In 1877, the Rhenish Railway Company opened its Düsseldorf station at the modern Franklinbrücke (Franklin Bridge) just a few metres west of the modern Düsseldorf Zoo station. In 1889, the Prussian state railways opened Düsseldorf-Derendorf station (not to be confused with the current Düsseldorf-Derendorf S-Bahn station) at this site. In 1890, Düsseldorf–Derendorf freight yard was opened at the station.[5]
Along with Bilk station and the central station (opened in 1891), it became one of three train main stations in Düsseldorf. Derendorf freight yard was the destination during the First World War for many hospital trains; the wounded were transferred there to converted tram cars to run to the urban hospitals.
Düsseldorf-Derendorf station was transferred in 1936 to its present location on Münsterstraße. The current Düsseldorf Zoo station was opened beneath Franklinbrücke in 1969 with the launch of the network of Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn.[4] Its current name commemorates the Düsseldorf Zoological Garden, which was located nearby to the north east between 1876 and 1943, when it was destroyed in an air raid.
Location
The station is located between the districts of Düsseldorf-Düsseltal and Düsseldorf-Pempelfort. It has a central platform next to the Franklinbrücke. Crossing over the railway tracks is a tram line, which connects with the trains at the station.
Lines
Currently the station is served by three lines of the S-Bahn, S 1, S 6 and S 11.[6] Tram line 706 of the Rheinbahn stops at the adjacent Franklinbrücke stop.