Munich U-Bahn

The Munich U-Bahn is an electric rapid transit network in Munich, Germany. It opened on 19 October 1971 and is run by the city-owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG). The U-Bahn is part of the larger Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund (MVV) and works together with the Munich S-Bahn to help people travel around the city.

The U-Bahn has eight lines that stop at 96 stations and cover about 95 kilometres (59 miles) of tracks. In 2024, more than 452 million people used the Munich U-Bahn to get around. It is a very important part of public transport in Munich.

Lines

The Munich U-Bahn operates eight lines.

The network covers 95 km of track and has 100 stations. In 2024, it carried 452 million passengers. Trains run at up to 80 km/h, the fastest speed of any German U-Bahn.

Service stops overnight (01:00–04:00 on weekdays, 02:00–04:00 on weekends), except on occasions such as New Year's Eve.

Line U6 is the only line that leaves Munich, running north to Garching. All others stay underground within the city. U5 comes above ground at Neuperlach Süd. U6 is above ground between Studentenstadt and Garching, with short tunnels at Garching and Garching-Forschungszentrum.

Three line pairs share tracks in the city centre, with coordinated timetables:

• U1 and U2
• U3 and U6
• U4 and U5

Most stations have two tracks with an island platform. Stations with side platforms are: Olympia-Einkaufszentrum (U1), Richard-Strauss-Straße (U4), Neuperlach Süd (U5), Garching-Hochbrück, and Nordfriedhof (both U6).

Some stations are larger:

• Scheidplatz and Innsbrucker Ring – four tracks with two island platforms for cross-platform interchange
• Hauptbahnhof (U1/U2) and Münchner Freiheit (U3/U6) – four tracks on one level
• Implerstraße (U3/U6), Max-Weber-Platz (U4/U5), Kolumbusplatz (U1/U2) – three tracks (one side, one island)
• Olympiazentrum, Fröttmaning, and Kieferngarten – four tracks each; Olympiazentrum for the Olympic Park, Fröttmaning and Kieferngarten for the depot and the Allianz Arena

At Hauptbahnhof, lines U4 and U5 use a separate station at a higher level, giving a total of six tracks. Sendlinger Tor, Odeonsplatz, and Olympia-Einkaufszentrum also have two levels, connected by escalators and lifts.

Frequency and scheduling

• Peak hours: every 5 minutes, as often as every 2 minutes where lines overlap.
• Off-peak: every 10 minutes.
• Early mornings and late evenings: every 20 minutes or more, though overlapping lines often reduce waiting times.

U1

Line U1 opened in 1980 together with the former U8 (now U2). Initially it operated on part of the U2 route, but became a separate line after the branch to Rotkreuzplatz was completed.

Today the line is 12.2 km long and serves 15 stations. It runs from Olympia-Einkaufszentrum in Moosach, where line U3 also terminates on a different level, to Mangfallplatz in the south. The line colour is green.

From Olympia-Einkaufszentrum the line runs along Hanauer Straße to Georg-Brauchle-Ring, designed by artist Franz Ackermann, and continues via Westfriedhof, Gern, and Rotkreuzplatz, which was the terminus from 1983 to 1998. It then proceeds beneath Nymphenburger Straße to Maillingerstraße and Stiglmaierplatz before joining the U2 at Hauptbahnhof.

On the busy city section, U1 and U2 run with coordinated 5-minute intervals. At Hauptbahnhof, interchange to all S-Bahn lines and lines U4/U5 is available.

South of Hauptbahnhof, U1 continues to Sendlinger Tor, where the U1/U2 platforms are located in separate tunnels linked by a pedestrian passage. At Fraunhoferstraße, close to the Isar, large support pillars define the station's design. At Kolumbusplatz, U1 branches off from U2.

The southern extension opened in 1997. It includes Candidplatz, Wettersteinplatz, and St.-Quirin-Platz, the last of which has a glass-and-steel shell roof that extends nearly to track level. The line terminates at Mangfallplatz beneath Naupliastraße.

