Thanks to Gladys We for the link to this fun site.
It took my computer a few minutes to get it all going, but it’s pretty cool.
The Berlin Transportation Authority has built a website where you can see all of the trains, trams, buses and ferries moving through the city in real-time. Real-time map of Berlin subway system.
Here’s some general info about the Berlin subway system and a map of the whole system.
For anyone who doesn’t speak German, here’s a translation guide:
Fernverkehr – long distance trains traveling through the city
Regionalverkehr – regional trains traveling through the city
S-Bahn – above-ground city trains (like the El in Chicago)
U-Bahn – subway trains
Fähre – ferry/boat traffic
Bahnhöfe/Haltestelle anzeigen – show bus stops and train stops and big train stations
Liniennummer und Pünktlichkeit anzeigen – show which subway line the train is on and if the train is running on time
Richtung – show direction train is going
Pretty cool indeed. You need to zoom in a bit to see the trains, trams and buses moving. If you zoom in enough you can add the options bike share, car share and taxis. It shows the locations, type of car, car share company and for the bikes, how many bikes are available.
As a note, the U-bahn and S-bahn don’t always live up to their name in Berlin, with the U1 along with sections of other lines running above ground on viaducts very similar to the Chicago El, while some S-bahn trains run underground through the city centre.
The difference between U-Bahn and S-Bahn is really more about speed – S-Bahn trains don’t stop as frequently, and so tend to serve longer-distance travel.