The construction of Hamburg U5 metro line has been launched following the planning approval decision the first construction phase obtained last year.
The President of the Hamburg Authority for Transport and Mobility Transition Anjes Tjarks, the First Mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher and the CEO of Hochbahn Henrik Falk, held the groundbreaking ceremony on October 4, 2022.
U5 line wsignificantly “strengthens the rapid transit network enabling thousands of people to have sustainable mobility every day with reduced travel time while contributes to the redesign of road infrastructure and significantly relieve our climate. The line will set new standards in terms of technology, digitalisation, urban mobility, comfort and climate-friendly construction,” Anjes Tjarks said at the ceremony.
The first section with a length of 5.8 km served by four new stations will connect Bramfeld in northeastern city with the City Nord borough. In addition, the existing Sengelmannstraße U1 station will be converted into a transfer station between U1 and U5. In 2024, construction work will start for the new Barmbek Nord, Steilshoop and Bramfeld stations.
With the stops in Bramfeld and Steilshoop, two parts of the city that were previously only accessible by bus will be connected to the underground network for the first time. After completion, around 20,000 passengers will use this first section every day.
The eastern section will enter testing in 2027 between City Nord and Sengelmannstraße which will offer ideal conditions for automatic testing of the entire U5 Line. The tests on the route with tunnel sections, above-ground routes, the incline to the Sengelmannstraße stop and the transfer station itself with the interaction of conventional and new operating technology are used to ensure smooth operation with maximum punctuality and availability.
The trial run is also a prerequisite for the technical acceptance and commissioning of the line. During the trial run, all technical and operational systems are intensively tested individually and in combination, and faults are simulated.
“Operated fully automatically, the U5 can offer mobility around the clock every 90 seconds, which is not yet available anywhere in Germany. The project is the starting signal for a new era of metro system: state-of-the-art, efficient and built to protect the climate,” the CEO of Hochbahn said.
EUR 1.8 billion is the value of the first section and the costs for the other sections currently being determined. The City of Hamburg, Hochbahn and U5 Projekt GmbH will submit the application for funding within the framework of the Municipal Transport Financing Act (GVFG) for the U5 East section in coordination with the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure at the beginning of 2023. If approved, the federal funding will cover up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of the project.
The entire U5 line will be 24 km long running from Bramfeld via Steilshoop and City Nord through Winterhude and Uhlenhorst to the city centre. From there it goes north to the university and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) to Lokstedt, from where the U5 will continue to the arenas.
23 stops will be built on the new line, 7 of them with the option to transfer to the existing U-Bahn and S-Bahn network.
The entire U5 line is expected to enter operation in late 2030 when is expected to carry 270,000 passengers every day.
“The U5 will be the most modern metro system in Germany. The fully automated line will provide connections and transfer options which will reduce the travel times while running with 100% green electricity,” the Mayor of Hamburg said.
Hamburg U5 metro line is Germany’s largest inner-city transport project which connects 180,000 people in Hamburg to the rapid transit system for the first time.
Share on:
