Use of unusual trains on the U5 - Surprises and entertainment in the trains - Free ride between Hauptbahnhof and Preungesheim.
On the occasion of the commissioning of the barrier-free converted station "Glauburgstraße", the VGF organizes a "U5 Day" on 5 November 2016. On this Saturday, subway trains and train compositions will be seen on the line that do not normally run on the U5. Vehicles of the types "U2", "U4" and "U5" will be used. In addition, VGF will offer free rides on the U5 between Hauptbahnhof and Preungesheim on this day for passengers, onlookers or the hopefully numerous visitors to Eckenheimer Landstraße.
The U5 will run every 10 minutes on Saturday until around 12 noon, then every 7.5 minutes until around 6 pm. The trains in detail:
Course 0501 used from Betriebshof Ost: "U4" / "U4"
Course 0502 from Eckenheim: "U5" / "U5"
Course 0503 from Betriebshof Ost: "U4" / "U5"
Course 0504 from Eckenheim: "U5" / "U5"
Course 0505 from Eckenheim: "U4" / "U4"
Course 0506 from Eckenheim: "U5" / "U5"
Course 0507 from Eckenheim: "U5" / "U4"
Course 0508 from Eckenheim: "U5" / "U5"
This means: after each "normal" train consisting of two "U5" cars, as they have been running since the "Musterschule" station went into service on 8. October on the U5, an unusual composition for the line U5 runs.
In addition, a solo "U2" car runs two minutes behind the 0504 class. These cars formed the backbone of Frankfurt's underground since 1968, but have been replaced piece by piece by the modern "U5" types since 2008. At the beginning of April, the VGF took its veterans out of regular service, but three cars with the numbers 303, 304, and 305 were restored to their red and white original condition as far as possible. A "U2" in regular service won't be seen on the U5 line anytime soon.
The use of "U3" and "PtB" cars was rejected by the VGF because of the height differences between the new platforms and the older cars, as the risk of accidents due to carelessness when getting on or off would have been too great. However, one of these cars, together with another "U2", will be on display at the Eckenheim depot between 10 and 16 o'clock as a "vehicle parade" for photographing. This is organized by the Verein Historische Straßenbahnen Frankfurt e.V. (HSF). The three vehicle types not only stand for the first 20 years of operation of the Frankfurt subway, but also show the Frankfurt color palette in their different paint schemes in subaru-vista-blue ("U3"), ivory-orange ("PtB") and red-white ("U2").
On the other hand, the "U5" car with the number 641, which will in future advertise the Nordend, will be in use at the "U5 Day". The VGF has deliberately chosen to advertise the whole, diverse district, rather than individual shops or a single shopping street. This trolley will be unveiled on 4 November as part of a special local council and press tour.
In the period from 11 am to 5 pm, the VGF will also provide a bit of variety and entertainment on the line trains and at the stops: two stilt walkers will be on the move at the new stations, and there will be small prizes to be won in small games on the trains. Eva Kumant from Frankfurt will be playing her accordion in the trains - "unplugged". Erkan Dörtoluk from Düsseldorf will read from his new book "Du hast mir das Kind gemacht, nicht ich" (You made me the child, not me). What it has to do with buses and trains is described by Piper Verlag as follows: "A hot summer day, the tram gets stuck in traffic. The passengers suffer in silence, only two elderly ladies are talking loudly about incontinence, one row further forward teenage girls are exchanging detailed stories about their latest make-out experiences. It is at moments like these that Erkan Dörtoluk takes notes: Relationship advice, life wisdom or health tips - he listens in when the all too bizarre and private are discussed in public, taking the reader on a hilarious and entertaining ride through the merciless reality of German commuter trains." Dörtoluk knows what he's writing about; as the "whistleblower of Tarifzone A", he posts absurd snippets of conversation from public transport on his Twitter channel @rheinbahn_intim. And he certainly doesn't only get to hear these absurdities on Düsseldorf buses and trains. With three readings, Dörtoluk can be heard in the U5 over the course of Saturday.
Not quite as bizarre or musical: the VGF info bus is in Nordend, standing on Eckenheimer Landstraße with information about Frankfurt's public transport system.
With the "U5 Day", VGF wants to create a framework in which businesses on Eckenheimer Landstraße can participate with their own actions to advertise themselves and their street. The VGF has contacted the traders, a number of shops will participate with their offers on the "U5 Day".
Further info can also be found at: <link http: www.vgf-ffm.de _blank>www.vgf-ffm.de