U2

The route of the U2 line has undergone more changes than any of the other Munich underground lines. It also changed its name as it was first called U8. It is the only line that runs or ran on all three "line families" (U1/U2, U3/U6 and U4/U5). Today it has a length of 24.4 km and 27 stations. The line's colour is red.

The U2 starts in the north at Feldmoching, where it connects to the S1 to Freising/Airport. The station there is decorated with rural and urban motives of Feldmoching's history. Below Hasenbergl, a district which had been known for its social problems, it goes to Dülferstraße, which provides access to the eastern Hasenbergl and a newly built area on Panzerwiese. Dülferstraße was the terminus from 1993 till 1996.

Via the stations Harthof and Am Hart, the U2 reaches Frankfurter Ring. In the tunnel between Am Hart and Frankfurter Ring, there is a white and blue wave pattern, which is the only installation of art in a Munich U-Bahn tunnel outside of stations.

After Milbertshofen station the U2 touches the U3 line at Scheidplatz, where cross-platform interchange is possible. Before the opening of the section to Dülferstraße in 1993, U2 went from Scheidplatz to Olympiazentrum, sharing the track with the U3. Through the district of Maxvorstadt the U2 continues to downtown Munich, reaching the stations Hohenzollernplatz, Josephsplatz, Theresienstraße und Königsplatz. At Königsplatz one can find artworks from the nearby Glyptothek on the platform.

At München Hauptbahnhof (Munich Central Station), the U2 meets the U1, with which it shares tracks until Kolumbusplatz (see above).

After Kolumbusplatz the U2 continues eastward and reaches the stations Silberhornstraße, Untersbergstraße and Giesing station, with an interchange possibility to S3 and S7. The next stations are Karl-Preis-Platz and Innsbrucker Ring, where cross-platform interchange to the U5 is possible. Until 1999, when the branch to the Messestadt stations was opened, the U2 ran from here to Neuperlach.

Via the stations Josephsburg and Kreillerstraße the U2 reaches Trudering, which features two platforms in separate tunnels, connected by two transversal tunnels. Via Moosfeld, the U2 reaches Messestadt West and its terminus Messestadt Ost. These stations are located between the fairgrounds (Messestadt) in the north and a development area and the Bundesgartenschau 2005 in the south.

U3

The U3 is the original Olympic line; the first section was opened for the Olympic Summer Games 1972. Today the line has a total of length of 21.2 km and 25 stations. The line's colour is orange.

Today the U3 starts in the north at Moosach, Munich's 100th U-Bahn station, where passengers can change to the S1 to Freising/Airport. From here the line runs east to Moosacher St.-Martins-Platz and Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, where a change to the U1 is possible. After passing through Oberwiesenfeld station, the U3 reaches its original northern terminus at Olympiazentrum. From 1972 until 2007, this station was the end of the original Olympic line.

When Munich was awarded the Olympic Summer Games 1972 in 1965, the U-Bahn network concept (which was adopted only one year earlier) had to be revised to speed up the construction of a connection to the Olympic venues at Olympic grounds. The Olympic connector (now U3) was redesigned as a branch of the U6 line, because the original plan of a direct connection to the Olympic ground from Munich Central Station was not feasible in the new timeframe. This original U3 sections consists of four stations (from north to south): Olympiazentrum, Petuelring, Scheidplatz, where cross-platform interchange to the U2 (the line originally supposed to serve the Olympic venues) is possible since 1980, and Bonner Platz. After Bonner Platz the U3 reaches Münchner Freiheit, where it joins the U6 to run together through the inner city section to Implerstraße (for this section see U6 below).

After leaving the three-track junction station Implerstraße, where the U6 heads west towards Harras before ending up in Großhadern suburb, the U3 reaches Brudermühlstraße (near the picturesque Flaucher section of the Isar river), Thalkirchen (Zoo) (a short walk from the large city zoo) and Obersendling, which is built 30 metres higher than the Thalkirchen station, because it is located on the "Hochufer" (western tread) of the River Isar. Here, interchange to the S-Bahn at Siemenswerke station is possible. The U3 continues west via Aidenbachstraße and Machtlfinger Straße, before reaching Forstenrieder Allee, Basler Straße, and eventually the terminus Fürstenried West. This southern-eastern section was opened on 28 October 1989, as can be seen from huge date numbers on the western entrance of Obersendling station.

