Traveling Boy: John Clayton: Berlin - Is This the Best Train Station in Europe?

John Clayton: Berlin - Is THIS the Best Train Station in Europe?

Berlin - Is This the Best
Train Station in Europe?

Words and Pictures by John Clayton

glass roof, Berlin Central Station

A Classic Roof!
The enormous glass roof over the station is at once imposing and incredible - and it gives it not only a very modern look, but also denotes an open sort of airiness - and freshness. It's interesting to note that research indicates that very often in a fire, many people die of smoke inhalation. Which is why the center panels of this roof are so special - at the very first hint of a fire, all those panels automatically open up to let out the smoke!

Editor's Note: It would appear that the older one gets, time goes by much faster than when one was, well let's say a lot younger. Do you know what I mean? I say that because on November 9th this year there was a huge celebration in Berlin, Germany - and in many other parts of the world - because that date signified it was the 20th Anniversary of the coming down of the Berlin Wall. It seems extraordinary that 20 years have passed by so quickly, I mean somehow when one says 1989 it does not appear to be that long ago - but when one says 20 years, well that DOES seem a long time ago. I was in Berlin shortly after the Wall came down, and it was one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life - I'll share that with you in a future TB story - but as a train buff I was thrilled when I heard that Germany's capital city would once again have a world class railroad station. When I was in Berlin after the Wall came down there was no such building and talk about a new one was just that - talk. Then, slowly but surely, positive things did begin to happen and a process to build something magnificent, began to take shape. What follows are my thoughts when I went to see the finished, final version - and it was, and is, totally magnificent - so, when you go to Germany I hope you'll find the time to visit Berlin (one of my favorite cities) but also that you'll find time to walk around this wonderful new train station.

ave you ever thought about a railroad station being like a big department store? I mean what if - when you boarded the elevator to go to "Home Furnishings," or Electrical Appliances on the 2nd or 3rd floor - you instead heard announcements about trains going north, south, west and east - and all on a different level? ? This scenario is so unusual that the thought probably never entered your mind but, strange as it may sound, there is a railroad station in Europe that does exactly that. The city is Berlin, Germany, and the station is the new five (yes five!) level Hauptbahnhof or Berlin Central Station. There is no other train station under construction, and on such a gigantic scale, as this one, anywhere in Europe.

As a train aficionado I'd gone there several years ago to see the first steps in the building of a train station for the 21st century and beyond - and it would begin to take shape in an area that was a desolate wasteland between East and West Berlin. The fact was that Berlin was one of the most heavily (and most frequently) bombed cities in WW2 Europe and, at war's end as the clean up began, there were a lot of open spaces. In early 2008 I was there to see the progress of the past few years.

Next to the Swiss, I've always thought that Germany has one of the best railroad systems in Europe -- especially their superb ICE, or Inter City Express trains that I've ridden many times during my trips to Germany. Their speed is often in excess of 200 mph, and their accommodations and level of service, are all superb. As but one example, travel between Berlin and Hamburg in 1990 took 4 hours and 3 minutes. The same journey today is only 90 minutes.

With the advent of German reunification in 1989, there evolved an urgent need for an expanded and updated rail system in what had previously been East Germany. Another key component was to make Berlin the center rail hub where passengers could arrive, leave and connect on both domestic and international trains as easy and as "simplified" as possible. This new, superbly modern station does all of that - and a whole lot more! The North South routes are domestic, and the East West lines are international. Connecting, arriving, leaving and getting to where you want to go in Berlin, is now easier, simpler and faster than ever before. Making all this a reality was one of the biggest construction jobs ever, not only in Germany but in all of Europe.

Here's an idea of what big means for Berlin's Central Train Station. Current results show there are 300,000 passengers a day; 110,000 who are either arriving, leaving or changing trains; equally incredible, trains traveling in all directions leave and depart at an amazing interval of 90 seconds; approximately 220 long distance trains arrive each day; 324 regional trains, and over 600 S-Bahn local trains every day; 310 trains, plus over 600 trains move in an East/West direction, and 234 in a North/South direction; it has over 900 parking spaces for automobiles; there are four platforms with eight tracks serving the North-South lines, that are next to the underground and S-Bahn stations; 54 escalators are dotted around the huge complex, 43 elevators and five magnificent staircases; plus over 9,000 sprinklers for fire protection, and at night the station looks even more spectacular as 9,000 lights illuminate its striking appearance; the station itself occupies 750,000 square feet of space and the cost of this gigantic project was $850 million, with a building time of 10 years. There are over 80 different shops from upscale hair salons; travel agencies; car rentals; clothing stores, plus wonderful places to eat and dine. It was opened by German chancellor Angela Merkel on May 26th 2006.

