Not a few residents and car drivers were surprised to see what will soon be the order of the day: The first tramcars undertook test runs on Berlin’s newest tram line, the 2.2 km long extension from loop Lüneburger Straße near the main station to underground station Turmstraße, on 13 July 2023. Tram no. 2237 (type GTZ6) was the first car, and no. 9081 (F8Z) was also on test run on the same day.
The new section, which will be served by tramline M10 in the near future, runs largely on street level. It connects behind the Lesser-Ury-Weg stop to the existing line from the direction of the main station, which opened in 2014, and reaches the future Turmstraße terminus via four new stops. The opening for passenger service is expected in September, barring any unforeseen complications. The line could be extended to Jungfernheide by around 2028 if current plans materialize.
U-Bahn extension to the airport
After a previous feasibility study, the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment (SenMVKU), together with the Brandenburg Ministry for Infrastructure and State Planning and the participating districts and municipalities, agreed on joint financing for the now following economic feasibility study of the extension of the U7 underground line from the existing Rudow underground station to BER Airport. The longer part of the route would be on Brandenburg territory. The result of the economic feasibility study is the basis for the decision on further planning steps. The transport benefits of the project are, however, viewed quite critically by various sides: the critics claim that BER Airport is already well connected by different rail links, and this in particular also in comparison to other major city airports, not only in Europe. If the project is carried out as planned, the U7 will run to BER from 2035.
19.07.2023
