Leipzig-Halle S-Bahn

The Leipzig-Halle S-Bahn is an electric rail public transit system operating in the metropolitan area of Leipzig-Halle, Germany. The S-Bahn (German abbreviation for stadtschnellbahn - literally, "urban rapid [rail]road") consists of two the separate S-Bahn networks of Halle (Saale) and Leipzig, which were established separately in 1969 and then linked in 2004. Recent work, finishing in 2011, further extended the network and built it out especially in the Leipzig city center. The S-Bahn is operated by DB Regio Südost, Verkehrsbetrieb Mitteldeutschland on behalf of Zweckverbandes für den Nahverkehrsraum Leipzig (ZVNL) as well as Nahverkehrsservicegesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH (nasa).

In 2009, the operation of the line that runs eastwards from the Leipzig main station was awarded to the Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn thus effectively reducing the size of the S-Bahn network. On the routes concerned, the timetable did not change.

Starting on 8 December 2013, with completion of the ongoing construction, the altered and greatly enlarged network will be renamed S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland and be operated by a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. The locomotive-hauled double-decker trains will be replaced by electric multiple unit Bombardier Talent 2 trains.

History of the S-Bahn Leipzig-Halle

The Halle Network

Train at opening on 27 September 1969

The Halle network connects the northern district of Trotha in a U-shaped route through the main train station with the residential suburb of Halle-Neustadt on the western bank of the Saale and then on to the last stop Halle-Dölau. Currently, the route only runs to Halle-Nietleben.

Southern portal of the S-Bahn tunnel in Halle

The Leipzig Network

Train of the S-Bahn line 1 at the end-station Miltitzer Allee

The Leipzig route network started northward from the main train station (a terminal station) going around on both sides of the city and joining in the south in Markkleeberg. This distinctive heart-shape was driven as a circular line in both directions, which ran to Gaschwitz in the south. Later lines were built out to Wurzen in the east and Grünau in the West.

On 29 February 1968, the Leipzig Bezirk government decided to build an S-Bahn network. Already at the spring trade fair, the "S-Bahn-style rapid transit" system was demonstrated between the main station and the newly established Messegelände (Exhibition Center) stop. By 12 July 1969, the S-Bahn network was expanded to the entire heart shape, in order to cope with traffic volume of the 5th East-German Gymnastics and Sports Festival (German: Turn- und Sportfest der DDR). The two branches were named S1 and S2. For the first two days the trains were free, which led to overcrowding. The fare then set absurdly high, with a single ride costing 50 Pfennig, a short distance ride up to five stations costing 30. Changing to transportation run by the of the Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB), or motorized transport required a new ticket, although combined monthly tickets were issued. In contrast, a single ride ticket in the city of Berlin (with transfer) only cost 20 Pfennig and the rides on the LVB could be as low as 16.7 Pfennig, with the use of multiple-ride cards.

The connection between the two cities

Lettering on an S-Bahn car Halle–Leipzig

Although dense suburban traffic between Leipzig and Halle had already existed for decades (from 1928, powered coaches and later series ET 41 ran on this route), a special tariff was never introduced on the line.

On 19 March 2002, construction work began in Halle for the new commuter train route between the two cities. The commissioning of the 234-million-euro project was planned for December 2004. The construction costs were raised primarily by the German federal government (135 million euros) and the states of Saxony-Anhalt (39 million euro) and Saxony (34 million euro). The project was successfully completed on schedule on 12 December 2004.

In Leipzig, the route leads from the main station directly over the original route used for the decades only by freight trains of the Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company to Leipzig-Wahren. The existing RegionalBahn line 56 via Wiederitzsch was replaced by the S-Bahn line. As a result, the travel time of 36 minutes is unchanged, despite five stops being added. Since the 5 December, the RB 56 route has been reactivated in a trial run with passengers. In addition, the RegionalExpress line 5 trains took over the role of an "Express S-Bahn" which run, since 30 June 2003, in a special hourly service to the Leipzig/Halle airport. It was not necessary to introduce a special tariff because of the existence of the Mitteldeutschen Verkehrsverbundes since August 2001.