U4

With only 9.2 km and 13 stations, the U4 is Munich's shortest U-Bahn line. This line has originally been planned as U9 and is the only line that operates regularly with 4-car sets rather than the full 6-car set. The exceptions are Fridays in the late afternoon and during the Oktoberfest. The line's colour is mint green.

The U4 begins in the west in the Laim neighbourhood at Westendstraße station, which it shares with the U5 line. Both U4 and U5 are the only lines of a joint line "family", which only branch out on one end of the common line, as an originally planned western extension of the U4 was first put on hold and was subsequently cancelled altogether.

From Westendstraße the U4 runs east to Heimeranplatz, which connects to S7 and S20 S-Bahn lines. The next two stations, Schwanthalerhöhe (originally called Messegelände, the German for "exhibition grounds"; the name was changed when the exhibition centre relocated to Riem in 1998) and Theresienwiese, are gateways to the Oktoberfest, and are therefore highly loaded during this event. Between both aforementioned stations, there is a track that links to Implerstraße to provide a connection to the depot in Fröttmaning.

Theresienwiese is one of only two U-Bahn stations in Munich (besides Fröttmaning station which serves Allianz Arena) to have the command centre booth opened during the Oktoberfest for supervising the masses of passengers. The southern exit of the station leads to the northern entrance of Oktoberfest. U4 trains arriving from the east often terminate at Theresienwiese rather than continue to Westendstraße even during peak hours due to low traffic volume east of Hauptbahnhof.

After Theresienwiese the U4 reaches München Hauptbahnhof (Munich Central Station); passengers can transfer to U1/U2 lines as well as to all S-Bahn lines (except S20) here. The next station is Karlsplatz (Stachus) with shorter and easier connections to S-Bahn (S1 to S8). Karlsplatz is the deepest station in Munich's U-Bahn network (36 metres below the surface). From this point on, the U4 runs north of the S-Bahn cross-city tunnel.

After passing Odeonsplatz, where an interchange to U3/U6 trains is possible, and Lehel, the U4 crosses the River Isar in a tunnel, and reaches Max-Weber-Platz, the last station that is shared with the U5. Here, the U4 branches off to the north, while the U5 runs south.

Before terminating at Arabellapark, the U4 passes the stations Prinzregentenplatz, Böhmerwaldplatz, and Richard-Strauss-Straße, the latter being the only station of the line to be equipped with side platforms instead of an island platform.

The original plan called for an extension to Johanneskirchen station (where easy transfer to the S8 S-Bahn line would be possible) via Fideliopark, but was never built, due to low current ridership in the area north of Max-Weber-Platz. The extension of the tram line in the area in 2011 made the plan even more unlikely to materialise. A possible extension in the west to Blumenau is even more improbable.

In the evenings from around 20.40 to the close of operations, the U4 only operates between Odeonsplatz and Arabellapark.

U5

The U5 currently begins at Laimer Platz; an extension to Pasing is under construction. The total length currently is 15.4 km. The line's colour is brown.

Via Friedenheimer Straße, the U5 reaches Westendstraße. From there, the U5 shares the tracks with the U4 to Max-Weber-Platz (see above).

At Max-Weber-Platz, the U5 branches off to the south to Ostbahnhof (East Station), where changing to all S-Bahn lines is possible. The next station, Innsbrucker Ring, allows cross-platform interchange to the U2.

The U5 continues south to Michaelibad, Quiddestraße, and Neuperlach Zentrum, which is the centre of the satellite town of Neuperlach, built during the 1960s and 1970s. Going on to Therese-Giehse-Allee, the U5 comes above ground and reaches its terminus Neuperlach Süd, where it allows cross-platform interchange with S-Bahn line S7. South-east of Neuperlach-Süd is a large parking yard (Betriebsanlage Süd) used to park trains which can't be parked at the technical base in Fröttmaning or within the network.

