U3 (Nuremberg U-Bahn)

U3
Großreuth 0.0 km Gustav-Adolf-Straße 0.6 km Sündersbühl to Röthenbach to Fürth Hbf / Bamberg 1.5 km Rothenburger Straße to Hardhöhe 2.5 km Plärrer to Crailsheim to Roth to Augsburg Hbf Steinbühl Weisser Turm 3.3 km Opernhaus Lorenzkirche 3.8 km Nürnberg Hbf to Langwasser Süd Dürrenhof to Regensburg Hbf to Feucht / Schwandorf to Hersbruck Pegnitz River 4.6 km Wöhrder Wiese 5.1 km Rathenauplatz to Flughafen 6.1 km Maxfeld 6.5 km Kaulbachplatz 7.1 km Friedrich-Ebert-Platz 7.6 km Klinikum Nord 8.0 km Nordwestring 8.1 km

The U3 is an underground line in Nuremberg. The line was opened on 14 June 2008. The stretch is about 8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi) long. The Number of stations is 13. The start-and endstations are Nordwestring and Gustav-Adolf-Straße. U 3 trains are run driverless.

History

While the original plans of the U-Bahn network to be all called for at least three main trunk lines on their entire dedicated corridors, financial constraints and the decision not to abandon the Tramway network as had been planned at the time the U-Bahn began construction, made it clear after the construction of U2 that a third trunk line would be economical only if the Tram network was abandoned after all. A political consensus emerged to keep the Tram network, but still expand the U-Bahn system, if a bit slower and more moderately. Therefore it was decided to use parts of existing tunnels for the U3 instead of building an entire dedicated tunnel. However, as it was deemed impossible to reduce frequency and the existing signaling system was at its limits along U2 the decision was taken to automate the existing line to allow for higher throughput. The new U3 thus opened as the first fully automated U-Bahn in Germany and has been fully driverless from its first day of commercial operations. The U2 was automated in the following two years whereas U1, the oldest and longest line in the system and the only one to operate outside the municipal boundaries of Nuremberg is still fully driver operated. U3 which forms a rough C-shape with both branches lying to the West of downtown has been extended twice on its northern branch, first in 2011 with the two new stations Kaublachplatz and Friedrich Ebert Platz and then in 2017 with the two new stations Klinikum Nord and Nordwestring. An extension of the southern branch is underway with a tentative opening date of 2019 and is already displayed on many subway maps. Further extensions are planned along the southern branch of U3.

Overview

The U3 has its provisional starting point at the station Gustav-Adolf-Straße under the intersection of Wallensteinstraße with the Westring. The route runs to the east, passes a double track change and shortly after reaches the station Sündersbühl under Rothenburger Straße between Blücherstraße and Bertha-von-Suttner-Straße. After the station, the two track rails divide, turn parallel first to the right and lead from Heinrichstraße in a long left turn north to thread in front of the Rothenburger Straße on the route of the U2.

From the Rothenburger Straße station, the U3 travels on a common route with the U2 to the Plärrer, Opernhaus, Hauptbahnhof, Wöhrder Wiese and Rathenauplatz stations. Until the U2 was upgraded to automatic, this section combined automatic and conventional trains.

After the station Rathenauplatz the U3 heads west to continue via the station Maxfeld under the Goethestraße on the Kaulbachplatz to Friedrich-Ebert-Platz. Following the station is a twin-track tunnel, which extends to just before the station Klinikum Nord. Then the tunnel route leads to the terminus Nordwestring, at the end of which a parking and sweeping system connects.

Planned extensions

Out of all Nuremberg U-Bahn lines, U3 is the youngest and the only one with extensions currently under construction. After the northern branch reached a (preliminary) endpoint at Nordwestring in May 2017, construction is ongoing along the southern branch west towards Großreuth bei Schweinau with a tentative opening date in 2019. Further extensions towards Kleinreuth bei Schweinau is planned to commence when the former station opens for service. There is a longstanding plan to use part or all of the old Bibertbahn right of way for further extensions. An expansion of the Northern branch is not planned as of 2018 but variously debated and suggested politically.^[1]

Stations

The Undergroundstation Wöhrder Wiese

• U1 = U1 (Nuremberg U-Bahn)
• U2 = U2 (Nuremberg U-Bahn)
• S1 = S1 (Nuremberg)
• S2 = S2 (Nuremberg)
• S3 = S3 (Nuremberg)
• DB = Deutsche Bahn long distance and regional trains

Opening dates

Logo U3

• 28 January 1984: Plärrer ↔ Rothenburger Straße (as part of U2)
• 23 September 1988: Plärrer ↔ Hauptbahnhof (as part of U2)
• 24 September 1990: Hauptbahnhof ↔ Rathenauplatz (as part of U2)
• 14 June 2008: Gustav-Adolf-Straße ↔ Rothenburger Straße (opening of U3)
• 14 June 2008: Rathenauplatz ↔ Maxfeld (opening of U3)
• 11 December 2011: Maxfeld ↔ Friedrich-Ebert-Platz
• 22 May 2017: Friedrich Ebert Platz ↔ Nordwestring
• planned 2019: Gustav-Adolf-Straße ↔ Großreuth bei Schweinau

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to U3 (Nürnberg).

• Nuremberg U-Bahn
• U1 (Nuremberg U-Bahn)
• U2 (Nuremberg U-Bahn)
• Nuremberg S-Bahn
• S1 (Nuremberg)
• S2 (Nuremberg)
• S3 (Nuremberg)

References