After a 15-year break, the Christmas train on the Historic S-Bahn Berlin is running again Photo: Olaf Selchow
By Isabel Pancake
For the festival of love, an old tradition is being revived in Berlin: the Christmas train on the historic S-Bahn! After a 15-year break, it will roll through the city again for the first time on December 2nd.
The tradition of the Berlin Christmas train dates back to the 1950s. But in December 2008 it was over! The fleet of historic vehicles had maintenance deficiencies and the company had no capacity to fix them…
The club has put colorful window pictures of snowmen or Pittiplatsch on the windows Photo: Olaf Selchow
Now the Christmas train should run again. The volunteers from the Historische S-Bahn eV association have already festively decorated the wagons: fir branches and fairy lights hang on the luggage racks.
Pictures of snowflakes, the Sandman, Pittiplatsch, Santa Claus and snowmen are stuck to the windows. In the upper class there are padded seats, in the lower class there are only wooden benches.
Specialist trainer Jörg Danckwortt-Rosenau trains the car conductors for the Christmas train Photo: Olaf Selchow
A total of 14 trips will take place – on all Advent weekends.
The Christmas train always starts from Grünau. On Saturdays he travels via Südkreuz to Charlottenburg and back again. On Sundays it runs on the Ringbahn lines S41 and S42.
This wagon is a bit more comfortable with its padded benches Photo: Olaf Selchow
Tickets are available for children aged 3 to 13 for seven euros, for adults (3rd class) for 21 euros or 28 euros (2nd class). Pre-sales should start online in mid-November at the earliest www.reservix.de start. This year, the BVG is also offering its winter train from the Deutsche Oper underground station (children five euros, adults ten euros). More information at www.bvg.de