Previously, freight trains from the lines from the east to the Ringbahn had to make an awkward reversal in the Silesian station.

In July 1880, the Silesian station went back into service for passenger traffic, followed by further construction work to connect it with the new Berlin Stadtbahn.

The suburban trains of the Ringbahn coming from both the north and south ran via the connecting curves to Stralau-Rummelsburg station on the Stadtbahn and vice versa in the opposite direction.

They were built to serve increased traffic as a result of the Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin held in Treptow in 1896.

[4] The outer platforms on the northern and southern connecting curve to the Ringbahn were closed in 1966 due to structural defects and were later demolished.

The station was greatly in need of renovation for decades and was not capable of handling peak hour traffic, partly due to its narrow stairs.

No major changes occurred at the station for decades and it was referred to ironically as Rostkreuz ("rust cross").

It is now partially protected as a monument,[17] so that the redevelopment of the station complex in the 21st century required compromises to preserve the historic buildings.

Concrete plans for rebuilding Ostkreuz station were included in a project for "improving the Berlin railway node" after German reunification.

[18][19] On 19 September 2012, planning approval was issued for the second stage, which mainly comprised improvements to the railway infrastructure along Hauptstraße to Schlichtallee including the southern overpass over Karlshorster Straße.

Provision has been made for a tunnel section under the tracks of the Stadtbahn for the planned extension of autobahn 100 (Berlin city ring, 17th construction phase).

[21] The aim is to shorten transfer times and to provide direct access for feeder traffic from the surrounding residential areas.

[32] The reconstruction of the historic pedestrian bridge, which spans the western end of the lower platforms, began in summer 2016.

The reconstruction of the historic entrance building at the northern end of the pedestrian bridge and the layout of the forecourts had not yet begun at this time.

[41] The project has aroused opposition among some residents; when comments were sought for planning approval in January 2018, more than 1000 objections were received, and construction was therefore delayed.

[45] The investment proposed for 2010 in the federal transport infrastructure plan (Investitionsrahmenplan bis 2010 für die Verkehrsinfrastruktur des Bundes) provided for the expenditure of €143.1 million on the project (2006 costs).

The original Stralau-Rummelsburg station opened in 1882 mainly served suburban traffic on the connecting curves between the Stadtbahn and the Ringbahn.

Before the rebuilding there were in addition to the two long-distance tracks still connections to the brake plant in Stralau and the Osthafen (East Harbour).

Due to the spreading of the tracks from Lichtenberg to accommodate the connecting curves from the Ringbahn the platform was unusually wide.

[35] Since mid-2016, train operations on platform F have used the driver's cab monitor system (Zugabfertigung durch den Triebfahrzeugführer mittels Führerraum-Monitor; ZAT-FM).

The Regionalbahn lower platform (Regionalbahnsteig unten) south of the S-Bahn tracks has been served since 10 December 2017 by regional traffic running on the Silesian Railway to and from the Stadtbahn.

The covered pedestrian bridge, built according to the plans of Richard Brademann in 1923 and 1926,[51] connected to platforms D and E close to their western end and had exits to Hauptstraße and to Sonntagstraße.

From April 2016 to December 2018, a new structure was built at the same place as a replica of the original bridge with additional connections to the newly added platforms Rn2 and Ru including preserved historical bridge supports and lattice girders in the area of platform D. The staircases and the supports and abutments were built in reinforced concrete, along with the Sonntagstraße staircase, which is to be provided with a toilet block on the ground floor.

The windows were built to reflect the historical design, but in metal with safety glazing that will meet current standards.

Another pedestrian overpass ran alongside the tracks of the connecting curves from Sonntagstraße past platform A and the old entrance building to Markgrafendamm.

This was built from 1909 to 1912 to the design of Karl Cornelius and served to supply water to the many steam locomotives running from Ostkreuz.

A cylindrical pressure-resistant water tank sits on this; it holds 400 cubic metres (14,000 cu ft) and is fully integrated with the roof.

The Ostkreuz station building complex before the reconstruction "possesses high historical value due to the good state of preservation as well as the abundance of original components such as connecting bridge, signal boxes, viaduct arches, service and waiting rooms.

This ensemble is divided into the following 14 heritage items:[57] In the course of the reconstruction, the historic core of the station has been lost despite the preservation of listed buildings.

This includes the transformation of wasteland between Persiusstraße, Laskerstraße and Markgrafendamm to Bürgergarten Laskerwiese, one of the neighbourhood Intercultural Gardens in Berlin.