Berlin Central
A Work in Progress
Even as a work in progress, Berlin's new train station was attracting attention as an architectural gem and a technological showpiece. Which is why some 10,000 people went out of their way to visit the construction site annually.
Political Connections
A direct subway line will connect Berlin's new rail hub with the newly built subway station in the immediate proximity of the German parliament building, popularly referred to as the Chancellor's Subway.
Busy Schedules
The new station takes up 180,000 square meters (1,9 million square feet). It will serve some 300,000 passangers every day with almost 1,300 long-distance, regional and local trains.
A New Old Station
Lehrter Bahnhof was chosen to become Berlin's new Hauptbahnhof (central station) because of its central location and proximity to the government district, Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz. It also still carries an important symbolic connotation, since the old Lehrter Bahnhof served as a main economic motor of the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
End of an Era
In many ways, the completion of Berlin's central train station represents the end of an era. Lehrter Bahnhof is the last in a series of large-scale infrastructure and architectural projects in the reunified city which included the reconstruction of Potsdamer Platz and the Reichstag.
How It All Started
Lehrter Bahnhof originally opened in 1871. It was severely damaged in World War II and further demolished in the fifties, when it assumed a ghostly appearance in the midst of a no-man's land.
A Massive Project
It took 10 years and 700 million euors ($842 million) to complete Berlin's new glamorous central train station. Lehrter Bahnhof will be Europe's largest rail hub. It will also practically put Berlin's two older train stations out of business.
Shop Till You Drop
The new train station features twin 12-story glass towers for offices as well as a full-fledged, three-storey shopping mall. The filigreed-glass roof, which crosses the glass-latticed hall, is more than 300 meters (328 yards) long.
Future Paths
Although critics of the new project claim the station was a waste of money, supporters and city officials hope that Lehrter Bahnhof will have a positive impact on the economy and contribute to the image of Berlin as thriving, international capital.