U6

The U6 is the oldest U-Bahn line of the network and also features the oldest tunnel built: the section below the Lindwurmstraße (between Sendlinger Tor and including the station Goetheplatz) was already built 1938–1941 as part of a planned S-Bahn network. For this reason Goetheplatz has a platform longer than the standard 120 metres. Today the line has a length of 27.4 km. Its colour is blue.

Since 2006 the northern terminus of the U6 is Garching-Forschungszentrum; via Garching it reaches Garching-Hochbrück. These three stations are outside the city limits of Munich in the city of Garching.

The distance of 4.1 km to the next station at Fröttmaning is the longest distance between two stations in Munich's U-Bahn network. Fröttmaning has been expanded to two island platforms and four tracks to cater for the Allianz Arena football stadium, built for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The technical base of the U-Bahn is located at Fröttmaning, too. After passing Kieferngarten station, which has two island platforms as well, it crosses over a rail bridge to Freimann and Studentenstadt. Between these two stations is a connection to mainline railway tracks, which is used to bring new trains into the network. The bridge was originally used by the tram and was the only tram track to be converted to be part of the U-Bahn network. The U6 then continues underground for the rest of its way south.

Via Alte Heide, Nordfriedhof (station with side platforms), and Dietlindenstraße, the U6 reaches Münchner Freiheit, where it joins the U3 on the shared inner city tunnel.

Passing Giselastraße and Universität (University), it arrives at Odeonsplatz, where it connects to the U4/U5 lines. Continuing to Marienplatz, it crosses the S-Bahn lines. During peak hours this station is can get overcrowded, which is why additional pedestrian tunnels were built between 2003 and 2006.

At Sendlinger Tor the U3/U6 crosses the U1/U2 line, and interchange is possible. The line now uses the tunnel built in 1941 mentioned above as far as Goetheplatz. The next station, Poccistraße was added belatedly, constructed between the two existing tunnels which stayed operational. At Implerstraße the U3 and U6 separate again. To the north of the station, facing north, there is a branch to the U4/U5 at Schwanthalerhöhe, which is not used for passenger transport.

At Harras the U6 connects to the S-Bahn lines S7 and S20, and to regional trains to the south. The section via Partnachplatz and Westpark to Holzapfelkreuth was constructed for the Internationale Gartenbauausstellung (IGA) in 1983 was therefore dubbed "flower line", which is reflected in the design of these stations. Passing Haderner Stern and Großhadern, the U6 reaches its current southern terminus at Klinikum Großhadern, where the entrance to the station is covered by a glass pyramid.

An extension to Martinsried, which is only approx. 1 km west of the current terminus, is under construction, and is supposed to open in 2027.

U7

This booster line (it only operates during rush hours) was added in December 2011 along with the new tram extension to St. Emmeram. The U7 runs between Olympia-Einkaufszentrum and Neuperlach Zentrum via München Hauptbahnhof and Innsbrucker Ring: it shares the tracks with the U1 from Olympia-Einkaufszentrum to Kolumbusplatz, the U2 from München Hauptbahnhof to Innsbrucker Ring, and the U5 from Innsbrucker Ring to its southern terminus Neuperlach Zentrum.

U8

This booster line started operations in December 2013. It only operates on Saturday afternoons. The U8 begins in the north at Olympiazentrum and shares the tracks with the U3 as far as Scheidplatz, where it continues along the U2 tracks to Innsbrucker Ring and terminates at Neuperlach Zentrum. It is only running on Saturdays to ease crowding on the U2 and U3 lines, and to provide people an easier access to the Olympic Park from Munich Central Station.

Rolling stock

The Munich U-Bahn uses three types of electric trains. Over 550 train cars are used on all the lines.

Summary

Class A

Main article: MVG Class A

Class A trains were built between 1967 and 1983. Each train has two connected cars, measuring 37.15 m long and 2.90 m wide, with three doors on each side. They can carry 98 people sitting and 192 standing.

A total of 193 of these trains were made, and 179 are still in use. Up to three of these trains can be connected to form a longer train.

