In what year did the Berlin U-Bahn open?

The Berlin U-Bahn opened in 1902.

Its first public service began on February 18, 1902, making Berlin one of Europe’s early cities with an underground urban railway. The opening connected the central route between Stralauer Tor and Potsdamer Platz, with a branch toward Zoologischer Garten. Berlin’s system grew from this early electric railway into a large network serving both the historic city and its later suburban districts.

The name U-Bahn is short for Untergrundbahn, meaning “underground railway.” The label can be slightly misleading because not every section runs below ground: Berlin’s network includes elevated tracks, surface alignments, and tunnels. Early routes were built in different profiles, or loading gauges, which influenced train dimensions and platform design.

The 1902 date is sometimes confused with 1900, when test operations and ceremonial events took place, or with later dates associated with extensions and separate lines. The U-Bahn also survived major disruption during World War II, when bombing and flooding damaged the network. After the war, the divided city developed separate East and West Berlin systems before reunification gradually restored through service.