Kirsten Schmidt, director of PR for the city of Berlin in North America, comments. "This beautiful and architecturally stunning station now makes it possible to get connections to destinations all over Europe, and there are always wide choices of departures. I always urge people to get tickets through Rail Europe. Another great fact about its location is that you can reach some of Berlin's top tourist attractions - such as the nearby Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, all of which are only a very short walk from the station." Schmidt noted that US visitors to the city had increased considerably, and that Americans can find some of the lowest hotel rates in Europe. "In 2008," she says, "the average room rate in a Berlin four or five star hotel was around 138 Euros a night, compared to similar rooms in London at 345 or Paris at 329 Euros."

For lots of fascinating information about Berlin and the superb ICE trains, click on Google and type in "German ICE trains information," and for the station itself, just type in "New Berlin train station." Other worthwhile websites are www.visitBerlin.de and www.cometogermany.com.

boat cruise along the River Spree, Berlin

Cruising Berlin!
It's a surprise to many tourists when visiting this great city, to learn that one of the best, most charming ways to see Berlin, is by one of the many cruises along the River Spree and the Landwehr Canals. Tours depart from several of the city's bridges and piers - and yes, you get to see some of the most famous landmarks in Berlin! Tours vary in length from 1 hour to 3 or more, and you pass under no less than 63 bridges and go through numerous locks.

concrete slabs, Holocaust Memorial

Silent Tribute
I found one of the most memorable and quietly stunning attractions in Berlin, to be the Holocaust Memorial. Designed by Peter Eisenman and engineer Buro Happold, it consists of a nearly 5 acre site that's covered with 2,711 concrete slabs that vary in height from nearly 8 foot long to 3 foot wide. Although its concept was controversial, it has become one of this city's must see places. It was dedicated on May 10th, 2005 and opened two days later.

memorabilia for sale at shop near Checkpoint Charlie

My Hat's off to YOU!!!
Are you a collector of "things" on your travels? Well me too! This is just one of several such places that you'll find around Berlin, where you can buy - as you see - a wide variety of memorabilia encompassing Berlin's storied and colorful history. This "store" is near Checkpoint Charlie. And yes, I purchased several hats to bring back to the USA.

tourist taking photo of line of bricks, location of former Berlin Wall

A Line of Difference!
Although the Berlin Wall was a travesty in its era, and an affront to human dignity and freedom, it became over time (especially after it was torn down) a sort of Berlin Icon. As you travel around this lovely city it's hard to sometimes recall where the Wall was. To remedy that, Berliners placed a line of bricks in the street so everyone knew where that infamous Wall once stood. I thought - and still do - that it's a very clever idea in tourism marketing.

Ringo and Deb can have their Oasis - this to me smacks of heavenly travel - thanks for the article and photos.

Brenda - Richland, WA

Hi John,

I have read a few articles about R for Robert, but yours by far is the best. My grandfather was co-pilot John Slatter (my Dad's dad). It is so neat to hear about ancestry. There is actually a book published called R for Robert. Another interesting detail.... I live in NH, and in 1985 a lawyer with many interests from Concord,NH and a sonar exploration company from Salem, NH were the ones who started the project to pull the Wellington out of the Loch. I am always trying to find information about that side of our family, and love to read articles such as yours. Thanks for the piece.....

Cyndi - Raymond, NH

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Greetings my dear Cyndi

I was born in Kensington in London, and although I've been in this great place called the USA for 48 amazing years, if it is still true that Brits ARE noted for understatement, let me tell you that your email not only made my day, but gave me a huge, huge thrill.

I am a WW2 aficionado, and had one of the biggest "thrill sensations" of my life, when the French government invited me to the 60th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6th, 2004. In fact, I sat 50 feet from world leaders like Bush, Putin, and Queen Elizabeth. When I went to Loch Ness and heard (and saw!) that a wonderful Wellington had crashed there, and that it also pin pointed WHERE it had happened, I was in nirvana. I stood on the side of the road and, as I gazed out at the cold and forbidding waters that day, I was instantly transported back to the time and day when it happened - and in my imagination I saw and heard it all. So to get your amazing and (to me) riveting letter, was and is totally amazing - and wonderful.

