The Wind of Change...., (1), Potsdam Drewitz in 1993.
Drewitz station located on the Berlin to Blankenheim Railway also known as the Wetzlarer Bahn was a mainline built between 1877-92 purely for its military strategic importance running to the French border avoiding large centres of population. After World War II ended in 1945 Drewitz station found itself on a new front line, namely that between East and West Berlin as Drewitz station was on the Soviet controlled side. Although it initially remained as a cross border passenger route between the Soviet and American zones by the end of the 1950's the "Berliner Außenring" (Berlin Ring Railway) was completed and new curves allowed the old Wetzlarer Bahn route to be bypassed by passenger trains. It became a dead end branch for passenger trains as far as here in 1961 with the construction of the Berlin Wall. Unlike many other routes that were simply severed and lifted it remained open for transfer freight traffic because of its proximity to Seddin Yard. The Soviet controlled East German Railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn) altering the track layout on their side of the border with special trap points to prevent any unauthorised movement of trains towards Berlin Wannsee in West Berlin.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany in 1990 it wasn't long before the severed arteries of Berlin's once extensive railway network radiating from the historic centre were reconnected.
This view at Drewitz station is looking north to where the railway crossed the Berlin Wall. The wall was at the bridge in the distance with a bright light on at the end of the walled railway corridor to where Steinstraße (Stein Street) crossed the line. It shows the work in progress to restore it as a mainline railway once again rather than the freight train transfer point it became for 30 years. New signalling, new track and pending electrification were the order of the day in January 1993.
The Wind of Change...., (1), Potsdam Drewitz in 1993.
Drewitz station located on the Berlin to Blankenheim Railway also known as the Wetzlarer Bahn was a mainline built between 1877-92 purely for its military strategic importance running to the French border avoiding large centres of population. After World War II ended in 1945 Drewitz station found itself on a new front line, namely that between East and West Berlin as Drewitz station was on the Soviet controlled side. Although it initially remained as a cross border passenger route between the Soviet and American zones by the end of the 1950's the "Berliner Außenring" (Berlin Ring Railway) was completed and new curves allowed the old Wetzlarer Bahn route to be bypassed by passenger trains. It became a dead end branch for passenger trains as far as here in 1961 with the construction of the Berlin Wall. Unlike many other routes that were simply severed and lifted it remained open for transfer freight traffic because of its proximity to Seddin Yard. The Soviet controlled East German Railways (Deutsche Reichsbahn) altering the track layout on their side of the border with special trap points to prevent any unauthorised movement of trains towards Berlin Wannsee in West Berlin.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany in 1990 it wasn't long before the severed arteries of Berlin's once extensive railway network radiating from the historic centre were reconnected.
This view at Drewitz station is looking north to where the railway crossed the Berlin Wall. The wall was at the bridge in the distance with a bright light on at the end of the walled railway corridor to where Steinstraße (Stein Street) crossed the line. It shows the work in progress to restore it as a mainline railway once again rather than the freight train transfer point it became for 30 years. New signalling, new track and pending electrification were the order of the day in January 1993.