Frankfurt am Main Duewag U2 class trams at Lindenbaum on Line U1. Photo by Jos Straathof, August 2006.

Overview

Line U1/U2/U3

Stations mostly with side platforms, island platforms are located at: Südbahnhof, Schweizer Platz, Hohemark. Length of the platforms: 100 metres. Platform level: 56 cm (until 1999, 32cm on the section Zeilweg - Hohemark of the route U3; in 1999 a project to convert to 80cm high-level platforms began). High level platforms will be built at all stations.
Südbahnhof - Willy-Brandt-Platz including the Schweizer Platz station: tunnel built in shotcrete mining tunneling contruction method.
Willy-Brandt-Platz - ramp Dornbusch: Tunnel built in cut-and-cover method. Willy-Brandt-Platz station in level -3, connection to the lines U4 and U5 in level -4. Hauptwache station in level - 3, connection to the S-Bahn and the lines U6 and U7 in level -2.
Eschersheimer Landstraße: central reservation Dornbusch - Weißer Stein station, private right of way Weißer Stein station - Heddernheimer Landstraße station.
Tunnel section between Heddernheimer Landstraße and Römerstadt including the underground station Nordwestzentrum, cut-and-cover.
U1 grade-separated section, partly elevated from Römerstadt to Ginnheim in a central reservation of a main traffic road. Ginnheim station: five tracks, three are used by the line U1 and two by the trams, one side platform and two island platforms.
U2 private right of way Heddernheim - Bad Homburg-Gonzenheim.
U3 private right of way Zeilweg station - Oberursel Bahnhof along roads; side or central reservation Oberursel Bahnhof - Hohemark terminus. Single track between Kupferhammer station and Hohemark terminus.
A at-grade branch from Niederursel to Kalbach with two new stations is under construction to connect Riedenberg to the U-Bahn. New Lines: U8: Riedenberg – Südbahnhof and U9 Nieder-Eschbach – Riedenberg – Ginnheim.

October 4, 1968: Light Rail Line A1 (today's U1) opens between Hauptwache and Nordweststadt, 9km (4km in tunnel), with 6 underground and 8 surface stations. The line runs in mixed traffic with tram lines in the section Hauptwache to Zeilweg, with the trams entering the tunnel at the south end via a temporary ramp at Taunustor.
December 19, 1971: U-bahn operation begins on line A2 (today's U2) between Hauptwache and Bad Homburg Gonzenheim. The tramway in the city of Bad Homburg closes at this time.
November 4, 1973: Extension of the tunnel from Hauptwache to Theaterplatz (today's Willy-Brandt-Platz), 0.6km with one new underground station.
September 29, 1974: Line A1 (U1) extension opens between Nordweststadt and Römerstadt, 0.5km, with one new surface station.
May 26, 1978: Line U1 extension opens between Römerstadt and Ginnheim, 1.4km, with one new surface station.
May 27, 1978: U-bahn line U3 begins operation between Theaterplatz (Willy-Brandt-Platz) and Hohemark.
September 29, 1984: Extension of the tunnel from Theaterplatz (Willy-Brandt-Platz) to Südbahnhof, 1.3km, with two new underground stations.
April 23, 1989: New surface station, Niddapark, added between Römerstadt and Ginnheim on line U1.

Line U4/U5

The routes U4 and U5 run together between Konstablerwache and Hauptbahnhof. The U4 line is the only "real" U-bahn-line in Frankfurt, without at-grade sections. The U5 line has an above ground section, basically a tram with street running sections in the inner city and running in a reserved right of way in the outer areas. The non-subway stations of line U5 have only low-level platforms.
Tunnel Section: The tunnels and stations between Bornheim Mitte and Merianplatz are on two levels, because of the narrow street. Konstablerwache station on level -2 with three tracks. Transfer to the S-Bahn and the routes U6 and U7 in level - 3. Willy-Brandt-Platz station in level -4. Transfer to routes U1, U2 and U3 in level -3. Hauptbahnhof station with four tracks in level -2, transfer to the S-Bahn-lines in level -4. Bockenheimer Warte station in level -3, transfer to the routes U6 and U7 (level -2) at the northern end of the station. There is also a track connection between the two tunnels. The stations are built in cut and cover methods, the tunnels are mostly constructed by closed (mining) techniques with two one-track tube tunnels.
Above Ground Section of Route U5: In the Eckenheimer Landstraße the U5 runs in mixed traffic in the street, exept for the section Adickes-/Nibelungenallee to Hauptfriedhof, stops without platforms at Musterschule, Glauburgstraße and Versorgungsamt, the others Adickes-/Nibelungenallee and Marbachweg/Eckenheimer Landstraße have low side platforms. Central reservation in the Marbachweg. Side reservation west of the Gießener Straße. The four stations with low side platforms opened 1977.
A new tunnel was proposed to be built from Bockenheim Warte to the U1-station at Ginnheim with two new underground stations to replace a tram-section. In 2006 the city-government shelved the tunnel project Ginnheim – Bockenheimer Warte.
High level platforms will be built at the above ground stops of line U5.
The U5 will be extended above ground from Preungesheim to Frankfurter Berg (S-Bahn).
A new tunnel-branch for the Route U5 is planned from Hauptbahnhof to the Europaviertel.
Underground extension from Seckbacher Landstraße to Seckbach Azelbergplatz, one subway station, route U4.

