Options discussions

The planning status report of the Hanover–Würzburg high-speed railway in September 1971 provided for a station at Wilhelmshöhe.^[4] The planning status report of the preliminary route (Vortrassierung) of 1972/1973 foresaw a 6.4^[5] kilometre-long tunnel running under Kassel.^[6] The tunnel would have run between Vellmar-Obervellmar and Kassel-Wehlheiden.^[6][7] Extensions to the north (Hanover) both via a direct route (via Holzminden) and via Göttingen were discussed. These two possible routes converged in Vellmar-Obervellmar (at kilometer 125 for the Holzminden option or at kilometer 144.3 for the Göttingen option).^[6] The route would have briefly run east parallel to the existing line from the southern tunnel portal and the lines would have been connected there.^[7]

As part of the planning of the new line, four options for the route through Kassel were examined from 1972:^[8][9] (option II is not explained in the specified source)

• option I foresaw a route via Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station;
• option III provided for a line running continuously to the east of the city centre of Kassel, with a new station in Kassel-Bettenhausen;
• option IV would have followed part of options I from the south to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station and would then have run east to Kassel Hauptbahnhof. Trains would have left the urban area to the north-west after reversing in the station;
• option IVg provided for a north–south axis through Kassel, that would run underground below the city with an underground station at Kassel Hauptbahnhof.

With the large-scale profile of the new line that had originally been planned, an extraordinarily complex set of lines was considered in the different options. It was estimated that the 18 km long comparison section in Kassel would cost 1.6 to 2.5 billion Deutsche Marks (1975 prices).^[9]

Planning the location

The regional planning process for the Hessian section of the new line was initiated in a letter of 7 February 1974 and later interrupted. It was resumed in a letter dated 21 November 1975, but the district of Kassel—including the urban area of Kassel—was not included initially.^[10]

In 1977, the city of Kassel pressed strongly for the construction of an underground line through a station under the existing Kassel terminal station–including a tunnel under the city of Kassel.^[8] A new station building at the Wilhelmshöhe site and variants with different above ground and underground access lines were investigated.^[11] Deutsche Bundesbahn favoured the Wilhelmshöhe location with an above ground approach, the so-called "western route" (Westtrasse).^[8]

Both options were examined in the regional planning process, which was conducted from 1978 to 1980. Flanked by numerous reports and counter reports they were discussed amid public controversy. The underground option was—in the opinion of Deutsche Bundesbahn—much more complex, more expensive and would impose greater burdens on the population.^[8] Discussions at first focused on complex problems of urban development, but gradually shifted to noise abatement issues.^[9] On 29 March 1979, Deutsche Bundesbahn opened an exhibition on the construction project in Kassel. The "groundbreaking" ceremony for the Hessian section was held on 13 November 1981. Ultimately, the city of Kassel agreed to the station at Wilhelmshöhe after studies had shown that this site would not adversely affected the future development of the city.^[8] High cost and long construction time led to proposals for an underground through station under the main station to be discarded in favour of the peripheral station at Wilhelmshöhe.^[12]

The new station was initially designed purely as a long-distance station, which would only be used by trains running on the new line. The connection to the existing Kassel Hauptbahnhof would be carried out by shuttle trains. In the course of further planning between 1979 and 1986 it became clear that the existing Kassel Hauptbahnhof would lose its function as central rail hub to the new Wilhelmshöhe station and the Kassel Hauptbahnhof would tend to be used mainly by traffic to and from that area.^[8][13]

Architectural competition and planning of the entrance building

The design of the station comes an architectural competition in 1981.^[14] This was the first competition to design a station organised by Deutsche Bundesbahn in around 30 years.^[15][16]

The architectural competition was won in 1982 (according to another source: 1981^[17]) by the Berlin architect Andreas Brandt (Brandt & Böttcher bureau), Giovanni Signorini and Yadegar Asisi,^[15] who were also charged with its planning and execution. The architects' design contract was revoked in 1985 after the city determined that the transport connections were inadequate.^[15] During this phase, referred to as the preliminary project,^[17] the design of the building was repeatedly changed. The Dietrich, Waning, Guggenberger bureau was also contracted to design the ramp halls and the parking deck and the Schuck architectural bureau was included for the design of equipment.^[13]

On 10 September 1984, the planning decision for the area of the station was adopted (zoning section 12.5 of the new line). This decree—coinciding with that on the adjacent section 12.4—concluded the planning approval process for the 111 km long central section of the new line.^[18] Deutsche Bundesbahn arranged for the immediate implementation of the zoning section.^[19] At the beginning of March 1985, the city and Deutsche Bundesbahn agreed on the design of the station and its transport links.

