No other means of transport is as closely linked with Berlin's turbulent history in the 20th century as the S-Bahn.

At one stage during the Second World War it was the city's only functioning mode of transport. In 1943 alone it was used by 737 million passengers. In April 1945 it ceased operation: Berlin had been reduced to rubble as was the S-Bahn itself.

By June 1945, only a few weeks after the end of the war, the Berlin S-Bahn had already started up an initial line section running between Wannsee and Schöneberg.

In the eastern part of Berlin the S-Bahn became the most important mode of transport. The network was even extended in the seventies and eighties to serve new residential areas.

After the wall came down on 9 November 1989, the path was clear for the reunification of the city. And the reunification of the two S-Bahn networks wasn't far behind.