Hanover S-Bahn
Encyclopedia
The Hanover S-Bahn is an S-Bahn
network operated by DB Regio
in the area of Hanover
in the German state capital of Lower Saxony
. It went operational shortly before Expo 2000
and is focused on the Hanover region
, but also connects with adjacent districts (Celle
Hameln-Pyrmont, Hildesheim
, Nienburg
and Schaumburg
), and into the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
(Minden, Paderborn
). The S-Bahn is an evolution of a suburban railway.
The S-Bahn has seven lines in Hanover. It is distinguished from the Hanover Stadtbahn
, which emerged from the Hanover tram network. In addition, there are other rail passenger services in the region composed of Regional-Express and Regionalbahn
services. It is mainly operated with Class 424 electric multiple units.
(central station), Lehrte and Celle
and on the Deister Railway. A further extension was omitted because of disagreement between federal, state and city region governments. In 1984, in preparation for the upgrading of the line between Wunstorf and Hanover, Seelze station was relocated and rebuilt with overtaking tracks. After Hanover won the right to build Expo 2000
in 1990, it was decided to bring forward the planned introduction of an S-Bahn network that was originally intended to be opened at a later date. On 12 November 1990 a development agreement was signed between the state of Lower Saxony, the Municipal Association of Greater Hanover and Deutsche Bundesbahn
. In a relatively short time lines which for decades had remained virtually unchanged were upgraded considerably in and around Hanover.
Construction began with the new Hannover-Karl-Wiechert-Allee station on the Hanover–Brunswick railway, which provides a connection to the Hanover Stadtbahn
; the first pile for it was driven in 1993.
Two additional S-Bahn tracks were built on the western route from the Hauptbahnhof towards Wunstorf as far as Seelze from 1994, with services starting in 1997. In Leinhausen an extensive flying junction
was built; this separates regional and long distance traffic running to and from the north and west. The S-Bahn runs over the old freight tracks in Hainholz and through the former main freight yard. This included the new Hannover-Nordstadt S-Bahn station, which replaced the existing suburban station of Hannover-Hainholz.
Two additional tracks were laid for the S-Bahn on the line north
to Langenhagen. On this line, Hannover-Herrenhausen station was replaced by the new S-Bahn station at Hannover-Ledeburg. The route was also electrified as far as Bennemühlen and in addition was doubled
as far as Bissendorf. Hannover-Langenhagen Airport was connected by a local service for the first time, via the former goods track. From 1995, this line was electrified and extended through a tunnel to the airport's Terminal C, which was then under construction.
In the east the line was extended as a single track as far as the previously established station at Karl-Wiechert-Allee and S-Bahn operations on it started in 1999. Two additional S-Bahn tracks were then added almost to Ahlten, continuing to Lehrte as a single track; being brought into service in June 2000. This extension was part of the German Unity transport projects (Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit).
To the south an additional track was built, starting in 1996, between Hannover-Bismarckstrasse and the northern end of Hanover-Wülfel station to serve the completely reorganised Hannover Messe/Laatzen station
.
On the Deister Railway a 10 km (6.2 mi) long section of double track was built between Lemmie and Egestorf
to the west of the Weetzen level crossing in order to avoid delays due to conflicting train movements.
Stations were rebuilt where necessary to make them fully accessible for the disabled. Most construction projects were completed in time for Expo 2000, so since then Hanover has had an extensive network. For time and cost reasons, the conversion of some stations was not started before the Expo. The implementation of these modifications is still partly unfinished.
After the end of the Expo there were changes so that normal operation started on the route network. The network was extended via the Deister Railway to Barsinghausen
, Bad Nenndorf
and Haste and also via Springe
to Hamelin
. It was later extended to Bad Pyrmont
and to Paderborn
in North Rhine-Westphalia. Exceptionally, the service on the section from Bad Pyrmont to Paderborn, which is the furthest from Hanover, is less frequent and resembles a Regionalbahn
service. All other routes, nearer the city, benefit from a full S-Bahn service.
On 14 December 2008 the S-Bahn was extended to replace three former Regionalbahn and Regional-Express services to Hildesheim
and Celle
. As a result Hannover Messe/Laatzen station was included in the regular S-Bahn network.
