Bochum Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bochum
in western Germany
. In its current incarnation, it was built from 1955 to 1957 and is one of the most notable 1950s railway stations in Germany.
The station underwent extensive remodeling and modernisation from 2004 to 2006 and was officially reopened on 29 May 2006.
It was located on the south-western edge of the historic centre, in the northern part of the emerging city of Bochum-Ehrenfeld, and was well-located near the important heavy industries such as the steel mills of Bochumer Verein and various collieries. Access to the station for passengers was not ideal and the space was inadequate for the increasing volume of traffic and was constrained by the construction of the rail triangle between the main line and the branch line to Herne-Rottbruch that opened in 1870 as well as the nearby Königsallee arterial road.
After the nationalisation of the large railway companies by the Prussian state, the Bergisch-Märkisch station's name was changed to Bochum Süd to differentiate it from the Rhenish Railway Company
’s station to the east of the inner city, which was renamed Bochum station. The latter was subsequently renamed Bochum Nord and became a freight yard only in the early 21st century. Bochum Süd was eventaully renamed as Bochum Hauptbahnhof.
The construction of the station was also the basis for changes to the urban transport system. The entire road network was focussed on the railway station. Public transport would be able to run faster, because it is situated on two roads leading south and is connected by the inner ring to all other arterial roads.
The new station was intended to give visitors an impression of Bochum as a city open for business. Thus, high-quality shops were located nearby, for instance in the Huestraße, which connects the station and the city centre with all major city facilities. Vocational schools, industry and commerce, the management of public utilities and the main post office are nearby. It has become a transportation hub, connecting the Stadtbahn
(which was opened later), tram and rail transport. The central bus station was built in the square in front of the station.
The current location of the railway facilities was formerly occupied by the Scharpenseel Brewery, which was destroyed in the war. Next to it on a hill were allotments
and a cemetery, which had Christian and Jewish graves. The approximately 800 graves were moved and the hill was removed.
First, the large structures were built. These were two underpasses under ten tracks, two platform bridges, tunnels for passengers, baggage and mail between the platforms and the station building and the retaining wall. A war-time air-raid shelter was discovered under the site, with benches and chairs as well as shoes and clothes that had been forgotten after the last all-clear had been given.
An initial plan envisaged the construction of a glass roof over the entrance hall and a helipad on top of the building. This was regarded by the city planners and the railway department as too futuristic, and they chose its present form.
. The roof has a width of 46.50 metres and a depth of 24 metres. Despite its weight of 600 tons, it is appears graceful and it makes a successful contrast with the main building.
The building was built from 1954 to 1957 under the leadership of Wilhelm Bangen. On 30 May 1957, it went into provisional operation. At 4.25 AM, the first train ran. Three days later, on 2 June 1957, Bochum celebrated the electrification of the line with the Minister of Transport, Seebohm.
In 2004 to 2006, the station building was extensively renovated including the access to its facilities and platforms. The official opening of the renovated station was on 29 May 2006. The station forecourt is currently being modernised again.
To leave the site of the new Hauptbahnhof at its present site as undisturbed as possible, a temporary station was established to replace the destroyed building in time for the German Katholikentag
of 1949. After the opening of the current station it was used until about 1994 by Deutsche Bundesbahn
as as a training facility, but it has been empty ever since, although it is now a heritage-listed building.
network, although some trains do not call at Bochum, especially those services that begin in Dortmund.
station under Bochum Hauptbahnhof is the most important junction of the six lines of the Bochum network. The first underground level (ground-1) is a distributor level. On the second (ground-2) are the side platforms for the two narrow gauge lines, operated as the lines 306, 308 and 318. On the third level (ground-3) are the tracks for lines U 35, 302 and 310.
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
in western Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In its current incarnation, it was built from 1955 to 1957 and is one of the most notable 1950s railway stations in Germany.
The station underwent extensive remodeling and modernisation from 2004 to 2006 and was officially reopened on 29 May 2006.
History
The old station was opened in 1860 as the Bochum station of the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company as part of its Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg railway opened between 1860 and 1862, which was the first line built through the city of Bochum.It was located on the south-western edge of the historic centre, in the northern part of the emerging city of Bochum-Ehrenfeld, and was well-located near the important heavy industries such as the steel mills of Bochumer Verein and various collieries. Access to the station for passengers was not ideal and the space was inadequate for the increasing volume of traffic and was constrained by the construction of the rail triangle between the main line and the branch line to Herne-Rottbruch that opened in 1870 as well as the nearby Königsallee arterial road.
After the nationalisation of the large railway companies by the Prussian state, the Bergisch-Märkisch station's name was changed to Bochum Süd to differentiate it from the Rhenish Railway Company
Rhenish Railway Company
The Rhenish Railway Company was along with the Cologne-Minden Railway Company and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Foundation :The...
’s station to the east of the inner city, which was renamed Bochum station. The latter was subsequently renamed Bochum Nord and became a freight yard only in the early 21st century. Bochum Süd was eventaully renamed as Bochum Hauptbahnhof.
