps (gif) (pdf)

S-Bahn Hamburg (Official Site)

Hamburg Underground (by Marcus Schomacker, incl. photos of all stations)

U-Bahn Hamburg (by Dieter Schultz)

Hamburg U-Bahn History (by André Loop )

Chronological Network Map (by Johannes Bouchain)

Die Hamburger S-Bahn (by Martin Heimann)

Historische S-Bahn e.V.

UrbanRail.Net > Hamburg Photo Gallery

BahnInfo.de News & Forum

Hamburger Bahnhöfe (All Hamburg Stations)

NimmBus.de Fahrplanauskunft

Gleispläne / Track Maps

OEPNV Nord