STOP PRESS - breaking news
At least the announcement will allow Solent Blue Line Blue Star GoAhead South Coast to register their replacement services.
Looks a bit like a so-called "pub deal" to avoid any problems with a take-over and the competition authorities.
And, surprise, surprise, the local press is quick to report:-
Well I never, did you ever! What a swell carve-up this is!
Isometric Investigation
Too late to assist No 3 son in his evening exploration, but fbb thought it might be interesting to try to unravel what appears to be a very complex over engineered plan of Munich Hauptbahnhof.
The pink bits are "gesperrt", obviously closed. The separate bit of "zugang" (also, presumably, "ausgang") is actually BELOW the main section and represents the subway access from Stationplatz and the trams.
Interestingly, Goole Translate offers "bullet" for "geschoss" but fbb suspects the area is not "under the bullet" but a basement level. If we look at a pre-rebuilding version ...
... we can see where escalators and lifts led down to a way out to tram, bus, bike and taxi. The out of date Streetview confirms this.
To understand the north side of the station we need to take a look at the magnificent Nackerbrucke.
This lies at the Western end of the station approach tracks and has an S-Bahn station attached. When the S-Bahn was created, tracks deviated from the original Starnberger platforms and plunged below ground ...
The opportunity was taken to include a lengthy shopping basement here, with exits (reading from west to east), to ...
... Arnulfstrasse, S-Bahn platforms, more side streets and, eventually ...
... the eastern end of the S-Bahn platforms, the trams and the Underground.
Thanks to a few video stills we can experience a delve into the S-Bahn from a real passenger's point of view. We begin by descending to the Untergeschoss by escalator. (Lifts are available).
We are now in that massive basement access and shopping area and it is wide ...
A second escalator takes us down to the platforms.
There is one large island platform ...
... with plenty of seats ...
... something of a rarity in the equivalent UK setting.
There are platforms for both sides of the train ...
... but the far side does not appear to be used under normal circumstances - maybe for very busy times or emergencies?
We are reminded that S-Bahn is DB. i.e. National Rail.
So tomorrow we take a similar look at the U-Bahn Underground platforms.
Next Hauptbahnhof blog Wednesday 30th November
The side platforms on the S Bahn are used for exit. Doors open on this side of the train first, before opening on the opposite side, to allow boarding from the centre platform.
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