The largest railway station in Europe is located in Berlin. It was built over 14 years. The grand opening was timed to the start of the World Cup in 2006. The next year, the station was awarded the title "Station of the Year."
Lehter knot
Berlin Central Station was erected on the site of the old Lertersky station built in 1871. From it, trains departed in the direction of Hanover, and after the liquidation of the station in Hamburg, trains leaving in the north were added. The building of the old station suffered extensive damage as a result of the 1943 bombing.
After the defeat of German troops and the division of Germany, Lertersky railway station in Berlin moved to the GDR. Gradually, its significance was lost. In 1959 he was eliminated. In its place there was a small station from where the city commuter trains departed.
The best is yet to come
A complete reconstruction of the Lertersky city station was carried out in 1987, and a few years later it was dismantled. Since 2006, the modern building of Berlin Central Station has been rising here. Despite the location and scale of transportation, there is no familiar urban infrastructure around the building. In fact, the station is in a vacant lot, but the situation should completely change in the coming years.
The fact is that Lertersky station stood on the border, which for a long time divided the capital of Germany. Emptiness reigned on either side of this line. A large-scale urban development project, developed and approved, involves the development of the northern part of the territories adjacent to the station building. Its southern part is facing the government quarter of Spreebogen.
Construction in numbers
Berlin Central Station is a complex engineering structure. The author of the project is Meinhard von Gerkan. The architect created a unique building that quickly became one of the most recognizable in Europe. All work was carried out strictly on schedule - there were no lags or speeding sales. During the construction period, train traffic was not disturbed.
The construction of the station took more than 500 thousand cubic meters of concrete and 85 thousand tons of steel metal structures. The building is 320 meters long and more than 160 meters wide.
Distribution of the territory of Berlin Central Station:
- The built-up area is 100 thousand m 2 .
- Trading floors and food outlets - 15 thousand m 2 .
- Office space - 50 thousand m 2 .
- Service premises - 5 thousand m 2 .
- Auxiliary sites (transport, distribution) - 21 thousand m 2 .
- Parking for 900 cars.
The starting estimate was 200 million euros in investment, but it was significantly exceeded. Some sources claim that the station cost the treasury from 500 million to 1 billion euros.
Beauty and practicality
Despite its large size, Berlin Central Station seems light and airy due to transparent walls and a dome. The upper floor is completely made of glass. The total area of the transparent canvas is almost 25 thousand m 2 . The area of glass walls is about 2.5 thousand m 2 . Thanks to the design features, sunlight penetrates all floors without hindrance. The operation of electronic displays and light indicators is ensured by the operation of 780 modules of solar batteries (1.7 m 2 ).
The architecture of Berlin Central Station leaves no one indifferent, but not only that made him famous throughout the world. The railway junction is equipped with five-level platforms, which makes it possible to send 164 high-speed long-distance trains, more than 600 electric trains and 314 regional train lines to different parts of the world around the clock. In this case, the passenger spends on the transplant no more than eight minutes of precious time.
Another convenience for passengers was the city metro station with access to the station building. The grandiose project allowed the German capital to concentrate most of the railway flow at the Berlin Central station. Every day, a huge flow of passengers, amounting to more than 300 thousand people, passes through the station.
Functional load
The construction of the Berlin Hauptbahnhof was carried out on the site of the existing station, where trains were constantly moving. The building was erected in the form of four separate structures. Their connection occurred strictly on schedule. In a five-story building, each level carries its own functional load.
Two underground floors are platforms for short-distance and long-distance trains of the north-south direction. There is also a subway line, underground car park and luggage storage facilities below ground level. On the ground floor, visitors enter the central lobby. There are shops, cafes and restaurants. The second floor is also given for trading floors and food outlets. The highest level is designed for east-west trains, urban and suburban trains.
For a passenger who first arrives at Berlin Central Station, the logical design and the functional purpose of each floor quickly become clear. 54 escalators and 6 panoramic elevators provide movement inside the building.
Bridges
To link together all directions of train traffic during the construction of the Berlin railway junction, 4 new bridges were built. The existing railroad track was shifted to three new bridges passing through the station building and moved to the south.
The bridge structures are supported by steel columns 23 meters high. The base of the columns is steel casting. This is the most suitable material withstanding maximum dynamic loads.
Another bridge was erected in the north wing of Berlin Central Station. Its length is 570 meters. The purpose is to bring urban electric trains of the north-south direction into the general structure of the movement.
