Munich: Max-Weber-Platz works disrupt U4 and U5 until 27 November

Escalator replacement at Max-Weber-Platz U-Bahn station in Munich’s Haidhausen district is disrupting the U4 and U5 lines until late November. According to the tz newspaper, many passengers now need about twice as long for journeys through the area, and some have switched to cycling.

What happened

Since 5 October the escalators at Max-Weber-Platz have been under renovation, and tz reports that the work is expected to continue until 27 November. While it lasts, both underground lines that serve the station run differently from normal.

The U5 towards Laimer Platz, the city-bound direction (stadteinwärts, meaning “into town”), passes through Max-Weber-Platz without stopping. The U4 still stops at Max-Weber-Platz, but its trains terminate there. They pull in on the outbound platform (stadtauswärts, “out of town”) and turn back, so the U4 does not serve Lehel. Normal U4 service resumes only from Odeonsplatz.

The paper spoke to people who use the station every day. A florist who works opposite the U-Bahn exit told tz that her usual 20-minute commute from Partnachplatz now takes almost twice as long. She tried four different routes, including the U6 and the SEV buses (short for Schienenersatzverkehr, the rail replacement service) standing in for tram line 25, which she said were stuck in traffic. Her trip home now takes about an hour, so she cycles instead. “Of course it has to be done, but not everything at the same time,” she told the paper.

A worker at a kiosk across the square told tz that around 20 people a day ask him for directions, often older passengers, and that many want to know where the SEV buses leave from. A weekly passenger who travels from Universität to Prinzregentenplatz said the trip now takes 20 minutes instead of ten, with extra changes. She added that the signage confused her at first, and that her return journey goes via the City-Ring bus, which alone takes 17 minutes.

What it means for you

If you live, work or change trains in Haidhausen, plan for longer journeys until the end of November. Based on the advice of the MVG (Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft, the city’s public transport operator) reported by tz, the main workarounds are:

• Heading to Max-Weber-Platz on the U5 from the east: the MVG advises getting off at Ostbahnhof and changing to tram 21. You can also stay on to Lehel and ride one stop back.
• Going from Max-Weber-Platz into the city centre on the U5: first ride the U5 back to Ostbahnhof, then board a city-bound train there.
• Using the U4: you can still get off at Max-Weber-Platz, but the train goes no further towards the centre. To reach the city centre, ride back to Ostbahnhof and change to the U5 towards Laimer Platz.
• Travelling via Lehel on the U4: the U4 does not stop at Lehel during the works, and regular U4 trains start again only at Odeonsplatz.

The people tz spoke to also describe a wider problem. With other sections of the network closed at the same time, there may be no direct route for some journeys. Before you leave, check your full route in the MVG journey planner instead of relying on your usual connection. Allow extra time for changes and for replacement buses, which can get caught in road traffic. If the station signage is unclear, the SEV departure points are worth locating in advance.

For some commuters, as the florist’s experience shows, a bicycle may currently be quicker than public transport.

What to watch next

The escalator work is scheduled to run until 27 November, according to tz. Until then, watch for MVG updates confirming that date or announcing any changes to the U4 and U5 arrangements. tz also notes that there are currently many construction sites across the Munich U-Bahn network, so it is worth checking for disruption elsewhere on your route, not only at Max-Weber-Platz.

Source: tz