The railway underpass here offers a good opportunity to cross under the railway line on foot or by bike. There used to be a level crossing here, where you sometimes had to wait longer, but it allowed cars and motorcycles to cross the tracks.
For pedestrians and cyclists, the level crossing has been replaced by this underpass, beautifully painted by Elisabeth von Bismarck.
A modern bypass with an overpass has been built a little further on for cars and other vehicles.
A railway has many practical effects. For his commute to Berlin, the Chancellor could conveniently be picked up directly at the palace entrance and used the existing train station for representative occasions. According to legend, the location of the mausoleum "above the railway line" was also deliberately chosen, as the busy train traffic effectively prevented the pompous state ceremony planned by Wilhelm II for the "loyal servant Wilhelm I".