City rails 3, 7, 9 / 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9
Due to the enormous time-constraints during the construction of the first tunnel segment (Hauptbahnhof-Waterloo), the stations Waterloo and Hauptbahnhof were in the first instance designed functionally. The central station "Hauptbahnhof" was later improved: The French artist Jean Dewasne created murals in the "Hauptbahnhof" station, which are geared to French cathedrals and windows. On the south side the artist used warmer colours for simulating the effect of natural daylight.

The station Waterloo appears in new splendour since 2014. Here, the city history of Hanover is being told clearly and chronologically on 16 blackboards in the form of picture collages. You can see for example the "Nanas", the "Göttinger Sieben" and the cup heroes of Hannover 96. Information boards on the pillars additionally explain the most important constructions, events and personalities of Hanover. Previously it was inornate and contemporarily decorated, but now the Waterloo station is much brighter, more friendly and lively.

The underground station "Kröpcke" is the main changing station of the Hanover city rails. Up to 150.000 passengers use the Kröpcke station daily as start, destination or changing station. Due to the fact that in this station all three tunnel sections run together, the construction required a high degree of orientation. The city rail system in Hanover consists of the A (Waterloo to Lister Platz), the B (Vahrenwald to Döhren) and the C section (Königsworther Platz resp. Kopernikusstraße to Braunschweiger Platz). They correspond to the colours blue, red and yellow.

These colours initially were decisive for the design of the Kröpcke station: The platforms of the individual sections were as well designed in its colours. The stairways were marked with white stripes. Some kind of a cloud landscape took up a motive of the "Kröpcke Center" and two mythical creatures made of stone decorated the wall, which can be seen from the entrance of the "Windmühlenstraße". These mythical creatures probably originate from the former „Neuen Haus“ at the Emmichplatz. The sandstone heads are stored for the time being in the Grünflächenamt Ahlem.

Because of the high energy costs and bad lighting conditions, the underground station Kröpcke has been completely redesigned in 1999. In an only five-month reconstruction phase, the Italian designer Massimo Iosa Ghini 1999 transformed the station in a temple of glass mosaic. He covered a total of 12.000 square metres with green and yellow little glass stones - a material, that is durable, intensive in colour and easy to clean.

The relation to the surface is set clearly at the Braunschweiger Platz: the University of Veterinary Medicine (TiHo). The walls of the station, just like large parts of the university, are covered with red bricks. Four sandstone reliefs adorn the staircase to the platform: A birth assistance scene from ancient Egypt, the emblem of the University of Veterinary Medicine, the founder of the University of Veterinary Medicine Johann Adam Kersting, as well as a horse phlebotomy are shown. Furthermore, at the entrance wrought-iron fences from the 19th century are spread all over the station. They are from a former slaughterhouse which was located near the underground station.

City rails 1, 2, 8, 18

Creating a relation to the surface was no problem at all at the Altenbekener Damm station: Due to the fact that the Gilde brewery is very close, Draser integrated copper kettles, in which beer is being brewed, in the underground station. The red brick walls with arched columns remind of the brewery facade. Furthermore, he took up the predominant construction design at the surface and improved the station by Art Nouveau motifs. At the stairways you can additionally find three further large photographs. They show a city map of 1890, the cross section of a locomotive constructed for the "Hannover-Altenbekener-Eisenbahn" 1874 and the Gilde brewery around 1900.

This former mill site is reflected in the design of the underground station "Mühlenberger Markt". This station is decorated by original millstones, which the architect got by luck in the Hanover region.

Originally, there was a wall at the feeder level of the underground station "Sedanstraße / Lister Meile", that showed a colourful picture. This picture was painted by pupils of a nearby primary school just over 30 years ago as part of a competition.

In the middle of the nineties, the ÜSTRA found new ways to breathe artistic life into underground stations. In 1995 the »Hannover - New York Express« started. Four young graffiti artists from Hanover and three well-known graffiti artists from New York got the chance that other artists can only dream of – an entire underground station only for themselves. In the station »Lister Meile« a gigantic graffiti world and the biggest German-American comic strip of the world were created.

City rails 3,7,9

Since its construction, the underground station "Markthalle" reminds of the church Marktkirche and of Hanover's Old City. Therefore, the wall of the station is covered with bricks and reminds of the surface.

In 1995, the ÜSTRA gave the redesign of the station into the hands of a single artist, Elvira Bach from Berlin. »Column Painting« was the name of the project, that turned the fundamental pillars of the station into carriers of a artistic message: The pillars show motifs of The Eternal Feminine.

