The U5 is one of the rather unique and meaningful lines of the Berlin subway network, connecting Hönow at the Berlin/Brandenburg border all the way to the central station in the heart of the city. The line used to be split into the U5 and U55, both going from Hönow to Alexanderplatz and Central Station to Brandenburger Tor respectively. In 2020, the gap was closed with three additional stations to allow a direct connection between both ends. The U5 is one of the only two lines of the large profile network (U5 - U9) that has an open-air section, with this one starting with Biesdorf-Süd and going all the way to Hönow, presenting an unique look with the trains in bright sunshine during the day. Currently the U5 is not directly connected via rail to the rest of the subway network, as the only tunnel connection available is not in an usable state. The line is however also connected to the DB railway infrastructure, allowing easy delivery of the new J series trains. To deliver those to the rest of the large profile network aswell as to swap other trains, they'll be transported on heavy-haul trucks from the Friedrichsfelde maintenance depot of the U5 to the Britz-Süd maintenance depot of the U7. The U5 also has the only station where both subway and S-Bahn trains (S5) stop at the same platforms, which is Wuhletal. Just like on the rest of the network, the trains run in a 5 minute interval, however every 2nd train terminates early at Kaulsdorf-Nord and returns towards Central Station, leaving the rest of the eastern line with a 10 minute interval. Short Information Table: Network: Large Profile (2,65m train width) Length: 22,4km Stations: 26 Power Supply: 750V DC via 3rd Rail (bottom contact) The Trains F74E & F76E The oldest in the club and predecessors of the F84 to F92 series, holding the nickname "Schaltwerker" for using an older type of traction technology (direct current propulsion), opposed to the nowadays widely spread three-phase propulsion. H95 - H01 Possibly the most iconic train and almost immediately recognizable internationally to some railfans. Opposed to the F series, this is a fully traversable six-coach unit, only seperatable into thirds for depot shunting and maintenance. IK17, IK18 & IK20 Originally built for the small profile network (U1 - U4), but as the U5 was missing some vehicles, a solution had to be found. For the third time in history, the "Blumenbretter" cheat code has been used to extend the floor width externally, aswell as swapping the pantographs, to make the train able to run on the large profile. J24 Announced to go in service in early 2026, the J series enriches the large profile with its new abilities and is able to replace the non-wheelchair friendly F series (aswell as the IK series on the U5) throughout the next couple of years. It's delivered in 2- and 4-coach formations and can be reconfigured into traversable six-coach formations, if the necessary coaches are available.