The opening of the Leipzig City Tunnel between the main station and the Bavarian Station is planned for the year 2013. At this point, a fundamentally new S-Bahn network will be put into operation. This network - as in Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart or Munich, will use the City Tunnel as main artery and run to the neighboring states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and even Brandenburg.

Any extension of Grünau route to Markranstädt will be considered afterwards. Because of the expense and the related abandonment of stations at Miltitz and Rückmarsdorf, this is currently only available as an option to be negotiated at a later stage and will be kept in the long-term local transit plan as before.

Routes

Current Routes

The S-Bahn Leipzig-Halle comprises the two lines, the S 7 and S 10. Trains run about every 30 minutes.

Line	Route	Line length
S 7	Nietleben – Südstadt – Halle Hbf – Trotha	19.5 km
S 10	Halle Hbf – Dieskau – Gröbers – Schkeuditz – Gohlis – Leipzig Hbf	33.0 km

Because of cost cutting, the S 1 line was cancelled on 30 April 2011 and now set only to be reopened with the finishing of the City Tunnel. As a replacement, two bus routes as well as additional tram services are being offer by the LVB.

The lines S 2 (Leipzig main station - Borna (- Geithain)) and S 11 (Leipzig main station - Wurzen (- Oschatz)) have been operated since 2009 by the Mitteldeutschen Regiobahn (MRB) as MRB 2 or MRB 11 and are therefore no longer designation as S-Bahn routes. On weekend nights only, the DB runs individual trips on the line 11 as S 11.

Former Routes

In the times of the GDR, Leipzig had three lines designated A, B and C. These were later changed to S 1, S 2 and S 3. The S 2 line (known as the "Forest Railway") was shut down in 2002. The S 1 line was then in 2004 divided into the lines S 1 and S 2 so that the platform ramps in the tunnel do not have to cross unnecessarily often.

• S 1, formerly A: Leipzig Miltitzer Avenue - Leipzig-Plagwitz - Leipzig main station - Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz - Borna; today the MRB 2.
• S 2, formerly C ("Forest Railway"): Leipzig-Plagwitz - Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz
• S 3, S 11, formerly B to Wurzen; today the MRB 11.

The Future

S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland

S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland
Network plan [1]
Transport association	Mitteldeutscher Verkehrsverbund
Lines	6
Total length	430 km
Long-distance train stations	3(+1)
Total stops	107
Residents in the served area	1.2 million
Maximum frequency	30 Minutes
Rolling stock	ET442 (Bombardier Talent 2)

With the completion of the Leipzig City Tunnel on 8 December 2013, the first phase of the new Central German S-Bahn (German: S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland) network will begin operation. The lines will then be built out from the metropolitan area of Leipzig-Halle to reach the federal states of Thuringia and Brandenburg.

The following lines will constitute the S-Bahn Mitteldeutscheland network:

Line	Route
S 1	Leipzig Miltitzer Allee – Leipzig-Leutzsch – Leipzig-Gohlis – City Tunnel – Leipzig-Stötteritz – Wurzen – Oschatz
S 2	Bitterfeld – Delitzsch – Leipzig-Messe – City Tunnel – Connewitz – Markkleeberg – Gaschwitz
S 3	Halle-Nietleben – Halle (Saale) – Schkeuditz – Leipzig-Gohlis – City Tunnel – Leipzig-Stötteritz
S 4	Hoyerswerda – Torgau – Eilenburg – Taucha – Leipzig-Mockau – City Tunnel – Connewitz – Markkleeberg – Borna – Geithain
S 5	Leipzig/Halle Airport – Leipzig-Messe – City Tunnel – Connewitz – Markkleeberg – Altenburg – Zwickau
S 5X	Halle (Saale) – Flughafen Leipzig/Halle – Leipzig-Messe – City Tunnel – Connewitz – Markkleeberg – Altenburg – Zwickau
S 7	Halle-Trotha – Halle (Saale) – Halle-Neustadt – Halle-Nietleben

It will run on a 30-minute basic schedule. On individual foreign branches, such as Taucha–Hoyerswerda and Borna–Geithain, the frequency will be greater. On the common sections, such as Leipzig-Messe–Gaschwitz (S2, S4, S5, S5X) and Leipzig-Gohlis–Leipzig-Stötteritz (S1 and S3), line overlaps result in compressed train frequencies. Through the area of the City Tunnel, the S-Bahn trains will run as frequently as about every 5 minutes. The existing S7 line will remains until further notice, but is not part of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland network. It will be operated separately by DB Regio.

