You may have heard of the S-Bahn station at the Olympic Stadium, which was built especially for the 1972 Olympic Games. The station was in operation until 1988, when it was closed down. However, there is another ghost station in the south of Munich that was only built for one major event and was never used again afterwards. Today it is a lost place that has fallen into oblivion.
The purpose of the station
Until the 1970s, there was a neglected piece of wasteland in the south-west of Munich, which was converted into a 69-hectare park for the 1983 International Horticultural Exhibition. Two lakes were created and a hilly landscape reminiscent of the Alpine foothills was created. Today, the site is home to the Westpark.
The stopping point was created for the IGA 83 to cope with the expected stream of visitors. It was located on the Sendlinger Spange between the Heimeranplatz and Harras stops, which are still active today. From April 28 to October 5, 1983, special Deutsche Bahn trains stopped at the station to transport guests from other major Bavarian cities directly to the IGA grounds. Regular trains or even S-Bahn trains did not stop here. The event attracted a total of 12 million visitors.
The grounds were fenced off at the time and could only be entered for a fee. After the end of the IGA, only the lakeside stage and the Rosengarten restaurant were supposed to remain, but at the request of the local population, the site was not dismantled but converted into today’s Westpark. It was a different story for the IGA Park station, of which only a weathered sign remains today.
The station today
https://youtu.be/mgqBXPyViXI
If you travel along the Sendlinger Spange by train or S-Bahn, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the old sign bearing the name of the station. The stop cannot be accessed from the main station, as this would require new points. Today, the S20 regularly passes this section of track.
It is forbidden to enter the disused station. However, this does not stop curious walkers and passers-by from paying a visit to the lost place. However, it is not advisable. In 2002, there was a fatal accident at the IGA Park station. A dog jumped into the track bed and its owner after it. The driver of the approaching S20 was unable to brake in time and both were hit. It is therefore better if you obey the DB ban.