Project overview

Relief for the existing core route

To reduce pressure on the existing core S-Bahn route through central Munich, a second core route is to be built from Laim station in the west to Leuchtenbergring station in the east. The heart of the route will be a 7-km-long tunnel connecting Munich Main Station and Munich East.

From Laim, trains will enter the tunnel shortly before the Donnersberger Bridge and re-emerge between Munich East and Leuchtenbergring.

Three stations, shorter journey times

The second core route tunnel will serve three new subterranean stations at Munich Main Station, Marienhof and Munich East. Since the route crosses several lines of Munich's U-Bahn network, platforms will be built some 40 m below ground at Munich Main Station and Marienhof and 16 m below ground at Munich East. Escalators and lifts will provide passengers quick and easy access between the surface and the platforms, and tunnels will enable transfers to the U-Bahn stations and existing S-Bahn lines.

Serving just three stations, the new core route will significantly reduce journey times. A new express S-Bahn system will offer attractive journey times between Munich's suburbs and its city centre.

Munich’s second core S-Bahn route in detail

Laim: the start of the new core route

The new core route will begin east of Laim station with two flyovers, allowing trains on the two new tracks to easily diverge from the existing core route and connect to the new line. The new route will initially run along the northern side of the existing tracks. It will cross the freight line from Laim marshalling yard to Südring and then pass under Friedenheimer Bridge.

 

On to Munich Main Station

The western mouth of the new core route tunnel will be located approximately 300 m west of Donnersberger Bridge, a major north-south connector. Between this mouth and the first underground stop at Munich Main Station, the new core route will cross the existing one, switching to the southern side of the old line. The new platforms at Munich Main Station will be built at a depth of approximately 41 m, directly below the central part of the station, and will be centrally connected to the new main concourse. Munich Main Station will also be remodelled as part of the second core route project and will feature a new passenger building and Starnberg wing. Visualisations and more detailed information can be found on the website for the new Munich Main Station.

 

The second new underground station: Marienhof

To the east of Munich Main Station, the new core route will first pass beneath the U1 and U2 U-Bahn lines and then cross below the existing core route. From that point on, it will run to the north of the existing route. At Karlsplatz (Stachus), the new subterranean tunnels will cross U-Bahn lines U4 and U5, then pass beneath Frauenkirche church at a depth of more than 30 m before reaching the second subterranean station at Marienhof. This station will be located beneath the tunnels for U-Bahn lines U3 and U6. The entrances to the new station will be at Marienhof behind the town hall.

 

Next stop: Munich East

Continuing east, the route will pass beneath Maximilianstrasse and then below the Isar river close to the Maximilianeum. A junction beneath Maximilian Park is being built as part of the second core route tunnel. This will create an option to feed S-Bahn lines from the south into the second core route in the future. The route will then make a sweeping curve to the south and approach the existing line between Munich East and Leuchtenbergring. The third underground station – Munich East – will be built at a depth of 16 m below Friedenstrasse, ideally located for the Werksviertel district and the new concert hall.

 

Trains will rejoin the existing route at Leuchtenbergring

Here, the new core route tunnel nears the surface. The eastern portal will be located northeast of Haidenauplatz. The new core route will be connected to the existing route at Leuchtenbergring station, which will necessitate changes to its track layout.

Faster and more-frequent service

Passengers will notice big improvements to the S-Bahn network with the opening of the second core route: on many S-Bahn lines, trains will run every 15 minutes throughout the day. In addition, express S-Bahn trains will offer fast and convenient service between the surrounding area and Munich city centre every 30 minutes. The first regional S-Bahn lines will also launch, offering a direct connection from the heart of the city to the wider metropolitan region (e.g. Buchloe and Landshut).

To improve journey times and reliability, the S-Bahn lines will be split into two core routes through the city centre. The busiest stations – Munich Main Station, Marienhof and Munich East – will be accessible by all trains. Passengers will be able to change between S-Bahn lines barrier-free at Laim and Leuchtenbergring, i.e. without changing platforms.

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