The Europe-wide call for tender took place in August 2008, with service originally intended to begin in December 2011. But the start of service was suspended by two correction notices to December 2013 (as of January 2010).

After expiration of the appeal period given by the regional transport authorities on 21 September 2010, the final running of the restructured network, now known as S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland, was awarded to the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland GmbH. The competitor, Veolia, raised no objection against this but criticized the DB for its calculation on the basis that the proposed vehicle - the Bombardier Talent 2 - had not yet been approved.

At the end of 2013, the ongoing full electrification of the railway line Leipzig-Hof (as part of Saxony-Franken-Magistrale) south of Reichenbach im Vogtland is to be completed. This will coincide with the opening of the Leipzig City Tunnel, allowing for the possibility that S-Bahn trains could also connect the Upper Franconian city of Hof (Saale). With regard to this, a forking of S5x line in Werdau is in discussion, however the final decision has not yet been made. If the change happens, Reichenbach im Vogtland and Plauen then be connected to Leipzig without the need to change trains.

S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland 2015

In Mid-2011, the Transportation Service Company of Saxony-Anhalt, NASA, announced the tender of the second stage of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland network. Starting from December 2015, the transport company which wins the tender will provide service for nine years. In addition to various regional railway lines and the RE-line Magdeburg-Dessau-Leipzig, the tender also includes the extended S2 and the new S8 line.

In February 2011, NASA announced the tender for the electrical network Saale-Thüringen-Südharz. It includes service in the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Saxony, Lower Saxony and Hesse, which will also run from 2015 to 2030. This tender includes, in addition to others, two lines on which S-Bahn routes will run.

From December 2015, the network will thus also include the following new/extended lines:

Line	Route
S 2	Dessau-Roßlau / Lutherstadt Wittenberg – Bitterfeld – Delitzsch – Leipzig-Messe – City-Tunnel – Connewitz – Markkleeberg – Gaschwitz
S 8	Dessau-Roßlau / Lutherstadt Wittenberg – Bitterfeld – Halle (Saale)
S	Halle-Trotha – Halle/Saale Hbf. – Halle Südstadt – Lutherstadt Eisleben
S	Halle (Saale) – Merseburg – Weißenfels – Naumburg

The S-Bahn trains will run in 30-minute intervals on the line. On the outer branches between Bitterfeld and Dessau as well as Wittenberg each hour. This should be formed by changing features of the S2 and S8.

The route from Leipzig to Weißenfels will also be integrated into RE-lines serving Leipzig-Erfurt/Jena.

Construction

Leipzig City Tunnel

Main article: Leipzig City Tunnel

Completed eastern tube in May 2008

The main construction project for the new central German S-Bahn network is the City Tunnel in Leipzig. It will cost about 960 million euros (as of January 2010) and will form the main route that the S-Bahn lines S 1 to S 5 will take through the center of Leipzig. The tunnel crosses through the city for a length of 3.9 kilometers and is up to 25 meters deep. Four stations will be built along the tunnel: Hauptbahnhof Tief (a "deep" section of the main station), Markt, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz and Bayerischer Bahnhof as well as the station Leipzig MDR/Semmelweisstraße where the tunnel surfaces in the south.

North of the main station and still underground, a cross-over separates line-sections running to Leipzig-Gohlis from those to Leipzig North/Berliner Brücke. The tunnel thus has a west and a north exit ramp at this end. Between the west ramp and station Leipzig-Gohlis, the route again separates to Schkeuditz and Leipzig-Leutzsch at a newly constructed above-ground cross-over.

For the southern exit of the tunnel, a fly-over for Richard-Lehmann street was built. The tracks towards Stötteritz pass under the tracks to and from Connewitz in an approximately 70 meter long tunnel.

Additional network enhancements

Under construction fly-over at Richard-Lehmann-Straße (September 2009)

To take full advantage of the tunnel, additional network enhancements are required, of which most are currently being implemented.

