Germany: Expanding urban rail network to tempt Bavarians from their cars

Germany: Expanding urban rail network to tempt Bavarians from their cars Construction of the second S-Bahn core, one metro and two tram extensions are making progress in München, as the city seeks to deliver more rail services and further grow public transport’s share of the Bayern capital’s mobility mix. Benjámin Zelki reports. The urban rail network in München is growing. This month, the city’s long-awaited second cross-city suburban rail link will reach a key milestone when boring starts on the S-Bahn tunnel. On September 17, the first TBM for the scheme is due to begin its drive to bore an initial 3 km section of the emergency tunnel. Work on the running tunnels, two bores covering a distance of 7 km, is due to begin in 2028. This tunnel will be the centrepiece of the second S-Bahn crossing, which will see 11 km of new line built overall. The alignment of the second tunnel runs north of — but broadly parallel to — the existing S-Bahn core between Laim in the west and Leuchtenbergring in the east. Opened in 1972 for the Olympic Games, the first tunnel is now reaching its capacity limits. It was originally designed to carry some 250 000 passengers per day, but today more than 800 000 people make use of München’s S-Bahn network on a typical working day, and forecasts suggest that by 2040 the volume of passengers will rise to 1·5 million. The second tunnel is needed to support the forecast growth and to increase the service offering across the network. It will also provide faster journey times through the heart of the city, as it will have fewer stations than the current line. While Laim station is to be rebuilt to accommodate more trains, additional underground platforms are being added at Hauptbahnhof and Ostbahnhof, along with a new intermediate station at Marienhof. Preliminary works on the project began as long ago as April 2017, and the launch of a construction site at Ostbahnhof station in October 2025 meant that civils activity was underway on every section of the corridor. 40 m deep tunnel Tunnelling will be undertaken by the ARGE Tunnel Hauptbahnhof consortium comprising Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau, the Max Bögl Group, Ed. Züblin, and Bauer Spezialtiefbau. Four TBMs will be used to excavate the tunnels up to 40 m below ground, and completion is planned between 2035 and 2037. The first of the four TBMs was presented by manufacturer Herrenknecht on May 21, and named ‘Donna Maria’ following a vote by local residents. It is 178 m long, weighs 700 tonnes, and has a diameter of 5 m. U5 extension to Pasing Meanwhile, a 3·8 km extension of U-Bahn Line U5 is under way, taking the line from its current Laimer Platz terminus westwards to the Pasing hub where interchange will be provided with the enhanced cross-city S-Bahn services. Construction of the three-station extension started in January 2022 and completion is planned for the early 2030s. The works have been divided into two lots. The first comprises the 1·1 km section between Laimer Platz and Baumschule Laim station. Due to the existing infrastructure at Laimer Platz being close to the surface and the relatively short distance, Lot 1 is being built using cut-and-cover for both the running tunnels and the station boxes, rather than using TBMs. Excavation of the initial tunnel trench was completed on June 17, and the new station at Baumschule Laim is planned to open in 2031. Lot 2 covers the remaining 2·7 km section and another two stations. This will take U5 to the hub at Pasing, where interchange will be provided to S-Bahn services and tram lines 14 and 19. On this section, the alignment and depth of overburden allow for conventional tunnelling, and the running tunnels will be excavated with a TBM. This will start working towards Pasing from a launch shaft west of Baumschule Laim station once that structure has been completed. However, due to specific local ground conditions, the stations at Am Knie and Pasing are being constructed using cut-and-cover techniques. Westtangente expands Reflecting a mix of modes serving the conurbation, München’s tram network is also growing, with the Westtangente planned to create an important suburban link across the west side of the city at an estimated total cost of €490m. When completed, the line will link three U-Bahn lines and six S-Bahn routes and close a gap in the network that had historically been focused on radial routes to and from the city centre. The project started with a groundbreaking event in June 2024, and an initial 1·5 km section of the 8·3 km route was inaugurated in March. This runs along Fürstenrieder Straße between Agnes-Bernauer-Straße and Ammerseestraße, serving three stops. The initial section is being operated as