Wiener Stadtbahn
Encyclopedia
The Wiener Stadtbahn was a public transportation system operated under this name from 1898 to 1989. Today, the Vienna U-Bahn
lines U4 and U6 and the Vienna S-Bahn
(rapid transit) run on its former lines.
The name derives from the usage of the term around the turn of the 19th/20th century to denote a full-scale railway in an urban area, separated from all other forms of traffic. It is not related to the usage of the term Stadtbahn
in post-WWII Germany.
The Stadtbahn is one Vienna's better known examples of early Art Nouveau
architecture. Its most famous buildings are the two former station entrances on Karlsplatz
, now used as a café and a museum respectively, and the Hofpavillon, a station built specifically for Emperor Franz Joseph
, located at the eastern end of Hietzing
station. Other preserved historical stations are the elevated stations along the Gürtel
and in some of the suburbs.
The Stadtbahn was built between 1894 and 1901 along with the regulation of the Wien River
and the Danube Canal
. Only five lines of a much larger planned network were actually constructed:
In addition, a brief section of elevated track was built connecting the Gürtel and Danube Canal lines between Nussdorfer Strasse and Friedensbrücke stations.
Of the lines that were not built, two lines should have crossed the inner city
, and one would have extended the Gürtel line along the southern Gürtel road to Südbahnhof railway station. These would have helped the Stadtbahn be a more appealing and useful transportation system, but financial constraints prevented their construction.
The layout of the Vienna railway network was also influenced by its uses for the military which demanded full compliance with mainline railroad rules, steam propulsion and integration with ordinary rail service; this increased costs compared to electrical light rail option. When the lines opened, in four stages between 1898 and 1901, they failed to attract mass riders due to high costs; affluent passengers were discouraged by dirt from engine smokestacks and slow speed. While primarily an urban railway line, some trains continued on the mainlines to the north and west of the city.
In 1918, services came to a halt due to the coal shortage after World War I
. Subsequently, the Wiental, Donaukanal, and Gürtel lines were leased by the city of Vienna. They were electrified and reopened in 1925 under the name "Wiener Elektrische Stadtbahn" (Vienna Electric Metropolitan Railway).
Under the new line scheme, each line was assigned a single letter (D (Donaukanal), G (Gürtel) und W (Wienfluss)) which could be combined with other letters to indicate the lines served (like G, GD, DG, and WD). Also notable is line 18G, which was operated until 1945 and ran from Heiligenstadt
to Gumpendorfer Strasse station and then along the course of tram line number 18 to Ostbahnhof railway station.
Many stations and numerous sections of the lines were destroyed in World War II. Reconstruction of the lines took until 1955, and some of the historic stations were never rebuilt. In 1968 it was decided to integrate the Stadtbahn lines into the city's new subway system. Conversion of line WD to line U4 was completed in 1981; conversion of lines G and GD to line U6 in 1989. Since then, the term "Stadtbahn" has disappeared from official use.
specifically for use on the Stadtbahn. The engine was optimized for quick acceleration, to suit the tight curves and steep inclines of the lines, and to emit a minimum of smoke, which was essential for the tunnel sections. The passenger cars were 2-axle trailers that were rather freely based on a design by Otto Wagner.
The new type of rolling stock introduced after electrification was designed so that it could also run on the tramway network. It consisted of 2-axle motor cars (class N), heavy trailers (class n) and light trailers (class n1), which were combined to form trains of up to nine cars in length. These were in operation until 1964.
From the mid-1950s onwards, these cars were completely rebuilt using steel frames and new electric equipment. These were referred to as class N1 (motor cars) and class n2 (trailers) and were used well into the 1980s.
From 1980 onwards, the class N1 and n2 cars were gradually replaced by new six-axle articulated cars. These are referred to as class E6 (motor cars) and c6 (trailers) and are based on the Duewag
"Mannheim" design. These were in service until the Stadtbahn service officially ended in 1989.
system. For line U4, most of the stations of the Wiental and Donaukanal lines of the Stadtbahn were completely rebuilt. Platforms were raised to 95 cm (37.4 in) and current collection changed from overhead lines
to third rail
. While some of the station entrances at street level have been preserved, only Stadtpark station remains largely in its original form at platform level. New U-Bahn trains, built by the Austrian manufacturer SGP
, (class U) were introduced.
