Germany - Hamburg S-Bahn
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The Hamburg S-Bahn system is a local commuter train system which is similar to the Berlin one, but the trains are not compatible
with each other. Hamburg's system uses 1200V DC from a third side rail whereas the similar Berlin S-bahn uses 750V DC.
This type, Br 472 is the oldest S-Bahn train type still in use in Hamburg and they are about to be ousted very soon. They were built
1974 to 1984. There were also two still older types from the years 1939 and 1959, but they were taken out of use in 2001 and 2002.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
One of the old class Br472 trains with its door invitingly open. These trains are likely to vanish from day to day service still during 2019,
but here it still was in full use on S-Bahn line S31.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Still one of the old Br472 trains, but this one seen already in 2013.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 5.7.2013 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is the very newest train type of Hamburg's S-Bahn system, the Br490. They were ordered in 2013 and built from 2017 onwards by Bombardier.
The silvery shape at its front is said to resemble the letter H for Hamburg.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another view of the new Br490 train.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This train type Br474 is still by far the most common S-Bahn train type in Hamburg. This one in the picture is a normal S-Bahn train,
but there are also dual electric system variants of this train. They use DC current from the side rail close to the city center but
can also operate on longer routes using pantographs and the regular 15 kV AC current.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
This is an example of a dual electric system capable so called "Br 474-3" S-Bahn train well outside the classical S-Bahn network. This train consists
of two Br 474 units and each one of them has a pantograph up on the roof of the second wagon, although it's a bit hard to see on this photo. But as you see,
there is no third rail for feeding the electric current. When these trains come back to the tracks of the classical S-Bahn network, they simply lower their
pantographs and change to DC currency. This concept has been working so well that it is now planned to be extended quite a lot.
Picture from the station of Buxtehude 14.7.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo. This train unit is the Br 474 no 620.
Another view of a Br474 train. They were built from 1996 onwards.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Some of the Hamburg S-Bahn train suffer from having been covered with extremely ugly advertisement tapings, such as this poor Br474,
advertising for 10 years of S-Bahn connection to the Hamburg airport.
Picture from Hamburg Eidelstedt station 1.7.2019 by Ilkka Siissalo.
