The Western Berlin suburban railroad or Westliche Berliner Vorortbahn A.G. (WBV) was a streetcar company in the greater Berlin area, which mainly operated lines in the southwestern suburbs of Wilmersdorf, Schöneberg, Schmargendorf, Friedenau and Steglitz. After its foundation on June 25, 1898, the Aktiengesellschaft took over the operation of the Berliner Dampfstraßenbahn-Konsortium founded in 1888 on October 1 of the same year and pushed ahead with its electrification until 1900. The Große Berliner Straßenbahn took over the entire share capital of the company in the same year it was founded and from then on managed it in personal union. The affiliation enabled the company to expand its route network into the city of Berlin and thus improve its annual result in the long term. In return, the Große Berliner Straßenbahn was able to maintain its monopoly position in the Berlin streetcar sector. As part of the merger of the Berlin streetcar companies, the merger of the Große Berliner Straßenbahn with the Westliche Berliner Vorortbahn and other subsidiaries was completed on May 15, 1919; the company thus ceased to exist.
History
The Westliche Berliner Vorortbahn was founded on June 25, 1898. On October 1, it was taken over by the Berliner Dampfstraßenbahn-Konsortium, which operated several lines in the south-western suburbs of Berlin. In the same year it was founded, the Große Berliner Straßenbahn (GBS) acquired the entire share capital of the company. From then on, GBS provided the personnel and administration. The WBV implemented the electrification planned by the steam streetcar consortium. It began on May 18, 1899, with the line from Zoologischer Garten via Nollendorfplatz, Schöneberg and Friedenau to Steglitz, which had been opened in 1888. On October 1, 1899, the connection from Nollendorfplatz to Linkstraße near Potsdamer Platz, approved in 1895, went into operation. All lines were electrified by August 10, 1900.
On September 17, 1900, the Berlin Police Commissioner granted the company a new concession until December 31, 1949. The content was essentially the same as a concession previously granted to GBS. As the City of Berlin had only given its approval for the use of municipal roads until the end of 1919, several legal disputes subsequently arose between the city and GBS and its subsidiaries. Consent agreements with the other municipalities affected by the railroad existed until 1937 and 1948 respectively.
+ Line overview May 6, 1902 Signal Line Course A Potsdamer Platz – Hundekehle / Grunewald, Roseneck – Potsdamer Platz B Potsdamer Platz – Wilmersdorf, Wilhelmsaue – Schmargendorf – Grunewald, Roseneck C Potsdamer Platz – Wilmersdorf, Wilhelmsaue D Steglitz, Schloßpark – Schöneberg, Hauptstraße – Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten E Steglitz, Schloßpark – Schöneberg, Hauptstraße – Potsdamer Platz F Steglitz, Schloßpark – Kaiserallee – Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten G Wilmersdorf, Wilhelmsaue – Uhlandstraße – Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten
Along with the electrification, the WBV expanded its network to two tracks throughout. The expansion was completed in the course of 1901. In addition, the route in the center of Wilmersdorf was changed so that through trains could run via Berliner Straße and Mehlitzstraße. The tracks in Wilhelmsaue were then used exclusively by trains turning there. In December 1902, the facility was converted into a block bypass.
When GBS took over operations management, the WBV introduced different colored line signals. In May 1902, these were replaced by code letters, whereby the company was assigned the range from A to M. At the time of the changeover, seven lines were in operation.
Passenger numbers continued to rise due to further settlement along Kurfürstendamm and in Grunewald. The opening of the Untergrundbahn in Tauentzienstraße and Kleiststraße did nothing to stop this. The WBV increased the frequency from 15 to 20 minutes to 10-15 minutes, with some services running every 7½ minutes. On line A, additional Amplifier trains ran between Potsdamer Platz and Bismarckplatz in Grunewald. On September 1, 1905, the WBV discontinued Line C and Line 52 of the GBS took over its duties. The line ran as a connecting service with the WBV. In the following years, GBS extended further lines into the WBV's transport area.
The network was extensively expanded between 1907 and 1914. On May 27, 1907, the company set up a ring line H, which ran under the name "Westring" from Schöneberg via Zoologischer Garten station and Wilmersdorf back to Schöneberg. September 1, 1910 brought with it three extensions. Firstly, lines D and E were extended from Schloßpark in Steglitz to Händelplatz in Groß-Lichterfelde. At the same time, line G was withdrawn from Bahnhof Zoo and re-routed via Lützowplatz, Großer Stern and Brandenburger Tor to Dorotheenstraße corner of Am Kupfergraben. Line B was also extended from Hagenplatz via Kurfürstendamm to Nollendorfplatz. In the same year, the Große Berliner Straßenbahn and Westliche Berliner Vorortbahn concluded a new consent agreement with the city of Wilmersdorf, which was valid until the end of 1999. In this agreement, the streetcar companies undertook to build twelve kilometers of new track each year and, depending on population growth, to further increase the frequency of services. In addition, the companies waived any objections to the upcoming rapid transit projects (in particular the Wilmersdorf-Dahlem subway line) and a possible expansion of bus services. In return, the city agreed to waive its rights to levy charges and a large part of the paving costs to be borne by the companies until 1950.