Line U6, which had been the Gürtel line of the Stadtbahn, was left mostly unchanged. The station architecture by Otto Wagner was preserved wherever possible. Only the signalling and electric components have been updated, stations and viaducts have been renovated, and the travel direction was changed from left-hand to right-hand running. A complete conversion of all stations and track to U-Bahn would have been too expensive considering the limited loading gauge offered by the historic lines. The class E6 and c6 Stadtbahn rolling stock has remained in service (although it is to be phased out by the end of the year 2008) and has since 1995 been complemented by new class T low-floor rolling stock.
rapid transit network.
The line serving the second district remained as part of the line connecting Matzleinsdorf and Wien Nord-Praterstern
. Since 1962, it has served as the main line of the Vienna S-Bahn
rapid transit network (lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S7, S8, S9, S15). Class 4020 and 4024 EMUs operate on this line.
In 1932, passenger services ceased on the Vorortelinie. One track was removed, and the remaining track was used only for freight trains. It was reopened for passenger transport on 31 May 1987 as line S45 of the S-Bahn network.
Vienna U-Bahn
The Vienna U-Bahn is a rapid transit system consisting of five lines. It is the backbone of one of the best performing public transport systems worldwide according to UITP in June 2009. More than 1.3 million passengers use the Vienna U-Bahn every day...
lines U4 and U6 and the Vienna S-Bahn
Vienna S-Bahn
The Vienna S-Bahn is a suburban metro railway network in Vienna, Austria. As opposed to the city-run urban metro network, the Vienna U-Bahn, it extends beyond the borders of the city, is operated by the ÖBB , and consists of many branch lines...
(rapid transit) run on its former lines.
The name derives from the usage of the term around the turn of the 19th/20th century to denote a full-scale railway in an urban area, separated from all other forms of traffic. It is not related to the usage of the term Stadtbahn
Stadtbahn
A ' is a tramway or light railway that includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the building of tunnels in the central city area....
in post-WWII Germany.
The Stadtbahn is one Vienna's better known examples of early Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
architecture. Its most famous buildings are the two former station entrances on Karlsplatz
Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station
Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station is a former station of the Viennese Stadtbahn. The buildings above ground on Karlsplatz are a well-known example of Jugendstil architecture. These buildings were included in The Vienna Secession, as they followed many of the artistic styles of that movement...
, now used as a café and a museum respectively, and the Hofpavillon, a station built specifically for Emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
, located at the eastern end of Hietzing
Hietzing
Hietzing is the 13th municipal District of Vienna . It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling...
station. Other preserved historical stations are the elevated stations along the Gürtel
Gürtel, Vienna
The Gürtel is a substantial city ring road of Vienna. Running parallel to the famous Ringstraße it encompasses the inner city districts .The road is officially called B 221 Wiener Gürtel Straße...
and in some of the suburbs.
History
Wien River
The Wien is a river that flows through the city of Vienna. It is 34 kilometres long , of which 15 km are within the city. Its drainage basin covers an area of 230 km² , both in the city and in the neighbouring Wienerwald....
and the Danube Canal
Donaukanal
The Donaukanal is a former arm of the river Danube, now regulated as a water channel , within the city of Vienna, Austria...
. Only five lines of a much larger planned network were actually constructed:
- Wientallinie (Vienna Valley line): HütteldorfHütteldorfHütteldorf is a part of Vienna's 14th district, Penzing. It is located in the west of Vienna, but roughly in the geographical center of the district, stretching roughly from Deutschordenstraße in the east to Wolf in der Au in the west, where Hütteldorf borders Hadersdorf-Weidlingau.Hütteldorf is...
-Hacking - Hauptzollamt - Donaukanallinie (Danube CanalDonaukanalThe Donaukanal is a former arm of the river Danube, now regulated as a water channel , within the city of Vienna, Austria...
line): Hauptzollamt - HeiligenstadtHeiligenstadt, ViennaHeiligenstadt was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna.Heiligenstadt is one of the 10 municipalities in the Döbling District.- Geography :... - Line to the 2nd district: Hauptzollamt - PratersternWien Nord-PratersternWien Praterstern is one of Vienna's main railway stations, being used by 35,000 people daily. It is located on the roundabout Praterstern in Leopoldstadt, in the north of the city...
