Laim station
Same-platform connections at Laim
At Laim station, passengers will be able to change trains conveniently without switching platforms when travelling into and out of the city:
- Connections will be available between the S-Bahn lines that take the existing core route and those that use the second core route.
- Passengers at Laim station will also be able to transfer between the planned express S-Bahn lines and the standard S-Bahn lines calling at every station.
The new Laim station
Laim station is located in western Munich, where it services rail lines running in an east-west direction on an embankment. With the construction of the second core route, Laim station – like Leuchtenbergring in the east – will serve as a convenient interchange with no change of platform when travelling into or out of the city.
Same-platform interchange will require increasing the number of S-Bahn tracks and platform edges from three to four. The platforms will also be widened to at least ten metres.
The two new platforms will be accessible via two entrances: one in the existing western underpass for bikes and pedestrians, and the other in a new "green" underpass (known as the Umweltverbundröhre).
From each of these two entrances, a ramp will take passengers to a platform underpass on a mezzanine level. The platform underpasses at the eastern and western ends of the station will be 5 m wide and 3 m high. Combined steps and escalators will lead passengers up to the platforms.
The two lifts previously located on the western side will be moved to the eastern side, connecting the new Umweltverbundröhre green underpass with the platforms. The retail area (bakery) will also be located by the new eastern entrance in future.
Station construction work in Laim
Laim station will be remodelled from north to south. Firstly, the existing side platform will be replaced by an island platform further to the north. The southern island platform will then be demolished and rebuilt in a different position.
The Umweltverbundröhre underpass will be built to the east of the existing Wotanstrasse road underpass. The new underpass will accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and local public transport, hence its German name, which refers to the multitude of eco-friendly transport modalities.
Here, pedestrians, cyclists, buses and, eventually, trams will be able to cross under the railway tracks. Passengers will also be able to use the underpass to access the S-Bahn platforms. Thanks to the new tunnel, buses will no longer obstruct car traffic on Wotanstrasse when they stop for passengers.
The Umweltverbundröhre underpass is an intrinsic part of the planning and approval processes for the second core route. Deutsche Bahn has been commissioned by the city of Munich to build the underpass as part of the second core route project. During construction work, trains in this area will run on temporary bridges.