S-Bahn

An S-Bahn is a special type of train service that helps people travel quickly between the outskirts of a city and the city center. It started in German-speaking countries and is a mix between a commuter rail and a rapid transit system. These trains run at moderate speeds and connect suburbs to the city, making it easy for people to get around.

The very first S-Bahn began in Berlin, Germany, in December 1930. Since then, many cities across Europe have created their own versions. Places like Denmark, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Poland have similar train systems inspired by the S-Bahn. Even cities outside of Europe, like Paris, have adopted ideas from this system.

Some cities in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States also use ideas from the S-Bahn. For example, cities like Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane have train systems that use tunnels or special routes to connect different parts of the city. In the United States, cities like Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area have train systems that work in a similar way.

Characteristics

S-Bahn trains are a special kind of train that help people travel between the outskirts of a city and the city center. They usually go a bit slower than regular trains but are very helpful for getting around the city quickly. Unlike many other trains, S-Bahn trains often go through the middle of the city, where many different lines come together. This makes it easier for people to travel across the city, even if they are not going to or from the suburbs.

For example, the trains in Copenhagen can go up to 120 kilometers per hour, and in the Rhine-Main area, they can go up to 140 kilometers per hour. In some places, S-Bahn lines connect many towns and cities instead of just one big city. Many big S-Bahn systems have special tracks under or above the ground in the city center, where many trains stop close together, making it easy to switch between them.

Outside the city center, S-Bahn trains often use existing tracks, but sometimes new tracks are built just for them. These trains usually use electricity from overhead wires or a third rail. The distance between stops and how often the trains run can be different depending on where you are. In the suburbs, stops might be more than 5 kilometers apart, and trains might come every 30 to 60 minutes. But in the city center, trains might come every two minutes. The inside of these trains is made so people can stand if the trip is short, but they also have comfortable seats. S-Bahn systems usually work together with other public transport in the city, using the same tickets and having easy places to switch between different types of transport.

Etymology

Germany, Austria and Switzerland

The name S-Bahn comes from the German words for "city rapid railway." It was first used in Berlin in December 1930. The idea started when train tracks were changed to work better for people traveling into and out of the city. The first part of these tracks to get electricity was a line from Berlin to Bernau in 1924.

In 1928, a main line in Berlin called the Berliner Stadtbahn got electricity, and another circle line called the Berliner Ringbahn got it in 1929. Trains began running very often, sometimes every two minutes during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Other cities like Hamburg and Copenhagen also started similar train systems around the same time. In Austria, Vienna began planning its own rapid railway in 1954, and later officially used the S-Bahn name in 2005.

Munich planned a similar system in 1938 but had to stop because of World War II. Today, Munich has a big S-Bahn system that started before the 1972 Summer Olympics.

China

China also has systems like the S-Bahn. These started in 2011 when the Beijing Suburban Railway began using S-prefixed numbers. Now, many big cities in China have similar train systems.

Denmark

In Denmark, the "S" in S-tog stands for "station." The name was decided in a contest just before the first line opened in Copenhagen in 1934. Today, Copenhagen’s S-trains have six lines and serve 86 stations.

Poland

In Poland, these systems are called SKM, short for Szybka Kolej Miejska, meaning Rapid Urban Railway. The first one started in Tricity in 1952, and later in Warsaw in 2005.

History

The history of the S-Bahn in present-day Germany begins in the 19th century in Prussia.

Early steam services

In 1882, more and more steam-powered trains around Berlin led the Prussian State Railway to build special tracks just for trains traveling close to the city. The Berliner Stadtbahn connected eight big train stations spread around Berlin. A lower price for tickets on the new Berliner Stadt-, Ring- und Vorortbahn started on 1 October 1891. This lower price and more frequent trains helped this service stand out from other railways.

The second train service close to a city was the Hamburg-Altonaer Stadt- und Vorortbahn, linking Hamburg with Altona and Blankenese. In 1906, the Altona office of the Prussian State Railway created a railway powered by electricity.

Electricity

The start of the 20th century brought the first electric trains in Germany, running on 15,000 V using overhead lines. The Berliner Stadt-, Ring- und Vorortbahn used direct current trains running on 750 V from a third rail. In 1924, the first electric train route began operating. The third rail was chosen because it made changes to the tracks easier, especially in tunnels and under bridges, and allowed electric and steam trains to run side by side.

To make it different from the underground U-Bahn, the name S-Bahn replaced Stadt-, Ring- und Vorortbahn in 1930.