40 Class 424
electric multiple unit
s were acquired especially for the Hanover S-Bahn. These differ from the vehicles of class 423
, as they have a lower floor height of 80 cm, fewer doors and include toilets. Although delivery as began as early as 1998, the class 424 trains were not yet ready for the opening of the S-Bahn network at the start the Expo 2000 due to technical problems. Deutsche Bahn
therefore had to temporarily borrow class 423 rolling stock from the Munich S-Bahn
.
In addition there are six vehicles of class 425
(425 150–425 155), which were retrofitted with adjustable steps to allow access to lower platforms, without sacrificing barrier-free access to high platforms. On the S 5 to Paderborn these vehicles are coupled with the class 424 vehicles and run from Hameln uncoupled to Paderborn. In this section, there are lower platforms.
In 2008, 13 vehicles of class 425.2 were procured (425 271–425 283), for the new and upgraded lines to Hildesheim and Celle as it was decided not to produce a new batch of class 424 vehicles.
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
network operated by DB Regio
DB Regio
DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates short and medium distance passenger train services in Germany, and operates light and heavy rail infrastructure in the United Kingdom.-Germany:...
in the area of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
in the German state capital of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. It went operational shortly before Expo 2000
Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
and is focused on the Hanover region
Hanover (district)
Hanover Region is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Heidekreis, Celle, Gifhorn, Peine, Hildesheim, Hamelin-Pyrmont, Schaumburg and Nienburg....
, but also connects with adjacent districts (Celle
Celle (district)
Celle is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Uelzen, Gifhorn, Hanover and Heidekreis.- Geography :...
Hameln-Pyrmont, Hildesheim
Hildesheim (district)
Hildesheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Hanover, Peine, Wolfenbüttel, Goslar, Northeim, Holzminden and Hamelin-Pyrmont.-History:...
, Nienburg
Nienburg (district)
Nienburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Diepholz, Verden, Heidekreis, Hanover and Schaumburg, and by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia ....
and Schaumburg
Schaumburg
Schaumburg is a district of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nienburg, Hanover and Hamelin-Pyrmont, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia .-History:...
), and into the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
(Minden, Paderborn
Paderborn Hauptbahnhof
is the main passenger station in the city of Paderborn in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the Hamm–Warburg line, part of the Mid-Germany Connection from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Thuringia and Saxony...
). The S-Bahn is an evolution of a suburban railway.
The S-Bahn has seven lines in Hanover. It is distinguished from the Hanover Stadtbahn
Hanover Stadtbahn
The Hanover Stadtbahn is a Stadtbahn light rail system in the city of Hanover, Germany that opened in September 1975, gradually replacing the city's tramway network over the course of the following 25 years. As of 2005, it transports 115 million passengers per year...
, which emerged from the Hanover tram network. In addition, there are other rail passenger services in the region composed of Regional-Express and Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
services. It is mainly operated with Class 424 electric multiple units.
History
Already in the 1960s there were plans to upgrade the rail network around Hanover. This led at first only to the establishment between 1965 and 1970 of regional commuter services on the east-west axis between Nienburg / Minden, Wunstorf, Hannover HauptbahnhofHannover Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hanover in Lower Saxony, Germany.-History:The first station on the current site, a temporary building serving the line to Lehrte, was erected in 1843...
(central station), Lehrte and Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
and on the Deister Railway. A further extension was omitted because of disagreement between federal, state and city region governments. In 1984, in preparation for the upgrading of the line between Wunstorf and Hanover, Seelze station was relocated and rebuilt with overtaking tracks. After Hanover won the right to build Expo 2000
Expo 2000
Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in 1990, it was decided to bring forward the planned introduction of an S-Bahn network that was originally intended to be opened at a later date. On 12 November 1990 a development agreement was signed between the state of Lower Saxony, the Municipal Association of Greater Hanover and Deutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
. In a relatively short time lines which for decades had remained virtually unchanged were upgraded considerably in and around Hanover.