Lawsuit
The Meinhard von Herkan project has undergone changes during the construction process. They were introduced by the developer Deutsche Bahn in order to save. So, at all levels of the station, the architect thought of light wells. These are glass vaulted inserts that were supposed to additionally fill the interior with light and air. However, the developer, having approved the project, replaced the original structures with standard blind ceilings.
To the architect, such actions seemed inappropriate and infringing copyright, so he initiated a lawsuit. If the claims of von Gerkan by the court are considered fair, then the developer will have to change the existing structures, according to the initial draft.
Misunderstanding
These are not all the oddities that happened during the construction of the railway station in Berlin. At the glass-erection stage, Deutsche Bahn also decided to change the initial plan, motivating the deviations with economic considerations. The length of the roof above ground aprons has been significantly reduced.
With the existing apron length of 430 meters, the roof above them is only 321 meters. Passengers of the first and last cars are in the open. This defect did not spoil the beauty of the whole structure, but created some inconvenience for passengers.
After the launch of the main station in Berlin, another unsightly fact was revealed. In the five-story building there were only two toilets, designed for five individual booths. Which is clearly not enough, because the passenger flow here is about 350 thousand people a day.
Caring for passengers
Incomplete will be the description of the building of the Berlin Central station, if not to mention the comfort for visitors. Passengers who get off the train and awaiting boarding for further travel always have something to do. They can check in at the Baggage Center. Left-luggage offices are located on the first (underground) floor of the east wing of the building. The cost of storage varies from 3 to 6 euros, depending on the day of the week.
You can always have a bite to eat at the station, as there are several dozen cafes and eateries. The choice of dishes is wide enough - sausages, fish dishes, sushi, a variety of pastries do not leave anyone indifferent. The prices in eateries at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof are kept at the same level as in the city centers of the same name.
Service
At Berlin Central Station, passengers are comfortable and provided with excellent service, which includes:
- Automated ticket sales.
- Free Wi-Fi access.
- Parking for cars (from 2 euros / hour, day - 20 euros / hour).
- Car rental.
- Inquiry Office.
- Sale of city cards (free travel by public transport, discounts on visits to museums, restaurants, etc.).
- Ticket sales in the subway.
- Shops, a supermarket.
- Branches of several banks.
- Barber, pharmacy.
- Toilet (cost of visiting 1 euro).
- Shower room.
- Railway station mission.
- Tourist agency.
You can get to Berlin from the station by public transport. Metro (line U55) takes you to the Brandenburg Gate and the Bundestag. Also to Berlin, from the station, buses and the city train S-bahn leave.
Moscow - Berlin Central
Trains to Berlin from Moscow leave from the Belorussky station. 6 trains leave from here every week in the summer, and about 3 trains in the rest of the year. Tickets can be purchased for passing trains traveling to the German capital from Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk or Chelyabinsk, as well as for trains with a flight from Moscow to Paris via Berlin.
The trip will take about 30 hours. Stops occur along the route in the cities of Russia, Poland, Belarus. The trains are equipped with wagons of different classes, so ticket prices vary significantly.
In the second class, seats are offered in a compartment for three people, where in addition to beds there are two folding chairs. In the first class, the coupes are designed for two, there is access to the shower. Tickets cost:
- Coupe - from 7.5 to 9.1 thousand rubles.
- Soft carriage - from 2.5 to 3 thousand rubles.
- Luxury - 10.7 to 12.5 thousand rubles.
Trains are equipped with comfortable sanitary facilities, a restaurant car, an air conditioning system.
Moscow - “East Berlin”
The main railway station is not the only one in the German capital; passengers from the Swift train arrive at the Ostbahnhof station. The message was launched in 2016. The flight 13/14 from the Kursk station. Travel time takes about 20 hours. The Swift train leaves at 13:06 on Saturday or Sunday. During the journey, passengers expect intermediate stops lasting from 4 to 15 minutes, in Tiraspol - 45 minutes.
The passengers of the Moscow-Berlin train are offered comfortable conditions and options for choosing the class of wagons:
- Grade 1 - seats with a personal lighting system, audio, folding table and an electrical outlet (220V).
- Double coupe CB - berths, sanitary block. A safe, TV, food, bed linen are provided.
- Luxury Coupe
- Four-seater coupe.
The wagons of the Moscow-Berlin train are equipped with air conditioning and heating, video monitors are installed, Wi-Fi is available for an additional fee. The opportunity to strengthen your strength is available in the restaurant car and buffet, where they prepare hot dishes, snacks, sandwiches. Tea, coffee, newspapers and sweets can be purchased in your carriage, drinking water is provided free of charge. Tickets cost from 8.7 to 36 thousand rubles. Discounts apply to children under 12 years old and adults over the age of 60 years.