I would like to express my regret over the death of victims at the accident of Deutsche Bahn InterCityExpress on 06/03/98.
My Nakoruru site consists of Nakoruru, SNK videogame information, and German domestic information. If I had not been to Germany in 1997, this site would not have existed.
I went to Germany last year. Then a travel agancy in Japan arranged my journey in Southern Germany. The agency offered a railway journey. I went from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof to Kahlsruhe Hauptbahnhof on 11/26/97 by InterRegio 2560.
Figure 1; Germany map
Figure 2; InterRegio, a kind of Express Train of Deutsche Bahn railway.
If you want further information, you can see the followings. (copyright (c) Deutsche Bahn AG, 1997)
IR2560
Time table page 1; when you get on the first class of the train, you can get the time table.
Time table page 2; The page 2 explains the origin of the train nickname.
Time table last 3 pages; The size of the image file is about 300 kilobytes. Be careful!
I got on the train on 14:06 and got it off on 14:51. Its tariff-kilometers were 91 km. Its fare was 36.40 DM (\2,900. Second class was 24.20 DM.)
Deutsche Bahn is a private railway company at present. Formerly it was managed by German government. West Germany National Railway and East Germany National Railway were unified and then became under private management in 1994.
Before World War II, Deutsche Bahn had one center. It was Berlin. Just after the war, Berlin was destroyed and was partitioned by former USSR and west countires. German railway network lost its center. Some Japanese railway fans still mourn the passing of Berlin Multi-terminal system.
Deutsche Bahn has had a new weapon since 1991. It is called ICE. ICE, or InterCityExpress is a kind of super express train. Their speed was 280 kilometers per hour. After the unification, Deutsche Bahn headquarters regarded Berlin Zoo station as the new center of German railway system. Their ICE went to Berlin Zoo station. Of course Berlin Zoo ICE goes to Berlin everyday.
However ICE had to go along the conventional rail because almost all European railways except Spain and Russia manage high speed express system using conventional rail. Its gauge is 1,435 millimeters. Its voltage is 15,000 volts, an alternating current.
Of course they constructed high-speed new rails partially.
You know "Asia" Bullet Express train of South Manchu Railway using steam locomotives before World War II. You know "Hikari" Super Express electric train of Japan National Railway in 1964. Both of the two were made by Japanese people. Hikari's gauge is the standard gauge, say, 1,435 mm as ICE used. Some Japanese critics have often discussed on the safety of Japanese New Trunk Line for twenty years.
However we Japanese have not had any derailment accident.
In 1998, Mr. Hideo Shima was dead. As you know, he planned and made the Japanese New Trunk Line. He opened JNR's New Trunk Line technology to the foreign countries. I interviewed with a railway engineer on the technology. The construction technology was too developed for the foreigners to copy the skill and the theory then. In 1980s, European railway engineers had to develop a new high speed express train, because a tunnel between France and England was being completed and European people had to decrease CO2. The first solution was TGV of France. France has vast and boundless level land. France Government constructed high-speed new rails.
On the other hand, Germany has many mountains. Moreover their economy is very active. Germany people wanted means of mass transport. German solution was ICE. One ICE train can bring about 800 people. Of course the capacity is less than that of one Japanese New Trunk Line train, but it is much more than that of TGV.
The destruction of wheel happened on 06/03/98.
As you know, Central Japan Railway (JR Tokai) always tests all the wheels of New Trunk Line trains once per two days using ultrasonic waves. Of course those technology is opened. If Mr. Shima still lived, he would be angry.
The tragedy happened on 06/03/98.
ICE 884 started Muenchen Hauptbahnhof on 5:47 (a.m.).
The train is scheduled to reach Hamburg Hauptbahnhof on 11:52.
The same train left Hannover Hauptbahnhop on 10:33.
The train approached to Eschede on 11:00.
A wheel was destroyed by chance. The derailment accident happened. Over 100 persons were dead.
ICE 884
| Station | Arrival | Departure | Train |
|---|---|---|---|
| München Hbf | 5:47 | ICE 884 | |
| München-Pasing | 5:54 | 5:55 | |
| Augsburg Hbf | 6:18 | 6:20 | |
| Nürnberg Hbf | 7:32 | 7:36 | |
| Würzburg Hbf | 8:31 | 8:33 | |
| Fulda | 9:03 | 9:05 | |
| Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe | 9:33 | 9:35 | |
| Göttingen | 9:54 | 9:56 | |
| Hannover Hbf | 10:30 | 10:33 | |
| Hamburg-Harburg | 11:41 | 11:43 | |
| Hamburg Hbf | 11:52 | ||
| Hamburg Dammtor | 11:58 | ||
| Hamburg-Altona | 12:06 |
Figure 3; InterCityExpress' Electric Locomotive
To be continued ...
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