The Bielefeld Stadtbahn is a
metre gauge
Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre.
The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
light rail (i.e. ''
Stadtbahn
' (; German for "city railway"; plural ') is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that co ...
'') network in the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
city of
Bielefeld
Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Detmold and the ...
,
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The system does include some segments built to
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
standards. It is operated by
moBiel, a subsidiary of the Bielefeld municipal authority (''Stadtwerke''), and integrated in the
Westfalentarif transport association. It served 32.77 million passengers in 2012.
History
The old tram ''(Straßenbahn)'' network was rebuilt into a three-line ''
Stadtbahn
' (; German for "city railway"; plural ') is a German word referring to various types of urban rail transport. One type of transport originated in the 19th century, firstly in Berlin and followed by Vienna, where rail routes were created that co ...
'' (light rail) network between 1978 and 1991, with the official inauguration of the Stadtbahn in 1991.
A fourth line was built to the university area and added to the network in 2002.
Operations
Hours of operation and frequencies
Trains run until 1 a.m. every day, with service starting at 4:30 a.m. every weekday, at 6:00 a.m. on Saturdays, and at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays and public holidays. Trains run every 5–10 minutes during the day and at least every 15 minutes late night and Sundays. On weekend nights, there is an hourly service, so there is a proposal for 24-hour service.
Lines
The Bielefeld Stadtbahn is made up of four lines, with a total
track length of .
The mainline network operates over a total
route length of ,
serving 62 stops,
of which seven are underground stations.
Future service
In 2013 the municipal council decided to build a new Line "5" from the ''
Kunsthalle Bielefeld
The Kunsthalle Bielefeld is a modern and contemporary art museum in Bielefeld, Germany. It was designed by Philip Johnson in 1968, and paid for by the businessman and art patron Rudolf August Oetker.[Kesselbrink
Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Detmold and the ...]
'' to Heepen, with an opening planned for 2019. However, a citizens initiative voted against proceeding with this extension in 2014.
Gallery
Stadtbahn-BI-wittekindstr.jpg, Wittekindstraße station
Stadtbahn-BI-jahnplatz.jpg, Jahnplatz station
Bielefeld-station-Hauptbahnhof-080927.jpg, Hauptbahnhof station
Stadtbahn-BI-hbf.jpg, Hauptbahnhof station
Bielefeld-081108-131532.jpg, M8D typical rolling stock
Bielefeld Stadtbahn Vamos.jpg, Vamos multiple-unit rolling stock
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F009834-0007, Bielefeld, Hotel Bielefelder Hof.jpg, Tram in 1961
References
Inline references
Bibliography
*
External links
moBiel - official siteTrack plan of the Bielefeld Stadtbahn
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Tram transport in Germany
Underground rapid transit in Germany
Bielefeld