If you have been to Munich, then you know that the city boats an award winning public transportation system. Built for the 1972 Summer Olympics, ridership on the system has skyrocketed and currently runs over capacity. You may also know that all suburban trains travel through the same tunnel between the Hauptbahnhof and the Ostbahnhof. When something happens in this tunnel, Munich’s system is instantly paralyzed. Today at 3:00 PM, a massive new project will be launched to combat these issues. However, it will take 10 years to complete!
This massive project is the largest Munich has seen in decades. At 4 Billion Euros, it is also the most expensive undertaken ever planned. The plan calls for a second, almost parallel tunnel, and three new stations. The tunnel will be about 7 km long and the three new stations will be a stunning 130 feet underground. You can see some graphics about three new stations here:
Marienplatz: Modern Architecture underground.
Haupbahnhof: At over 6 stories underground, this is the most technically challenging construction.
Ostbahnhof: The third most used station in Munich, will be the eastern station of the new tunnel
The project has been debated for some 10 years and is still controversial. Many think that there is an above ground option that would relieve the traffic situation for a lot less money, but the second tunnel project is about to kick off. This weekend there will be a festival on the Marienhof to celebrate the new plan.