Berlin-Karlshorst station

Berlin-Karlshorst
Through station
Southern entrance to the station, 2005
Location	Germany
Coordinates	52°28′51″N 13°31′33″E / 52.48083°N 13.52583°E / 52.48083; 13.52583Coordinates: 52°28′51″N 13°31′33″E / 52.48083°N 13.52583°E / 52.48083; 13.52583
Line(s)	Berlin–Guben (KBS 200.3, 207, 209.14)
Platforms	2
Construction
Architect	Karl Cornelius, Waldemar Suadicani
Other information
Station code	545
DS100 code	BKH (long distance) BKLH (S-Bahn)
IBNR	8010035
Category	3
History
Opening	1 May 1895
Traffic
Passengers	12,000 (S-Bahn) 1,800 (long distance)
Services
Preceding station   Deutsche Bahn   Following station Berlin Ostbahnhof toward Dessau Hbf RE 7 Berlin-Schönefeld Flughafen toward Wünsdorf-Waldstadt Berlin Ostbahnhof toward Nauen RB 14 Berlin-Schönefeld Flughafen toward Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen Preceding station   Berlin S-Bahn   Following station Betriebsbahnhof Rummelsburg toward Ostkreuz S3 Wuhlheide toward Erkner

Berlin-Karlshorst station is a station served by regional and S-Bahn services in the suburb of Karlshorst in the Berlin district of Lichtenberg.

The station was opened on 1 May 1895 on the Berlin-Frankfurt (Oder) railway (“Lower Silesian–Markish Railway”) under the name of Carlshorst, initially less for suburban services than for visitors to the harness racing track built in 1893/1894. A terminal station with six tracks was built to serve this traffic next to the suburb platform, with a private pavilion for the Emperor. In 1901, the station’s name was changed to Karlshorst. The current station building and the bridge over the street now called Treskowallee was built with the raising of the tracks, which was completed in 1902. Electric S-Bahn operations on the line between Erkner and Potsdam commenced in 1928. Traffic at the station, which was still largely made up of visitors to the race track, was greatest in those years.

After the Second World War, the railway tracks were briefly converted to Russian broad gauge in July 1945. The Soviet dictator, Stalin took part in the Potsdam Conference and insisted on a trip without changing trains. The line was converted back to standard gauge in September of the same year. Since the line was the most important link to the USSR, neither long-distance track was dismantled for war reparations (unlike on other lines), but instead both of S-Bahn tracks were dismantled. The suburban tracks were re-laid up to 1947 so that S-Bahn trains could run to Karlshorst again.

After the construction of the Berlin Wall on 13 August 1961, the current regional platforms were built at the station. Since the S-Bahn trains could not run to Potsdam through West Berlin, new commuter trains were introduced between East Berlin and Potsdam via the Berlin outer ring. Karlshorst was selected to be the terminus for these Sputnik trains to run to and from Potsdam. In addition, some trains to Frankfurt (Oder) stopped at the station during GDR times. At certain times, Karlshorst was also the terminus of some express trains, if the capacity of other Berlin railway stations was insufficient.