Class B

Main article: MVG Class B

Class B trains were added between 1981 and 1994 to carry more passengers. Six test trains were built before full production started. These trains are the same size as Class A but have:

• A new design for the front
• Different engines
• Simpler door controls

A total of 63 of these trains were built, and 57 are still in use. Up to three of these trains can be connected, but they cannot be connected to Class A trains.

Class C

Main article: MVG Class C

Class C trains were developed in the late 1990s to replace older trains. Unlike the older trains, these are made of six connected cars.

• C1 series – Ten C1.9 trains started in 2002, followed by eight C1.10 trains in 2005 before the 2006 FIFA World Cup. A total of 18 C1 trains are in use.
• C2 series – Based on the Siemens Inspiro. Ordered in 2010, with deliveries:
  • 21 trains (C2.11) – delivered in 2018 (delayed from 2012)
  • 22 trains (C2.12) – delivered 2020–2022
  • 24 trains (C2.13) – delivered 2022–2024

In total, 67 C2 trains are in use or will be soon.

Operation

MVG has increased how often trains run in recent years:

• Busy lines (U1/U2/U7/U8 and U3/U6): every 5 minutes
• Less busy lines (U4/U5): every 10 minutes

Train formations:

• Long train: three Class A/B trains or one Class C1/C2 train
• Short train: one or two Class A/B trains, used on less busy lines or during quiet times

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, short train services were stopped for a time.

The U3/U6 corridor often has delays because of too many passengers, technical problems, and regular maintenance. This was an important reason for planning the future U9 line.

Since 2025, night services run on Fridays, Saturdays, and nights before public holidays. All six main lines run every 30 minutes.

History

In 1905, people in Munich first thought about building an underground train system. But these plans were too big for the city at the time, so they were forgotten. Later, in 1928, there were new plans to replace trams with underground trains, but these plans stopped because of a big worldwide problem with money.

During the time of Nazi Germany, plans for underground trains started again, but World War II stopped all work. Some tunnels were built but not finished. After the war, the city focused on fixing trams instead.

In the 1950s, Munich thought about putting some tram lines underground. In 1964, they decided to build a real underground network. Work began in 1965, and the first line opened on 19 October 1971 between Kieferngarten and Goetheplatz. More lines were added over the years, especially for the 1972 Summer Olympics. The network kept growing, with new stations and lines opening in the 2000s.

Future expansions

Extensions under construction

U5 (west) – extension to Pasing Bahnhof

The Laimer Platz-Pasing extension was approved on 14 July 2015 to help busy tram and bus routes between Laimer Platz and Pasing. In case of S-Bahn problems between Pasing Bahnhof and Ostbahnhof via Hauptbahnhof, the U5 can help connect both stations. Construction started in 2024 at a cost of 1.3 billion euros and is planned to open in the early 2030s. Two new subway stations will be built between Pasing and Laimer Platz, named Baumschule Laim and Am Knie. When finished, U5 will be the only subway line in Munich to connect Hauptbahnhof with both west (Pasing) and east (Ostbahnhof) ends that have trains going far away.

U5 (west) – new station in Freiham

People asked to extend U5 to Freiham from Pasing Bahnhof. MVG first said no because it would cost more and two S-Bahn lines already go to Freiham. Extending the tram line was thought to be cheaper. On 17 July 2015, people worked together with support from the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) to extend U5 to Freiham. In January 2019, the city decided to go ahead with extending U5 to Freiham. Because more people are moving there, the subway is better than the tram for more travelers. The end of the line will be in Freiham town centre, helping the town more than the two S-Bahn lines.

On 26 January 2020, the city approved plans to extend U5 to Freiham, starting construction at the same time as the Pasing Bahnhof subway station in 2021. The 750 million euros Pasing Bahnhof-Freiham extension is 4.5 kilometres long and will have four new stations: Westkreuz, Radolfzeller Straße, Riesenburgstraße, and Freiham Zentrum. The finish date is expected to be between 2035 and 2040.

