The Stammstrecke 2 of the Munich U-Bahn is one of three main routes in the subway network of the Bavarian capital Munich. It runs from north to south, as well as east, and is currently operated by the underground U1 and U2 lines. Since 12 December 2011, the U7 line runs during high traffic times and since 15 December 2013 the U8 line assists on Saturdays. The U1 and U2 lines only run together on one route, in the central inner city area, before and after that, they are branched away from each other. The main line 2 has a total length of 33.8 kilometers and 38 underground stations. It runs exclusively in the city of Munich and completely in the tunnel.
The construction of the Stammstrecke 2 began in 1971. In October 1980 the first section was opened between Scheidplatz and Innsbrucker Ring. In the following years, eight route extensions were carried out. The current expansion state was achieved in 2004. Further construction is possible, but not planned at the moment.
History
The U1 was opened on 18 October 1980 and served as a reinforcement line for the U2. At that time, it operated between the main station and Innsbrucker Ring. On 8 May 1983, the line was extended to the Rotkreuzplatz. Until 1988, every second train traveled, in the high traffic times, to Neuperlach South. On 9 November 1997, the branch to Mangfallplatz was opened, which consists of four new stations and connects to the Untergiesing district. A year later a new section with two stations was opened at the Westfriedhof. In 2003, the U1 was extended again by a station to the Georg-Brauchle-Ring and a year later the today's most northern stop, the Olympic shopping center, was completed. Between 1999 and 2006 the U7 served as a reinforcement line to the Rotkreuzplatz. In addition, it was planned in 1980 to extend the U1 south to the Großhesseloher bridge and connect it to the tramway there.
The U2 became the line with the most frequently changing line end stop. It also changed its name, since it was initially called U8. It is the only line (taking into account the history of the U2 and U8 lines together) that runs on all three line families (U1/2, U3/6, U4/5).
Until the opening of the route to Dülferstraße in 1993, the U2, like the U3, traveled from Scheidplatz to the Olympiazentrum. On 26 October 1996, the route was finally extended via Hasenbergl to the present stop in Feldmoching.
Directly above the platform Königsplatz, an art museum (Kunstbau) was created in 1994, in a previously unused cavity, which can be reached from the barrier floor of the station. The exhibition area is located very close to the Lenbachhaus and is used for large temporary exhibitions of mostly modern or new art.
Until the opening of the route from the Innsbrucker Ring through the Trudering to the Messestadt in 1999, the U2 from the Innsbrucker Ring as well as the U5 to Neuperlach South, where the connection to the S-Bahn was. During the construction work on the track, an accident occurred at the Trudering station in 1994, when the ceiling of the newly opened tunnel collapsed due to penetrating water, and a bus fell into the formed crater. Two passengers of the bus as well as a construction worker died. This accident delayed the completion of this route, which was supposed to be opened at the opening of the new exhibition. The time until the subway opening had to be compensated by massive bus shuttle traffic from the S-Bahn stations Riem and Trudering. A memorial stone at the Trudering bus station recalls the disaster (see Trudering Bus Accident).
Course
North (U2) Today the U2 starts in the north under the railway station Feldmoching, an important transfer station in the MVV network, where connections to the S1 to Freising/airport and select regional trains to Landshut exist. The metro station is decorated with motifs from the "village idylle" and the urban life of Feldmochings, many shiny materials were used in this interesting and very individual station. In the Hasenbergl subway station, a high, column-free station hall with roomplastics serving as light reflectors was built as a formative station element.
The route of the U2 runs through the railway station Dülferstraße, colorfully designed by Ricarda Dietz, which connects the eastern parts of Hasenbergl as well as the newly built area on the Panzerwiese, which was the end of the U2 between 1993 and 1996. The tunnel portion under the Panzerwiese was developed largely in the open incision, since at the time of construction there was still no development going on. In addition, after the opening of this route, the Tramlinie 12 from Harthof to Scheidplatz was removed and line 13 to Hasenbergl was stopped.