Construction began with the new Hannover-Karl-Wiechert-Allee station on the Hanover–Brunswick railway, which provides a connection to the Hanover Stadtbahn
Hanover Stadtbahn
The Hanover Stadtbahn is a Stadtbahn light rail system in the city of Hanover, Germany that opened in September 1975, gradually replacing the city's tramway network over the course of the following 25 years. As of 2005, it transports 115 million passengers per year...
; the first pile for it was driven in 1993.
Two additional S-Bahn tracks were built on the western route from the Hauptbahnhof towards Wunstorf as far as Seelze from 1994, with services starting in 1997. In Leinhausen an extensive flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
was built; this separates regional and long distance traffic running to and from the north and west. The S-Bahn runs over the old freight tracks in Hainholz and through the former main freight yard. This included the new Hannover-Nordstadt S-Bahn station, which replaced the existing suburban station of Hannover-Hainholz.
Two additional tracks were laid for the S-Bahn on the line north
Heath Railway
The Heath Railway is a regional railway line in North Germany that crosses the Lüneburg Heath from which it derives its name. Most of the line is unelectrified and single-tracked. It links Buchholz in der Nordheide with Hanover, the capital city of Lower Saxony...
to Langenhagen. On this line, Hannover-Herrenhausen station was replaced by the new S-Bahn station at Hannover-Ledeburg. The route was also electrified as far as Bennemühlen and in addition was doubled
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
as far as Bissendorf. Hannover-Langenhagen Airport was connected by a local service for the first time, via the former goods track. From 1995, this line was electrified and extended through a tunnel to the airport's Terminal C, which was then under construction.
In the east the line was extended as a single track as far as the previously established station at Karl-Wiechert-Allee and S-Bahn operations on it started in 1999. Two additional S-Bahn tracks were then added almost to Ahlten, continuing to Lehrte as a single track; being brought into service in June 2000. This extension was part of the German Unity transport projects (Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit).
To the south an additional track was built, starting in 1996, between Hannover-Bismarckstrasse and the northern end of Hanover-Wülfel station to serve the completely reorganised Hannover Messe/Laatzen station
Hannover Messe/Laatzen station
Hannover Messe/Laatzen station is a Category 4 station in the German town of Laatzen near the Hanover fairground . It is normally served only by the Hanover S-Bahn. During major events such as CeBIT and Hanover Messe all passing regional and long distance stop at the station...
.
On the Deister Railway a 10 km (6.2 mi) long section of double track was built between Lemmie and Egestorf
Egestorf
Egestorf is a municipality in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
to the west of the Weetzen level crossing in order to avoid delays due to conflicting train movements.
Stations were rebuilt where necessary to make them fully accessible for the disabled. Most construction projects were completed in time for Expo 2000, so since then Hanover has had an extensive network. For time and cost reasons, the conversion of some stations was not started before the Expo. The implementation of these modifications is still partly unfinished.
After the end of the Expo there were changes so that normal operation started on the route network. The network was extended via the Deister Railway to Barsinghausen
Barsinghausen
Barsinghausen is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Deister chain of hills approx. 20 km west of Hanover...
, Bad Nenndorf
Bad Nenndorf
Bad Nenndorf is a small town in the district of Schaumburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Its population is 10,210 . It is situated approx. 12 km east of Stadthagen, and 25 km west of Hanover, at the southern edge of the North German Plain and the northern edge of the Deister ridge...
and Haste and also via Springe
Springe
Springe is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Deister hills, southwest of Hanover.-City Structure:* Springe with 12,666 Inhabitants* Bennigsen with 4,095 Inhabitants...
to Hamelin
Hamelin station
Hamelin station is a category 3 station in the town of Hamelin in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the Hanover–Altenbeken and the Löhne–Elze lines.-Services :...
. It was later extended to Bad Pyrmont
Bad Pyrmont
-External links:* * -Multimedia:*...
and to Paderborn
Paderborn Hauptbahnhof
is the main passenger station in the city of Paderborn in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the Hamm–Warburg line, part of the Mid-Germany Connection from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Thuringia and Saxony...
in North Rhine-Westphalia. Exceptionally, the service on the section from Bad Pyrmont to Paderborn, which is the furthest from Hanover, is less frequent and resembles a Regionalbahn
RegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
service. All other routes, nearer the city, benefit from a full S-Bahn service.
