Stuttgart Stadtbahn

Stuttgart Stadtbahn

Stuttgart Rathaus Stadtbahn underground station
Overview
Locale Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Transit type Light rail (Stadtbahn)
Number of lines 13 (& 2 special event lines)[1]
Number of stations 203 (2013)[2]
Annual ridership 174.9 million (2014)[2]
Website Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB)
Operation
Began operation 28 September 1985[3]
Operator(s) Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG
Number of vehicles 179 (2013)[2]
Headway 10 minutes (daytime)
Technical
System length 130 km (81 mi) (2013)[2]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
standard gauge
Electrification 750 V DC overhead lines
Average speed 27 km/h (17 mph)[2]
Top speed 80 km/h (50 mph)
Stuttgart Stadtbahn
Map of Stuttgart Stadtbahn network
Stadtbahn train; note mixed gauge track
Ruhbank Stadtbahn station
Stadtbahn cars at the terminus of line U1
A sign at a light rail stop in Stuttgart which includes information advising passengers whether services will be formed of single or double / twin light rail vehicles.

The Stuttgart Stadtbahn is a light rail system in Stuttgart, Germany. The Stadtbahn began service on 28 September 1985.[3] It is operated by the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB), which also operates the bus systems in that city. The Stuttgart Stadtbahn is successor system of a tram network (Straßenbahnen) that characterized the urban traffic in Stuttgart for decades.

The network of Stuttgart Stadtbahn covers much of Stuttgart and also reaches the neighbouring towns of Remseck am Neckar, Fellbach, Ostfildern, Leinfelden-Echterdingen and Gerlingen (clockwise). Currently, the Stuttgart Stadtbahn system is made up of thirteen main lines (U1-U9 and U12-U15) and two special event lines (U11 & U19),[1] serving 203 stations, and operating on 130 kilometres (81 mi) of route.[2] In 2014, the Stuttgart Stadtbahn carried 174.9 million passengers.[2]

Lines

As of 2013, the Stuttgart Stadtbahn system is made up of thirteen main lines (U1-U9 and U12-U15) and two special event lines (U11 & U19):[1]

Line Route stations journey time
(in minutes)
U1 Fellbach Lutherkirche – Bad Cannstatt – Charlottenplatz – Heslach – Vaihingen 31 41
U2 Neugereut – Bad Cannstatt – Charlottenplatz – Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte) – Vogelsang – Botnang 28 37
U3 Plieningen – Möhringen – Vaihingen 11 14
U4 Untertürkheim – Ostendplatz – Charlottenplatz – Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte) – Hölderlinplatz 22 26
U5 Killesberg – Hauptbahnhof – Charlottenplatz – Degerloch – Möhringen – Leinfelden 22 29
U6 Gerlingen – Giebel – Weilimdorf – Feuerbach – Pragsattel – Hauptbahnhof – Charlottenplatz – Degerloch –
Möhringen – Fasanenhof Schelmenwasen		 40 52
U7 Mönchfeld – Zuffenhausen – Pragsattel – Hauptbahnhof – Ruhbank (Fernsehturm) – Heumaden –
Ostfildern-Nellingen		 36 50
U8 Vaihingen – Möhringen – Degerloch – Ruhbank (Fernsehturm) – Heumaden – Ostfildern-Nellingen 26 33
U9 Hedelfingen – Raitelsberg – Hauptbahnhof – Vogelsang [– Botnang]
service to Botnang only during the rush hour on school days		 22 [28] 28 [34]
U11 Hauptbahnhof – Rotebühlplatz – Charlottenplatz – Cannstatter Wasen / Neckarpark (Stadion)
only during the Volksfest, Spring Festival, sporting events and music concerts		 14 18
U12 Hallschlag – Nordbahnhof – Hauptbahnhof – Degerloch – Möhringen [– Vaihingen]
service to Vaihingen only during the rush hour		 22 [27] 30 [37]
U13 [Giebel – Weilimdorf –] Feuerbach – Pragsattel – Bad Cannstatt – Untertürkheim – Hedelfingen
service to Weilimdorf/Giebel only during the rush hour on school days		 23 [30] 32 [41]
U14 Remseck-Neckargröningen – Mühlhausen – Münster – Wilhelma – Hauptbahnhof – Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte) – Heslach 33 47
U15 Stammheim – Zuffenhausen – Pragsattel – Hauptbahnhof – Eugensplatz – Ruhbank (Fernsehturm)
[– Heumaden]
service to Heumaden only during the rush hour on school days		 27 [32] 36 [44]
U19 Bad Cannstatt – Neckarpark (Stadion)
only during sporting events and music concerts, since August 2006		 2 3

History

Stuttgart Stadtbahn, now all standard gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)), developed out of a traditional tramway system, which in Stuttgart was metre gauge.

