Potsdam Park Sanssouci station

Railway station in Potsdam, Germany From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Potsdam Park Sanssouci stationmap

Potsdam Park Sanssouci is a German railway station located in Potsdam, the capital city of Brandenburg, on the Berlin–Magdeburg railway. Named Potsdam Wildpark until 1999, it serves the Sanssouci Park and is famous for the Kaiserbahnhof building.

Quick Facts General information, Location ...
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Deutsche Bahn
Through station
The Kaiserbahnhof hall and the platforms
General information
LocationAm Neues Palais, 14401 Potsdam, Brandenburg
Germany
Coordinates52°23′40″N 13°0′50″E
Owned byDB Netz
Operated byDB Station&Service
Line(s)
Other information
Station code5011
DS100 codeBWP[1]
IBNR8010377
Category4[2]
Fare zoneVBB: Berlin C and Potsdam B/5851[3]
Websitewww.bahnhof.de
Services
Preceding station Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn Following station
Werder (Havel) RE 1
Potsdam Charlottenhof
Preceding station DB Regio Nordost Following station
Golm
towards Oranienburg
RB 20 Potsdam Charlottenhof
Golm
towards Potsdam Hbf
RB 21 Potsdam Charlottenhof
Golm RB 22 Potsdam Charlottenhof
Golm
towards BER Airport
RB 23 Potsdam Charlottenhof
towards Golm
Location
Potsdam Park Sanssouci is located in Brandenburg
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Location within Brandenburg
Potsdam Park Sanssouci is located in Germany
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Location within Germany
Potsdam Park Sanssouci is located in Europe
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Potsdam Park Sanssouci
Location within Europe
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History

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The Kaiserbahnhof and the rail hub in 1990

The Wildpark station was built in 1868 on the new line linking Berlin to Magdeburg. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the opening of the bypass lines to Nauen (1902) and Jüterbog (1904), it was built a small rail hub. In 1909 the Kaiserbahnof (see the section below) was inaugurated for the private use of Kaiser Wilhelm II. From 1950, after the division of Germany, the station functioned in the Berlin outer ring (Berliner Außenring), and for some years was served by a holiday express train from Saxony to the Baltic Sea. After the completion of the Golm-Potsdam Pirschheide[4] bypass of the Außerring, the station remained part of a short line[5] to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof (in that period Potsdam Stadt), although still linked to Magdeburg and the ring. This line continued to Potsdam Babelsberg, but service to West Berlin was interrupted due to the construction of The Wall.

In the middle of the 1990s, some years after German reunification and the opening of the line Potsdam-Wannsee, the station was rebuilt and renewed. The old platforms and the little rail hub, built in the early 20th century, were demolished. In 1999, the new name "Park Sanssouci" initially applied for tourist traffic only, but took the place of "Wildpark" about one year later.

Structure

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The Kaiserbahnof building
Thumb
The Bürgerbahnhof building
Thumb
The Posttor gate, in front of the station
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Interior view of the Kaiserbahnhof in 1990

The station is on an electrified line with two platforms serving three tracks.

Kaiserbahnhof

The Kaiserbahnhof Potsdam [6] is a railroad station near the New Palace (Neues Palais). Its construction was initiated in 1905 by German Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm II, and it was used as his private station. The first official guests were Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.[7]

From 1939 it was used by the high command of the Luftwaffe and, during the Second World War, for the special train of Hermann Göring, who was Luftwaffe chief. After 1945, it was the terminus station of the Blue Express, a train used by the Soviet military command on the route MoscowBerlin.[7]

Beginning in 1952, it was owned by the East German state railway company (Deutsche Reichsbahn) and subsequently used as a political school and cultural venue and for Transport Police (Transportpolizei) until its closure in 1977 due to deterioration.[7]

In 1999, the building was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8][9][10]

On 16 June 2005, the station was reopened after restoration. The building is used as an academy for senior executives of the German national railway Deutsche Bahn and is usually not publicly accessible.[11]

Bürgerbahnhof

Apart from the Kaiserbahnhof, Park Sanssouci station has a second, minor building named Bürgerbahnhof used as a passenger reception hall. This wooden structure is a rare representative of station architecture from the 1860s. In front of it there is an entrance gate to the park named Posttor.

Train services

Located on the Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg line[12] and in a junction linking Potsdam to the Berlin outer ring, the station is served by regional trains linking it to Berlin and to several towns in Brandenburg, such as Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt (Oder) and Fürstenwalde.

The station is served by the following services:[13]

More information Line, Route ...
Line Route
RE 1 MagdeburgBrandenburgPark SanssouciPotsdamWannseeCharlottenburgZoologischer Garten – Berlin – OstbahnhofOstkreuzErknerFangschleuseHangelsbergFrankfurt
RB 20 OranienburgBirkenwerderHohen Neuendorf WestHennigsdorfGolmPark SanssouciCharlottenhof – Potsdam – Potsdam Griebnitzsee
RB 21 Potsdam – Charlottenhof – Park Sanssouci – Golm – MarquardtPriortWustermarkElstalDallgow-DöberitzBerlin-StaakenBerlin-SpandauBerlin JungfernheideBerlin Gesundbrunnen
RB 22 Potsdam Griebnitzsee – Potsdam – Charlottenhof – Park Sanssouci – Golm – PirschheideSaarmundLudwigsfelde-StruveshofAirportKönigs Wusterhausen
RB 23 Golm – Park SanssouciCharlottenhof – Potsdam – WannseeCharlottenburgZoologischer GartenBerlinFriedrichstraßeAlexanderplatzOstbahnhofOstkreuzAirport
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Potsdam Park Sanssouci is included in fare zone "C" (Tarifbereich C[14]) of the Berlin public transport network. Not part of the S-Bahn network, it is involved in a feasibility project regarding the extension of the S7 line from Potsdam Hauptbahnhof to Golm and/or Werder stations.

While the station is not served by the Potsdam Tramway, the nearest stop is Schloß Charlottenhof,[15] less than 1 km away.

Notes and references

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