John

Hello John,

Ed Boitano (who I met on a Star Clipper cruise in the Mediterranean last July) has sent me a link to your above article on the 'Little Steam Trains of North Wales' which I read with interest. One of the photo captions mentions a sign above the train in Welsh, which says: FFORD ALLAN GOFYNN'R DEITHWYR DDEFNYDDIO'R BONT I GROESI'R LEIN. Rougly translated it is a Notice to travellers to use the bridge to cross the line. In Welsh bont is a bridge or archway, Groesi is a crossing, Lein a line, (in this case a rail line or alternative it could mean a line-out (as in Rugby football - but that's another game!) Although born in Wales as Ed may tell you my Welsh is very limited, but trust this answers your question and it amuses! Kind regards,

John Dann - Hove, East Sussex, England

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How wonderful to know that people in Hove (for heavens sakes!) are reading Traveling Boy. I remember -- with much fondness --- visiting Hove during my early years in the UK - charming and very British, so I hope it is still that way and that it has NOT been over run with neon signs and crass commercialism.

Thanks too for your comment about the Welsh wording on the bridge. There were so many wonderful things that intrigued me about Wales, and one of them was - and is! - the language. I mean you'd see this long series of words in Welsh, and then underneath it would give the British translation, and it'd very often be only one or two words. I attach a photo I took of a road sign to illustrate my point. In any event, thanks for your kind words and interesting feedback. MOST appreciated.

John

Dear John,

Your website is fantastic. I am building a Messerschmitt BF109E Model in Balsa Wood and I have a problem in finding the numbers of its original colour (BF 109E-3 with a Donald Duck painted at rear of Romania.)I've been looking around and tried to see through the internet but can't find any help. Please if you have this information and can help me, I would appreciate it very much and I thank you in advance I send you my best regards,

Philip Vella - St. Julians, Malta

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Hi Philip,

Very nice to get your email and I'm so glad you like what you've seen and read on Traveling boy. Sadly, I do not have the answer to your question either. I do, however, have one suggestion and idea.

Among all my aviation books form that period, I have one called "Aircraft of World War 2." It is published by Chartwell Books, 114 Northfield Avenue, Edison, New Jersey 08837, USA. The editorial and design was done by Amber Books at Bradley Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF, England. Their website is www.amberbooks.co.uk.

As the above book is jam packed with fascinating facts about all the aircraft from WW2, I feel that if you write to both of them with your question, they might be able to help you. The book is written by Robert Jackson and he seems to be a mountain of information. Google his name and see what comes up.

John

Hello John, I don't know if you remember me or not but my name is Cliff Pleggenkuhle, Jr. I flew for Cal from 1964 to 2003. I got the article you did on Wes Coss from the Cal Chief Pilots office. The communications people forwarded the article to them. Anyway, I sent the article to the Golden Contrails editor and he is going to include the article in our next edition. The contrails is the publication of our retired group the Golden Eagles.

I have read the book and it was great. It would make a good movie. I also sent your article to my old banker, who is a airplane and WWII nut and I think he is sending you an article about the underground in WWII. He writes articles of interest in a weekly local paper in Liberty County, TX.

I will quit rambling and just wanted to let you know your fine article on Wes will be appreciated by many.

Regards,

Cliff Pleggenkuhle, Jr., Huffman, TX

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Sir...A good friend, a captain with Continental Airlines, Cliff Pleggenkuhle sent me your website. Indeed, your story about the great escape (albeit brief) was one that should be shared. Chuck Yeager also made his way to Spain and his story was somewhat similar. But it takes a real writer to set the plan in motion (and I really mean...motion) as you have done.

I'm taking the liberty to send you a copy of my newspaper column about another hero that I have known. Ironically, your mention of the escape of Wes being true can set aside the Great Escape of Stalag whatever. The untrue part that it was led by an American pilot when actually it was a Dutch pilot named Bob Vanderstock and others. When I went to Belgium with my friend Pieter Cramerus, a Dutch ace who flew Spitfires during WWII for the RAF, he told me about his friend Vanderstock's escape. Then, he introduced to me this fantastic former agent of the Belgium Underground who married his cousin. The rest is in the article. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for your expertise in writing the word.

Bob Jamison, Dayton, TX

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You're getting some serious journalism on your site! Literary indeed. Award-winning potential, and I'm not just talking about YOUR stuff!!

Terry Cassel

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Greetings....

