U4 Grasbrook

Life is not quite the same, south of the River Elbe. That’s at least how the Hamburg rappers “Beginner” saw it in their homage to our city. Even though they weren’t singing about Veddel, Wilhelmsburg and other such neighbourhoods, but about the “foothills of the Alps” that begin just beyond Hamburg’s city border, there’s still a lot of truth in the song line. For one thing, Hamburg’s south has had to manage without an underground system altogether. Be it the U1, U2, U3 or U4 – all of these U-Bahn routes have stayed north and never dared to cross the river to the south. Until now. 

At just 300 metres, it is not such a big deal in terms of distance, but it is a big symbolic step for HOCHBAHN and for Hamburg’s mobility transition. From the U4 stop Elbbrücken, the leap will now be made across the river to Grasbrook. Over the next few years, a new district will be taking shape there on an area spanning some 65 hectares, with around 3,000 new apartments, 16,000 jobs, daycare centres, a primary school, and shops, as well as cultural and green spaces. 

The HafenCity model: U-Bahn stations envisaged from the outset 

As was the case with the U4 in the HafenCity, the U4 line will be part of the urban planning here from the outset – long before people take up residence. This allows us to create the best possible and most environmentally friendly connection, with plenty of prior planning that will take bicycle and pedestrian traffic into consideration too. 

Where exactly will the U4 cross the river? 

The plan: From the Elbbrücken (“Elbe Bridges”), a new U-Bahn bridge will cross the Norderelbe to Grasbrook. The U4 will then travel along a viaduct to the new train stop, which has been given the working title of “Moldauhafen”. This viaduct will “float” at a height of around 16 metres above the harbour basin. Below the tracks, a second level is planned as a pedestrian and cycle path. 

Residents living in the northern part of Veddel will also have a fast connection to the city: They’ll be able to walk over the Veddeler Brücke, a pedestrian bridge, and then conveniently board the U4.

Design for bridge, viaduct and station finalised

HOCHBAHN presented what the bridge over the Elbe and the new underground station will look like in June 2023 as the result of a realisation competition for architects and engineers. The design by the consortium of schlaich bergermann partner sbp SE, Stuttgart, gmp ꞏ Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner, Hamburg and WTM Engineers GmbH, Hamburg, convinced the jury of representatives from the Hamburg authorities, HOCHBAHN, companies and politics.
The design envisages an elegant bridge with carbon elements spanning the Elbe, an elevated steel viaduct for the underground line and the underground station suspended above the Moldauhafen.

Will the U-Bahn run as far as Wilhelmsburg in the future? 

The idea is that “Moldauhafen” will be just the beginning of this U-Bahn route south of the River Elbe. A feasibility study for a further U4 extension as far as the Wilhelmsburg neighbourhood is already underway.  

You’d like to find out more? Everything you need to know about the U4 Grasbrook station can be found (in German) at schneller-durch-hamburg.de – along with detailed information about all projects relating to the expansion of the U-Bahn network in Hamburg.