The Berlin–Munich high-speed railway is a 623 km (387 mi) high-speed rail line connecting the German cities of Berlin, Leipzig, Erfurt, Nuremberg, and Munich. The line was opened on 10 December 2017.[1] The line was first planned in 1991 as part of the "Travel Project for German Unity" - a scheme of linking up east and west German travel infrastructure after reunification.[1] About two million passengers traveled the route in its first year of operation, exceeding the expectation of the rail operator Deutsche Bahn.[2]

The new line reduced travel time by train between Berlin and Munich from 6 hours to currently 3 hours and 45 minutes.[3][4]

Construction began in 1996 and cost about €10 billion ($11.8 billion),[5] making it the most expensive transport project in Germany since reunification.[6] The line traverses the Thuringian Forest and required the construction of 22 tunnels and 29 bridges.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Opening of new Berlin-Munich high-speed train line to be celebrated Friday". The Local. 6 December 2017.
  2. ↑ "Deutsche Bahn to beef up express Berlin-Munich route amid soaring passenger numbers". The Local. 15 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Faster - More direct - More convenient: the new Berlin-Munich high-speed line". DB Vertrieb. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  4. ↑ "Fahrplan 2024: bis zu 25 Prozent mehr Sitzplätze zwischen München und Berlin". www.deutschebahn.com (in German). Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Berlin-Munich high-speed train line to be opened". Deutsche Welle. 7 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Christian Wüst (27 October 2011). "Billions Upon Billions for Berlin-Munich Bullet Train". Spiegel Online.
  7. ↑ "Berlin and Munich Are Finally Connected by High-Speed Rail". Conde Nast Traveler. 8 December 2017.


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