Old station
The original Bochum Hauptbahnhof was located at Königsallee, a few hundred metres west of the present railway station. In the Second World War, the station was virtually destroyed in a British bombing raid, along with large parts of the city of Bochum. The reconstruction of the station was required by the city planners enable for changes in the design of the city and for the development of some major roads to cater for a significant increase in the population of the city. Reconstruction of the old station, which was difficult to expand, was abandoned in favour of the development of a station closer to the central city.New station
The central point of the reorganisation and reconstruction of the city was the relocation of the station by about 650 metres to the east from the outskirts of the city to a more favourable location near the major institutions of the city. Other locations were considered for the new station. A search was made for a place that was centrally located and offered enough space for a tram and bus terminal. The present location was selected after careful consideration of all aspects.The construction of the station was also the basis for changes to the urban transport system. The entire road network was focussed on the railway station. Public transport would be able to run faster, because it is situated on two roads leading south and is connected by the inner ring to all other arterial roads.
The new station was intended to give visitors an impression of Bochum as a city open for business. Thus, high-quality shops were located nearby, for instance in the Huestraße, which connects the station and the city centre with all major city facilities. Vocational schools, industry and commerce, the management of public utilities and the main post office are nearby. It has become a transportation hub, connecting the Stadtbahn
Bochum Stadtbahn
The Bochum Stadtbahn is a Light Rail system in the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen and the surrounding cities of Herne, Hattingen and Witten, and is operated by BOGESTRA. It consists of one real Stadtbahn line and some sections of tram tunnel under the city centres of Bochum and...
(which was opened later), tram and rail transport. The central bus station was built in the square in front of the station.
The construction
Following council approval of the project in June 1953, construction bengan in February 1954. The project involved both the building of new railway facilities and the construction of the new station building. All the tracks and signals had to be connected to a newly built signal box, which was one of the most modern relay interlocking systems of the time. Rail services were maintained throughout the work. A total of 250,000 cubic metres of soil was moved in order to allow the railway embankment to be raised by more than 4 metres over 2.1 km.The current location of the railway facilities was formerly occupied by the Scharpenseel Brewery, which was destroyed in the war. Next to it on a hill were allotments
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
and a cemetery, which had Christian and Jewish graves. The approximately 800 graves were moved and the hill was removed.
First, the large structures were built. These were two underpasses under ten tracks, two platform bridges, tunnels for passengers, baggage and mail between the platforms and the station building and the retaining wall. A war-time air-raid shelter was discovered under the site, with benches and chairs as well as shoes and clothes that had been forgotten after the last all-clear had been given.
The station building
The cornerstone of the station building was laid in February 1954. On 12 October 1955, the ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the reception building. The space for the building was limited by the converging roads and railway tracks. The architect H. Ruhl, then only 22 years old, had to make use of very narrow and long plot.An initial plan envisaged the construction of a glass roof over the entrance hall and a helipad on top of the building. This was regarded by the city planners and the railway department as too futuristic, and they chose its present form.
Northern side building
The 34,000 cubic metres of enclosed space built on the northern side was far more than required for railway administration. It was planned to house a hotel, a cafe and cinema. These were at that time new ways of using a station. The elevated glazed structure of the station cafe is supported by columns and protrudes from the main building.The entrance hall
The rather monotonous and massive, but light main building is complemented by the bold sweep of the butterfly-shaped canopy. This may have been inspired by the Roma Termini railway stationRoma Termini railway station
Roma Termini is the main train station of Rome. It is named after the district of the same name, which in turn took its name from ancient Baths of Diocletian , which lie across the street from the main entrance.-Overview:The station has regular train services to all major Italian cities as well...
. The roof has a width of 46.50 metres and a depth of 24 metres. Despite its weight of 600 tons, it is appears graceful and it makes a successful contrast with the main building.
Southern side building
In the southern side building are facilities for handling luggage and express freight. In the floors above there are railway offices. The entire main building is four floors, with a length of 146 metres, a depth of 14.4 metres and a building volume of 34,000 m³.The building was built from 1954 to 1957 under the leadership of Wilhelm Bangen. On 30 May 1957, it went into provisional operation. At 4.25 AM, the first train ran. Three days later, on 2 June 1957, Bochum celebrated the electrification of the line with the Minister of Transport, Seebohm.
Renovation
The opening of the station in 1957 was followed, in the late 1970s, by its first major renovation. This consisted of three elements:- Construction of Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn line S 1. This used the southernmost of four platforms, which was rebuilt with two platform faces, numbered 7 and 8. Track 7 had previously been used by freight trains and had no platform edge.
- Construction of the curve connecting to the line to Herne. Until 1979, trains on the Bochum-LangendreerBochum-Langendreer stationBochum-Langendreer station is now a stop on the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn in the district of Langendreer in eastern Bochum in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Langendreer formerly had a 40 hectare marshalling yard, which is now used as a depot, with the location code of EBLA...
