Essen Hauptbahnhof
Encyclopedia
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Essen
in western Germany
. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway
.
It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn
. However, the station was not the first on Essen soil, as the station Essen (today Essen-Altenessen) on the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn was opened in 1847.
The station suffered extensive damage in World War II
and was almost completely rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. Over the course of the following years, the Essen Stadtbahn and the A 40
were other construction projects that influenced the station. Today it is an important hub between local, regional and long-distance services, with all major InterCityExpress
and InterCity
trains calling at the station as well as RegionalExpress
and Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn
services.
It has, however, fallen into disrepair, and at some point it was proposed to move the station to the area of the current S-Bahn
station Essen West. These plans were abandoned however, and the station is now undergoing a renovation process similar to Gelsenkirchen Hbf
or Bochum Hbf
.
Trains of all kinds call at the station, from long distance to local services. It used to be one of the Metropolitan
stops on the Hamburg to Cologne line before the service was discontinued in 2002. Night services are offered by EuroNight
trains to cities such as Moscow
or Brussels
, and DB NachtZug
trains to Zurich
and Vienna
, among others.
Some 400 trains pass the station each day, making Essen Hauptbahnhof the third busiest railway station in the Ruhr Area
after Dortmund Hauptbahnhof
and Duisburg Hauptbahnhof
.
and Münster
and lines to Hagen
and Borken
.
A centrally located concourse runs across and under the railway tracks on two levels, which are connected by stairs and escalators. On the lower level there are shops and, south of the entrance hall, a travel centre; on both levels there are restaurants. The lower level allows passage from central Essen to the north of the station to Essen-Südviertel in the south. The upper level serves as the circulation level giving access to the tracks. Direct access to the platforms is possible via lifts from the lower level. A pedestrian tunnel at the eastern end of the platforms also allows passage from central Essen to Südviertel.
Below the station there is an underground station on two levels (one a circulation level and below that, four platform tracks) serving the trams and the Essen Stadtbahn, which are operated by Essener Verkehrs-AG (Essen Transport). It has an unusual appearance with its pervasive blue light.
and Mülheim an der Ruhr
. The station that developed into Essen Hauptbahnhof, but was known until 1897 as Essen BME station, was opened on this line. It was not the first station in Essen. In 1846 Berge-Borbeck station
(known since 1914 as Essen-Bergeborbeck) was opened on the Duisburg–Dortmund railway of the Cologne-Minden Railway Company
(Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) as the first station in the current city of Essen. In 1847, the CME opened the then major station of Essen CME (now Essen-Altenessen station
) on the Duisburg–Dortmund railway (part of its trunk line
).
The first wooden station building of 1862 was replaced by a substantial station building designed by the architect Fritz Klingholz, built under the direction of the Prussia
n building inspector Alexander Rüdell (6 September 1852–14 December 1920), with the rail tracks grade separated from the streets. Construction began in 1900 and the station was opened at the end of 1902. The building was damaged beyond repair by bombing during the Second World War, so it was replaced in the postwar era with a new building in the typical style of the 1950s, in which the architects Bernd Kurt and Rasenack Figge were involved. Indicative of this new building was that the entrance hall completed on 15 November 1959 no longer exists, but lies under the railway tracks. The west wing of the north entrance was adorned with a distinctive cafe in a glass rotunda, which was originally occupied by the station cafe and was most recently a travel agency. A curved roof allowed light to fall on the northern entrance hall. However, this was replaced later by a larger, pre-fabricated flat roof. As a result, combined with the subsequent installation of additional shops, the station has lost its former generosity and openness.
was considered. Instead, it was found to be cost-effective to renovate and modernise the existing station.
On 11 February 2008, Essener Verkehrs completed remodelling of the approximately one hundred metre long passage built in 1977 between Willy-Brandt-Platz and the street called Freiheit at the first basement level. In addition, new shops were built.
In the actual station, the entire concourse was gutted and rebuilt with 5,700 square metres of retail space. The facades were renovated and the main passage widened. The southern entrance was rebuilt with two glass pavilions, which now house the Deutsche Bahn travel centre and the Essener Verkehrs customer service centre. The former glass cafe rotunda was demolished in 2009 and replaced by a rectangular, glass extension, which is used by a fast food restaurant. Lifts were installed on the five platforms to give them barrier-free access for the disabled. Similarly, the platform surfaces and platform canopies were repaired, and the sound system and lighting were replaced.
During construction, the station building could not be used from September 2008. During the reconstruction phase the platforms were only accessible by stairs from the western and eastern tunnels. The station building was reopened to the public on 21 December 2009. The official opening took place on 16 January 2010 in the presence of Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer
, North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Jürgen Rüttgers
and Deutsche Bahn CEO Rüdiger Grube
.
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in western Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway
Bundesautobahn 40
, is one of the most frequented Autobahns in Germany. It crosses the Dutch-German border as a continuation of the Dutch A67, crossing the Rhine, leading through the Ruhr valley toward Bochum, then becomes B 1 at the Kreuz Dortmund-West and eventually merges into the A 44 near...
.
