[ UrbanRail.Net ]     [ Europe ] [ Americas ] [ Asia ] [ Africa ] [ Oceania ]     [ News ] [ Books ] [ Links ]

BIELEFELD
 Nordrhein-Westfalen . Germany

Bielefeld Stadtbahn map © UrbanRail.Net (Robert Schwandl)

New book!
Only a few copies left!

 System

Bielefeld has 320,000 inhabitants and lies in the east of the German land of North-Rhine - Westphalia, half way between Hanover and Dortmund.

The Bielefeld Stadtbahn is a system similar to those operating in Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt or Hanover, i.e. a network combining metro/subway and tram features. When construction of Stadtbahn tunnel sections started in the early 1970's in the near Rhine-Ruhr area (Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, etc.), Bielefeld built its first underground station Beckhausstraße, which opened on 21 Sept. 1971. After that further expansion of the underground network came to a halt due to financial problems. It was finally resumed in the mid-1980's when the north-south tunnel through the city centre was excavated. It opened on 28 April 1991 and included 4 underground stations, Jahnplatz and Hauptbahnhof (central railway station), which are used by all lines, and Wittekindstraße and Nordpark, which are only served by Line 3 trains heading for Babenhausen Süd. Hauptbahnhof was built as a major junction with four tracks, 3 of them on the upper -2 level, and one for Line 1 and Line 2 southbound trains on the lower -3 level.

The last tunnel section for Line 4 from Rathaus to the Universität, with two underground stations Siegfriedplatz and Rudolf-Oetker-Halle, finally opened on 2 April 2000 after some delays. The surface extension to Lohmannshof opened on 29 Sept. 2002.

The Stadtbahn network has a total length of 33.5 km and uses 1000 mm gauge. The seven underground stations all have high platforms, surface stops have either high or low platforms, therefore trains are equipped with unfoldable steps.

 

 Photos
Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld
 History

21 Sept 1971: Beckhausstraße underground station (Line 2)
28 April 1991: Rathaus ramp - Jahnplatz - Nordpark - ramp (Line 1-2-3)
02 April 2000: Hauptbahnhof - Rudolf-Oetker-Halle - ramp (Line 4)
06 Dec 2015: Milse - Altenhagen (Line 2; 1.3 km)

 Fotos

Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld Stadtbahn Bielefeld

 

Line 3 Wittekindstraße  © Robert Schwandl Line 3 Nordpark © Robert Schwandl Line 4 Siegfriedplatz © Robert Schwandl Line 4 Rudolf-Oetker-Halle © Robert Schwandl Line 4 Universität © Robert Schwandl Line 2 Beckhausstraße © Robert Schwandl Line 2 Beckhausstraße © Robert Schwandl Hauptbahnhof © Robert Schwandl Hauptbahnhof © Robert Schwandl Jahnplatz © Robert Schwandl
Photos 2005 © R. Schwandl

 Books

Ch. Groneck, P. Lohkemper, R. Schwandl: RHEIN-RUHR STADTBAHN ALBUM 2: Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Bochum, Dortmund + Special Bielefeld. - Spring 2006, Robert Schwandl Verlag, ISBN 3936573 085

 

 

 Our books about Urban Rail in Germany

Tram Atlas DeutschlandRobert Schwandl:

TRAM ATLAS DEUTSCHLAND 5

- June 2019, Berlin, ISBN 978 3 836573 60 2.

- Detailed colour maps for more than 50 German tramway cities, illustrated with numerous photos

- Text German and English

- More details

Schnellbahnen in Deutschland/Metros in GermanyRobert Schwandl:

U-Bahnen in Deutschland

+ U-Stadtbahnen

- Feb 2019, Berlin, ISBN 978 3 836573 57 2

- Anything you need to know about German metro and light rail systems with underground sections, with detailed maps and hundreds of colour photos; 160 pages; Text German and English - More details

 Links

MoBiel - Stadtwerke Bielefeld (Tram Operator)

OWL Verkehr GmbH

Stadtbahn Bielefeld at Wikipedia.de

Straßenbahnfreunde Bielefeld

Bahn-in-Bielefeld

 

 


2004 © UrbanRail.Net by Robert Schwandl.