Senate gives green light for next planning step for S21

Rail traffic - Senate gives green light for next planning step for S21

The concrete planning for the second construction phase of Berlin's new S21 S-Bahn line between the main station and Potsdamer Platz can now begin. On Wednesday, the Senate cleared the way for the planning approval procedure, in which Deutsche Bahn will submit the building application to the Federal Railway Authority and the public will have the opportunity to obtain information and comment. The procedure is due to start in January and be completed by 2027, according to Alexander Kaczmarek, Deutsche Bahn's Group Representative for Berlin. "It would be realistic to start construction at the end of the 20s."

The Senate decided on the so-called variant 12H. The route is to run underground through the Tiergarten: from Potsdamer Platz to the main railway station along the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. One track runs around the Reichstag building to the west, the other to the east. According to Kaczmarek, other construction options were ruled out, partly because they would have meant a large excavation pit to the east of the Reichstag for years.

Direct connection between the north and south ring roads

With the variant now planned, Deutsche Bahn is attempting to meet the security requirements for the Bundestag as well as the concerns of the central associations of Jews and Sinti and Roma. This is because both the Holocaust memorial and the memorial to the Sinti and Roma murdered under National Socialism in Tiergarten are affected by the construction work. For years, planning made little progress due to the dispute.

The construction section is part of the planned north-south connection, with which Deutsche Bahn intends to significantly relieve the Berlin S-Bahn network in a few years' time. It is to run from the Nordring via the main station, Potsdamer Platz and Yorckstraße to Südkreuz. The only section already under construction runs between the Nordring and the main station. The interim line for this section should have been in operation long ago. However, due to delivery problems, the start has been delayed until next year.

S21 project page

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1. Despite the delay in the interim line, the S21 project continues to progress, aiming to significantly relieve Berlin's congested S-Bahn network.
2. The S21 line will connect Berlin's main station and Potsdamer Platz, reducing traffic congestion and improving rail traffic.
3. The Senate's approval allows Deutsche Bahn to submit a building application to the Federal Railway Authority for the S21 line's second construction phase.
4. The construction of the S21 line is crucial for meeting the security requirements for the Bundestag and addressing the concerns of central associations such as Jews and Sinti and Roma.
5. The dispute over the S21 line construction had stalled for years, but with the Senate's decision on variant 12H, progress can be made.
6. S21 line's route will run underground through Tiergarten, beginning from Potsdamer Platz and ending at the main railway station.
7. Berlins railroad network, especially the S-Bahn, will greatly benefit from the completion of the S21 line and its connection to the Nordring and Südkreuz.

Source: www.stern.de