SafekipediaBielefeld Hauptbahnhof
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof is the main station in the region of Ostwestfalen-Lippe, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an important station because of the size of the city of Bielefeld and its special location at the Bielefeld Pass, which makes it a key point for both long-distance and regional train travel.
The station was opened in 1847 when the Cologne-Minden trunk line began operating. Today, it is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 2 station, meaning it is a busy and well-used station that helps connect people across the area.
Station environment
Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof is found in the north-west part of Bielefeld, between the Neue Bahnhofsviertel (new station district) and the city centre. Near the station, you can find the entrance to the underground station on the Stadtbahn line that goes through the inner city. Across from the station is the Stadthalle Bielefeld conference centre, which also has a hotel.
The station is on the Hamm–Minden railway, running through the city from the north-east to the south-west. Because it doesn’t have a big train shed, each platform has its own small canopy for shelter.
History
Bielefeld station opened on 15 October 1847 with a simple wooden building, and the first stone station was finished in 1849. The station was far north of the city because there was plenty of flat space there. Over the years, the city grew to reach the station.
A new, grand station building was built and opened on 1 May 1910. It had separate waiting rooms for different types of tickets and offices for railway staff. The station had six platforms connected by tunnels. Even during heavy bombings in 1944, the station's front remained almost the same.
In the 1990s, the station became a stop for fast trains between Cologne and Berlin, making it even busier. In recent years, the station was updated with new tracks, platforms, and better access, finishing in 2006. Now, the station connects directly to a new area with places to eat and relax, making Bielefeld more appealing.
Rail services
Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof is a busy train station where both long-distance and regional trains stop. Trains travel along the Ruhr–Hanover line and within the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region. The station has only 7 platform tracks, so sometimes two trains share the same platform.
All regional trains, trams, and buses can be used with special fares called Der Sechser (“the six”) from the Ostwestfalen-Lippe transport association and NRW-tariff fares. Night buses between 1 AM and 5 AM are an exception. The Niedersachsen-Ticket can be used on the Regional-Express service RE 70 (Weser-Leine-Express) by buying a small extra charge when traveling to or from Herford.
| Line | Route | Frequency | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICE 10 | Cologne – | Düsseldorf – Duisburg – Essen – Dortmund – | Hamm – Bielefeld – Hanover – Wolfsburg – Berlin – Berlin Ostbahnhof | Hourly |
| Wuppertal – Hagen – | ||||
| ICE 14 | Aachen – Mönchengladbach – Essen – Bochum – Dortmund – Hamm – Bielefeld – Hanover – Berlin – Berlin Ostbahnhof | Four trains a day | ||
| ICE 19 | Berlin East – Berlin Hbf – Berlin-Spandau – Hanover – Bielefeld – Hagen – Wuppertal – Cologne (– Bonn – Koblenz – Mainz – Mannheim – Heidelberg – Stuttgart) | Every 2 hours | ||
| IC 55 | Dresden – Leipzig – Magdeburg – Braunschweig – Hanover – Minden – Bad Oeynhausen – Herford – Bielefeld – Gütersloh – Hamm – Wuppertal – Cologne – Bonn – Koblenz – Mainz – Mannheim – Heidelberg – Stuttgart (– Tübingen) | Every 2 hours | ||
| FLX 30 | Leipzig – Lutherstadt Wittenberg – Berlin Südkreuz – Berlin Hbf – Berlin-Spandau – Hannover – Bielefeld – Dortmund – Essen – Duisburg – Düsseldorf – Cologne – Aachen | 1-2 train pairs daily | ||
| Line | Name | Route | Frequency | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RE 6 | Rhein-Weser-Express | Minden (Westf) – Bielefeld – Hamm (Westf) – Dortmund – Essen – Duisburg – Düsseldorf – Neuss – Cologne – Cologne/Bonn Airport | Hourly | National Express |
| RB 61 | Wiehengebirgs-Bahn | Bielefeld – Herford – Osnabrück – Rheine – Bad Bentheim | Hourly | eurobahn |
| RB 67 | Der Warendorfer | Bielefeld – Gütersloh – Warendorf – Münster (Westf) | Hourly | eurobahn |
| RB 69 | Ems-Börde-Bahn | Bielefeld – Hamm (Westf) – Münster (Westf) | Hourly | eurobahn |
| RE 70 | Weser-Leine-Express | Bielefeld – Minden (Westf) – Hanover – Braunschweig | Every 2 hours | WestfalenBahn |
| RB 71 | Ravensberger Bahn | Bielefeld – Herford – Bünde (Westf) – Rahden (Kr Lübbecke) | Hourly | eurobahn |
| RB 73 | Der Lipperländer | Bielefeld – Lage (Lippe) – Lemgo | Hourly | eurobahn |
| RB 74 | Senne-Bahn | Bielefeld – Sennestadt – Paderborn (continues as RB 84 to Holzminden) | Hourly | NordWestBahn |
| RB 75 | Haller Willem | Bielefeld – Halle (Westf) – Osnabrück | Hourly | NordWestBahn |
| RE 78 | Porta-Express | Bielefeld – Herford – Löhne (Westf) – Minden (Westf) – Nienburg (Weser) (Mo bis Fr) | Every 2 hours | eurobahn |
| RE 82 | Der Leineweber | Bielefeld – Lage (Lippe) – Detmold (– Altenbeken) | Hourly | eurobahn |
Stadtbahn connections
The underground Stadtbahn station is served by all Stadtbahn lines:
Buses run from the station forecourt to places like Bad Salzuflen, Leopoldshöhe, Borgholzhausen, Gütersloh, and Steinhagen. They also go to nearby areas such as Heepen, Dornsberg, and Quelle in Bielefeld. The main bus station in Bielefeld is at Jahnplatz, which is a short distance away and has buses going in many directions.
| Line | Route |
|---|---|
| Line 1 | Schildesche – Hauptbahnhof – Jahnplatz – Bethel – Brackwede – Senne |
| Line 2 | Altenhagen – Milse – Baumheide – Hauptbahnhof – Jahnplatz – Sieker |
| Line 3 | Babenhausen-Süd – Hauptbahnhof – Jahnplatz – Dürkopp Tor 6 |
| Line 4 | Lohmannshof – Universität – Hauptbahnhof – Jahnplatz – Sieker Mitte – Stieghorst Zentrum |
Parking and cycle facilities
There is a parking area in the new station district on the northwest side of the station. You can find places to park your bicycle right next to the station building. You can also rent bikes and electric bikes if you would like.
Access
The main entrance of Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof is in the station forecourt, called Bahnhofsplatz. It is just a short 200-metre walk from the Stadtbahn station. The station has barrier-free lifts and moving walkways to help everyone get around easily.
You can also reach the station from a new area on the other side. Platforms 1 to 6 can be reached by wheelchair using lifts and an underpass. Track 8 can be accessed from ground level in the new station district, which connects to the station building by lift and underpass.
Images
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