–HerneHerne stationHerne station was opened in the inner city of Herne in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1847 together with the Cologne-Minden trunk line. It was located between the village of Herne, which had about 1,000 inhabitants, and the moated castle of Schloss Strünkede and was south of the...
route ran via Bochum Nord station. Following the construction of the Riemke curve these services ran through Bochum Hauptbahnhof from 1979. The Bochum–Langendreer section became part of the S-Bahn in 1983. A short bay platform was built as the most northerly platform of the station, so the terminating services from the northern branch do not get in the way of movements by freight trains on track 2.
- Construction of underground Bochum StadtbahnBochum StadtbahnThe Bochum Stadtbahn is a Light Rail system in the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen and the surrounding cities of Herne, Hattingen and Witten, and is operated by BOGESTRA. It consists of one real Stadtbahn line and some sections of tram tunnel under the city centres of Bochum and...
line. This involved the construction of an underground station on three levels below the station building and a two storey above ground building in Kurt-Schumacher-Platz. During the restoration of the forecourt, the central bus station was redesigned and the appearance of the station entrance was changed with the introduction of a stairway down to the upper distribution level of the Stadtbahn. In the course of this redevelopment the back entrance and Buddenberg place were also completely rebuilt.
In 2004 to 2006, the station building was extensively renovated including the access to its facilities and platforms. The official opening of the renovated station was on 29 May 2006. The station forecourt is currently being modernised again.
Katholikentag station
Katholikentag
Katholikentag is a festival-like gathering in German-speaking countries organized by the Roman Catholic laity. Katholikentag festivals occur approximately every 2–4 years in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.-History:...
of 1949. After the opening of the current station it was used until about 1994 by Deutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
as as a training facility, but it has been empty ever since, although it is now a heritage-listed building.
Operational usage
Regional and long-distance trains call at the station. It is integrated into the InterCityExpressInterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
network, although some trains do not call at Bochum, especially those services that begin in Dortmund.
Long distance trains
Regional trains
S-Bahn trains
Stadtbahn
The six-track Bochum StadtbahnBochum Stadtbahn
The Bochum Stadtbahn is a Light Rail system in the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen and the surrounding cities of Herne, Hattingen and Witten, and is operated by BOGESTRA. It consists of one real Stadtbahn line and some sections of tram tunnel under the city centres of Bochum and...
station under Bochum Hauptbahnhof is the most important junction of the six lines of the Bochum network. The first underground level (ground-1) is a distributor level. On the second (ground-2) are the side platforms for the two narrow gauge lines, operated as the lines 306, 308 and 318. On the third level (ground-3) are the tracks for lines U 35, 302 and 310.
| Line | Route |
|---|---|
| Bochum-Querenburg Hustadt – Ruhr-Universität – Bochum Hbf – Riemke – Herne station – Schloss Strünkede | |
| Gelsenkirchen-Buer Rathaus – Gelsenkirchen Hbf – Bochum Hbf – Laer Bochum-Laer Laer is a district of the city of Bochum in the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Laer is to the east of Altenbochum and the central business district. Laer has the largest General Motors factory in Germany .... Mitte |
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| Bochum Hbf – Hamme Bochum-Hamme Bochum-Hamme is a part of the city of Bochum in the Ruhr area inNorth Rhine-Westphalia Germany. Up to the 19th century Westphalian was spoken here. Bochum-Hamme is a district in the working class North of Bochum. Bochum-Hamme includes in it South Goldhamme, which borders to the former town of... – Wanne-Eickel Hbf |
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| Bochum-Gerthe Schürbankstraße – Bochum Hbf – Weitmar – Linden Bochum-Linden Bochum-Linden is a district of the City of Bochum in the Ruhr area inNorth Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The population's main language was once Westphalian, but it has since been replaced by High German. Bochum-Linden is located in the south west of Bochum, between Dahlhausen and Stiepel. It shares... – Hattingen Mitte Hattingen (Ruhr) Mitte station Hattingen Mitte is a railway station situated in Hattingen in western Germany. It is a terminus station for the S3 line of Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 6 station.... |
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| Bochum-Höntrop Höntrop Höntrop is a district of the City of Bochum in the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The population used to speak the Westphalian dialect, but now standard German is the norm. Höntrop borders inter alia to Freisenbruch, which belongs to Essen, another city, and Linden a district of... Kirche – Bochum Hbf – Witten Witten Witten is a university city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home of the Witten/Herdecke University, the first private university in Germany.-Bordering municipalities:* Bochum* Dortmund* Herdecke* Wetter * Sprockhoevel* Hattingen... Rathaus – Heven Dorf |
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| Bochum-Gerthe Schürbankstraße – Bochum Hbf – Weitmar – Linden – Dahlhausen Bf Bochum-Dahlhausen station Bochum-Dahlhausen station is located in the Dahlhausen district of Bochum in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The station building dates from the time of the First World War.-History :... |