+ Line overview June 28, 1914 Linie Course A Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße – Nollendorfplatz – Kurfürstendamm – (loop ride: Koenigsallee - Roseneck - Hubertusallee or vice versa) - Kurfürstendamm - Nollendorfplatz – Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße BH Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße – Nollendorfplatz - Kurfürstendamm - Koenigsallee or Hubertusallee - Roseneck - Breite Straße - Berliner Straße - Grunewaldstraße – Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße BS Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße – Grunewaldstraße – Berliner Straße – Breite Straße – Roseneck – Koenigsallee oder Hubertusallee – Kurfürstendamm – Nollendorfplatz – Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße C Bf Halensee – Kurfürstendamm – Nollendorfplatz – Yorckstraße – Bf Neukölln D Bf Heerstraße – Reichskanzlerplatz – Knie – Nollendorfplatz – Hauptstraße – Schloßstraße – Groß-Lichterfelde, Händelplatz E Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße – Hauptstraße – Schloßstraße – Steglitz, Lichterfelder Chaussee F Bf Zoologischer Garten – Kaiserallee – Schloßstraße – Groß-Lichterfelde, Händelplatz G Demminer Straße/Brunnenstraße – Stettiner Bf – Brandenburger Tor – Großer Stern – Kurfürstendamm – Uhlandstraße – Berliner Straße – Hohenzollerndamm – Grunewald, Roseneck H Westring: Grunewaldstraße – Nollendorfplatz – Kurfürstendamm – Uhlandstraße – Berliner Straße – Grunewaldstraße J Bf Zoologischer Garten – Kaiserallee – Schloßstraße – Groß-Lichterfelde, Unter den Eichen/Drakestraße K Potsdamer Platz/Linkstraße – Hauptstraße – Schloßstraße – Groß-Lichterfelde, Unter den Eichen/Drakestraße L Stettiner Bf – Alt-Moabit – Großer Stern – Kurfürstendamm – Kaiserallee – Schloßstraße – Groß-Lichterfelde, Händelplatz M Bf Zoologischer Garten – Kurfürstendamm – Nollendorfplatz – Martin-Luther-Straße – Hauptstraße – Schloßstraße – Groß-Lichterfelde, Händelplatz
From May 10, 1911, Line G ran from Dorotheenstraße via Luisenstraße and Invalidenstraße to Stettiner Bahnhof. The line used the existing GBS tracks. In December 1911, a line through Berliner Straße in Wilmersdorf to Gemeindefriedhof went into operation, also served by Line G. On December 1, 1912, the company introduced a new Line C, which ran between Ringbahnhöfe Halensee and Neukölln. At the same time, the company extended Line B from Nollendorfplatz to Potsdamer Platz, creating a large loop line. In addition, the line ran alternately in both directions via Koenigsallee or Hubertusallee, so that from Potsdamer Platz there were four travel options to Grunewald. Similar to Line A, which served Koenigsallee and Hubertusallee as a loop route in both directions, the WBV marked the railcars with different destination signs. Cars that first traveled via Koenigsallee had red lettering on a white background, while cars traveling via Hubertusallee had black lettering on a white background.
The year 1913 also brought several changes. From February 1, line G continued from Stettiner Bahnhof to Gesundbrunnen, Demminer Straße Corner of Brunnenstraße. On February 27, the line was extended at the other end from the municipal cemetery via a new line along Hohenzollerndamm to Roseneck. On April 26, a line went into operation from Schloßpark through the street Unter den Eichen to the corner of Drakestraße. To serve the route, the WBV ran every second train on line F as line J. In addition, another line K ran from Potsdamer Platz via Schöneberg and Steglitz to the new terminus. One month later, the WBV split line B into lines BH and BS. The BH line ran from Potsdamer Platz first via Halensee, the BS line first via Schmargendorf. The split routing via Koenigsallee and Hubertusallee remained in place.
In May 1914, the Westliche Berliner Vorortbahn introduced two more lines. Line L, which was introduced on May 2nd, ran from Stettiner Bahnhof via Brandenburger Tor, Großer Stern, Kurfürstendamm, Nürnberger Straße, Kaiserallee and Schloßstraße to Händelplatz. Four days later, an M line was introduced between Bahnhof Zoo and Händelplatz via Schöneberg and Steglitz. The journeys on this line replaced every second carriage on line D. Line D for its part was extended on June 28, 1914, from Bahnhof Zoo via Hardenbergstraße, Bismarckstraße and Kaiserdamm to Bahnhof Heerstraße. It used the tracks of the Berlin-Charlottenburg tramway.
The outbreak of the World War I initially brought little change. On August 6, 1914, the company discontinued Line M, which had been established shortly before. The construction of Entlastungsstrecke der Hochbahn between the stations Gleisdreieck and Nollendorfplatz necessitated the removal of the streetcar from Motzstraße and Kurfürstenstraße; lines A, BH and BS were rerouted via Bülowstraße. A few months later, the WBV discontinued the BH line and shortened the BS line to the Potsdamer Platz - Roseneck via Schmargendorf route; in the course of 1917, it was again designated line B. From November 15, 1916, Line L ran via Lützowplatz instead of via Lichtensteinallee. Line G was withdrawn from Roseneck to the Wilmersdorf municipal cemetery on February 15, 1917, with line 57 of the GBS taking over service to Hohenzollerndamm.
In addition to the lines mentioned above, there were other sections of line owned by the WBV that were used exclusively by third-party railroads. The line from Kaisereiche to the corner of Rubensstrasse and Casanovastrasse, which opened on September 1, 1905, was owned by the WBV on Friedenau territory. On May 27, 1907, a line through Pariser Straße between Kaiserallee and Uhlandstraße went into operation. On November 27, 1911, this connection was extended beyond Olivaer Platz to Xantener Straße. The line was used exclusively by GBS lines. The route through the Südwestkorso opened on May 15, 1911, served line O of the Berlin-Charlottenburg Tramway (BCS). In the nearby Nestorstraße there was a service line to serve the Betriebshof XIII of the GBS.