Commuters on the S8 between Blankenburg and Birkenwerder will need to be patient for a week starting Monday, November 16: Replacement buses will run instead of trains there until Monday, November 23, at 1:30 a.m. The first service suspensions are also scheduled for the S3 and S5 lines over the next two weeks. The S-Bahn Berlin service disruption and construction page (as of November 4, 11:18 p.m.) lists service suspensions with replacement bus service through December 21.
S3: Weekend without train service through City-West
The S3 will not run between Friedrichstraße and Zoologischer Garten from Saturday, November 14, at 3:45 p.m. until Monday, November 16, at 1:30 a.m. A bus replacement service will be provided. Anyone traveling between Mitte and Charlottenburg on Saturday evening or Sunday should allow a little extra time.
S8: A whole week in the northeast
The longest closure during this period affects the S8. Between Blankenburg and Birkenwerder, the replacement bus service begins on Monday, November 16, at 4:00 a.m. and ends on Monday, November 23, at 1:30 a.m. This also applies to the entire workweek.
S5: Replacement buses in the east
Between Strausberg and Kaulsdorf, buses will run instead of S-Bahn trains from Friday, November 20, at 9:45 p.m. until Monday, November 23, at 1:30 a.m. The closure will last throughout the entire weekend.
Traffic will also be tight in the direction of BER and the southeast
Further work in the southeast primarily affects travelers heading to the airport. According to BER Airport, there will be no S-Bahn service between Schöneweide and Treptower Park from Friday, November 13, at 9:45 p.m. until Monday, November 16, at 1:30 a.m. The airport recommends the Airport Express (FEX) or regional trains. From November 27 at 9:30 p.m. until November 30 at 1:30 a.m., the S9 and S85 lines will only run between BER and Altglienicke. Between Grünbergallee and Baumschulenweg, replacement buses will operate, stopping at all stations. An additional express bus will connect BER with Baumschulenweg, stopping at Adlershof and Schöneweide. More information is available in the airport’s travel information section.
How to Plan Your Trip
The S-Bahn recommends checking the schedule information before every trip. It includes construction work and replacement service for the next two weeks. If you want to plan further ahead, you can find the service suspensions through December 21 on the S-Bahn’s construction page.
- Schedule information: Check your connection on the day of travel—don’t just rely on what you remember about the route.
- Allow extra time: When using bus replacement service, plan for longer travel times and factor in transfers.
- Last trip of the evening: Most service suspensions begin in the late afternoon or evening, so be sure to check the times before heading home.
Starting December 13, the schedule will also change: On the S5 between Mahlsdorf and Warschauer Straße, trains will run during rush hour at intervals of 5, 5, and 10 minutes instead of every 5 minutes. The light rail line between Charlottenburg and Ostbahnhof will be closed to regional and long-distance trains until December 12. The S-Bahn will generally continue to operate there.
