Tübingen Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is a transport node in the German state of Baden-Württemberg
and the largest station in the university town of Tübingen
and the district of Tübingen
.
. It was originally built in open fields, that are now the southern Tübingen districts of Derendingen and Südstadt. In 1960 a bus station was established in the station forecourt (Europaplatz), which is now used by 34 bus routes daily, connecting the station to the entire city.
was extended from Reutlingen
via Tübingen to Rottenburg am Neckar
. The line was then further extended in several stages until 1870, when it finally reached Immendingen
on the Black Forest Railway, connecting to Lake Constance
. This provided the rail link to the capital of the former Kingdom of Württemberg
for the then 8,000 residents of Tübingen and about 30,000 residents in the administrative district of Oberamt Tübingen that then included Tübingen. In 1861/1862, the still preserved station building was built to a design by the architect Josef Schlierholz. At the same time an engine depot was established in Tübingen. From 1867 to 1874, the Royal Württemberg State Railways built the Hohenzollern Railway (Hohenzollernbahn, now the Zollernalb Railway—Zollernalbbahn) from Tübingen via Hechingen
to Sigmaringen
, making Tubingen into a railway junction. Once the Ammer Valley Railway from Herrenberg was connected to Tübingen on 1 May 1910, the present form of the rail junction was largely achieved. In 1916, an underpass was built to the two island platforms, the entrance building was extended to the west with the construction of the so-called exit hall, the interior of the entrance building was rebuilt and the platforms were covered. Apart from changes of use, in particular the conversion of waiting rooms and storage areas to shops and restaurants, and minor changes, such as the removal of the platform barriers, it is largely unchanged since then.
Air raid shelters were set up in the basement of the entrance building in 1937.
s 9–12, of which only 12 is used for passenger operations. At the western end of the main platform there is another bay platform, track 13. The former freight yard was to the west of the station, close to the engine depot and the Ammer Valley Railway, Zollernalb Railway and Upper Neckar Railway. Only a few of its tracks are still in use for stabling trains.
All tracks have LCD destination displays for passenger information. There is also a Deutsche Bahn
service point and a travel centre. Two restaurants and various shops are available for visitors. The station also has a federal police station and a contact point of the Bahnhofsmission (a charity).
Tübingen Hauptbahnhof is not accessible for the handicapped, but DB Station&Service
is implementing a development plan to overcome this problem during 2011 as part of the station modernisation program of Baden-Württemberg; work started in the spring of 2010. In the course of this work platforms will also be raised, circulation areas will be modernised and the infrastructure will be better aligned with operating requirements.
line 32 was extended from Stuttgart to Tübingen. The service is being trialled for two years and it will then be reviewed.
(IRE), Regional-Express (RE) and Regionalbahn
(RB) services operate:
project, it is planned to operate four trains per hour each way between Stuttgart and Tübingen in 2020. Two pairs of trains per hour will stop in Nürtingen
and Stuttgart Flughafen/Messe station
, running via the proposed Little Wendlingen Curve and a section of the new Wendlingen–Ulm high-speed line. Two pairs of trains an hour will run via Plochingen
. Diesel powered tilting train
s will no longer run on the line, because they will be banned in the new Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof.
Services will operate via Stuttgart to Heilbronn
, Mannheim
, Aalen
and Karlsruhe
providing connections without requiring changes of trains.
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
and the largest station in the university town of Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
and the district of Tübingen
Tübingen (district)
Tübingen is a district in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Böblingen, Reutlingen, Zollernalbkreis and Freudenstadt.-History:...
.
Location
Tübingen Hauptbahnhof is located south of the centre of the old town on the opposite side of the NeckarNeckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
. It was originally built in open fields, that are now the southern Tübingen districts of Derendingen and Südstadt. In 1960 a bus station was established in the station forecourt (Europaplatz), which is now used by 34 bus routes daily, connecting the station to the entire city.
History
In 1861, the Upper Neckar Railway (now called the Neckar-Alb Railway as far as Tübingen) from StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
was extended from Reutlingen
Reutlingen
Reutlingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828....
via Tübingen to Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar is a medium-sized town in the administrative district of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It rests about 50 km southwest of the provincial capital Stuttgart and about 12 km southwest of the district town Tübingen...
