Haupt is main or major in German. Bahnhof is a railway station. For rail geeks like me Germany is paradise. The true cathedral (of technology) in this land obsessed with designing those meant for prayers is the haupt bahnhof of Berlin. It is simply magnifique and massive. It is a multi function shopping mall, office complex, foodie central and transport hub rolled in one. Every major city has its own Hauptbahnhof.
On the banks of the river Spree the Berlin version is a multi storied super structure that brings together North South railway lines with East West lines. It serves as a true Grand Central terminal for multiple rail companies that service the city of Berlin.
The largest rail company is the Deutsche Bahn. It is largely owned by the state but operates like a business. While the service is not exceptional in terms of people interaction the train network is truly vast. With slower S-Bahn local trains above and below ground including a bus service, in smaller locales they also have some of the fastest trains on the planet. These are the ICE or inter city express lines mostly connecting large metro areas both within and outside Germany.
All of these can be processed through this station on five different levels. The fastest ones are in the basement of the mall which is identified as Tief or deep in German. Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5 merging like ramps on an interstate are for various regional bahns, or RB trains and some S-Bahn trains. It is truly a masterpiece of engineering worth observing.
Once on board one of these fast trains that can top out at 300 kph you do not see too many dudes with wires sticking out of their ears unlike the US. People actually are reading from a paper based document like a magazine or newsprint. People actually find time to interact and talk to other people.
Then of course when then chat gets boring or the castles and kirches common place outside the window you can hop over to the on board bistro to get a pilsner.
On the banks of the river Spree the Berlin version is a multi storied super structure that brings together North South railway lines with East West lines. It serves as a true Grand Central terminal for multiple rail companies that service the city of Berlin.
The largest rail company is the Deutsche Bahn. It is largely owned by the state but operates like a business. While the service is not exceptional in terms of people interaction the train network is truly vast. With slower S-Bahn local trains above and below ground including a bus service, in smaller locales they also have some of the fastest trains on the planet. These are the ICE or inter city express lines mostly connecting large metro areas both within and outside Germany.
All of these can be processed through this station on five different levels. The fastest ones are in the basement of the mall which is identified as Tief or deep in German. Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5 merging like ramps on an interstate are for various regional bahns, or RB trains and some S-Bahn trains. It is truly a masterpiece of engineering worth observing.
Once on board one of these fast trains that can top out at 300 kph you do not see too many dudes with wires sticking out of their ears unlike the US. People actually are reading from a paper based document like a magazine or newsprint. People actually find time to interact and talk to other people.
Then of course when then chat gets boring or the castles and kirches common place outside the window you can hop over to the on board bistro to get a pilsner.
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