It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn
Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn
The Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company was a Germany railway company that together with the Cologne-Minden Railway and the Rhenish Railway Company was one of the three private railway companies that in the mid-19th...
. However, the station was not the first on Essen soil, as the station Essen (today Essen-Altenessen) on the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn was opened in 1847.
The station suffered extensive damage in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was almost completely rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. Over the course of the following years, the Essen Stadtbahn and the A 40
Bundesautobahn 40
, is one of the most frequented Autobahns in Germany. It crosses the Dutch-German border as a continuation of the Dutch A67, crossing the Rhine, leading through the Ruhr valley toward Bochum, then becomes B 1 at the Kreuz Dortmund-West and eventually merges into the A 44 near...
were other construction projects that influenced the station. Today it is an important hub between local, regional and long-distance services, with all major InterCityExpress
InterCityExpress
The Intercity-Express or ICE is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries. It is the highest service category offered by DB Fernverkehr and is the flagship of Deutsche Bahn...
and InterCity
Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)
Intercity is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the ICE. Intercity services are loco-hauled express services, usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany, and routes generally operate with a two-hour frequency, with multiple routes giving a more...
trains calling at the station as well as RegionalExpress
RegionalExpress
The term Regional-Express denotes a type of regional train in Germany and Austria .It is best compared to a semi-fast train, as it calls at fewer stations than Regionalbahn or S-Bahn trains, but stops more often than InterCity services...
and Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn
Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn
The Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn is a polycentric S-Bahn network covering the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This includes most of the Ruhr , the Berg cities of Wuppertal and Solingen and parts of the Rhineland...
services.
It has, however, fallen into disrepair, and at some point it was proposed to move the station to the area of the current S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
station Essen West. These plans were abandoned however, and the station is now undergoing a renovation process similar to Gelsenkirchen Hbf
Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof
Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof is the central railway station and Hauptbahnhof for the German city of Gelsenkirchen...
or Bochum Hbf
Bochum Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Bochum in western Germany. In its current incarnation, it was built from 1955 to 1957 and is one of the most notable 1950s railway stations in Germany....
.
Trains of all kinds call at the station, from long distance to local services. It used to be one of the Metropolitan
Metropolitan (train)
The Metropolitan was a premium train service operated by Deutsche Bahn AG between Cologne and Hamburg in Germany....
stops on the Hamburg to Cologne line before the service was discontinued in 2002. Night services are offered by EuroNight
EuroNight
EuroNight, abbreviated EN, denotes all main-line national and international night train services within the European inter-city rail network. Unlike the equivalent day-running counterparts EuroCity and InterCity trains, the EuroNight trains tend to run during the nighttime and are equipped with...
trains to cities such as Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
or Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and DB NachtZug
DB NachtZug
City Night Line is a category of night trains in Europe. They were originally operated by the former railway company CityNightLine AG...
trains to Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, among others.
Some 400 trains pass the station each day, making Essen Hauptbahnhof the third busiest railway station in the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
after Dortmund Hauptbahnhof
Dortmund Hauptbahnhof
is the central station for the city of Dortmund in Germany.The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centre in 1847. That station was replaced by a new station, erected in 1910 at the current site....
and Duisburg Hauptbahnhof
Duisburg Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Duisburg in western Germany. It is situated at the meeting point of many important national and international railway lines in the Northwestern Ruhr valley.- Lines :...
.
Station facilities
Essen Hauptbahnhof is a “separation” station, where service separate to run on several different routes. Its platforms have individual platform canopies. In addition to through platforms, the station has some bay platforms for services on the line towards GelsenkirchenGelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof
Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof is the central railway station and Hauptbahnhof for the German city of Gelsenkirchen...
and Münster
Münster Hauptbahnhof
-History:The original Münster station was opened in 1848 by the Münster-Hamm Railway Company, when it opened by the Münster–Hamm railway to the then capital of the Prussian Province of Westphalia as a terminus of its branch line from Hamm, where it connected with Cologne-Minden trunk line. The...
and lines to Hagen
Hagen Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections....
and Borken
Borken
Borken is the name of three places in Germany:*Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia*Borken , in North Rhine-Westphalia*Borken, HesseBorken or b0rken can also be internet slang for "broken," often referring to a computer program or a feature of a program that is not working as expected...
.
A centrally located concourse runs across and under the railway tracks on two levels, which are connected by stairs and escalators. On the lower level there are shops and, south of the entrance hall, a travel centre; on both levels there are restaurants. The lower level allows passage from central Essen to the north of the station to Essen-Südviertel in the south. The upper level serves as the circulation level giving access to the tracks. Direct access to the platforms is possible via lifts from the lower level. A pedestrian tunnel at the eastern end of the platforms also allows passage from central Essen to Südviertel.
Below the station there is an underground station on two levels (one a circulation level and below that, four platform tracks) serving the trams and the Essen Stadtbahn, which are operated by Essener Verkehrs-AG (Essen Transport). It has an unusual appearance with its pervasive blue light.
