Tradition and Leistungsstärke: Hundert Jahre Berliner U-Bahn / Tradition and efficiency : Berlin underground celebrates its 100th anniversary

On February 15, 1902 the first route of the Berlin underground railway system, build mainly as an overhead railway, was introduced, even though the planning, which was submitted already in 1891, had to pass a prolonged and difficult process of authorizing. On this line (from Stralauer Tor to Potsdamer Platz) the stop Potsdamer Platz became Berlins first underground railway station. After an enthusiastic growth of the first German underground railway system in the beginning, this development was interrupted by the two World Wars and their consequences. Since the reunification of Berlin extensive expansions and new developments in the past 10 years created a highly efficient traffic system with state-of-the-art equipment. In the year of its 100th anniversary the Berlin underground network, combined with busses, S-Bahn and tram, grew to be the backbone of the urban traffic in the capital and is still progressing. The fully automatic control operation is the most ambitioned project for the future, leading to more efficiency and increase in customer friendliness.