Germany’s capital Berlin plans to get ahead of growing demand for public transport with a massive investment in transportation projects. The Transit Masterplan indicates phased spending averaging €2 billion per year between 2019 and 2035. Officially, the Masterplan ends in 2023, but some of the projects it outlines will only be completed in 2035.
Berlin’s investments in public transportation are routinely high. 2018 saw the city commit to a €1 billion budget for the purchase of new trains, and the latest plans for improvement will reinforce the city’s reputation as one of Europe’s biggest spenders on public transport improvements.
Trams, Trains, and Buses
Unlike most other cities, Berlin has not only retained its tram network but extended it. Now, the tram network will be expanded still further with most new lines being laid in the western suburbs. In total, the tram network’s coverage will grow by 28 percent with the total line-distance rising to 267 kilometers. It’s not just distances covered but the number of trams that will rise. A 38 percent increase in the fleet will provide service to new routes while waiting times on existing routes will be reduced.

Moving from trams to trains, the S-Bahn rail network will also be expanded in a Northerly direction but instead of laying all-new tracks for the extension, it will primarily use existing lines that have fallen into disuse.