On 14 December 2008 the S-Bahn was extended to replace three former Regionalbahn and Regional-Express services to Hildesheim
Hildesheim Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of the German city Hildesheim. It is used by trains of Deutsche Bahn and Euro Rail. Trains stopping in Hildesheim are Hanover S-Bahn services, regional services and the hourly Intercity-Express trains running between Frankfurt am Main and Berlin .-History:The first Hildesheim...
and Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
. As a result Hannover Messe/Laatzen station was included in the regular S-Bahn network.
Routes
The Hanover S-Bahn serves 12 stations within Hanover and connects the state capital with suburbs and other towns in the area.| Line | Route | Service interval (mins) | Railways | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minden – Bückeburg – Haste – Wunstorf Wunstorf railway station Wunstorf is a railway station located in Wunstorf, Germany. The station is located on the Hanover–Minden railway and the Bremen–Hanover railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn... – Hanover Hannover Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hanover in Lower Saxony, Germany.-History:The first station on the current site, a temporary building serving the line to Lehrte, was erected in 1843... – Weetzen Ronnenberg Ronnenberg is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 8 km southwest of Hanover.... – Barsinghausen Barsinghausen Barsinghausen is a town in the district of Hanover, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the Deister chain of hills approx. 20 km west of Hanover... – Haste |
60 | Hanover–Minden Hanover–Altenbeken Deister Railway |
Train number change in H-Hbf 30 minute service interval combined with S 2 between Wunstorf and Haste |
|
| Nienburg – Neustadt am Rübenberge – Wunstorf – Hanover – Weetzen – Barsinghausen – Haste | 60 | Bremen–Hannover Hanover–Altenbeken Deister Railway |
30 minute service interval combined with S 1 between Wunstorf and Haste On Sundays, Nienburg–Hanover only |
|
| Hildesheim Hildesheim Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof of the German city Hildesheim. It is used by trains of Deutsche Bahn and Euro Rail. Trains stopping in Hildesheim are Hanover S-Bahn services, regional services and the hourly Intercity-Express trains running between Frankfurt am Main and Berlin .-History:The first Hildesheim... – Sehnde Sehnde Sehnde is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located approx. 15 kilometres southeast of Hanover.-History:Sehnde was formed in 1974 by combining fifteen autonomous villages which belonged to three different districts: Bilm, Bolzum, Dolgen, Evern, Gretenberg, Haimar, Hoever, Ilten, Klein Lobke,... – Lehrte Lehrte railway station Lehrte is a railway station located in Lehrte, Germany. The station is located on the Hanover–Brunswick railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn and as part of the Hanover S-Bahn. Lehrte is served by the S3 and S7. It is in Zone Region of Hannover... – Hanover |
60 | Lehrte–Nordstemmen Hanover–Brunswick |
30 minute service interval in combination with S 7 between Lehrte and Hanover | |
| (Hildesheim – Sarstedt Sarstedt Sarstedt is a town in the district of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. It has around 17,800 inhabitants. Sarstedt is close to Hanover.The GEO 600 gravitational wave detector is located nearby.... – Hannover Messe/Laatzen Hannover Messe/Laatzen station Hannover Messe/Laatzen station is a Category 4 station in the German town of Laatzen near the Hanover fairground . It is normally served only by the Hanover S-Bahn. During major events such as CeBIT and Hanover Messe all passing regional and long distance stop at the station... –) Hanover – Langenhagen Langenhagen Langenhagen is a town in the Hanover district of Lower Saxony, Germany.-International relations:Langenhagen is twinned with: - Joinville - - Economy :... – Bennemühlen |
30 (60) |
Lehrte–Nordstemmen Hanoverian Southern Railway Heath Railway Heath Railway The Heath Railway is a regional railway line in North Germany that crosses the Lüneburg Heath from which it derives its name. Most of the line is unelectrified and single-tracked. It links Buchholz in der Nordheide with Hanover, the capital city of Lower Saxony... |