. The line was then further extended in several stages until 1870, when it finally reached Immendingen
Immendingen
Immendingen is a town in the district of Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
on the Black Forest Railway, connecting to Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
. This provided the rail link to the capital of the former Kingdom of Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
for the then 8,000 residents of Tübingen and about 30,000 residents in the administrative district of Oberamt Tübingen that then included Tübingen. In 1861/1862, the still preserved station building was built to a design by the architect Josef Schlierholz. At the same time an engine depot was established in Tübingen. From 1867 to 1874, the Royal Württemberg State Railways built the Hohenzollern Railway (Hohenzollernbahn, now the Zollernalb Railway—Zollernalbbahn) from Tübingen via Hechingen
Hechingen
Hechingen is a town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated about south of the state capital of Stuttgart and north of Lake Constance and the Swiss border.- City districts :...
to Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
, making Tubingen into a railway junction. Once the Ammer Valley Railway from Herrenberg was connected to Tübingen on 1 May 1910, the present form of the rail junction was largely achieved. In 1916, an underpass was built to the two island platforms, the entrance building was extended to the west with the construction of the so-called exit hall, the interior of the entrance building was rebuilt and the platforms were covered. Apart from changes of use, in particular the conversion of waiting rooms and storage areas to shops and restaurants, and minor changes, such as the removal of the platform barriers, it is largely unchanged since then.
Air raid shelters were set up in the basement of the entrance building in 1937.
Layout of the station
The Tübingen Hauptbahnhof now has eight running lines, five of which are equipped with platforms: track 1 is the main platform track, the two island platforms are bordered by tracks 2/3 and 5/6. On the island platforms there are also the bay platformBay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
s 9–12, of which only 12 is used for passenger operations. At the western end of the main platform there is another bay platform, track 13. The former freight yard was to the west of the station, close to the engine depot and the Ammer Valley Railway, Zollernalb Railway and Upper Neckar Railway. Only a few of its tracks are still in use for stabling trains.
All tracks have LCD destination displays for passenger information. There is also a 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...
service point and a travel centre. Two restaurants and various shops are available for visitors. The station also has a federal police station and a contact point of the Bahnhofsmission (a charity).
Tübingen Hauptbahnhof is not accessible for the handicapped, but DB Station&Service
DB Station&Service
DB Station&Service is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG, responsible for managing over 5,000 stations on the German railway network....
is implementing a development plan to overcome this problem during 2011 as part of the station modernisation program of Baden-Württemberg; work started in the spring of 2010. In the course of this work platforms will also be raised, circulation areas will be modernised and the infrastructure will be better aligned with operating requirements.
Long distance services
Until the new timetable in December 2009, there were no scheduled long-distance services to Tübingen. Since then, a pair of trains on InterCityIntercity (Deutsche Bahn)
Intercity is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the ICE. Intercity services are loco-hauled express services, usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany, and routes generally operate with a two-hour frequency, with multiple routes giving a more...
line 32 was extended from Stuttgart to Tübingen. The service is being trialled for two years and it will then be reviewed.