April 29th, 1974: The section between the ramp at Scheffeleck near Konstablerwache to Theaterplatz (today known as Willy-Brandt-Platz) opened. Three underground stations, 1.9 km, included joint service with tram-route B1 between Gießener Straße and Theaterplatz (today's U5).
March 6th, 1977: Above ground extension of route B1 (today's U5) from Gießener Straße to Preungesheim, 1.7 km, four stations.
May 27th, 1978: Theaterplatz (today Willy-Brandt-Platz) to Hauptbahnhof, one station, 0.7km, route U5 (former B1).
May 31st, 1980: Tunnel section between Konstablerwache and Seckbacher Landstraße opens, with four underground stations, 3.8km, service with light-rail route U4 (Hauptbahnhof - Seckbacher Landstraße). The "tram-route" U5 ends at Konstablerwache station on the third track.
January 1st, 1998: "Tram-route" U5 runs again to Hauptbahnhof station.
February 10th, 2002: Extension Hauptbahnhof to Bockenheimer Warte, two stations, 1.7km.
June 15th, 2008: trial service of line U4 on depot tracks from Seckbacher Landstraße to Schäfflesstraße (U7)
December 14th, 2008: permanent service of line U4 Seckbacher Landstraße – Enkheim (U7)

Line U6/U7

The tunnel portion of the route was mostly built by mine tunneling construction or by shield tunneling, and the stations by open cast methods.
Four track tunnel between Hauptwache and Konstablerwache, the inner pair of tracks is used by the S-Bahn, the outer ones by the U-Bahn.
Leipziger Platz station has two levels, outbound trains use the upper one, inbound the lower platform.
Bockenheimer Warte station in level -2, connection to the line U4 in the deeper platform level, there is also a track connection between both tunnels.
Hauptwache station in level -2, one island platform for the S-Bahn, two shorter side platforms for the lines U6 and U7, connection to the lines U1, U2 and U3 in the deeper platform level.
Zoo station has three tracks, one island platform for inbound trains, one platform between the tracks only for the outbound track.
Central reservation from Heerstraße (line U6) and Hausen (linie U7) to Industriehof. Hausen (island platform) and Große Nelkenstraße high level since 1986, low level platforms at all stations between Heerstraße and Industriehof until 1998. The new Heerstraße station with island platform replaced the former Heerstraße and Ebelfeld stations. Only Fischstein station remains with low-level platforms.
Surface section Eissporthalle - Enkheim (line U7) in a side reservation north of the road Am Erlenbruch and on a central reservation along the Borsigallee. All high-level stations from beginning of light-rail operations in 1992. Enkheim terminus has a bus terminal between the tracks to create door-to-door connections between the U-Bahn and the buses.

October 11, 1986: The tunnel between Zoo and the ramp at Industriehof opens (5.2km long, eight stations); surface light-rail operation between Industriehof - Hausen (U7) and Heerstraße (U6) (3.8km, originally 9 but now only 8 stations). Operation by Pt-type tramcars.
May 30, 1992: Tunnel between Zoo and the ramp at Eissporthalle opens (2.7km, three stations); surface light-rail operation to Enkheim (2.8km, six stations), line U7.
September 20, 1998: Line U7 converted to type U2e vehicles; U6 remains serviecd by type Ptb tramcars.
September 29, 1999: Tunnel branch between Zoo and Ostbahnhof opens (0.6km, one station), line U6.

Roster

Class	Manufacturer	Year	Numbers	Notes
Ptb	Duewag	1972-1978	692-750	U-bahn
U2	Duewag	1968-1978	303-365, 400-406	U-bahn
Ue	Duewag	1968-1978	366-399	U-bahn
U3	Duewag	1979-1980	451-477	U-bahn
U4	Duewag	1994-1998	501-539	U-bahn
M	Duewag	1959	600-645	Tram; 6 axles. All retired from service in Frankfurt; many sold to Poland and Romania. Car 102 (ex-602) survives. 600 is ex-805 rebuilt after accident from 8 to 6 axles.
N	Duewag	1963	800-830?	Tram; 8 axles. All retired from service in Frankfurt; many sold to Poland and Romania. Car 112 (ex-812) survives.
O	Duewag	1969	901-908	Tram; Retired from service in Frankfurt; many sold to Poland and Romania. 2 remain in Frankfurt.
Pt	Duewag	1972-1973	651-691	Tram; Pt class cars 692-750 converted to U-bahn service.
R	Duewag	1993-1997	001-040	Tram
S	Bombardier	2003-2005	201-260?	Tram

The U1, U2, and U3 lines typically use cars of class U2 (6-axle articulated units, length: 23m, width: 2.65m), and U4 (6-axle articulated units, length: 24.49m, width: 2.65m).

The U4 uses trains of the class U3 (6-axle articulated units built 1979 - 1980, length 24.49m, width 2.65m). The U5 typically uses trains of the class Ptb (8-axle articulated units built 1972 - 1978, length: 27.43m, width: 2.35/2.65m).

The U7 uses trains of class U2e (6-axle articulated units built 1968-1978, length 23.00m, width 2.65m). The U6 typically uses trains of the class Ptb (8-axle articulated units built 1972-1978, length: 27.43m, width: 2.35/2.65m).

Photo Gallery

Five Random Images
Image 17651 (163k, 720x478) Photo by: Peter Ehrlich Location: Münchenerstrasse/Weserstrasse	Image 17657 (175k, 720x478) Photo by: Peter Ehrlich Location: Münchenerstrasse/Weserstrasse	Image 123053 (306k, 1044x696) Photo by: Bernard Chatreau Location: Nieder-Eschbach	Image 123175 (313k, 1044x700) Photo by: Bernard Chatreau Location: Preungesheim	Image 123185 (294k, 1044x691) Photo by: Bernard Chatreau Location: Kruppstraße