Berlin Stadtbahn

The Berlin Stadtbahn is a historic elevated railway viaduct in Berlin. It runs from Ostbahnhof in the east to Charlottenburg in the west, connecting several major destinations in central Berlin, including Berlin Central station. The line is a protected heritage structure since 1995. The tracks which connect the viaduct to Ostkreuz and Westkreuz at either end of the line are sometimes considered part of the Stadtbahn, although this is not technically correct. The line connects the city's Zoo, Bellevue Palace, snakes around the governmental district to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof and Friedrichstraße, crosses Museum Island, and moves on to Alexanderplatz (Fernsehturm) and beyond. First completed in 1882, it spans 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) and 11 stations. 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) of its length are elevated on 731 masonry viaduct arches. A further 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) of the line is situated on 64 bridges, that cross adjoining streets and (three times) the river Spree. The remaining length of the line is on an embankment. Today, the Stadtbahn is one of the busiest sections of rail in Germany. The line carries four tracks, operated as two pairs. The northern pair carry four S-Bahn lines, which service all 11 stations, and the southern pair of tracks are used by Regionalbahn, Regional-Express, Intercity, EuroCity and Intercity-Express. Six of the Stadtbahn stations have platforms on the southern tracks, though not all trains serve them.