Since Thursday, residents and travelers in Berlin have had to adapt to several restrictions in city traffic. On the one hand, US President Joe Biden landed at BER on Thursday evening and his visit entails high security precautions. On the other hand, Friday is the last day of school before the holidays. Many parents then traditionally leave the city with their children in the afternoon. The Berlin traffic information center therefore expects “massive restrictions” in road and rail traffic from Friday.
Biden’s visit to Bellevue Palace brings the S-Bahn network to a standstill
Major restrictions have been in place since Thursday afternoon due to safety measures across the entire S-Bahn network. Many S-Bahn trains between Ostbahnhof and Zoo Station do not run at times or run less often because the route runs past Bellevue Palace, where Biden will be received. There are also changes to regional trains and many long-distance trains that stop at the main station.
Changes to the S-Bahn
From midday on Thursday, October 17th, until Friday, October 18th, the following lines will deviate from the regular timetable:
- S1 No trains scheduled to run between Zehlendorf and Potsdamer Platz
- S2 only runs between Blankenfelde and Nordbahnhof every 20 minutes
- S26 omitted
- S3 only runs between Ostbahnhof and Spandau every 20 minutes. Cancelation of the scheduled trains only running between Karlshorst and Ostbahnhof
- S41/42 runs every 10 minutes
- S45 omitted
- S5 only runs between Strausberg Nord/Hoppegarten and Warschauer Straße every 10 minutes. No trains scheduled to run between Mahlsdorf and Ostbahnhof/Warschauer Straße
- S75 only runs between Wartenberg and Lichtenberg
“Especially on Friday, in combination with the first wave of travel, there will be massive restrictions on road and rail traffic,” warned the traffic information center on Wednesday. There could still be delays even when starting late in the evening or on Saturday morning.
Passengers also have to expect delays
If you want to fly out of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) on Friday, you should also allow a lot of time and take into account closures on both the A113 motorway and railway lines. In addition, the President’s Air Force One will have priority at BER. It is unclear what impact takeoff and landing will have on civil aviation.
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As was the case during previous visits by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Deutsche Bahn will drastically reduce traffic on the light rail system. Several S-Bahn lines are either being discontinued completely or running less frequently. The Stadtbahn, but also the Ringbahn and the North-South Railway are affected.
Deutsche Bahn has not yet provided any details about the restrictions on regional and long-distance transport. “For the duration of the state visit, there will be further short-term restrictions imposed by official orders,” it said. During Zelensky’s visit a week ago, the railway completely stopped regional traffic on the light rail for six hours.
These areas are closed to the public during the state visit
In principle, all restrictions due to Biden apply from Thursday, October 17th, from 3 p.m. until late Friday evening. “During previous state visits, central sections of the route in central Berlin were closed at very short notice, sometimes lasting several hours, and driving was ordered at significantly reduced speeds,” said Deutsche Bahn. Residents can only enter the cordoned off areas with their ID card. Public gatherings and elevators are prohibited in these areas.
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“Under such conditions, no S-Bahn service according to the timetable is possible,” it continued. Due to the reduced frequency, there are fewer trains in the inner city area. This can prevent trains from stopping on the open route for long periods of time. In the past, this has led to exasperated travelers getting out on their own and walking along the tracks to the next train station.
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On Wednesday, the Berlin police declared three places in Berlin restricted areas in a “general order”: the government district (Friday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.), the area around Bellevue Palace (Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Potsdamer Platz. This will be closed on Thursday from 3 p.m. The square should only be freely accessible again at midnight on the night from Friday to Saturday.
In all restricted areas, no cars, bicycles, scooters or similar are allowed. Clothes containers or garbage containers also have to be removed – or will be removed by the police.
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As reported, Joe Biden will stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Potsdamer Platz. Potsdamer Straße will therefore also be closed. “If you have the opportunity, we recommend that you avoid the affected streets as far as possible,” said the police. Barriers have been in place there since Wednesday.
The Berlin police receive support from the Federal Police and other federal states. The usual program for such visits to the government district includes precision police shooters on buildings, water police boats on the Spree, dog squads to search for explosives, closed airspace to prevent attacks from above, and modern technical devices that disrupt the flight and control of drones.
Berliners who want to start their vacation on Friday have even more to consider: Due to the increased traffic volume and numerous construction sites, the traffic information center is expecting numerous traffic jams on city motorways and arterial roads. For example, construction is underway on the A115 (Avus) between Spanish Allee and the city limits.
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