Upgrading the train stations

A train at the Rosengärtchen stop in OberurselFor the past few years the stations along the U3 line from Frankfurt to Oberursel have one-by-one been re-built.

The main reasons for this have been modernisation.  The station at the end of the line had been just a provisional platform due to the line being shortened, and new signalling and information displays were installed.

Another was to add more capacity to the system, as many of the older stations had a maximum length of 50m, which equates to four carriages.  Now all platforms are 75m long for the six-carriage trains that run on weekdays.

But one of the most important reasons in my opinion was to make all of the stations “barrierefrei”, ie. to make the platform the same height as the floor of the train. [Read more…]

What happens when the ticket machine swallows a note?

A ticket machine in OberurselI was on my way back from the Oberursel Christmas Market a few weeks ago, when I encountered a problem at the U-Bahn station.

Having given most of my small change to the street vendors at the market, I tried to pay for my ticket home with a 5 Euro note.

Except that the ticket machine on the side of the tracks going in my direction did not accept notes!  This is a ridiculous situation, considering that the station was re-built within the past year.

With only a few minutes to go until the train arrived, I dashed back across the crossing to the other side to buy my ticket.  Only for the ticket machine to swallow my 5 Euro note. [Read more…]

Longer trains in Oberursel

With the work on extending most of the stations completed, longer U-Bahn trains will soon start running through Oberursel.

The trains will then be made up of 3 double-units, rather than 2 giving them a total length of 75m.

50m and 75m U-Bahn trains at Oberursel Hohemark

The 3-unit train next to a 2-unit train at Oberursel Hohemark.

Today I spotted the Fahrschule (train drivers’ school) practising where to stop the longer trains by taking one up to the Hohemark stop at the end of the line.  At each station they worked out where to stop the train, and were even measuring out the platform if necessary.

At our station, the train stopped too early leaving the road partially blocked!

Fahrschule - nicht einsteigen

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