The facts people look for first, pulled from this guide.
From BER Airport
Download the BVG or DB Navigator app: Both show live S-Bahn and regional departures and sell tickets.
Deutsche Bahn does not list luggage lockers at Ostkreuz. The nearest DB lockers are at Ostbahnhof, two S-Bahn stops west on the S3, S5, S7 or S75.
Stairs, escalators and lifts connect the two levels, so a change between the Ringbahn and the Stadtbahn usually takes only a few minutes.
From BER Airport
From the City Centre
Ostkreuz is built on two levels. The Ringbahn platforms are on the upper level, under the long glass hall. The Stadtbahn platforms for the east–west S-Bahn lines and the regional trains are on the lower level.
Stairs, escalators and lifts connect the two levels, so a change between the Ringbahn and the Stadtbahn usually takes only a few minutes. The station is very busy at peak times; keep to the right on the stairs and let passengers off before you board.
Regional trains use their own platforms on the lower level, separate from the S-Bahn. Check the boards for the platform before you go down.
Before You Arrive
At the Station
Common Mistakes
Deutsche Bahn does not list luggage lockers at Ostkreuz. The nearest DB lockers are at Ostbahnhof, two S-Bahn stops west on the S3, S5, S7 or S75.
Take the RB24 or RB32, each about once an hour, or the S-Bahn S85, which runs every 20 minutes. You need an ABC ticket, because the airport is in fare zone C.
The Ringbahn S41 and S42 stop on the upper level; the Stadtbahn lines S3, S5, S7 and S75 stop on the lower level. Other lines such as the S85 also call here.
Normally not. Until 12 December 2026, while the Stadtbahn is closed, some diverted trains, including the Intercity between Dresden and Rostock, stop here. Check DB Navigator for your train.
Friedrichshain's bars, cafés and the Saturday market at Boxhagener Platz are about ten minutes' walk away, and the Rummelsburg Bay waterfront is just south of the station.
Yes. Lifts and escalators connect the two levels and the entrances. Deutsche Bahn's Mobility Service helps with boarding, changing and alighting between 06:00 and 22:30 every day. Book it in advance through the Mobilitätsservice-Zentrale to make sure help is available, and check the lift status on bahnhof.de before you travel.
Interchange station in Friedrichshain, east of the city centre, where the Ringbahn crosses the east–west Stadtbahn. It was rebuilt between 2006 and 2018 into a modern two-level station; the old brick water tower beside it was kept as a landmark.
Ostkreuz is Berlin's busiest S-Bahn interchange. More S-Bahn lines meet here than anywhere else in the city, and regional trains also stop here. Long-distance trains pass through without stopping.
The station is a good base for Friedrichshain's bars and markets around Boxhagener Platz and the Rummelsburg Bay waterfront.
Construction until 12 December 2026: with the Stadtbahn closed to regional and long-distance trains, some diverted trains, including the RE2 and the Intercity between Dresden and Rostock, stop at Ostkreuz.