Particularly controversial was the desire of Deutsche Bundesbahn for the development of long ramps to the platforms so that cars could reach the tracks.^[15] During the planning phase, the client was finally convinced of the necessity of stairs to connect to the platforms as well. The station would be fully accessible as a result of the ramp concept.

Construction

The construction of the new station under traffic required elaborate equipment at the site as it had to be rebuilt as construction progressed.^[20]

The topping out ceremony of the station canopy, which marked the completion of the structural work on the entire new line, took place on 18 January 1990.^[21]

The construction costs amounted to around 300 million marks (about €153 million).^[22] The construction costs of the new line in the Kassel node were estimated at DM 60 million per kilometre. Costs on the line between Kassel and Fulda were DM 32 million per kilometre.^[23]

Design

Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station is a through station with four platforms and two through tracks in a cutting. It is divided into two halves for the operation of trains. The two platforms of the west side are served by long-distance trains and the two platforms on the east side by regional trains.^[8] Two through tracks were created for the freight trains.^[8] The very wide platforms and the upper deck supported by two-sided fish-belly rows of columns make the middle of the platforms dark and drafty, leading to the station being given the nickname of the "palace of a thousand winds" (Palast der tausend Winde).

The platforms are served primarily by a 220-metre-long two-storey entrance building built over the northern approach tracks.^[11] From there the ramps and stairs lead down to the platforms. In the southern part of the platforms additional stairs and lifts connect to the platforms. This second access is aimed primarily at users of the car park, which has 300 spaces on two levels.^[8]

The station forecourt in front of the entrance building is an extension of Wilhelmshöher Allee. It is covered by a 90 m (300 ft)-long and 65 m (213 ft)-wide canopy.^[8] This rests on 59 irregularly arranged columns,^[11] 15 m (49 ft)-high^[11] over the forecourt and also projects on the axis of Wilhelmshöher Allee. This serves as the tram and bus stop.

Opening

The station was inaugurated between 29 May and 1 June 1991 as part of a comprehensive, four-day program. On the afternoon of 29 May 1991, Jürgen Kastner, president of the Bundesbahndirektion (railway division) of Frankfurt, symbolically handed the key of an Intercity-Express (ICE) train that was on display to Kassel mayor Wolfram Bremeier.^[24] Numerous personnel, including several hundred police officers, secured the event.^[25] On 30 May promotional ICE services were offered to Fulda and back at special prices.

The grand opening of the new station stood in the shadow of the symbolic start of operations on the high-speed rail services in Germany on the same day (29 May). ICE services commenced on the high-speed line between Hanover and Würzburg over its full length. The fact that the ICE opening ceremony would take place in Kassel, had already been scheduled at the end of the 1980s.^[11] Five ICE trains ran to the new station from Bonn, Hamburg, Mainz, Stuttgart and Munich^[26][27] and reached it at the same time. German President Richard von Weizsäcker symbolically switched the exit signal to green at 12:00 noon and declared high-speed traffic in the Federal Republic of Germany open. The train driver for the first scheduled ICE service (from Hamburg on 2 June at 5:33 AM^[22]), Harry Pfaffe, was symbolically handed the key for the train.^[26][27] Other opening speeches were given by Federal Transport Minister Günther Krause, Deutsche Bundesbahn executive board chairman Heinz Dürr and Hesse Prime Minister Hans Eichel.^[28]

2,500 invited guests from politics and industry celebrated in the station, from which the public had been excluded. The five special trains left the station after three hours. Since the station toilets were not initially operable, long lines formed in front of two toilets in the station car park.^[22]