Berlin outer ring

Berlin outer ring
The outer ring near Sellheimbrücke, on the left
is the route of the planned S-Bahn
Overview
Native nameBerliner Außenring
Line number
  • 6126 Saarmund–Eichgestell
  • 6080 Eichgestell–Biesdorfer Kreuz
  • 6067 Biesdorfer Kreuz–Karower Kreuz
  • 6087 Karower Kreuz–Priort
  • 6068 Priort–Golm
  • 6116 Golm–Saarmund
  • 6011 Biesdorfer Kreuz–Springpfuhl (S-Bahn)
  • 6012 Springpfuhl–Wartenberg (S-Bahn)
  • 6009 Karower Kreuz–Bergfelde (S-Bahn)
LocaleBerlin, Brandenburg, Germany
Service
Route number207, 209.12, 209.20, 209.21, 209.22
Technical
Line length125 km (78 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification
Operating speed160 km/h (99.4 mph) (maximum)
Route map

Route (anticlockwise)[1]
The outer ring continues
62.7
0.0
Golm
Kuhfort junction
to Werder and Potsdam
Golm cross
2.4
Wildpark West junction
from Werder (Havel)
4.9
Potsdam Pirschheide
7.9
Nesselgrund
9.9
Nesselgrund Ost junction
10.9
Bergholz
15.5
7.8
Saarmund
12.5
Ahrensdorf
14.2
Ludwigsfelde-Struveshof
former connecting line to IFA works
16.2
Genshagener Heide
(passenger station until 2012)
Bft Genshagener Heide Mitte
18.4
Genshagener Heide Ost junction
24.2
Diedersdorf
26.7
Glasower Damm West junction
to Dresden
from Dresden
28.1
Glasower Damm Ost junction
30.0
Selchow West junction
Waßmannsdorf
(S-Bahn)
35,5
Berlin-Schönefeld Airport
Brandenburg / Berlin state border
39.5
Grünau cross south
to Görlitz and Schöneweide
Grünau cross
40.7
Grünau cross north
from Görlitz
42.8
Wendenheide junction
to Schöneweide
44.2
25.0
Eichgestell
(km 0.0: Teltow via Outer Freight Ring)
to Fürstenwalde and Ostbahnhof
from Köpenick
Wuhlheide cross
28.6
Berlin Wuhlheide marshalling yard
U5, formerly VnK Railway
30.0
Biesdorf cross south
to Lichtenberg (long curve)
31.2
Biesdorf cross middle
Berlin–Strausberg (S-Bahn) S7S75
Biesdorf cross
from Strausberg and Lichtenberg
33.0
-1.2
Biesdorf cross north
Springpfuhl
Bürknersfelde
planned
0.6
Berlin north-east freight yard
Gehrenseestraße
3.7
Hohenschönhausen
Wartenberg, terminus of S75
Malchow
planned until 1990
Sellheimbrücke
planned
8.5
0.0
Karow Ost junction
to Eberswalde and Pankow
Karow cross
(planned station) Berlin–Szczecin S2
1.4
Karow West junction
from Eberswalde and Pankow S8
Panke
Buchholz Nord
planned until 1990
Arkenberge Ost
planned until 1990
BerlinBrandenburg state border
Mühlenbeck-Mönchmühle
Tegel stream
11.0
Schönfließ
12.6
Bergfelde
12.8
Schönfließ West junction
to Neustrelitz S8
from Neustrelitz
16.5
Hohen Neuendorf West
Velten Canal
20.4
to Hennigsdorf
Hennigsdorf Nord
21.5
from Hennigsdorf
27.1
Schönwalde (Kr. Nauen)
Nieder Neuendorf Canal
34.6
Falkenhagen (Kr. Nauen)
35.0
to Hamburg and Berlin
Brieselang cross
37.9
Hasselberg junction
from Hamburg
40.1
to Hannover and Berlin
Wustermark cross
Wustermark cross
41.7
77.9
from Hannover and Berlin
77.3
Wustermark
75.1
Priort
(km 0.0 from Jüterbog via Jüterbog–Nauen railway)
70.4
Satzkorn
67.9
Marquardt
65.5
Bornim-Grube
62.7
0.0
Golm
The outer ring continues

The Berlin outer ring (German: Berliner Außenring, BAR) is a 125 km (78 mi) long double track electrified railway, originally built by the German Democratic Republic to bypass West Berlin in preparation for the building of the Berlin Wall during the division of Germany. It was developed by East Germany for economic, transport policy, and military reasons between 1951 and 1961 and included parts of some older lines (Outer Freight Ring, Jüterbog–Nauen railway, and Michendorf–Großbeeren railway).

Without the completion of the outer ring it would not have been possible to build the Berlin Wall, sealing off West Berlin, without disrupting East Germany’s transport links. The Potsdam-Schönefeld Expressway was built for similar reasons.

The term Outer ring is used to distinguish the line from the Ring line of inner Berlin.

  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland (German railway atlas). Schweers + Wall. 2017. pp. 124–7, 129. ISBN 978-3-89494-146-8.