In 1961 the city council of Stuttgart decided that a general modernization of the municipal tram system was needed; in central areas, the tram should be relocated underground, and in peripheral areas it should get new tracks that would be separate from road traffic. Concurrent proposals for a new completely underground subway (U-Bahn) were rejected in 1976. At the same time it was decided to enhance modernization of the existing tram in combination with a change from metre gauge to standard gauge. For this reason, Stuttgart made the intermediate effort of rebuilding almost all its tracks with mixed-gauge, on which old streetcars (SSB GT4, built 1959–1965) could run as well as new metro cars (SSB DT 8, in regular service since 1985).

Current light rail system

The Stadtbahn system runs over 257 kilometres (160 mi) of rail track,[2] and 231 kilometres (144 mi) of rail line,[2] covering 130 kilometres (81 mi) of route. (The Stuttgart rail system also encompasses a funicular (Line 10),[4] a cable car (Line 20),[4] and a weekend heritage streetcar line (Line 21).[5]) In the city centre as well as in other densely built-up districts of the city, the Stadtbahn runs underground. The Stadtbahn uses the "U" logo like the underground systems (U-Bahnen) in other German cities. However, here the "U" does not stand for untergrund (underground) but for unabhängig (independent, meaning independent of other traffic infrastructure). Outside the densely built up areas, the Stadtbahn runs on the surface, often along roads with level crossings, though on a separate right-of-way. However, in the Stammheim district, the U15 line's trains operate with street running and share space with other traffic.[6]

Light rail vehicles

The system is operated with 179 light rail vehicles,[2] operates on standard gauge track, and is electrified at 750 volts DC. On December, 8th, 2007 the ongoing replacement of the city's tram lines was finally completed after 27 years.

Color

Since the coat of arms of Stuttgart shows a black, rampant horse on a yellow or golden field, the Stuttgart Stadtbahn (as well as all the buses and the last old trams) comes in yellow with black or dark blue window frames.

Hours of operation

The Stuttgart Stadtbahn operates from 04:00 - 01:00.

Most routes are served by two or more lines in the city centre, so there is a train every few minutes at most stations.[7]

Fares and ticketing

The Stadtbahn is part of the regional transport cooperative, the Transit and Tariff Association Stuttgart (VVS), which coordinates tickets and fares among all transport operators in the metropolitan area. Besides the Stadtbahn, these include the SSB's bus networks, together with the Stuttgart S-Bahn, operated by a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG (DBAG), and DBAG's RegionalBahn regional train services within the VVS area.[8]

Extensions

Projects under construction

U12 – Northern Extension

U12 – Southern Extension

U12 – Connection to the Europaviertel

Projects in planning

U14 – Rebuilding the station Wilhelma

U6 – Airport link

Possible projects

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Stadtbahn-Liniennetz" [Stadtbahn-Network Map] (PDF) (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB) & VVS. September 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Informationen und Fakten - Geschäftsberichte - Daten, Zahlen, Leistungen" [Information and Facts - Business Report - Data, Numbers, Performance] (in German (and English)). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB). Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  3. 1 2 "Geschichte - Von 1946 bis 1990 - 1981 bis 1990" [History - From 1946 to 1990 - 1981 to 1990] (in German (and English)). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB). Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  4. 1 2 "Barrierefrei Gehbehinderung oder Kinderwagen Seilbahn - Zahnradbahn" [Barrier-free - Mobility for Wheelchairs - Funicular - Cable Car] (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB). Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  5. ↑ "SSB - Staßenbahnwelt - Oldtimerfahrten" [SSB - Streetcar world - Classic (heritage) streetcars] (in German). Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB). Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  6. ↑ Robert Schwandl. "Stuttgart Stadtbahn". UrbanRail.Net. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  7. ↑ "Timetable Information". Transit and Tariff Association Stuttgart (VVS). Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  8. ↑ "About VVS". Transit and Tariff Association Stuttgart (VVS). Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  9. ↑ "Stadtbahn projects". Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSB). Retrieved 2013-09-07.

External links

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