On 28 July 2020, the administrative district of Oberbayern approved the plan for the second part between Willibaldstraße and Am Knie. The second part goes from Willibaldstraße U-Bahnhof between Landsberger Straße and Agnes-Bernauer-Straße toward Westbad Hallenbad and Eis- und Funsportzentrums West. Am Knie U-Bahnhof will be very close to these places for easy access.

Groundbreaking for the Freiham Zentrum station happened on 28 May 2024. Because the construction is in an open field, it will not need to change existing roads or buildings, saving about 50 million euros. The support structure for the station is planned to be done by 2027. The 4.7 km connection to Pasing via three stations (Riesenburgstraße, Radolfzeller Straße and Westkreuz) is expected in the 2040s.

U6 (south) – extension to Martinsried

This 1,300-metre extension will serve a big biotechnology centre at Martinsried. The cost in 2012 was estimated at €73.3 million: because the extension goes through Munich city limits, 95% of the money comes from the Free State of Bavaria while Planegg and Munich added smaller amounts. Planning was approved in 2013, and the expected finish date was 2014–2015. But the area has old waste and a old gravel pit, causing delays. Tunnel building began in February 2023 with work to finish in 2027.

Planned extensions

U4 (east) – extension to Englschalking Bahnhof

This extension is being thought about for the third medium-term planning along with moving part of the S8 line from the road to underground between Unterföhring and Leuchtenbergring stations. Whether this will be approved and when it will be built is still not clear. The stations would be Cosimapark, Fideliopark, and Englschalking, all in Bogenhausen.

U3 (west) – extension to Untermenzing

This extension continues from the U3's extension to Moosach, and it will go via Waldhornstraße. Whether this will be approved and when it will be built is still not clear.

U5 (south) – extension to Taufkirchen

After people worked together to extend U5 west to Pasing and then to Freiham, the state parliament is looking at extending south of Neuperlach Süd station to Taufkirchen. This would help big companies (including Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik and Airbus Defence and Space), the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, the Technical University of Munich Department of Aerospace and Geodesy, and towns (Neubiberg, Ottobrunn, and Taufkirchen).

The six-kilometre extension with four new stations is estimated to cost 300–400 million Euros, and the exact route is not yet decided. Because of the cost, the extension would be built above ground since tunnel costs about €80 million per kilometre. The Bavarian minister president, Markus Söder, is working to get more money from the government, following a recent change in the old law, Gemeindeverkehrsfinanzierungsgesetz (Municipal Transportation Finances Act), to fix cost issues for areas far from the city. No construction or finish date is given yet.

Abandoned extension plans

U1 (south) – extension to Harlaching Hospital via Laurinplatz

Although plans for this extension were quite far along, low numbers of expected travelers led to stopping it in favour of a tram or light rail from Schwanseestraße. But in 2015 and 2016, it was also said that it might be extended to Solln.

U1 (north) – extension to Feldmoching

With this extension, the U1 line would end at S-Bahn and U2 subway stations in Feldmoching. The subway station, Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, would be renamed as the Northern Cross. The extension would connect with U2 line at Hasenbergl subway station then go to Feldmoching. This plan was stopped.

U2 (north) – extension to Karlsfeld

The city council of Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen and the CSU group in Karlsfeld town council suggested extending U2 from Feldmoching to Karlsfeld above ground to help cars on the roads. This should also make it easier for workers at big companies MAN and MTU to use public transport. After early checks showed it would not save much money, it was decided not to build it.

U6 (north) – extension to Munich Airport

This would be the only U-Bahn line with a direct way to Munich Airport. At Hallbergmoos station, U6 would go together with the S8 line to the airport and stop at both terminals before going further to Eching and Neufahrn. However, the plan was stopped.

U9 and U29 bypass lines

On 11 February 2014, SWM/MVG shared a detailed plan for building a new 10.5 km bypass line, a sixth city underground line, to be called the U9. The new line will help busy U1/U2/U7/U8 and U3/U6 lines, especially the places where people change lines at Sendlinger Tor, Hauptbahnhof, and Odeonsplatz, and will make the trip between Hauptbahnhof and Allianz Arena shorter by not needing to change at Marienplatz or Odeonsplatz. MVG expects lots of growth in travelers in the north part of Munich in the next twenty years and wants to plan now.