Route 14, connecting the existing tram termini at Pasing Bhf and Gondrellplatz. It was used by an average of approximately 11 000 passengers/day on weekdays over the first 100 days up to June 10. When completed, the north-south route will connect Romanplatz on the existing tram network to Aidenbachstraße on U-Bahn Line 3, serving 17 stops. The remaining sections are expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Extensions in the north The Münchner Norden project envisages the construction of 5·7 km of new tram line and 12 stops to serve the new Neufreimann residential district (previously known as Bayernkaserne). The existing tram Route 23 will be extended north by 3·5 km from Schwabing Nord to Kieferngarten on Line U6, while a 2·2 km branch will diverge at Werner Egk-Bogen and run west to Am Hart. This will be operated as Route 24 from Am Hart to Kieferngarten, sharing tracks with Route 23 on the final 1·5 km. The extension of Route 23 started with a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2025. The bridge over the city’s northern railway ring at Schwabing Nord is the principal engineering component of the project. Opening of the two tram routes is planned for 2029. Fleet renewal momentum Alongside these various infrastructure schemes, substantial orders for rolling stock are required to support their operation. The largest and perhaps most high profile procurement is that covering the wholesale renewal of the S-Bahn fleet. Siemens Mobility is supplying 90 electric multiple-units under a €2bn contract placed in August 2023. Described as ‘extra long’ by the supplier, the 13-car EMUs for 15 kV 16·7 Hz operation will be 202 m long. Each unit will have capacity for 1 841 passengers in total, with 376 fixed and 80 folding seats. They are intended to help meet predicted growth in demand over the coming decades. The first train is scheduled to enter service at the end of 2028. In contrast, the latest tranche of fleet renewal on the U-Bahn is coming to an end: the last of 85 six-car C2 metro trainsets entered service on July 30 as the city’s latest generation of metro trains. These have been supplied by Siemens from its Wien plant under orders placed from 2010 to 2022, and the first units entered service in 2016. The majority of the C2 fleet was ordered to replace the older A series trains which were built by an AEG/MAN-led consortium between 1967 and 1983. However, there are a number of additional trains which are being used to enhance service frequencies. Meanwhile on May 28, Siemens delivered the last of the 103 Avenio trams it is supplying for municipal transport operator MVG. Ordered in batches from 2012 to 2019 to modernise the city’s tram fleet, the Avenios have enhanced accessibility in particular. The total build comprises 85 four-section trams, nine two-section and nine-three-section. These shorter vehicles run coupled together in a 48 m long formation to increase capacity on routes 20 and 21. MVG has already announced plans to order more metro trains and trams to updated designs, and it confirmed to Railway Gazette International in August that it was working on specifications for possible future procurements. Boosting modal shift The ongoing urban rail investment is intended to further drive up public transport ridership, which continues to lag in share compared to private vehicle use and active travel options. The latest modal split data available for the 2017-23 period, published in January this year, showed that the share of public transport for journeys within the München urban area was 12%, while active mobility (walking and cycling) was 36%, and 51% either drove or travelled in a car or on a motorcycle. The split for the urban core is more balanced, with public transport use growing to 25%, compared to 47% for active travel modes and only 29% for driving. By 2035, MVG wants to reach at least 80% of trips being made by public transport or active mobility, necessitating another 8% of cumulative increase. Trends show a shift towards more sustainable modes over time: public transport showed 1% increase between the 2011-17 period and the 2017-23 window, both for the city and its hinterland, with active mobility growing by 5% and private vehicle usage falling by an average of 6%. The municipal authorities are also keen to highlight that while car ownership in München and its environs has continued to rise overall, the share of private vehicle journeys has fallen in recent years. In a city synonymous with the automotive industry, this is no mean achievement. This article first appeared in the September 2026 issue of Railway Gazette International See also Subscribe to gain access to all news Already have a subscription? Log in. Choose your subscription Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.