The Hamburg service set up an alternating current line in 1907 using trains with slam doors. In 1940, a new system with 1200 V DC from a third rail and modern electric multiple units with sliding doors was added to this line. The old system with overhead wires stayed until 1955. Other lines in the network kept using steam and later Diesel engines. In 1934, the Hamburg-Altonaer Stadt- und Vorortbahn was renamed S-Bahn.

Systems by country

Austria

The oldest and largest S-Bahn system in Austria is the Vienna S-Bahn. It was established in 1962 and uses tracks mostly outside Vienna. The logo features a white "S" on a blue circle, reflecting the central railway line in Vienna. The rolling stock was blue for a long time but is now mostly red.

In 2004, the Salzburg S-Bahn began service, crossing into neighboring towns in Bavaria. It is operated by three corporations. In 2006, the regional train line in the Rhine Valley was renamed to Vorarlberg S-Bahn, operated by Montafonerbahn and the Austrian Federal Railways. It includes several lines connecting towns like Bludenz and Bregenz.

The S-Bahn Steiermark started in 2007 in Styria, connecting Graz with the surrounding area. The Tyrol S-Bahn also opened in 2007, running from Hall in Tirol to Innsbruck and Telfs. In 2010, the S-Bahn Kärnten began operating in Carinthia. The youngest network is the S-Bahn Oberösterreich in the Linz area, which started in 2016.

Belgium

Since 2015, trains in the Brussels area have been referred to as S trains. In 2018, local trains around Antwerp, Ghent, Liège, and Charleroi also adopted the S train designation.

China

In China, stopping trains around big cities start with S, which stands for suburb, for example, the Beijing Suburban Railway.

Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic, integrated commuter rail systems exist in Prague and the Moravian-Silesian Region, both called Esko. Esko Prague has operated since 2007, and Esko Moravian-Silesian Region began in 2008. Both are primarily operated by České dráhy.

Denmark

Copenhagen S-train connects the city center with suburbs and boroughs. The average distance between stations is 2.0 km, with shorter distances in the city core. On weekdays, each line has a departure every 10 minutes, except the F-line, which departs every five minutes. The Copenhagen Metro opened in 2002 to complement the S-train system.

Germany

The Berlin and Hamburg S-Bahn systems ran on separate tracks from the start. Other cities in the 1960s mostly used existing intercity rail tracks. Central intercity stations in Frankfurt, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart are terminal stations, so their S-Bahn networks are monocentric. The Ruhr area has a polycentric network connecting multiple cities and suburbs called the S-Bahn Rhein-Ruhr. Most German S-Bahn networks have a unique ticket system connected to city tickets for U-bahns and local buses.

One S-Bahn system no longer operates: the Erfurt S-Bahn, which ran from 1976 to 1995. Several S-Bahn systems are in planning, such as the Augsburg S-Bahn and the tri-country Bodensee S-Bahn.

Italy

The Milan S Lines is a network of 12 lines beginning with S, serving the Milan metropolitan area.

Liechtenstein

The only railway line through Liechtenstein is the Feldkirch–Buchs line. In December 2023, an S-Bahn service, the S2 of Vorarlberg S-Bahn, began operating between Feldkirch, Schaan, and Buchs. There are three operational railway stations in Liechtenstein along this line.

Poland

Established in 2002, the Warsaw Szybka Kolej Miejska (SKM) functions as a combined rapid transit and commuter rail system. It serves 55 stations and features four key lines connecting Warsaw Chopin Airport with the city center and other areas.

Fast Urban Rail Tricity is an analogous system serving Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot.

Switzerland

S-Bahn is used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The oldest network is the Bern S-Bahn, established in stages from 1974. The Zürich S-Bahn began in 1990 and now covers a large area. Other networks include the Basel trinational S-Bahn and the RER Vaud of Lausanne.

An international S-Bahn network exists across the Swiss-Italian border in Ticino and Lombardy, operated by Treni Regionali Ticino Lombardia (TILO). The Léman Express serves the Lake Geneva area and expands across the Swiss-French border.

Swiss S-Bahn services are mostly operated by the Swiss Federal Railways but also by private companies. Rail transport in Switzerland, including S-Bahn systems, is known for its coordination due to the clock-face schedule.

United Kingdom

There are two S-Bahn style systems in London: the Elizabeth line and Thameslink.

Thameslink

Thameslink connects the north and south of London, operating at a frequency of 16 trains per hour off-peak and 20 trains per hour on-peak on the core section. It serves satellite towns and cities such as Luton, Bedford, Cambridge, Horsham, and Brighton.

Elizabeth line

The Elizabeth line opened in 2022, connecting Reading and Heathrow in the west with Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east through central London. It operates 16 trains per hour on the central core off-peak and had supported more than 150 million journeys in its first year.