The plan was changed and approved in January 2018 to add three big building projects at Hauptbahnhof: the second S-Bahn tunnel and station, a new special U9 platform, and rebuilding Hauptbahnhof. On 2 July 2019, money for U9 building was approved, with most of the €3.5 billion coming from the government. The confirmed finish date is 2038 at the latest.

The changed plan removes U6 service between Implerstraße and Münchner Freiheit to help busy U3 and reduce crowded places at Sendlinger Tor and Odeonsplatz when people change lines during busy times. The U9 takes over the current U6's southwestern (Klinikum Großhadern – Implerstraße) and northeastern (Münchner Freiheit – Garching-Forschungszentrum) parts. The new stations would be Martinsried (a new part west of Klinikum Großhadern), Esperantoplatz, Hauptbahnhof (special platform), Pinakotheken, and Elisabethplatz. At Münchner Freiheit, the U9 connects to the current U6 tracks to go to its northeastern end at Garching-Forschungszentrum. A second part to connect with the U2 line at Theresienstraße is planned. This second part would be called U29: Klinikum-Großhadern – Hauptbahnhof – Theresienstraße – Harthof and would extend the current U6 southwestern end from Klinikum-Großhadern to Martinsried.

Theresienwiese park currently has one subway station in the north but is served by two other subway stations a few blocks away (U3/U6 – Goetheplatz in the southeast and U4/U5 – Schwanthalerhöhe in the west). Adding a second station in the southeastern area would help the busy Oktoberfest crowds at Theresienwiese station, especially when it ends. Both stations would connect directly to Hauptbahnhof without changing. The name of the second station is not yet official, but the working name now is 2. Wiesnbahnhof. Esperantoplatz and Bavaria (referring to the Bavaria statue nearby) have been suggested.

The museum quarter, Pinakothekenviertel, has one station, U2 – Königsplatz, but it is not in the best spot, needing a long walk to many Pinakotheken museums. The new station, Pinakotheken, would be in the middle of the museum quarter and serve the museums and Technical University of Munich within a short walk. Pinakotheken would be served by tram lines, Tram 27 and 28, along with several local and crosstown bus lines. The plan will also help the connection between Technical University of Munich and Campus Garching.

The plan called for closing the current Poccistraße and Implerstraße subway stations and building a new four-track station under Südring, serving the U3, U9, and U29, and connecting to the new aboveground station for regional trains and possibly the S-Bahn if the future S-Bahn-Ring is approved. The new U-Bahn station would be called Impler-/Poccistraße to differ it from the current U3/U6 – Implerstraße and Poccistraße stations. The current Poccistraße station has serious building problems needing expensive fixes and watching; it is cheaper to build a new station nearby than to keep using Poccistraße.

At Hauptbahnhof, the new special U9 platform would be built under the current S-Bahn platform but above the U4/U5 platform. The platform would be under the trains for far south and far north Bavaria between Holzkirchner Bahnhof (Holzkirchner wing station, serving southeastern Bavaria) and Starnberger Bahnhof (Starnberg wing station, serving southwestern Bavaria) with a new area connecting the U9 platform with both end stations and the rest of Hauptbahnhof. The good thing about putting the U9 platform in the west part of Hauptbahnhof is a quick change between platforms without a long walk from one platform to another through the big platform in the east.

On 3 July 2019, Deutsche Bahn said the new "2. Stammstrecke — Die Optimierungen" (Second Trunk Line Optimisation). The State of Bavaria and the Munich city council want the first U9 station to be built at Hauptbahnhof at the same time as rebuilding the Hauptbahnhof main building and building the second S-Bahn trunk line. The design change moves the U9 platforms from the west end of the regional and long-distance platforms to the middle of the main Hauptbahnhof building below ground. The change puts the U9 station directly above the second trunk line station in a cross way. This helps the flow of travelers between two current U-Bahn lines (U4/U5 and U1/U2/U7/U8), one current S-Bahn trunk line, and the above-ground level.

