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Those who are nostalgic for the train will remember times gone by, and everyone who also crosses borders by train should be happy: the once legendary Trans-Europ-Express (TEE) could return. At least that is what Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer (CSU) wants to start on Monday at the Conference of EU Transport Ministers. This could make long-distance train travel within Europe more attractive.
The system had already existed for 30 years, it was discontinued in 1987. The sets used consisted exclusively of first-class air-conditioned wagons, and speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour were possible on the improved routes. The trains of the various European railway companies were uniformly painted in wine red and beige. TEE connections existed between the states of the European Economic Community, as well as Austria and Switzerland. They were replaced by the not so comfortable Eurocity.
Night trains will also be integrated
The chances are high that the TEE concept will take off again. On the one hand, this is due to positive political signs: in times of climate change, short flights are no longer welcome. On the other hand, many European countries agree that rail traffic must be better coordinated. It is therefore not surprising that several EU member states send positive signals to Berlin. Scheuer’s ministry said the concept “wanted to better link European train connections with each other.” The new plans were based on work on the future national regular time, the Deutschlandtakt.
By the way, the trademark rights for the name Trans-Europ-Express belong to Deutsche Bahn; They are also involved in current considerations, according to the ministry. Night trains are likely to be integrated into the system as well. In other countries, this is also the case for long sections. In China, for example, there have long been high-speed night transports with sleeping compartments: every night, half a dozen trains run between the metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai.
A new TEE network could be created in two steps. For example, connections between Paris and Warsaw via Brussels, Cologne and Berlin would be possible in the short term. A connection from Amsterdam via Cologne and Basel to Rome should also be part of the beginning, as well as a route from Berlin via France to Barcelona. In a second step, Stockholm could be linked to Munich or Berlin to Rome. The Ministry of Transport states that large trans-European infrastructure projects are necessary for further expansion, such as the Fehmarnbelt fixed link.
Technically, two types of trains could influence the new TEE project. Experts see the French TGV Euroduplex or Siemens’ Velaro MS, an ICE series, as promising candidates.
