Hamburg’s U3 runs in a loop – and in two simulators at once: What makes this line so unusual?

The U3 is probably one of the most rewarding subway lines to bring to a simulator in Hamburg. It is short enough to drive in full, but varied enough not to become boring after five stations. And it has one advantage not every subway line can offer: You can really see something of the city.

That is precisely why the line is now represented in several simulators. In the Train Simulator Classic it is part of Alterr’s U-Bahn Hamburg U1 & U3 add-on; the package contains the complete U1 and U3 lines with around 76 kilometers of track and 70 stations. In SubwaySim 2 Hamburg’s U3 is also included; according to Steam, 20.7 kilometers and 25 recreated stations await players there. SubwaySim 2 has been available on Steam since April 29, 2025; console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are also available.

In reality, the U3 runs through Hamburg as a loop line . Operationally, the line starts in Wandsbek-Gartenstadt, runs via Barmbek into the loop, circles the city center and arrives back in Barmbek . It then continues on to Wandsbek-Gartenstadt. The U3 runs in both directions, so it does not simply go around the circle once in one direction, but operates as a real loop with trains running in the opposite direction. Hamburg.de describes the line as a loop line through Hamburg’s city center and gives 20.6 kilometers and 25 stations, with Barmbek being served twice.

The U3’s great appeal lies in its location. It is not a pure tunnel tube where you see almost nothing but black walls, the platform, more black walls and the next platform. A large part of the route runs above ground, on viaducts, embankments or in cuttings. That is precisely why the U3 is often perceived almost like a small city tour. Hochbahn itself writes that the U3 can be experienced in around 45 minutes and offers particularly extensive views outside because of its many above-ground sections. Among the sights mentioned are Elbphilharmonie, Landungsbrücken, Eppendorf, Mönckebergstraße, Rathaus, Speicherstadt, HafenCity, Michel, Reeperbahn, Schanzenviertel, Isemarkt and Stadtpark.

This makes it particularly tangible in the simulator. On many subway lines, the focus is mainly on braking correctly, stopping points and signals. On the U3, the city view is added to that. Between the harbor, city center, residential neighborhoods and older elevated railway sections, the line does not feel like one long tunnel. It feels more like a cross-section of Hamburg. That is exactly what makes it such a good fit for SubwaySim 2 and Train Simulator Classic .

The U3 is also historically important because it is rooted in Hamburg’s oldest elevated railway history. Today’s loop line goes back to the early construction of the Hamburg elevated railway. Hochbahn describes how the Senate and the Bürgerschaft decided on May 2, 1906 to build an elevated and underground railway. Construction work began in Hohenfelde on October 7, 1906 ; by 1912, a loop line with 23 stops, around seven kilometers of tunnel, approximately three kilometers of viaducts and additional sections in cuttings had been built.

The first section was officially opened on February 15, 1912 . Hochbahn identifies it as the section Barmbek – Rathausmarkt. Hamburg.de likewise names the first section between Rathausmarkt and Barmbek, which was inaugurated on February 15, 1912. Regular service on individual sections began in March 1912.

This makes the U3 not only a line with beautiful views, but also a piece of Hamburg’s transport history. It represents the era in which Hamburg, as a growing port city, needed modern transport routes. Hochbahn itself writes that many people lived on the outskirts at the time, while many jobs were located in the center and at the harbor. This tension created the need for an efficient rapid-transit system.

It is also interesting that the U3 has not always run continuously in the way many people know it today. Today’s loop operation has been in place again since June 29, 2009, after the eastern branches of the U2 and U3 lines were swapped. Before that, the U3 at times ran along what is now the U2 section toward Billstedt and Mümmelmannsberg. Only with the line swap did the U3 become a loop line again, with a branch to Wandsbek-Gartenstadt.

The vehicles are particularly relevant to today’s operation. The U3 is now mainly operated with DT5 trains . They have been running on this line since July 2013 and gradually replaced the previously characteristic DT3E trains, which were still used occasionally until 2018. This fits SubwaySim 2 particularly well, because Hamburg’s DT5 is the vehicle at the center of the game.

One technical detail makes the U3 especially distinctive: On parts of the route, the platforms are only 90 meters long. Longer train formations therefore cannot be used there. On this section, the DT4 can operate only as a short train with a 60-meter unit, while DT3 and DT5 can be used with a maximum of six cars or suitable units. This is the kind of detail passengers barely notice consciously, but it strongly shapes a line’s operation.

That is why the U3 is almost ideal for simulators. It has history, short journey times, many visible sections of the city, real sights, tunnels and above-ground sections, different urban spaces and a clear operating pattern as a loop line. In SubwaySim 2 it is more accessible, presented in a more modern way and also playable on consoles. In Train Simulator Classic it is part of a larger Hamburg package with U1 and U3. Both versions show the same real-life basic idea, but with a different simulator feel.

Ultimately, Hamburg’s U3 is not merely a line you drive because it is included in the add-on. It is a line that explains Hamburg. It shows the harbor, the city center, historic elevated railway architecture, residential neighborhoods, hubs and loop operation in a single round trip. That is exactly why it works so well in the simulator: You are not just traveling from station to station, but through a piece of Hamburg’s urban history.

What appeals to you more about the U3: the historic loop operation through Hamburg or the view of the harbor, Landungsbrücken and city center during the journey? Is it the history or the views that appeal to you more about the U3? Is the U3 the most beautiful subway line in Hamburg for you?