U26 tangent line

Another idea for traveling across town in the north between U2 – Am Hart and U6 (or U9 when opened) – Kieferngarten is being thought about. This U26 would help people living in the north who do not need to go south to travel between northwest and northeast parts. The high cost and fewer stops compared to a tram line would make this idea less possible.

But the new big plan for BMW's Forschungszentrum (Research Centre) north of BMW headquarter buildings and factories to employ about 40,000 people by 2050. The more employees would cause traffic problems and stop unless the new S-Bahn North Ring and new U26 are built with stations at Forschungszentrum. The higher ability of U26 and being under ground (without changing traffic) could make it more possible and better than a tram line.

More booster lines

Different extra lines have been talked about for years without any solid plans.

U10 Harthof – Münchner Freiheit – Odeonsplatz – Sendlinger Tor – Harras

A third extra line, U10, would share U2 line between Harthof and Scheidplatz then switch to U3 line between Scheidplatz and Implerstraße before turning to U6 line at Harras. The north and south ends have not been decided yet.

U11 Olympia-Einkaufszentrum – Westfriedhof – Central Station – Sendlinger Tor – Innsbrucker Ring

A fourth extra line, U11, would share U1 from Olympia-Einkaufszentrum to Kolumbusplatz before switching to U2 line for the rest of the trip to Innsbrucker Ring station. Which end station, Messestadt Ost in the east or Neuperlach in the south, has not been decided.

U12 Harthof – Theresienstraße – Hauptbahnhof – Theresienwiese – Implerstraße – Harras

A fifth extra line, U12, would share with U2 between Harthof and Theresienstraße then switch to U9 south of Theresienstraße where it shares with U9 toward Harras.

Renovations and upgrades of subway stations

Platform Screen Doors

The Munich U-Bahn has seen more passengers and objects falling from platforms into the tracks, which disrupts service. In 2018, there were 215 passengers who fell in, with 22 seriously injured or dead, and 115 objects fell as well. To help solve this, MVG plans to test a new idea at Olympiazentrum station over two years. If it works well, platform screen doors will be added to busy stations first and then to more stations as they are updated. The goal is to finish adding them to all stations by 2028.

Fröttmaning station (U6, North) — Completed

A new second platform was built at Fröttmaning station because of the new Allianz Arena nearby. The whole station was moved north by about 100 metres to make more space. A second pedestrian bridge was also built to help people get to the platform more easily.

Marienplatz station (U3/U6) — Completed

Marienplatz station was updated to handle more passengers, especially because of the Allianz Arena. New tunnels were built to help people move between the station and the S-Bahn. The ground around the station was frozen to protect the historic town hall during construction. The work finished in time for the 2006 World Cup.

Karlsplatz (Stachus) (U4/U5) — Completed

The areas where people walk and the north entrance at Karlsplatz station were updated with better safety features and a new look inside. The walls and supports of the platforms were fixed and sealed to stop water from getting in.

Münchner Freiheit (U3/U6) — Completed

Münchner Freiheit station got a new look inside with bright yellow walls and blue lights. The ceiling has mirrors that make the space feel taller. The area where people wait for trams and buses outside also got a new roof. The station’s name was changed to match the spelling on nearby street signs.

Sendlinger Tor station (U1/U2/U7/U8 and U3/U6) — Completed

Sendlinger Tor station was very busy and crowded, so it was updated for about €150 million. New paths were built to help people move between different parts of the station, and the floors were raised so people in wheelchairs or with strollers could get on and off trains more easily. The station was finished in September 2024 after seven years of work.

Plannings and in progress

Many stations were not built to handle today’s crowds, so plans are being made to update them. Hauptbahnhof station will get new ways to help people move between different train lines, but no start date has been given yet. This is part of a bigger plan to rebuild the Hauptbahnhof building and add new train lines.

Network map

The Munich U-Bahn has a network map that shows all its lines and stops. You can view the map here. It helps you see how the trains connect different parts of the city.