The Munich U-Bahn is an underground railway network in the city of Munich, Germany. It is run by the Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft, or MVG for short. It has 6 lines and has a network of 103,1 km (64,1 miles) and has exactly 100 stations. Only one line, the U6 crosses the city border in Garching.
Lines
U-Bahnnetz München 2008
There are currently 7 lines:
Olympia-Einkaufszentrum - Rotkreuzplatz - Central Station - Sendlinger Tor - Kolumbusplatz - Mangfallplatz
Feldmoching - Harthof - Scheidplatz - Central Station - Sendlinger Tor - Kolumbusplatz - Giesing - Innsbrucker Ring - Trudering - Messestadt Ost
Laimer Platz - Westendstraße - Heimeranplatz - Central Station - Karlsplatz (Stachus) - Odeonsplatz - Lehel - Max-Weber-Platz - East Station - Innsbrucker Ring - Neuperlach Süd
Westfriedhof - Hauptbahnhof - Sendlinger Tor - Frauenhofer Straße - Kolumbusplatz - Giesing Bahnhof - Innsbrucker Ring - Neuperlach Zentrum
The trains can go 80 km/h, which is the fastest in Germany.
Only the lines U5 and U6 are partly above ground. The U5 comes over ground only at the last station, the U6 for the last six stations in the north.
Trains run every 10 minutes, in rush hours every 5 minutes. In the early morning and late evening trains run every 20 minutes.
There are 3 "line families". They share the tunnel in the city centre. Each family has a colour. It is used in the stations.
Almost every station has a platform in the middle. Only the stations Olympia-Einkaufszentrum (U1), Richard-Strauss-Straße (U4), Neuperlach Süd (U5), Garching-Hochbrück and Nordfriedhof (both U6) have platforms on the side.
At the stations Innsbrucker Ring (U2/U5) and Scheidplatz (U2/U3) there are four tracks with two platforms. To change trains you only have to go to the other side of the platforms. Two lines cross at these stations. The stations Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) (U1/U2) and Münchner Freiheit (U3/U6) have four tracks. At the Hauptbahnhof there are two more tracks on another level for the U4 and U5. Here two lines separate. The stations Kolumbusplatz (U1/U2), Implerstraße (U3/U6) and Max-Weber-Platz (U4/U5) have three platforms. Two for trains to the city and one for trains from the city. Two lines separate at these stations.
U1
In 1980 the U1 started running with the U8 (now the U2). After the branch to Rotkreuzplatz was opened, it became a single line.
In 1980 it started together with the U1. First it was called U8. Today it is 24.4 km long. It runs between Feldmoching and Messestadt Ost. It shares track with U1 between Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and Kolumbusplatz.
The U4 was named U9 at first. It opened together with the U5.
The line is the shortest in the network. It is 9.3 km long and has only 13 stations. It runs between Arabellapark to Westendstraße. Between Max-Weber-Platz and Westendstraße. In the evenings, it only operates between Lehel and Arabellapark.
U5
The U5 was opened together with the U4.
The line is 15.4 km long. It runs between Laimer Platz and Neuperlach Süd.
Because of the new Allianz Arena (soccer stadium) the nearby U-Bahn station needed to be upgraded. A new, second platform was built and the old platform was moved north by about 100 m. All together the new station has four tracks. Start of construction: 10 October2002, opened: 4 May2005
Because of more passengers and the new Allianz Arena also this station was extended. New pedestrian tunnels were built and the platforms widened. Start: 27 May2003, opened: 29 May2006
