© dpa
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Berlin today - for S-Bahn passengers this means a lot of disruptions in the city center.
A police spokesman said in the morning that police measures were being taken there in particular. The police are already preparing with extensive security measures.
Traffic on the Stadtbahn line between Bahnhof Zoo and Ostbahnhof in particular will be severely thinned out from the morning, according to the railroad company. According to an S-Bahn spokesperson, the S9 will run at the usual frequency, while the S7 will only run every 20 minutes instead of every 10 minutes as usual. The S5 will only run between Warschauer Straße and Strausberg Nord or Hoppegarten. The Ringbahn will also run less frequently, and there will also be fewer trains on the north-south lines in the city center.
"During previous state visits, central sections of the route in Berlin city center were closed at very short notice, sometimes for several hours, and travel was ordered at a significantly reduced speed," it said. The S-Bahn is preparing for this in its planning. As a result, train services in the city center will be reduced, a spokesperson said. Further restrictions are possible at short notice by order of the authorities, it added. Deutsche Bahn's long-distance and regional services may also be affected.
No major disruptions have been announced for the subway. The U5 subway line will not stop at the Bundestag subway station until further notice, according to the VIZ traffic information center. It announced major closures and restrictions on the roads. There could be "massive traffic restrictions in the Berlin-Brandenburg airport area, on the A113 and A100 city highways and in Berlin city center", especially when arriving in the morning and departing at an as yet unknown time.
Significant closures are also expected in the Brandenburg Gate, Bellevue Palace and the government district. "More detailed information is not available due to the risk level." Drivers should avoid these areas and drive as far around them as possible. Public buses could also be stuck in traffic jams.