||
| (Paderborn Paderborn Hauptbahnhof is the main passenger station in the city of Paderborn in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the Hamm–Warburg line, part of the Mid-Germany Connection from Cologne or Düsseldorf to Thuringia and Saxony... – Bad Pyrmont Bad Pyrmont -External links:* * -Multimedia:*... –) Hamelin Hamelin station Hamelin station is a category 3 station in the town of Hamelin in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the Hanover–Altenbeken and the Löhne–Elze lines.-Services :... – Weetzen – Hanover – Langenhagen – Hannover Flughafen |
30 (60) |
Hamm–Warburg Hanover–Altenbeken Hanover–Hamburg Hanover–Hamburg railway The Hanover–Hamburg railway is one of the most important railway lines in Lower Saxony and Germany. It links the Lower Saxon state capital of Hanover with Hamburg, running through Celle, Uelzen and Lüneburg.- History :... |
Does not stop at Ronnenberg, Empelde, H-Bornum | |
| Celle Celle Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000... – Burgdorf – Hanover |
60 | Lehrte–Celle Lehrte–Celle railway The Lehrte–Celle railway is a main line in the east of Hanover Region in Germany. It links the railway hub of Lehrte with the town of Celle, where it connects to the present-day Hanover–Hamburg railway... Hanover–Brunswick |
Does not stop at H-Kleefeld, H-Anderten/Misburg, Ahlten | |
| Celle – Burgdorf – Lehrte – Hannover | 60 | Lehrte–Celle Hanover–Brunswick |
30 minute service interval combined with S 3 between Lehrte and Hanover 30 minute service interval combined with S 6 between Celle and Aligse |
|
| Hannover Flughafen – Langenhagen – Hanover – Hanover Messe/Laatzen | Hanover–Hamburg Hanoverian Southern Railway |
As required for Fair traffic |
Lines
Trains run as a rule at hourly intervals. Lines S 4 and S 5 operate at half-hourly intervals on one leg each. Operation of at least two S-Bahn lines on the main routes in the core area of the network means that these routes have a half-hourly service. Line S 5 runs at 2 hour intervals on Sundays on the section in North Rhine-Westphalia (Bad Pyrmont–Paderborn).Rolling stock
DBAG Class 424
The Class 424 is a class of electric multiple units in use on the Hanover S-Bahn network.- Description :They are similar to Deutsche Bahn's Class 425 and Class 423 trainsets, but feature a comparatively low floor height of to allow step-free access on 76 cm platforms.- Naming :In total, 40...
electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s were acquired especially for the Hanover S-Bahn. These differ from the vehicles of class 423
DBAG Class 423
The Class 423 EMU is a light-weight articulated electric railcar for S-Bahn commuter networks in Germany. The train has similar dimensions to its predecessor, the Class 420 EMU, but is significantly lighter and has one large passenger compartment, while that of the 420 is divided into three parts...
, as they have a lower floor height of 80 cm, fewer doors and include toilets. Although delivery as began as early as 1998, the class 424 trains were not yet ready for the opening of the S-Bahn network at the start the Expo 2000 due to technical problems. Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
therefore had to temporarily borrow class 423 rolling stock from the Munich S-Bahn
Munich S-Bahn
The Munich S-Bahn is an electric rail transit system in Munich, Germany. "S-Bahn" is the German abbreviation for stadtschnellbahn , 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...
.
In addition there are six vehicles of class 425
DBAG Class 425
The Classes 425 and 426 EMUs are a class of electric multiple units built by a consortium of Siemens, Bombardier and DWA and operated by DB Regio in Germany...
(425 150–425 155), which were retrofitted with adjustable steps to allow access to lower platforms, without sacrificing barrier-free access to high platforms. On the S 5 to Paderborn these vehicles are coupled with the class 424 vehicles and run from Hameln uncoupled to Paderborn. In this section, there are lower platforms.
In 2008, 13 vehicles of class 425.2 were procured (425 271–425 283), for the new and upgraded lines to Hildesheim and Celle as it was decided not to produce a new batch of class 424 vehicles.