Mannheim Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is the central railway station of Mannheim
in Germany
. It is the second largest traffic hub in southwestern Germany after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
, with 658 trains a day, including 238 long-distance trains. 100,000 passengers embark, disembark or transfer between trains at the station each day. The station was modernised in 2001.
, opened in 1840, was a terminal station in the area of the Tattersall. Plans for a bridge over the Rhine to Ludwigshafen (now the Konrad Adenauer Bridge
), however, soon made it necessary to move the station.
The station building, some of which still survives, was built between 1871 and 1876. From around 1900, consideration was given to extending or relocating the station. In 1915 it was decided to expand the existing station. In 1927, the front of the station was demolished and rebuilt 10 m closer to the street, doubling the area of the station. In World War II
, it was badly damaged and it was rebuilt in a simpler style without decorative fixtures, but reminiscent of its previous forms. The station building was comprehensively reorganised from 1999 to 2001. The platform-side buildings were extended and had their symmetry restored, while the entrance hall received a glass dome. The blend of tradition and modernism is considered successful.
had sought to establish a by-pass of the city through the Rheinauer Wald to the east of the city, including a complex junction in the Pfingstberg Tunnel. This would have substantially reduced the number of long-distance trains serving Mannheim, leading to significant opposition from the city and the region. As a result, Deutsche Bahn dropped this plan for the time being in 2006.
Extensive changes at the railway tracks of the main station are planned between late 2007 or early 2008 and 2010/2011. Among other things, a new platform is to be built for the S-Bahn RheinNeckar for approximately €
50 million. In addition, regional and long-distance traffic are to be largely segregated, with regional trains being kept in the future to the four tracks closest to the station building and long-distance traffic on the further tracks.
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
in 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...
. It is the second largest traffic hub in southwestern Germany after Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Stuttgart, the capital of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, in southwestern Germany. It is the largest regional and long-distance railway station in Stuttgart, the main node of the Stuttgart S-Bahn network, and, together with the halt at Charlottenplatz, the main...
, with 658 trains a day, including 238 long-distance trains. 100,000 passengers embark, disembark or transfer between trains at the station each day. The station was modernised in 2001.
History
The original station of the Badische Hauptbahn (Baden mainline) from HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, opened in 1840, was a terminal station in the area of the Tattersall. Plans for a bridge over the Rhine to Ludwigshafen (now the Konrad Adenauer Bridge
Konrad Adenauer Bridge
Konrad Adenauer Brücke may refer to the following bridges:* Konrad Adenauer Bridge * Konrad Adenauer Bridge...
), however, soon made it necessary to move the station.
The station building, some of which still survives, was built between 1871 and 1876. From around 1900, consideration was given to extending or relocating the station. In 1915 it was decided to expand the existing station. In 1927, the front of the station was demolished and rebuilt 10 m closer to the street, doubling the area of the station. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it was badly damaged and it was rebuilt in a simpler style without decorative fixtures, but reminiscent of its previous forms. The station building was comprehensively reorganised from 1999 to 2001. The platform-side buildings were extended and had their symmetry restored, while the entrance hall received a glass dome. The blend of tradition and modernism is considered successful.
Planned developments
The station lies is at the junction of lines from Stuttgart, Basel, Saarbrücken and Frankfurt. The Mannheim-Stuttgart high-speed rail line was completed in 1991 and it is planned to build a high-speed line to Frankfurt. Deutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
had sought to establish a by-pass of the city through the Rheinauer Wald to the east of the city, including a complex junction in the Pfingstberg Tunnel. This would have substantially reduced the number of long-distance trains serving Mannheim, leading to significant opposition from the city and the region. As a result, Deutsche Bahn dropped this plan for the time being in 2006.
Extensive changes at the railway tracks of the main station are planned between late 2007 or early 2008 and 2010/2011. Among other things, a new platform is to be built for the S-Bahn RheinNeckar for approximately €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
50 million. In addition, regional and long-distance traffic are to be largely segregated, with regional trains being kept in the future to the four tracks closest to the station building and long-distance traffic on the further tracks.