- GürtelGürtel, ViennaThe Gürtel is a substantial city ring road of Vienna. Running parallel to the famous Ringstraße it encompasses the inner city districts .The road is officially called B 221 Wiener Gürtel Straße...
line: MeidlingMeidlingMeidling is the 12th district of Vienna . It is located just southwest of the central districts, south of the Wienfluss, west of the Gürtel belt, and east and southeast of Schönbrunn palace...
Hauptstrasse - Westbahnhof - HeiligenstadtHeiligenstadt, ViennaHeiligenstadt was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna.Heiligenstadt is one of the 10 municipalities in the Döbling District.- Geography :... - Vorortelinie (Suburban line): HütteldorfHütteldorfHütteldorf is a part of Vienna's 14th district, Penzing. It is located in the west of Vienna, but roughly in the geographical center of the district, stretching roughly from Deutschordenstraße in the east to Wolf in der Au in the west, where Hütteldorf borders Hadersdorf-Weidlingau.Hütteldorf is...
-Hacking - OttakringOttakringOttakring is the 16th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located west of the central districts, north of Penzing and south of Hernals. Ottakring has some heavily populated urban areas with many residential buildings...
- HeiligenstadtHeiligenstadt, ViennaHeiligenstadt was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna.Heiligenstadt is one of the 10 municipalities in the Döbling District.- Geography :...
In addition, a brief section of elevated track was built connecting the Gürtel and Danube Canal lines between Nussdorfer Strasse and Friedensbrücke stations.
Of the lines that were not built, two lines should have crossed the inner city
Innere Stadt
The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna . The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna...
, and one would have extended the Gürtel line along the southern Gürtel road to Südbahnhof railway station. These would have helped the Stadtbahn be a more appealing and useful transportation system, but financial constraints prevented their construction.
The layout of the Vienna railway network was also influenced by its uses for the military which demanded full compliance with mainline railroad rules, steam propulsion and integration with ordinary rail service; this increased costs compared to electrical light rail option. When the lines opened, in four stages between 1898 and 1901, they failed to attract mass riders due to high costs; affluent passengers were discouraged by dirt from engine smokestacks and slow speed. While primarily an urban railway line, some trains continued on the mainlines to the north and west of the city.
In 1918, services came to a halt due to the coal shortage after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Subsequently, the Wiental, Donaukanal, and Gürtel lines were leased by the city of Vienna. They were electrified and reopened in 1925 under the name "Wiener Elektrische Stadtbahn" (Vienna Electric Metropolitan Railway).
Under the new line scheme, each line was assigned a single letter (D (Donaukanal), G (Gürtel) und W (Wienfluss)) which could be combined with other letters to indicate the lines served (like G, GD, DG, and WD). Also notable is line 18G, which was operated until 1945 and ran from Heiligenstadt
Heiligenstadt, Vienna
Heiligenstadt was an independent municipality until 1892 and is today a part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna.Heiligenstadt is one of the 10 municipalities in the Döbling District.- Geography :...
to Gumpendorfer Strasse station and then along the course of tram line number 18 to Ostbahnhof railway station.
Many stations and numerous sections of the lines were destroyed in World War II. Reconstruction of the lines took until 1955, and some of the historic stations were never rebuilt. In 1968 it was decided to integrate the Stadtbahn lines into the city's new subway system. Conversion of line WD to line U4 was completed in 1981; conversion of lines G and GD to line U6 in 1989. Since then, the term "Stadtbahn" has disappeared from official use.
Rolling stock
A special type of steam engine, kkStB class 30, was designed by the Austrian engineer Karl GölsdorfKarl Gölsdorf
Karl Gölsdorf was an Austrian engineer and locomotive designer.-Early Life:Karl Gölsdorf was born on 8 June 1861 in Vienna, the son of Louis Adolf Gölsdorf. Even as a schoolboy he was introduced to locomotive design by his father, the chief mechanical engineer of the Imperial and Royal Southern...
specifically for use on the Stadtbahn. The engine was optimized for quick acceleration, to suit the tight curves and steep inclines of the lines, and to emit a minimum of smoke, which was essential for the tunnel sections. The passenger cars were 2-axle trailers that were rather freely based on a design by Otto Wagner.
