Reasons for Disruptions

When an emergency situation arises, it usually leads to interruptions in the S-Bahn network. If, for example, a passenger suffers a heart attack on the train, upon entering or exiting, the train service must be stopped.

Only a first responder can decide whether the injured or ill person can be moved or whether an onsite treatment must be performed on the train. The train must approach the next S-Bahn station to allow emergency services to access the patient. Once the mission is complete, and the scene is cleared, regular service is resumed.

• How long does it take? The duration of an emergency medical situation varies from 15 minutes to five hours. In rare cases, an emergency medical service can take longer.
• Who is involved? Firefighters are deployed with an ambulance transporting a doctor on board. In accidents caused to persons, the investigative service of the Federal Police is also working in the presence of the emergency director and first responder services of the S-Bahn Berlin. However, there are also incidents in which only an ambulance is needed.
• How often does it occur? Emergency situations happen almost daily at the S-Bahn.

There are many reasons for police intervention in the S-Bahn network: people walking on the tracks, violent clashes between passengers, attacks on employees, cable theft, objects thrown on to the track, damage to trains, and so on.

The train operator must drive to the next station to ensure police and first responders can easily access the crime or emergency scene onboard. Another example: when people appear on the tracks, the train conductor must slow the train down to walking speed.

If the conductor sees children walking or playing on the train tracks, he must bring the train to a complete halt. Regular service can continue when the route is clear again.

• How long does it take? Situations, where police intervention is needed, take on average 30 minutes to carryout. However, depending on the gravity of the case, it could take up to a few hours until trains are back in service. For example, a police search for children or adults on the tracks.
• Who is involved? Usually, both the police and DB InfraGo - Tracks division (Geschäftsbereich Fahrweg) emergency management unit are on the scene.
• How often does it occur? Situations, where police intervention is needed, happen a few times a week.

Figherfighters are needed when severe weather and storms cause damage. In addition to the Berlin rescue teams, our teams and those of our DB partners are on duty in the S-Bahn network, ready for any acute weather conditions. In such cases, they work hard to repair damages, such as clearing fallen trees off the tracks.

• How long does it take? Storm damage repairs take anywhere from several hours to several days.

The infrastructure consists of a highly sophisticated system of tracks, switches, and signals. State-of-the-art electronic interlockings (ESTW) use digital control and safety technology to ensure smooth and safe train travel. However, despite constant maintenance and technical upgrades, failures can still occur. The DB Netz is responsible for the infrastructure and tends to any system outages promptly and accordingly.

Signal disruptions: Alternative repair measures make it possible to delay train service instead of canceling it in the event of a signal disruption on the route.

Switch malfunctions: A problem in the train switch can be more complicated as it affects the entire junction or track. When this happens, the affected route must be shut down until a repair service arrives and fixes the problem.  As a result, switches have a more significant impact on everyday operations.

• How long does it take? The damage repairs to infrastructure such as switches or signals range from one hour to several days. Prolonged disruptions arise when, for example, a switch part has to be replaced.

We strive always to be prepared beforehand; however, sometimes the S-Bahn experiences train delays when thousands of guests arrive and depart an event at the same time. In our planning, we take into account significant events, such as the FIFA World Cup or church congress.

For this purpose, we regularly coordinate with the Senate and the event organizers to be well informed before the big day. We train a special team that coordinates the staff and ensures that the operation runs smoothly, including keeping the tracks as clean as possible during these events.

• How long does it take? Delays can take a few minutes as a result of massive crowds entering and exiting trains. However, sometimes clashes with passengers or vandalism on the train or at the station, can delay service for several hours.

There are also - in rare cases - disruptions caused by state visits. As soon as a high-ranking state visitor travels from Tegel Airport towards the city centre, traffic on the ring line from Beusselstraße to Westend is suspended for half an hour on the S-Bahn and mainline lines for security reasons.

• How long does it take? This type of disruption lasts for around 30-60 minutes.