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Infrastructure

The capital connects Western and Eastern Europe. It is the intersection of European transport routes for the largest economic region in the Western world.

In motion

Trans-European transport routes on roads, rails, in the air or on water intersect in the capital area. Berlin meets the challenges of a growing metropolis with an increasing population and increasing flows of goods in passenger and freight transport with an efficient public transport network and efficient freight transport centers.

20 million passengersin 2022 third largest airportlocation in Germany approx. 2.8 million peopletransported daily (2021) about 3,000 km network length ÖPNV: Subway, S-Bahn,tram, bus andregional train Goal: By then, the share ofcycling traffic should beat least 23% 3,000 kilometers of new cycle paths planned by 2030 Lowest motorization rate of all major German cities, due to well-developed public transport 5,400 km of public road network

Berlin is very well connected nationally and internationally by train. Many large European economic centers such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Prague, Warsaw and Vienna can be reached quickly via Berlin Central Station. Direct connections lead to Munich and Frankfurt in four hours, to Hamburg in under two hours and to Stuttgart in five and a half hours.

ca.4h ca.6,5h ca.4,5h ca.6,5h ca.6h ca.5,5h ca.2h ca.5,5h ca.4h ca.4h Berlin Prague Frankfurt a.M. Munich Hamburg Stuttgart Warsaw Amsterdam Rotterdam Brussels Düsseldorf

Numerous cities in Brandenburg, such as Magdeburg, as well as the diverse natural landscapes and recreational areas of Brandenburg, are regularly connected to the capital by regional express lines. 

(Sources: Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment; Berlin Brandenburg Airport GmbH, 2023)

„The S-Bahn is the pulse of local public transport in the capital region. It connects Berlin and Brandenburg and brings hundreds of thousands of commuters to work and back home every day. The colleagues in the driver's cabs, control center and maintenance workshops ensure that the traffic runs on time and reliably. In 2019, we started to rejuvenate our fleet - with new and completely overhauled trains. That means more space and comfort for our passengers. Your satisfaction is our most important goal.“

Peter Buchner
Peter Buchner S-Bahn Berlin

Guaranteed supply

The capital region can rely on a high-performance infrastructure in the areas of energy, supply and disposal. Companies benefit from developments in innovative and sustainable technologies. The basic supplier of electricity in Berlin is Vattenfall, and GASAG AG ensures the basic supply of gas.

Electricity, gas and heating supply

  • With a mix of energy sources from wind and hydropower, solar energy, biomass, natural gas and coal, the electricity supply companies in Berlin are actively contributing to the energy transition.
  • Climate protection partnerships between energy suppliers and the State of Berlin are helping achieve the goals of climate neutrality by 2045 and the phase-out of coal by 2030 at the latest.

Water supply and wastewater disposal

  • The drinking water supply and wastewater disposal for the approximately 3.7 million people in Berlin is guaranteed by Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB), one of the largest companies in this field in Germany.
  • Berlin households, industry and commerce use an average of over 600,000 cubic meters of drinking water every day.
  • The Berlin Rainwater Agency, which was founded by the State of Berlin and the BWB, advises on rainwater economy and rainwater management.


Berliner Stadtreinigung

  • Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe (BSR), Germany’s largest municipal cleaning company, ensures a clean city.
  • BSR takes care of the waste from two million households and ensures clean streets, paths and squares all year round.

Recycling

  • The ALBA Group offers disposal services for all types of waste and takes care of the efficient disposal of waste.

(Source: Berliner Stadtreinigungsbetriebe, 2023; Berliner Wasserbetriebe, 2023)

Stable communication

Broadband

In order to promote nationwide gigabit broadband expansion, the State of Berlin has set up a gigabit competence team and adopted a gigabit strategy. This envisages a technology-open, nationwide gigabit supply by 2025 at the latest and a comprehensive fiber optic supply based on FTTB/H (Fiber to the Building/Home: by 2030 at the latest. Currently, a stable, high-performance supply with a technology mix of FTTB/H, FTTC and HFC with bandwidths >50 Mbit/s makes Berlin companies competitive.

In January 2024, Berlin had 34.2% fiber optic coverage and 95.4% gigabit coverage according to the Gigabit Monitor, the monitoring tool of the state of Berlin:

The expansion forecast assumes a gigabit coverage of 96.5% and a fiber optic coverage of 48.2% for 2024.

Mobile communications

The mobile network in the capital region is efficient and fast. 4G/LTE is available throughout Berlin. The Berlin Senate’s Gigabit strategy envisages state-wide mobile coverage with 5G by 2025. This is a decisive basis for new applications of intelligent mobility or the Internet of Things. With research projects such as 5G Berlin or the OTB-5G+, Berlin is getting ready for the future.

(Source: Gigabit-Portal Berlin, 2023)

Medical care

As a healthcare location, Berlin can look back on a tradition that goes back more than 300 years. A dense care network, highly specialized experts and world-renowned clinics, such as the German Heart Center or Europe’s largest university hospital, the Charité, not only guarantee medical care for the Berlin population. More and more visitors from abroad are also coming to the German capital for treatment.

  • 87 hospitals with around 20,500 beds installed
  • Over 45,000 non-medical employees and over 10,000 doctors in hospitals cared for more than 730,000 patients
  • more than 24,000 working doctors, including over 5,000 doctors in internal medicine and general medicine
  • approx. 750 public pharmacies

(Sources: Berlin Brandenburg Statistical Office; Berlin Medical Association, 2023 - data for 2021)

Consistent security

In Germany, the authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS) include all organizations that perform internal emergency response tasks. In addition to police measures, this also includes assistance in the event of accidents and disasters.

With dedicated people from the Berlin fire department and the Berlin police, Berlin is meeting the challenges of a big city and making life in Berlin safer. With 26,000 employees, the Berlin police force is the largest security authority in the State of Berlin. It works effectively with the Berlin fire department, the oldest and largest professional fire department in Germany (founded in 1851) with over 5,000 employees and 35 professional fire stations.

(Sources: Berlin Police; Berlin Fire Department, 2023)