Berlin, July 9th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Many Berliners ask themselves the same questions every morning: What will the weather be like? Will the S-Bahn be operational and on time? The answer to the first question could be “hot as hell”, while the second one is easier to answer: On a regular basis, it is a “No” or a “Maybe” for more optimistic residents.
Berlin’s summer vacations are commencing right now. That’s the only good news you will get in this report. Of course the coin has a flip side: During the vacations, Deutsche Bahn will be working on S-Bahn train tracks, switches, signals and basically anything they can find. This leads us to the next problem: While they are working, the S-Bahn Network will Work even less than it usually does (especially when you need it most).
Obviously, Deutsche Bahn’s wording is more positive. In a press statement they are saying they are using the opportunity presented by the vacations to modernize the S-Bahn network while fewer commuters and students depend on those trains. Noise protection walls and an electronic switch tower would be renovated as well. That is why many S-Bahn lines will not be working the way they are supposed to, temporarily.
From July 10th to August 17th, no trains will be going from Bornholmer Strasse to Schönholz or vice versa. This affects the S1 line in the North, as well as the S25, S26, S8 and S85. Buses will be in service to bridge the gap.
From July 10th to July 21st, there won’t be any S-Bahn service between Karow and Bernau. This means that five stations will not be covered by trains, but by buses instead.
From July 21st to July 24th, the S-Bahn between Buch and Bernau will not be operational.
Renovation work scheduled for the period from August 3rd to August 10th will be affecting the Ringbahn circle. During this time, the S41 will be going from Tempelhof to Hermannstrasse and the S42 from Hermannstrasse to Tempelhof, in the opposite direction. The direct route from Tempelhof to Hermannstrasse will be covered by buses that take a lot longer than the S-Bahn (when it is operational once in a while).
The construction work on the Ringbahn circle affects the S46 and S47 as well. They will be going from Königs Wusterhausen and from Spindlersfeld to Hermannstrasse, respectively.
There is more: From August 18th to August 31st, when the summer vacations are long over, the S-Bahn Service between Schöneweide, Baumschulenweg and Treptower Park or Neukölln will be interrupted. This affects the S3, S46, S47, S75, S8, S85 and S9. This part of the renovation will probably lead to a chaos too. Welcome to Berlin.