| Line | Route | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| (Berlin Südkreuz Berlin Südkreuz Berlin Südkreuz is a railway station in the German capital Berlin. The station was originally opened in 1898 and is an interchange station... – Dortmund Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the central station for the city of Dortmund in Germany.The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centre in 1847. That station was replaced by a new station, erected in 1910 at the current site.... – Essen Essen Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Essen in western Germany. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway.It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn... – Duisburg Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Duisburg in western Germany. It is situated at the meeting point of many important national and international railway lines in the Northwestern Ruhr valley.- Lines :... –) Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Düsseldorf in Germany, state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The station was opened on 1 October 1891 opened as Düsseldorf Central Station... – Cologne Köln Hauptbahnhof Köln Hauptbahnhof is the central railway station in Cologne, Germany.The station is an important local, national and international hub, with many ICE, Thalys and Intercity trains calling there, as well as regional RegionalExpress, RegionalBahn and local S-Bahn trains... – Bonn Bonn Hauptbahnhof is a railway station located on the left bank of the Rhine along the Cologne–Mainz line. It is the principal station serving the city of Bonn. In addition to extensive rail service from Deutsche Bahn it acts as a hub for local bus, tram, and Stadtbahn services.... – Koblenz Koblenz Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Koblenz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is the focal point of rail transport in the Rhine-Moselle-Lahn area. It is a through station in southern Koblenz built below Fort Großfürst Konstantin and opened in 1902 in the Neustadt , which was built... – Mainz Mainz Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Mainz in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is used by about 80,000 travellers and visitors each day and is therefore one of the busiest 21 stations in Germany... – Mannheim Mannheim Hauptbahnhof is the central railway station of Mannheim in Germany. It is the second largest traffic hub in southwestern Germany after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, with 658 trains a day, including 238 long-distance trains. 100,000 passengers embark, disembark or transfer between trains at the station each day... – Heidelberg Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof is the central station for Heidelberg. In 2005 it was used by 30,472 passengers daily and is one of the largest passenger stations in Baden-Wurttemberg. The main station entrance opened in 1955 in Willy-Brandt-Platz in the western district of Heidelberg, on the edge of the district. Diagonally... – Stuttgart Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Stuttgart, the capital of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany. It is the largest regional and long-distance railway station in Stuttgart, the main node of the Stuttgart S-Bahn network, and, together with the halt at Charlottenplatz, the main... – Nürtingen Nürtingen Nürtingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Neckar.-History:The following events occurred, by year:*1046 : First mention of Niuritingin in the document of Speyer... – Reutlingen Reutlingen Reutlingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828.... – Tübingen |
One pair | |
Regional services
The folowing Interregio-ExpressInterregio-Express
The Interregio-Express is a local public transport railway service operated by the Deutsche Bahn which is only available in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin as well as in Switzerland...
(IRE), Regional-Express (RE) 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...
(RB) services operate:
| Route | Frequency | Line | Operator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuttgart – Reutlingen – Tübingen – Hechingen Hechingen Hechingen is a town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated about south of the state capital of Stuttgart and north of Lake Constance and the Swiss border.- City districts :... – Albstadt Ebingen Ebingen is a town in the large district of Albstadt, district Zollernalbkreis, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the river Schmiecha, a left-hand tributary of the Danube, south of Tübingen and west of Ulm.- History :... – Sigmaringen Sigmaringen Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district.... – Aulendorf Aulendorf Aulendorf is a town in the district of Ravensburg, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 20 km southwest of Biberach an der Riß, and 19 km north of Ravensburg.... |
120 minutes | Neckar-Alb Railway, Zollernalb Railway | ||
| Tübingen – Reutlingen – Metzingen – Nürtingen – Plochingen Plochingen station Plochingen station is the only station in the town of Plochingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the most important railway junction of the Esslingen district... – Esslingen Esslingen (Neckar) station Esslingen station is the most important station in the town of Esslingen am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is located 13.2 kilometres from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof on the Fils Valley Railway.-History:... (N) – Stuttgart |
60 minutes (30 minutes in peak hours) | Neckar-Alb Railway | ||
| Tübingen – Entringen – Herrenberg Herrenberg station Herrenberg station is located on the on the Gäu Railway and is at the start of the Ammer Valley Railway . Because it is a stop for Regional-Express services and it is a terminus for both Stuttgart S-Bahn line S 1 and Regionalbahn services from Tübingen and Bondorf, it is an important transport node... |
30 minutes | Ammer Valley Railway | ||
| Most Regionalbahn services from Herrenberg run from Tübingen to Plochingen or Bad Urach. | ||||
