Creighton
New Member
Hello! Long time lurker here.
I lived in Berlin for a year and there is absolutely no comparison between transit here and over there. Comparing Berlin to TTC/GO is like comparing the space shuttle to a Sopwith Camel!
Go trains should be compared to regional trains (RE and RB) not S-bahn, only R trains run all day, in all directions, and at 20-60 minute intervals. RE are express trains that only stop at major stations while RB make more frequent stops. Think hourly, all-day service to Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Barrie, Peterborough etc. and all points in between and beyond.
S-bahn. There is nothing comparable to S-bahn here. They run 24 hours at 10-20 minute frequencies and cover the entire city.
U-bahn. There are 9 lines (+U-55 that will eventually become an extension of U-5) and have similar hours to the TTC except they run 24 hours Friday to Sunday. Night buses run the exact routes overnight on weekdays.
Trams are found mostly in the former east as the west chose subways over trams in the 1960's. They are slowly re-introducing trams to the west. They run both grade separated and in mixed traffic but have dedicated signals which give them precedence over cars at intersections. There is no bunching, short turns or lateness. Germans won't put up with lateness!
Buses are double-decker, articulated or regular as well as express routes (X bus) and limited stop metro buses (M bus) as well a M trams which tend to connect modes (ex. U or S station to R station)
There are 10 major intermodal stations that operate as hubs for trains, U-bahn, S-bahn, buses and trams. Five of those also handle international rail including 3 that serve ICE high speed trains.
Fares are honour system, POP, and are purchased from automated machines using cash or cards. There is a 3-zone system: A includes everything inside the S-bahn ring, about 3/4 of the city. B is everything outside the ring to the city borders and C includes towns outside the city for about 20-30 km's in every direction. It's a standard fare, good on all regional trains, U, S, trams, buses and even the half dozen or so ferries. No turnstiles or fare gates, just hop on or off anything that moves.
All trains are electric and virtually every transit vehicle is made by Bombardier (except buses). Anything that isn't Bombardier is being replaced by them. They were even part of the consortium that built the ICE high speed trains.
The 2 systems are not at all comparable. It would take a solid 50 years of continuous, frenzied building just to reach the level of transit that is available to Berliners today. You can't even compare the cities themselves because they follow almost complete opposite development models. Even size and population density don't mean anything because the City of Berlin includes huge lake and forest districts around its outer borders, particularly the west and south east. Where development does run to the city limit, it tends to end abruptly and not sprawl seamlessly into the next suburb.
I lived in Berlin for a year and there is absolutely no comparison between transit here and over there. Comparing Berlin to TTC/GO is like comparing the space shuttle to a Sopwith Camel!
Go trains should be compared to regional trains (RE and RB) not S-bahn, only R trains run all day, in all directions, and at 20-60 minute intervals. RE are express trains that only stop at major stations while RB make more frequent stops. Think hourly, all-day service to Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Barrie, Peterborough etc. and all points in between and beyond.
S-bahn. There is nothing comparable to S-bahn here. They run 24 hours at 10-20 minute frequencies and cover the entire city.
U-bahn. There are 9 lines (+U-55 that will eventually become an extension of U-5) and have similar hours to the TTC except they run 24 hours Friday to Sunday. Night buses run the exact routes overnight on weekdays.
Trams are found mostly in the former east as the west chose subways over trams in the 1960's. They are slowly re-introducing trams to the west. They run both grade separated and in mixed traffic but have dedicated signals which give them precedence over cars at intersections. There is no bunching, short turns or lateness. Germans won't put up with lateness!
Buses are double-decker, articulated or regular as well as express routes (X bus) and limited stop metro buses (M bus) as well a M trams which tend to connect modes (ex. U or S station to R station)
There are 10 major intermodal stations that operate as hubs for trains, U-bahn, S-bahn, buses and trams. Five of those also handle international rail including 3 that serve ICE high speed trains.
Fares are honour system, POP, and are purchased from automated machines using cash or cards. There is a 3-zone system: A includes everything inside the S-bahn ring, about 3/4 of the city. B is everything outside the ring to the city borders and C includes towns outside the city for about 20-30 km's in every direction. It's a standard fare, good on all regional trains, U, S, trams, buses and even the half dozen or so ferries. No turnstiles or fare gates, just hop on or off anything that moves.
All trains are electric and virtually every transit vehicle is made by Bombardier (except buses). Anything that isn't Bombardier is being replaced by them. They were even part of the consortium that built the ICE high speed trains.
The 2 systems are not at all comparable. It would take a solid 50 years of continuous, frenzied building just to reach the level of transit that is available to Berliners today. You can't even compare the cities themselves because they follow almost complete opposite development models. Even size and population density don't mean anything because the City of Berlin includes huge lake and forest districts around its outer borders, particularly the west and south east. Where development does run to the city limit, it tends to end abruptly and not sprawl seamlessly into the next suburb.