The new type of rolling stock introduced after electrification was designed so that it could also run on the tramway network. It consisted of 2-axle motor cars (class N), heavy trailers (class n) and light trailers (class n1), which were combined to form trains of up to nine cars in length. These were in operation until 1964.
From the mid-1950s onwards, these cars were completely rebuilt using steel frames and new electric equipment. These were referred to as class N1 (motor cars) and class n2 (trailers) and were used well into the 1980s.
From 1980 onwards, the class N1 and n2 cars were gradually replaced by new six-axle articulated cars. These are referred to as class E6 (motor cars) and c6 (trailers) and are based on the Duewag
DUEWAG
The DUEWAG AG was one of Germany's major manufacturers for rail vehicles. The business was sold in 1999 to Siemens transportation.- History :The company was founded in 1898 as Waggonfabrik Uerdingen AG in Uerdingen...
"Mannheim" design. These were in service until the Stadtbahn service officially ended in 1989.
Conversion to U-Bahn
From 1976 onwards, the Stadtbahn was integrated into the newly-established Vienna U-BahnVienna U-Bahn
The Vienna U-Bahn is a rapid transit system consisting of five lines. It is the backbone of one of the best performing public transport systems worldwide according to UITP in June 2009. More than 1.3 million passengers use the Vienna U-Bahn every day...
system. For line U4, most of the stations of the Wiental and Donaukanal lines of the Stadtbahn were completely rebuilt. Platforms were raised to 95 cm (37.4 in) and current collection changed from overhead lines
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
to third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
. While some of the station entrances at street level have been preserved, only Stadtpark station remains largely in its original form at platform level. New U-Bahn trains, built by the Austrian manufacturer SGP
Simmering-Graz-Pauker
Simmering-Graz-Pauker AG was one of the most important Austrian industrial conglomerates, which used to have several thousand employees all around the world.-Images:Heute das ist SIemmens SGP 2007...
, (class U) were introduced.
Line U6, which had been the Gürtel line of the Stadtbahn, was left mostly unchanged. The station architecture by Otto Wagner was preserved wherever possible. Only the signalling and electric components have been updated, stations and viaducts have been renovated, and the travel direction was changed from left-hand to right-hand running. A complete conversion of all stations and track to U-Bahn would have been too expensive considering the limited loading gauge offered by the historic lines. The class E6 and c6 Stadtbahn rolling stock has remained in service (although it is to be phased out by the end of the year 2008) and has since 1995 been complemented by new class T low-floor rolling stock.
Conversion to S-Bahn
The lines not leased by the city in the 1920s remained part of the Federal Austrian Railways network and have been integrated into the Vienna S-BahnVienna S-Bahn
The Vienna S-Bahn is a suburban metro railway network in Vienna, Austria. As opposed to the city-run urban metro network, the Vienna U-Bahn, it extends beyond the borders of the city, is operated by the ÖBB , and consists of many branch lines...
rapid transit network.
The line serving the second district remained as part of the line connecting Matzleinsdorf and Wien Nord-Praterstern
Wien Nord-Praterstern
Wien Praterstern is one of Vienna's main railway stations, being used by 35,000 people daily. It is located on the roundabout Praterstern in Leopoldstadt, in the north of the city...
. Since 1962, it has served as the main line of the Vienna S-Bahn
Vienna S-Bahn
The Vienna S-Bahn is a suburban metro railway network in Vienna, Austria. As opposed to the city-run urban metro network, the Vienna U-Bahn, it extends beyond the borders of the city, is operated by the ÖBB , and consists of many branch lines...
rapid transit network (lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S7, S8, S9, S15). Class 4020 and 4024 EMUs operate on this line.
In 1932, passenger services ceased on the Vorortelinie. One track was removed, and the remaining track was used only for freight trains. It was reopened for passenger transport on 31 May 1987 as line S45 of the S-Bahn network.