| (Tübingen – Reutlingen –) Metzingen – Bad Urach Bad Urach Bad Urach is a town in the district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 14 km east of Reutlingen, at the foot of the Swabian Alb, and is known for its spa and therapeutic bath.-History:... |
60 minutes | Neckar-Alb Railway, Erms Valley Railway | ||
| Tübingen – Reutlingen – Metzingen – Nürtingen – Wendlingen Wendlingen (Neckar) station Wendlingen station is the only station in the town of Wendlingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is a railway junction on the Neckar-Alb Railway from which the Teck Railway branches... (– Plochingen) |
60 minutes | Neckar-Alb Railway | ||
| Tübingen – Rottenburg Rottenburg am Neckar Rottenburg am Neckar is a medium-sized town in the administrative district of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It rests about 50 km southwest of the provincial capital Stuttgart and about 12 km southwest of the district town Tübingen... (– Horb Horb am Neckar Horb am Neckar is a town in the southwest of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river, between Offenburg to the west and Tübingen to the east . It has around 25,000 inhabitants, of whom about 6,000 live in the main town of Horb, and the remainder in 18 associated... ), some services continue to Pforzheim Pforzheim Hauptbahnhof is the main station in the city of Pforzheim in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.-Rail services :Pforzheim Hauptbahnhof is served by several lines operated at regular intervals, including an Interregio-Express/ Regional-Express line, a Regionalbahn line and two Karlsruhe Stadtbahn lines... /Karlsruhe Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof is the central railway station in the German city of Karlsruhe. The station is classified as one of the major Category 1 stations in Germany, due to its function as a hub connecting several railway lines with each other.- History :... |
30 minutes | Upper Neckar Railway | ||
| Tübingen – Mössingen Mössingen Mössingen is a town in the district of Tübingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated north of the Swabian Alb, about 13 km south of Tübingen.... – Hechingen – Balingen Balingen Balingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, capital of the district of Zollernalbkreis. It is located nearby the Swabian Alb, approx. 35 km to the south of Tübingen, 35 km northeast of Villingen-Schwenningen, and 60 km southwest of Stuttgart.It is home to the Bizerba and Ideal... – Albstadt-Ebingen (– Sigmaringen – Bad Saulgau Bad Saulgau Bad Saulgau is a town in the district of Sigmaringen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 23 km east of Sigmaringen, and 27 km north of Ravensburg between the Danube and Lake Constance.... – Aulendorf) |
60 minutes (to Albstadt), 120 minutes (to Aulendorf) | Zollernalb Railway | rowspan="2" | |
|
| Trains between Tübingen and Sigmaringen are operated by Hohenzollerische Landesbahn, trains between Sigmaringen and Aulendorf are operated as 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 by RAB. In practice services on the whole route are operated by the two companies jointly. |
||||
Prospects
After the planned completion of the Stuttgart 21Stuttgart 21
Stuttgart 21 is an urban development and under construction transport project in Stuttgart as part of the Stuttgart–Augsburg new and upgraded railway project in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in Germany. It consists of the replacement of the tracks and platforms of Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, the city's...
project, it is planned to operate four trains per hour each way between Stuttgart and Tübingen in 2020. Two pairs of trains per hour will stop in Nürtingen
Nürtingen
Nürtingen is a town in the district of Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Neckar.-History:The following events occurred, by year:*1046 : First mention of Niuritingin in the document of Speyer...
and Stuttgart Flughafen/Messe station
Stuttgart Flughafen/Messe station
Stuttgart Flughafen/Messe station is a station on the network of the Stuttgart S-Bahn. Despite its name the station is not in the city of Stuttgart, rather it is in Leinfelden-Echterdingen.-History :...
, running via the proposed Little Wendlingen Curve and a section of the new Wendlingen–Ulm high-speed line. Two pairs of trains an hour will run via Plochingen
Plochingen station
Plochingen station is the only station in the town of Plochingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg and the most important railway junction of the Esslingen district...
. Diesel powered tilting train
Tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...
s will no longer run on the line, because they will be banned in the new Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof.
Services will operate via Stuttgart to Heilbronn
Heilbronn Hauptbahnhof
is the main passenger station in Heilbronn in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.-Description :The station is located about 1 km west of the inner city of Heilbronn and the Old Neckar on a 1 km wide island between the old Neckar and the modern canalised Neckar. Southwest of the modern...
, Mannheim
Mannheim Hauptbahnhof
is the central railway station of Mannheim in Germany. It is the second largest traffic hub in southwestern Germany after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, with 658 trains a day, including 238 long-distance trains. 100,000 passengers embark, disembark or transfer between trains at the station each day...
, Aalen
Aalen station
Aalen station is a junction on the Rems Railway from Stuttgart, the Brenz Railway from Ulm, the Upper Jagst Railway to Crailsheim and Ries Railway to Donauwörth...
and Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof
is the central railway station in the German city of Karlsruhe. The station is classified as one of the major Category 1 stations in Germany, due to its function as a hub connecting several railway lines with each other.- History :...
providing connections without requiring changes of trains.