History
On 1 March 1862 the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company opened the section of the Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg railway between BochumBochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
and Mülheim an der Ruhr
Mülheim (Ruhr) Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Mülheim in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was renamed as a Hauptbahnhof in 1974 at the time of the rebuilding of the Dortmund–Duisburg line as part of the establishment of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn....
. The station that developed into Essen Hauptbahnhof, but was known until 1897 as Essen BME station, was opened on this line. It was not the first station in Essen. In 1846 Berge-Borbeck station
Essen-Bergeborbeck station
Essen-Bergeborbeck station is located in the city of Essen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the Duisburg–Dortmund railway of the Cologne-Minden Railway Company. The line and station opened on 15 May 1847...
(known since 1914 as Essen-Bergeborbeck) was opened on the Duisburg–Dortmund railway of the Cologne-Minden Railway Company
Cologne-Minden Railway Company
The Cologne-Minden Railway Company was along with the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company and the Rhenish Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Founding :The founding of the...
(Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) as the first station in the current city of Essen. In 1847, the CME opened the then major station of Essen CME (now Essen-Altenessen station
Essen-Altenessen station
Essen-Altenessen is a railway station situated in Essen in western Germany. It is served by the S2 line of Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn and line U18 of the Essen Stadtbahn.-History:...
) on the Duisburg–Dortmund railway (part of its trunk line
Cologne-Minden trunk line
The Cologne-Minden trunk line is a railway built by the Cologne-Minden Railway Company . The line is the westernmost part of the railway line from Berlin to the Rhine that was proposed by Friedrich List in his Concept for a railway network in Germany, published in 1833...
).
The first wooden station building of 1862 was replaced by a substantial station building designed by the architect Fritz Klingholz, built under the direction of the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n building inspector Alexander Rüdell (6 September 1852–14 December 1920), with the rail tracks grade separated from the streets. Construction began in 1900 and the station was opened at the end of 1902. The building was damaged beyond repair by bombing during the Second World War, so it was replaced in the postwar era with a new building in the typical style of the 1950s, in which the architects Bernd Kurt and Rasenack Figge were involved. Indicative of this new building was that the entrance hall completed on 15 November 1959 no longer exists, but lies under the railway tracks. The west wing of the north entrance was adorned with a distinctive cafe in a glass rotunda, which was originally occupied by the station cafe and was most recently a travel agency. A curved roof allowed light to fall on the northern entrance hall. However, this was replaced later by a larger, pre-fabricated flat roof. As a result, combined with the subsequent installation of additional shops, the station has lost its former generosity and openness.
2008–2010 reconstruction
The groundbreaking ceremony for this project was held in September 2008. Prior to this Essen Hauptbahnhof was crowded and dilapidated. Since only a few expansion options were available, temporary relocation of station operations to Essen-WestEssen West station
Essen West is a railway station in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station is located on the Duisburg - Dortmund railway and Essen–Bottrop railway and is served by S-Bahn services operated by DB Regio.-Train services:...
was considered. Instead, it was found to be cost-effective to renovate and modernise the existing station.
On 11 February 2008, Essener Verkehrs completed remodelling of the approximately one hundred metre long passage built in 1977 between Willy-Brandt-Platz and the street called Freiheit at the first basement level. In addition, new shops were built.
In the actual station, the entire concourse was gutted and rebuilt with 5,700 square metres of retail space. The facades were renovated and the main passage widened. The southern entrance was rebuilt with two glass pavilions, which now house the Deutsche Bahn travel centre and the Essener Verkehrs customer service centre. The former glass cafe rotunda was demolished in 2009 and replaced by a rectangular, glass extension, which is used by a fast food restaurant. Lifts were installed on the five platforms to give them barrier-free access for the disabled. Similarly, the platform surfaces and platform canopies were repaired, and the sound system and lighting were replaced.
During construction, the station building could not be used from September 2008. During the reconstruction phase the platforms were only accessible by stairs from the western and eastern tunnels. The station building was reopened to the public on 21 December 2009. The official opening took place on 16 January 2010 in the presence of Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer
Peter Ramsauer
Peter Ramsauer is a German politician. He is qualified as a professional miller in accordance with the traditional occupation of his ancestry while holding the degree of PhD in Management, is married and has four daughters...
, North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Jürgen Rüttgers
Jürgen Rüttgers
Jürgen Rüttgers is a German politician and former Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, widely known for his views on immigration and the much-discussed phrase "Kinder statt Inder" which was a media interpretation of "Statt Inder an die Computer müssen unsere Kinder an die Computer"...
and Deutsche Bahn CEO Rüdiger Grube
Rüdiger Grube
Rüdiger Grube was the Chairman of EADS between April 2007 and April 2009. He holds an engineers’ degree in aircraft construction and engineering and a doctorate from the University of Hamburg....
.
Services
The line is served by trains on the following routes:- Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg (KBS 415, 425, 427, 450.1, 450.3 and 450.9)
- Essen–Gelsenkirchen (KBS 425 and 450.2)
- Essen–Essen-Werden (KBS 450.6)
- Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn lines S1, S2, S3, S6 and S9 (KBS 450.1, 450.2, 450.3, 450.6 and 450.9)