Munich S-Bahn trunk line closures at the weekend: what runs, what doesn't and how to get around
The Stammstrecke is the bottleneck of Munich's S-Bahn, and it is regularly closed at weekends. The types of closure, the lines that still run, and the detours by U-Bahn, tram and on foot.
The Stammstrecke is Munich's central S-Bahn trunk line: the tunnel through which almost all S-Bahn lines cross the city centre, between Pasing in the west and Ostbahnhof, Leuchtenbergring or Giesing in the east. When it is closed, usually from Friday 10:20pm to Monday 4:40am, the fastest route across the city disappears.
There is no such thing as a single "weekend closure", though. The section, lines, times and replacement buses change from one closure to the next, and one year's details do not apply to the next. This page explains the patterns and the detours that work in every case, including for the airport.
Why is the trunk line closed so often?
Two reasons overlap: maintenance of a line that carries almost every S-Bahn service, and construction of the second trunk line, which connects to the existing one at several points. The closures are therefore mostly at weekends or at night.
For visitors, that means the very days you are in town for a short break or a concert are the days with the highest risk of a closure.
What kinds of closure are there?
| Type | Time window | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Full weekend closure | Friday 10:20pm to Monday 4:40am | no S-Bahn between Pasing and the east, replacement buses |
| Night closure | 9:20pm to 4:40am | normal service by day, detour in the evening |
| Daytime closure at the weekend | 4am to 4pm | service resumes in the evening |
| Partial closure | varies | only one section, such as Isartor to Ostbahnhof or Ostbahnhof to Trudering |
An example from the 2026 calendar: the full closure from 8 May 2026, 10:20pm, to 11 May 2026, 4:40am, with no trains between Pasing and Leuchtenbergring or Giesing. The window also affects late departures on the Friday and the first trains on the Monday.
For autumn 2025, two sources contradict each other: one gives 17 October 2025, 10:20pm, to 20 October 2025, 4:40am, the other 16 October, 10:20pm, to 19 October, 4:40am. We show both, because neither report corrects the other.
Which lines still run?
The S7 often runs normally, because it does not use the trunk line. The S8 to the airport may be diverted or run without stopping on part of the route. The other lines terminate before the closed section or run via the southern ring (Südring).
Replacement buses run between Pasing and the main station. MVV, the local transport authority, gives a frequency of 10 minutes at weekday peak times, otherwise 20 minutes, which is not guaranteed for a weekend. The word "Stammstreckensperrung" (trunk line closure) therefore tells you nothing about a particular line; you have to check it for the day.
If you stay within walking distance of the Old Town and the main station, you barely need the S-Bahn on a closure weekend: Marienplatz, the Viktualienmarkt and the Residenz are on foot, the Theresienwiese is on the U-Bahn. The places to stay in central Munich can be filtered by distance.
Find a room in the city centre →Affiliate link: a booking through this link supports the site, at no extra cost to you.How do you get across the city during a closure?
By U-Bahn, tram and bus, and in the centre fastest on foot. The replacement bus is worth taking to bridge the closed section, not to cross the whole city. These planning figures include walking and waiting time:
| Route | How | Planning figure |
|---|---|---|
| Pasing to the city centre | replacement bus or other MVV lines | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Ostbahnhof to the city centre | U-Bahn, tram or bus | 15 to 35 minutes |
| Main station to Giesing or Leuchtenbergring | U-Bahn, tram or bus | 20 to 40 minutes |
| City centre to the Theresienwiese | U-Bahn to Theresienwiese or Schwanthalerhöhe | 15 to 35 minutes |
| Main station to Karlsplatz | on foot | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Karlsplatz to Marienplatz | on foot | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Marienplatz to the Theresienwiese | on foot | 25 to 35 minutes |
The figures come from our research, not from an official measurement: nobody publishes waiting times for the replacement buses. If you have a fixed appointment, such as a train, a flight or a concert, allow 20 to 40 minutes of buffer.
What does a closure change during the Oktoberfest?
Hackerbrücke station is on the trunk line. When it is closed, the ways to the Theresienwiese are the U4 and U5 U-Bahn lines, plus the U3 and U6 to Goetheplatz or Poccistraße. These are then even more crowded than usual.
A visit to the Wiesn takes two and a half to five hours even without a closure, not counting a long wait at a tent. If you want to combine the Oktoberfest and the Old Town on a closure weekend, walk the 25 to 35 minutes rather than counting on a packed replacement bus. The day plan for this is on the page a weekend in Munich.
Where can you find the closure dates?
- mvv-muenchen.de: timetable changes and disruptions, with the replacement buses.
- s-bahn-muenchen.de: the trunk line engineering works page, with section and time window.
- deutschebahn.com: press releases on major construction phases.
None of these sites publishes a complete, final calendar of all 2026 closures, and dates change at short notice. So check again on your travel day, even if you looked weeks ago.
If your dates are already fixed, you can choose where to stay accordingly: a room on the U-Bahn or in the Old Town makes your weekend independent of the S-Bahn. The places to stay in Munich for the weekend show location and cancellation terms.
Compare stays for the weekend →Affiliate link: a booking through this link supports the site, at no extra cost to you.Further reading
Tickets, zones and day tickets: Getting around Munich. The network maps to check: Munich transport maps. Driving to the edge of the city and continuing by U-Bahn: Park and Ride in Munich; concert evenings despite a closure: concerts at the weekend.
Sources
Sources: mvv-muenchen.de (timetable changes and disruptions), s-bahn-muenchen.de (trunk line engineering works), deutschebahn.com (Munich press releases 2025 and 2026), br.de, n-tv.de, radiogong.de and tz.de (reports on the 2025 and 2026 closures), as of 28 September 2026.
Not published: the average waiting time for replacement buses, a binding journey time between Pasing and Ostbahnhof during a closure, and a complete calendar of all the year's closures.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Munich S-Bahn trunk line closed?
Which S-Bahn lines run during a trunk line closure?
How often do the replacement buses run?
Can you get to the Oktoberfest during a closure?
Can you reach the airport during a trunk line closure?
Katharina Obermeier
As a student, Katharina waited tables in a festival tent for four Wiesn seasons and knows the times when you can still find a seat without a reservation. She writes about the Oktoberfest without folklore and without disdain. She never recommends a time slot she has not experienced herself.
