Berlin Ringbahn closures this week: where buses replace S-Bahn trains

Passengers on Berlin’s S-Bahn Ringbahn, the circular line around the city centre, face two sets of closures this week, with trains replaced by buses on two sections. According to the Berliner Morgenpost, the S-Bahn Berlin has published the details on its website, starting on the western side of the ring on Thursday night and moving to the north-east of the ring over the weekend.

What happened

The Berliner Morgenpost reports that the S-Bahn Berlin is carrying out building work on several sections of the Ringbahn this week. The S-Bahn is the city’s suburban rail network, and the Ringbahn is served by lines S41 and S42, which run clockwise and anticlockwise. Trains will not run on the affected sections, and a Ersatzverkehr (rail replacement service) with buses will run instead.

The first closure affects the section between Westend and Beusselstraße. It runs from Thursday 29 October at 21.45 Uhr until Friday 30 October at 1.30 Uhr. The reason is track work, specifically Schwellenauswechslung, the replacement of railway sleepers. The newspaper says barrier-free buses will link the two stations.

The second closure affects the section between Schönhauser Allee and Landsberger Allee. It runs from Friday 30 October at 21.45 Uhr until Monday 2 November at 1.30 Uhr. The reasons are bridge work at Dunckerstraße and track work. Passengers will have to change to buses.

What it means for you

If you use the Ringbahn in the west of the city on Thursday night, the ring will be broken between Westend and Beusselstraße. The Berliner Morgenpost lists the S41 running from Beusselstraße via Gesundbrunnen, Ostkreuz, Südkreuz and Westkreuz to Westend. The S42 runs the other way, from Westend via Westkreuz, Südkreuz, Ostkreuz and Gesundbrunnen to Beusselstraße. On parts of these routes the S-Bahn runs a more regular service: for the S41 between Westhafen and Westend, and for the S42 between Westend and Westhafen. To get between Westend and Beusselstraße, use the replacement buses.

From Friday night until early Monday morning, the gap moves to the north-east of the ring. During this period, the S41 runs from Frankfurter Allee via Ostkreuz, Südkreuz, Westkreuz and Gesundbrunnen to Schönhauser Allee. The S42 runs from Schönhauser Allee via Gesundbrunnen, Westkreuz, Südkreuz and Ostkreuz to Frankfurter Allee. On Saturday and Sunday between 12 and 20 Uhr, both lines turn back at Gesundbrunnen instead of Schönhauser Allee, and trains run more often during those hours.

Other lines are also affected over the weekend. According to the source, the S8 is split into two parts: one runs between Grünau and Treptower Park, the other between Schönhauser Allee and Birkenwerder. The S85 runs only between Flughafen BER (Berlin Brandenburg Airport) and Treptower Park.

What you should do:

• Check your route. If your journey crosses Westend to Beusselstraße on Thursday night, or Schönhauser Allee to Landsberger Allee over the weekend, allow extra time for changing to the bus. The Berliner Morgenpost says passengers on the western Ringbahn should plan for longer journeys.
• Note the start and end times. Both closures begin in the late evening at 21.45 Uhr and end in the early hours at 1.30 Uhr. The weekend closure covers all of Saturday and Sunday.
• Going to or from the airport. If you normally take the S85 or S8 through the north-east of the ring, plan for these lines being cut short over the weekend.
• Step-free access. For the Westend to Beusselstraße closure, the source states the replacement buses are barrier-free. The article does not say whether this also applies to the buses between Schönhauser Allee and Landsberger Allee.
• Check the official details. The S-Bahn Berlin website is the source of this information and is the best place to confirm times before you travel.

What to watch next

The Berliner Morgenpost describes this as passengers once again having to deal with restrictions on the Ringbahn, so further building work on the ring is likely. The article does not give any dates beyond Monday 2 November. Residents who rely on the Ringbahn should check the S-Bahn Berlin website regularly for new closure notices.

Source: Berliner Morgenpost