Around the northern access to the tracks in the direction of Bitterfeld, the newly constructed S-Bahn stop Leipzig Nord/Berliner Brücke on Theresienstraße has now been completed. From 2013, the S 2, S 4 and S 5 trains will stop here. Also planned are stations on Essener Straße und der Mockauer Straße, but these will not be realized until later. In addition, Taucha train station will be completely rebuilt.

It will also be relatively complex to complete the southeast connection Gaschwitz - Engelsdorf . On the route towards Engelsdorf, the previous S-Bahn stop Leipzig-Völkerschlachtdenkmal will be abandoned and replaced by a newly built 140 meter-long center-platform directly below Prager Straße, stairs and an elevator. This is considered to provide additional access to the old fairgrounds. Also Leipzig-Stötteritz will be completely rebuilt over Papiermühlstraße with new bridges and a three-track system. This station replaces a single-track reversing system on which train can change direction or turned off the track. Stötteritz will be the endpoint of the S 3 line. The LVB are building a new tram stop directly under the S-Bahn station and will thus provide improved connections. The S-Bahn stop Anger-Crottendorf will be rebuilt on the current cargo ring of Zweinaundorfer Straße. A reconstruction of the station Leipzig-Paunsdorf in the area of today's freight station is being considered, however it will be built later. On the route towards Gaschwitz, the station Connewitz will be expanded to three tracks and will received a new pedestrian bridge and access platform. The station Markkleeberg Nord will be reconstructed, the station Markkleeberg, Markkleeberg-Großstädteln, and Gaschwitz remodeled in a contemporary style.

In the area of the western connection, the route Leipzig-Leutzsch–Leipzig-Plagwitz (as of fall 2010) is being expanded and remodeled. Bridges, signal boxes, tracks and overhead lines as well as noise barriers will be erected. The current platforms in the station of Leipzig-Leutzsch and the stop Leipzig Industriegelände West will be abandoned and new platforms directly under Georg-Schwarz-Straße will replace them. At a later point, the stop Leipzig-Lindenau and travel facilities of the station Leipzig-Plagwitz will be completely redone. As part of this, The platforms in Plagwitz will be moved directly north to Karl-Heine-Straße and these will get new entrances. Renewal work is also being undertaken on the route Leipzig-Leutzsch–Bad Dürrenberg. No S-Bahn line will operate in the coming years on this branch, but from 2015 it will carry RE trains from Leipzig via Weißenfels to Erfurt and Jena.

Other construction work

Construction is already complete on the new S-Bahn line from Halle main station via Schkeuditz to Leipzig main station, which will have several new stops such as Leipzig-Slevogtstraße and Schkeuditz West. From October 2008 until the summer of 2009, the tunnel station Halle-Neustadt was renovated. The total cost amounted to about 3.5 million euro. The platforms and stairways were modernized and, on the main traffic line, elevators were built. The completion of the construction work at the stops for the current S 7 and later S 3 were in the summer of 2009.

The route Borna-Geithain was electrified in the summer of 2010. This renovation was essential for the future use S-Bahn line S 4.

The rebuilding and redesigning the station Merseburg started in 2011.

Further enhancements will take place in coming years.

Vehicles

Present

Currently, modernized double-deck cars from the 1970s are used with control cars produced in 1992. For the S 10, new double-deck coaches were procured in 2004. These are usually used only on this line.

Future

Talent 2, which will be used on all lines of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland from 2013

For the commissioning of the new S-Bahn network in December 2013, the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland GmbH ordered a total of 51 Bombardier Talent 2 electric multiple units. 36 trains have three segments, 15 have four segments. The new vehicles have a top speed of 160 km/h and will be decorated in silver and green, not in the "traffic-light red" of the Deutsche Bahn. The total investment in the new trains is about 200 million euro. Talent 2 trains will also be used in central Germany on the RE routes from Leipzig to Dresden and Leipzig and Cottbus. So far, however, the Talent 2 has not met the requirements of the Federal Railway Authority and it's use on these lines has been postponed. The Federal Railway Authority has now approved the 4-segment trains, with the condition that the speed limit is reduced to 140 km/h and that the vehicles are not allowed to drive in multiple-unit control.

References

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