Of all the stories I've written in my lifetime, I cannot think of any one that gave me as much pleasure and joy, in writing the piece about Wes. It required all my best "creative juices," and also - truly thrilling for me - gave me a marvelous opportunity to put words together about battle, about flying and about military history. Knowing how important editing is to any story, and to a reader's enjoyment of same (in other words it has to flow freely and be very concise) I wrote the article in one sitting, and then re-wrote it six times.

I have no idea who this Terry Cassel is, but I cannot tell you how thrilled and how, yes overwhelmed I am, by his brief (editing again proving that less is more) comments about my story. Thank you Ed for giving me this opportunity to put THIS story on the amazing Traveling Boy website. And Wes, thank you for allowing me to chat with you and glean from you (and then your book!) all the fascinating stuff that came together as my article.

Thanks must also go to my wife and my two daughters who have always believed in me, and who (as Father's Day has just passed) gave me the most wonderful and heart wrenching Father's Day cards imaginable. I have always told them that anything is achievable and possible, and that one should NEVER give up. Keep on knocking on doors and even if 20 are closed in your face, if you find yourself knocking on the 21st one, that'll very probably will be THE one that opens up for you - and demonstrates that your determination to never take NO as any sort of answer is a key part of success.

Finally, all of this has only been made reality, by my living and working in this place called the United States of America. Thank you all for everything.

John

Thanks so much for sharing this great story - I am going to copy it to VB who runs the Travel Journalism awards.

Fiona Stewart, Edinburgh

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John,

Nice piece. I adore Scotland, wish I could live there someday...

Chris, Pawling, NY

I enjoyed reading your piece on France; it was very informative. Unfortunately, I've spent very little time in France; it's more to the favor of my oldest brother. But your words painted a good picture.

Danny Simon

Hi John, I am a friend of your daughter Heidi and she sent me your link so I could read your articles. I have heard so many things about you from her but reading your article I can see why she is so proud to call you her Dad. Your writing transported me to Chewton Glen, I hope to one day be lucky enough to stay there!

Frances Crymble, Auckland, NZ

You describe a city on wheels - er, wings - and an absolutely perfect way to travel. SHOWERS & FLOWERS! Amazing! I love that your passion for all-things-aviation comes through in this story about an almost unbelievable airplane. Thanks for breaking the news in such an engaging way!

Richard Frisbie, Saugerties, New York

Good article on the biggest commercial airplane in the world. Very interesting. Love your easy personal writing style. Can't wait to get inside one of these sky monsters. I wonder how they will ever recoup their expenses. But then again, with the Arab nations overflowing with cash I shed no tear of sympathy. If anyone has to beta test these babies, it should be them.

Peter Paul, South Pasadena

Dear John Clayton:

Thank you very much for your enthusiastic report on the Zeppelin Museum. I am very pleased you like it as we -- the people working there -- do. We try to collect everything on Zeppelins and to make it available to visitors. Only the number of visitors I would like to correct: since the opening in 1996 we hosted more than 3,600,000 people. So we are among the most visited museums in Germany.Thank you very much again -- and kindest regards,

Ursula ZellerDirector

Hi John,

I know the places you describe in your aticle, and I usually feel exactly the same as you did, when I wander in the countryside - I live in this region.How could this places, so peaceful today, be such a hell for some men? But if you're attentive to many details in the ground and the scenary, finding shell shrapnels and tumb stones for example, then you begin to understand

Thank you John.

Florence L.
City: France

John,

It's as if I was there with you. I grew up with Sgt York comic books. To see the real place where a real person so heroically saved the day is something I never expected to experience. Thanks for the historical detail and great photos.

Richard Frisbie
City: Saugerties

John,

As a history and Churchill buff, I found your article to be chilling. I hope someday to make it to the museum. Is the CWR at all part of the Imperial War Museum? I don't know how I missed it in my only trip to London back in 2000.

Thanks again,

Gary Avrech
City: Santa Monica

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Hey Gary....

Yes it is. If you go online and click on the IWM website, you'll find out even more information about this intriguing museum. Thanks for your times and words.

John

John,

Very excited to see your appearance in the Boitano Blog. I don't know who the hell all those Boitanos are, but I know who John Clayton is! Hey, I wrote a note on your column on the Cabinet War Rooms. I'll be a regular reader. I certainly hope all are well and happy on the Peninsula and that all your travels are still terrific.

Ed P

John,

I urge anyone traveling to London to put the Cabinet War Rooms high on their "must see" list. All who've taken my advice have thanked me, just like I thanked you, and do so again, for recommending the museum to me years ago. But then, it's just one of many suggestions of yours, every one brilliant!

Ed
Port St. Lucie, FL

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