The underground station Christuskirche is located close to the Evangelical Lutheran church "Christuskirche" and is therefore constructed similar to a cathedral. The station is support-free and has a vaulted stone ceiling. The outer walls are covered with simple red bricks, which remind of the Neogothic Church. Furthermore, strictly vertically arranged masonry fields decorate the station. The walls have mirrors, which optically enlarge the underground station. Especially the floor resembles a church: It is made of a sandstone-coloured Terazzo panel covering. There's something special about the Christuskirche station: The underground station is illuminated by street lamps, which can as well be found on the place at the surface.

City rails 1, 2, 8, 18

The shell of these stations is the same. For this reason special attention was focused on a differentiation. Due to the fact that the closer surrounding of the "Schlägerstraße" didn't have much to offer for the design, Draser changed the name lettering in the middle of the station: Most of the underground stations in Hanover have supporting pillars in the middle, where the name of the station is placed. Normally, white lettering on a blue rectangle is used. In the Schlägerstraße station the letters are written on a green square, in the Geibelstraße station on a blue circle.

In case of the Geibelstraße station, the relation was found easily: Here, the underground area is decorated with a bust of the poet Emanuel Geibel from Lübeck. Furthermore, there are showcases with poems and a picture of the late-romantic poet.

Significant change: The underground station is illuminated by daylight. There are large light wells. The station reminds of the astronomer Nikolaus Kopernikus, who in the early sixteenth century proposed the theory that the sun is the centre of the planets. Therefore you can find six large panels in the underground station showing two motifs each. They present the historic world views Antiquity and Middle Ages, graphically reduced to the colours yellow (sun) and blue (space). The walls of the Kopernikusstraße station are made of reflective, corrugated stainless steel, which based on Kopernikus should illustrate the openness of thought and the width of space.

On the feeder level of the station "Marienstraße" two large pictures can be found. The west side shows the church "Gartenkirche". Here you can see how the church looked like before the Second World War. At that time it had a large tower which was destroyed during the war. The east side shows a picture of the nearby Henriettenstiftung hospital.

In case of the Steintor station, the lightness of the floor had priority. By way of contrast, the walls are dark brown and strongly remind of the Anzeiger-Hochhaus. The newest feature at the Steintor station: At the surface you can find an integrated flower shop.

The Aegidientorplatz offers a reference to the nearby museums. For this reason the historical museum, the Sprengelmuseum and the Kestner Museum have glass cases at the feeder level for exhibits. At the entry level there is additionally a large picture of the historic Aegidientor from 1620 on a plate. The Aegidientor is as well presented in a forest landscape in a more abstract form on the walls of the platforms. The special thing about the underground station Aegidientorplatz: Here, the first elevator was built.

In case of the underground station Werderstraße it did not take long: In this street, the Continental AG has a building and was very willing to deliver rubber moulds, which were used for tire manufacturing. These are now attached to the walls of the station.

Furthermore, the underground station Werderstraße reminds of the "Roter-Punkt" campaign: In June 1969 the people in Hanover demonstrated against the increase in ticket prices of the ÜSTRA. They organised an alternative to public transportation by distributing red dots. Car drivers with this symbol on the front shield were willing to take other persons. This was the start of the new ÜSTRA: The private transport company was taken into local authority ownership, the Transport Association of Greater Hanover with a uniform tariff system arose. In order to remember this, a part of the ceiling in the Werderstraße station was painted with a red dot.

City rails 3, 7, 9

In the underground station Lister Platz you can find sandstone sculptures at the entry level. But the special artistic element of the station is the roof at the surface. The arched roof should give notice of the end of the pedestrian area. 

City rails 4, 5, 16

The guiding theme of the underground station Königsworther Platz are the nearby located Royal Gardens at Herrenhausen. At the walls of the station are eight historic iron gates mounted, inside which you can find paintings. These honour guard motifs show eight different scenes from the Royal Gardens. The paintings come from the Archives of the historic museum. The ceiling of the underground station reminds of a guard of honour. Different trees are integrated in the walls. At the end of the platforms you can find yellow doors. In front of two doors, there are historic soldiers. In the entire stations you can find hedgerows: the stairways, the entry level and at the surface show iron grids, which does not end up in jags as usual, but in plant motifs.

In addition to the Royal Gardens, a reference is established to the Continental AG, whose head office formerly used to be at the Königsworther Platz. Four posters show illustrations from the „Echo Continental“ magazine.