BVG’s preparations for the World Cup 2006

As many as 5 million visitors could descend upon Berlin to watch the World Cup. It is the responsibility of transport operator BVG to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

The Football World Cup in Germany will consist of 64 matches played by teams from around the world. Berlin is one of the country’s twelve host cities. The capital will host six matches: four preliminary games, one quarter-final, and the final. Initial plans called for the opening gala event to be held in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium as well, but these have been cancelled at the last minute by FIFA. Instead, a similar opening event including a street fair will now take place on the major thoroughfare known as the Straße des 17. Juni, directly in front of the city’s most famous landmark – the Brandenburg Gate.

The aim of all the host cities is to give millions of television viewers and more than twenty thousand accredited journalists from around the world a positive impression of Germany and pleasant memories of the individual sites. This is especially true for the public transportation companies, which will bring hundreds of thousands of fans not only to the stadiums but also to countless party locations and ‘Public Viewing Areas’ (giant screen sites). The BVG has been planning for the World Cup for months. Because many decisions by FIFA as well as by the individual municipalities are made on a relatively short-term basis, transport planners must also adjust their strategies and review previous decisions on a fairly continuous basis. To put it succinctly – the end of the planning phase will coincide with the start of the World Cup on June 9.

Meeting challenges

For the BVG, the biggest challenge is not the events in the 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium, but rather the huge concentration of accompanying events stretching over a period of more than four weeks. In addition to the giant screens (officially designated ‘Public Viewing Areas’), a wide array of events such as music festivals, theatre performances and parties will take place throughout the city – at public squares, bars, cafes and of course on the ‘Fanmeile’ (literally ‘fan mile’, i.e. the Straße des 17. Juni). Some estimates suggest that there will be 5 million World Cup visitors to Berlin alone. The city itself has a population of 3.4 million.

This order of magnitude requires flexible planning on the part of tram, bus and metro personnel. All of these visitors, after all, need to be brought quickly and safely to their destinations. And we can’t forget the approximately 1.2 million people a day who use Berlin’s public transportation services anyway.

In addition to this wide array of event destinations, our second major challenge consists of service to the Olympic Stadium. As the largest municipal public transport company in Germany, however, we have developed a practiced ‘routine’. Together with the S-Bahn-Berlin GmbH (urban rail system), the BVG smoothly manages large-scale events such as regular international football matches.

Round-the-clock service on all lines

The public transport infrastructure is already prepared to handle the upcoming loads. When the separate transport networks in East and West Berlin were merged after the fall of the Wall, many of the routes as well as the fleet were renewed.

Disabled people can also move freely in most parts of the system. Wheelchair-access entries to the Olympiastadion metro station will be finished in time for the World Cup.

The football fans should not be subjected to long waits on going to and from the stadium. On game days, therefore, intervals on almost all metro lines will be shortened and operating times extended. The metro trains will run around the clock, supplementing the city’s already extensive night-time bus service. Combined with the S-Bahn (urban rail) lines, this means that a good 760 kilometres of rail lines will be available to fans and visitors.

Starting on May 28, 2006, the newly introduced so-called ‘Metro Lines’ – a tram and bus-based system not to be confused with the underground metro trains – will also be running around the clock.

This will enable fans and tourists to enjoy the city’s cultural opportunities and nightlife to the fullest. Berlin, after all, is the only German city that has no mandatory closing hours for pubs or locales. Commercial regulations have been changed to allow shops to open on Sundays and otherwise until midnight throughout the duration of the World Cup. Berlin’s reputation as a city that never sleeps will then be more true than ever.

Plans are currently underway to have the new U55 metro line provide shuttle service between the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and Bundestag (Parliament) stations. This is the first stretch of the planned extension of the U55 to be finished, which will then run from Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) to the Brandenburg Gate in 2007. If this first stretch is put into operation for the World Cup, it would connect Berlin’s new, central transportation hub with one of the largest ‘Public Viewing Areas’ in the city, at which a well-known sports equipment maker will erect a provisional stadium for several thousand spectators.

Preparing for unexpected events

In order to ensure uniform planning throughout a strongly diversified company such as the BVG, all measures for the World Cup are being planned and implemented by a single team established specifically for that purpose. The team is led by Wolfgang Rink – an experienced coordinator of events such as the Love Parade, the International Gymnastics Festival and other large-scale happenings.

