Berlin S-Bahn chaos set to continue

A spokesman for the Berlin S-Bahn train system announced on Friday that the current chaos will not let up for the next few days. Around a third of the trains are currently out of action.

The technical difficulties arose Monday evening when the Federal Railway Authority (EBA) banned the use of around 380 trains whose wheels had not been checked once a week as required. The new requirement was introduced after a train derailed on May 1.

The ensuing delays and mayhem has caused considerable political fallout this week. A spokesman of the federal Transport Ministry spoke of "a scandalous situation." All four S-Bahn bosses were suspended on Thursday, while the opposition in Berlin's state parliament called on the senate to cancel its contract – worth €225 million a year - with the S-Bahn.

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Somehow I think I'm glad I'm not in Berlin at the moment.

I say the BVG should be the subject of a re- nationalization along with DB. In the BVG case you would at least be able to spot the controllers and have a rational approach. They would not be investing the company money in American insurance groups that went wrong then the commuters of Berlin are supposed to pay out for it? As for DB splitting the network up is just madness and anyone who has travelled in England can vouch for that.

Since when has either BVG or DB been private?

and I thought that the S-bahn was run by DB rather than BVG?

The s-bahn at the weeeknd was extremely full and stuffed with sweaty tourists. Thnak God I a have alternative routes to use such as the U-Bahn and bus. I hope the get it back up and running effectivley soon in time for the influx of German tourists during hte school holidays.

I wonder are they wokring 24 hours of the checks to get them done quicker or just the usual mon - friday 8 hour day?

Could someone explain to me how this would actually pan out if this suggestion was implemented?

I presume that DB Netze owns the tracks, not S-Bahn Berlin-does anybody know for sure?

If it's DB Netze then technically it's possible for another operator to use them for an equivalent service (though practically impossible without massive investment and they'd pretty much have to buy S-Bahn Berlin's rolling stock anyway).

If it's S-Bahn Berlin's own track then nobody can use it except -Bahn Berlin and they'd surely keep running the (profitable) trains at the most profitable times (bye bye Nachtverkehr and outlying stations) so the service would diminish and of course.

I can't see it ever happening but it's interesting to think about how it might be implemented in practice.

The BVG, Berliner Verkehrs Aktiengesellschaft is semi private as far as I am concerned. They depend on the Berlin Govt. for the contract each year. The S-Bahn is run by the Berlin S- Bahn company who are part of DB I think. DB have been attempting to hit the stock market for quite a while dumping older staff, behaving like the Stasi, cutting back on service, stations and increasing prices.

I doubt it.

We need the S Bahn version of the cones hotline. They will probably be starting on the first one next week once the guy with the right spanner comes back off sick leave.

8 minutes to change was shit enough - 18 is bang out of order.

And then there is always some middle age chav banging the window shut whilst whining es zieht. We are not in the Victorian era anymore - a 'sensitive disposition' is no longer a sign of social refinement. And whilst I'm at it - go wash your hair!

@ Murphaph.

DB netze owns the tracks and stations but are now a separate company that will remain in 100% public ownership if and when DB as an operator has some of its shares sold to the public sector.
Any operator winning a tender to operate the Berlin S Bahn would use the same tracks and stations, paying acces charges.
They'd 99% buy or lease the rolling stock from DB.

The operator of the Hamburg U Bahn has already expressed an interest in bidding.

I don't see any objection to someone other than DB running the S Bahn service - the regional trains run by ODEG and NEB are very good. The problem is that DB have become lazy and complacent, and need to have it made clear to them that if they don't run the S Bahn properly, there are other companies that will.

Thanks MT. I wasn't sure of that.

In principle I'd have no objection to a new operator but I'm less hasty to condemn DB and their running of the S-Bahn here given my experience on rail 'transport' in Ireland. If Irish Rail was half as good as DB it'd be a massive improvement. It was annoying this morning though as I arrived on the platform of the Ringbahn to find the next train in 12 minutes!!!

Any idea how long more this is to continue for? I tried the S-bahn website but i could not see anything. Just that the trains are only running a 20 minute takt.

Radio 1 this morning said it was expected to continue over the weekend.

The Ring is running closest to normal (though sometimes trains go "missing" from the five-minute interval in the morning and evening), the main north/south and east/west lines are running every 20 minutes (though obviously more frequently through the centre), but some of the "fringe lines" (e.g. S85 Hohen Neuendorf/Grunau) aren't running at all.

Latest info here:

http://www.s-bahn-berlin.de/bauinformation...etriebslage.htm