The underground Goetheplatz and Poccistraße subway stations have been undergoing a general renovation since May of this year - and on the surface, the effects of this renovation, which cost more than 60 million euros and will last until autumn 2027, are clearly noticeable. Since then, there have been no subways between Implerstrasse and Sendlinger Tor; commuters have to make their way through this section in buses with the rail replacement service (SEV).
But what happens underground remains hidden from those who travel along Lindwurmstrasse in overcrowded buses. The same applies to those who have to switch back to the old cycle path on a section of the bike because a separate lane has been set up for buses in order to speed up local public transport.
This is also why the Munich Transport Company (MVG) invited people to visit the construction site. A tour of one of the most important infrastructure projects in downtown Munich, which aims to bring buildings up to date with the latest technology, some of which date back to the 1930s. Work on the Goetheplatz train station was already underway in 1938; However, due to the war, the work at the time did not go beyond the state of a shell building - it was finally opened as part of the construction of the Munich subway in 1971. Just in time for the Summer Olympics in the Bavarian capital a year later.
On the way down to the mezzanine of Goetheplatz train station this Wednesday afternoon, project manager Philip Schmidt says that the structure of the station is simply getting old and urgently needs to be completely renovated. “It’s 80 to 85 years old.” What the refresh is not about is an “aesthetic upgrade” of the two train stations. “There are two main reasons for this measure: the renewal of fire protection and the durability aspect,” says Schmidt, who is responsible for upgrading the Goetheplatz train station. “We are building here for the next 50 years.”
On the mezzanine itself, ventilation pipes and boxes with building materials still bear witness to the work of the past few months. It is dusty on the floor, but its appearance has not changed; Only fire protection renovations were made, said Schmidt. The charm of the 1970s will remain.
However, the construction workers intervened massively in the station itself; the building with its two tracks was almost completely gutted. Steel reinforcements that showed cracks and were no longer load-bearing had to be replaced. With “heavy physical exertion,” as Schmidt says, they then applied tons of shotcrete to the walls and ceiling. "It was like working in a steam sauna. For four weeks. During this work, pieces of concrete kept falling from the ceiling." They would then have to be removed with shovels. The project manager calls what the construction workers did under Lindwurmstrasse “rough work.”
What will remain behind, however, is a train station that will shine with filigree elegance in the future - which is also partly due to the state capital's struggling budget situation. Because instead of artfully covering the walls in Goetheplatz train station again, the focus in the future will be on concrete. Painted over with paint called “silk gray”. The name of the station is simply painted in black on the walls themselves: Goetheplatz. “The repair effort should also be kept as low as possible.”
Schmidt and his colleague Hannes Venneklaas, who is responsible for fire protection and statics at Poccistraße station, finally lead through the semi-darkness through the tunnel towards the south. About half a kilometer lies between Goetheplatz and the Poccistraße subway station. No work was carried out on the tunnel itself or on the tracks and track bed, says Venneklaas. “The infrastructure is still OK.”
And it is precisely on this infrastructure that subways should run again in time for the start of the Oktoberfest. Then the first of three construction phases will end, and the U3 and U6 will again serve the Poccistraße and Goetheplatz stations during Oktoberfest in order to be able to cope with the increased traffic volume. After the Oktoberfest, replacement rail services will begin again.
Then the second construction phase begins, which will last until the end of November. During this period, only one track in the section between Sendlinger Tor and Implerstraße needs to be occupied. The U6 can then go a little further and is only interrupted between Goetheplatz and Implerstrasse.
When we arrive at the Poccistraße subway station, project manager Venneklaas explains its peculiarities. The station is not particularly beautiful, but rather narrow and squat, he says. And also getting old. “That’s why we continually monitor the statics of the station,” says Venneklaas. Little by little, construction workers are inserting more and more steel struts between the rows of columns on the platform to stabilize the building. In addition, pollutants such as asbestos were removed and removed.
And there is also light at the end of the tunnel: After a break in construction following the second construction phase, the final construction phase will begin on April 12, 2027.