Extra-departmental teams within the different company divisions have also been formed to deploy the requisite personnel and vehicles and to ensure availability of all facilities.

It is very important for the planners to be able to estimate passenger volume and distribution as precisely as possible in order to utilise capacities in a targeted and economical manner. The BVG is therefore part of the tight network of agencies, institutions and associations that is overseeing preparations for the World Cup in Germany.

Multilingual, not monosyllabic

What is true of ‘normal operations’ is even more true of the World Cup – exceptional situations and disturbances must be handled smoothly as well. Furthermore, exceptional circumstances requiring delays or alternate routes will have to be communicated to people from all over the world.

Because only a very small number of foreign guests at the World Cup will speak German, BVG employees who interact with the public will have to be able to answer questions and provide information in English. To improve their English language skills, the company is relying on modern ‘e-learning’ techniques. Language CDs are helping staff members refresh their skills. The CDs and the small dictionary ‘English for Bus and Train Travel’ were devel-oped by the BVG Training Academy. They introduce and drill the most common terms and situations in a transport context. We are also employing some more unusual strategies. Joint English courses for BVG staff members and pupils at Berlin schools are designed not only to improve the language skills of all concerned, but also to enhance mutual understanding between the two groups.

English display texts for both normal and interrupted service are also being prepared. This also applies to the spoken messages at stations and in vehicles. The BVG is currently testing automatic translation and transmission systems. All these efforts mean that Berlin will also be able to show its international flavour more effectively after the World Cup as well.

The people and technology behind the World Cup

The BVG’s employees come from more than 50 countries – and the company will benefit from them and their language capacities during the World Cup. A good 160 administrative and other personnel have volunteered to provide information at the city’s major transport hubs during the World Cup. We are looking for even more volunteers. In addition to the usual questions such as “How can I get to the stadium?”, they will also be prepared to answer queries such as “Where’s the nearest pub?”

A handy flyer will answer all the main questions about public transportation in Berlin. It will be printed in the four official FIFA languages, namely German, English, French and Spanish. The BVG will also publish a special issue of its customer magazine plus, also in four languages and with twice the circulation. One million free copies will be distributed in vehicles and stations during the World Cup. Our electronic media has also been prepared. Our World Cup web-pages at www.bvg.de have quickly become a major source of information for interested surfers.

The U2 metro line will be designated the World Cup line during the four weeks of the event. This prominent line was the obvious choice – it connects Alexanderplatz with the historical city centre (Gendarmenmarkt), the modern city centre (Potsdamer Platz), the shopping avenue Kurfürstendamm, the Zoo train station, the fair grounds and the Olympic Stadium. All the vehicles will feature the FIFA composite partner city logo.

A premium on safety

Operations and safety are closely connected at our company. Our high standards of safety and security will be raised all the more for the World Cup, and adjusted to meet the needs of international guests who are not familiar with German public transportation systems.

Even perfect planning cannot always prevent disturbances or breakdowns. There can also be serious consequences if thousands of people are on their way to or from the stadium. In the event of such disturbances, the BVG and the S-Bahn (urban rail) have worked out passenger flow strategies for high load periods. These will allow a rapid response to crisis situations, and prevent long delays for passengers.

Particular attention must be paid to critical groups such as hooligans, the international graffiti scene, pick-pockets, and World Cup-related demonstrators. Security staff at the transport companies have been preparing for months now in close cooperation with FIFA, the municipal police force and federal authorities. A large number of possible scenarios have been developed and the corresponding responses trained. Close communication and practiced routines are important conditions for the ability to react quickly in case of an emergency.

Berlin is more than ‘just’ football

The agreement to issue combined match/transport tickets (World Cup match ticket = public transport ticket on that day) will ensure that spectators have convenient access to the public transportation system. The agreement was made between FIFA and the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Authority (VBB). Even those who don’t have World Cup tickets will find convenient fare options. The ‘Welcome Card’ and the ‘City Tour Card BTM’, for example, provide both public transport and a great number of discounts to city tours, museums and theatre performances. Publicity materials for the World Cup highlight these options – for Berlin has more to offer than ‘just’ football during the four magical weeks of the World Cup.

But starting in June, everything will still revolve around a certain leather ball. The city and its public transportation services are well prepared. They are doing everything to ensure that our guests feel welcome and comfortable. Long after the games are over, everyone should be able to look back and say: “We made a lot of friends.”