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S-Bahn

Type of commuter rail system in Europe

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Schema von U-Bahn und S-Bahn
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The first such network, the Berlin S-Bahn, began operation in December 1930 and inspired similar systems across Europe. The term "S-Bahn" has since become a generic term for hybrid suburban–urban rail networks, with counterparts such as the S‑tog in Denmark, S‑Trein/Train S in Belgium, Esko/S‑lines in the Czech Republic, Linee S in Italy, and SKM in Poland. The S-Bahn is also recognized as a train category in several European countries. The concept also influenced systems outside the German-speaking world, including the Réseau Express Régional (RER) in Paris and its counterparts in other cities.

S-Bahn network design principles are also present in several regional rail and commuter rail systems in the English speaking world primarily in Australia and New Zealand. The commuter rail systems of Auckland and of Australia's three largest state capitals (Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane) all have city centre viaducts or tunnels which enable through-running service for electrified suburban trains. In the US, SEPTA Regional Rail in Philadelphia is similar to an S-Bahn, using a city centre tunnel to enable extensive through-running. The San Francisco Bay Area's BART also uses a similar trunk-and-branches design with the Transbay Tube forming part of an interlined high-frequency trunk between West Oakland and Daly City.

Sydney and Philadelphia have also adopted a similar route naming system to European S-Bahn systems by using a letter (“T” in Sydney and “R” in Philadelphia) and a number to represent each line. Philadelphia dropped this naming system in 2010 in favour of giving each line the name of its terminal station.

Characteristics

There is no single, universally accepted definition of an S-Bahn system. In general, in the outer parts of a city, S-Bahn trains operate in a manner similar to conventional commuter rail, linking outlying towns with the city centre at moderate speeds. Unlike most commuter railways, however, S-Bahn services typically continue beyond the city’s main railway station, crossing the urban core on a high-frequency corridor where multiple routes converge. Stations along these central sections are spaced farther apart than on a typical rapid transit system (U-Bahn), enabling higher average speeds and providing a rapid means of travel across the city, even for passengers not travelling to or from the suburbs.

The Copenhagen S-tog, for example, operates at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph), while the Rhine-Main S-Bahn operates at up to 140 km/h (87 mph). In densely populated areas, S-Bahn lines can link multiple urban centres rather than serving a single core city, as with the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn, which interconnects the cities and suburbs of the Ruhr region.

Many large S-Bahn systems have a dedicated underground or elevated trunk line through the central city, that individual suburban branches feed into, creating a high frequency corridor. In many cases, this is a grade-separated line in the city centre with close stop spacing and a high frequency, similar to metro systems. A good example of this is Berliner Stadtbahn, the main east–west axis of Berlin’s S-Bahn, which is regarded as a tourist attraction.

Outside city centres, S-Bahn services often run on existing local or regional railway infrastructure, sometimes parallel to long-distance tracks. In some cases, new infrastructure has been purpose-built, such as the Køgebugt (Køge Bay) line in Copenhagen, constructed between 1971 and 1983, or the S-Bahn tunnel between Hamburg Central Station and Altona, completed in 1979.

S-Bahn systems typically use electric trains supplied by overhead lines or a third rail; in Hamburg, both systems are used depending on the line.

Station spacing and service frequency vary widely. In suburban sections, stations may be more than 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) apart and headways may extend to 30 or 60 minutes during off-peak hours. In contrast, central trunk lines in larger systems can operate at intervals as short as two minutes.

Rolling stock reflects this hybrid function: interiors are designed with standing room for those making short trip, but usually offer more seating comfort than metro trains.

S-Bahn systems are typically integrated into a city’s wider public transport network, with unified ticketing and convenient interchanges. In cities with both S-Bahn and metro systems, tickets are often valid across both, and interchange stations are common. Examples include the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland, which serves Leipzig and Halle, and the Rostock S-Bahn, a smaller regional system

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