Berlin Zoologischer Garten railway station

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The Bahnhof Zoo in 2004

Berlin Zoologischer Garten (German for Berlin Zoological Garden, short form Berlin Zoo or colloquially Bahnhof Zoo) was the central transport facility in West Berlin during the division of the city, and thereafter for the western central area of Berlin until opening of the new central station on 28 May 2006. Situated on Hardenbergplatz, adjacent to the Berlin Zoo, it is also an interchange with the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn, which uses the Berlin Stadtbahn, along with regional trains, known as RegionalExpress or RegionalBahn.

Hardenbergplatz is West Berlin's largest city bus terminal and is also used by long-distance buses/coaches. "ZOB", Berlin's central bus terminal for regional and long-distance travel, is located on the Messedamm not far from the Funkturm.

Zoologischer Garten is also a Berlin U-Bahn station and S-Bahn station located at the Berlin Zoologischer Garten terminal, serving the U2, U9, S5, S7, and S75 lines.

1 History
2 Operational usage
- 2.1 Statistical data
3 Zoo Station in popular culture

[edit] History

U-Bahn station (U9)

The Bahnhof Zoo was originally a Stadtbahn station, opened in February 1882. In 1902, the U2, the first Berlin U-Bahn line, was opened under ground. Between 1934 and 1940 the station was rebuilt, and the track installations were expanded. In August 1961 the U-Bahn Line 9 was opened under the U2, which connected the station with the transportation network in the north-south direction.

The fact that with only two platforms and four tracks for long-distance trains the station was still the most important in West Berlin was another unnatural phenomenon of the divided city. Despite the outcry from nearby retailers and local politicians, the station has dramatically lost its importance following the launching of the new central station on 28 May 2006, with long-distance services now passing through the station without stopping.

[edit] Operational usage

[edit] Statistical data

In brief
DB station code:	BZOO
Number of platforms	2 main line passenger 1 S-Bahn

[edit] Zoo Station in popular culture

In Germany, the station is still best known for its role as the setting of the book "Christiane F. - The children from Bahnhof Zoo" (Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo) by Christiane Vera Felscherinow which dramatizes the period in the 1970s and 1980s when the rear of the station facing Jebensstraße was a meeting point for prostitutes, teen runaways, and drug addicts.

The U2 song "Zoo Station" was inspired by the station, which in turn inspired their Zoo TV tour and the album Zooropa.
The song The Zoo by German rock band Scorpions was inspired by the station.
The song Auf'm Bahnhof Zoo by Nina Hagen was written about this station.

Previous station	Berlin U-Bahn	Next station
Ernst-Reuter-Platz toward Ruhleben	U2	Wittenbergplatz toward Pankow
Kurfürstendamm toward Rathaus Steglitz	U9	Hansaplatz toward Osloer Straße
Previous station	Berlin S-Bahn	Next station
Tiergarten	S5	Savignyplatz
Tiergarten	S7	Savignyplatz
Tiergarten	S75	Savignyplatz