Blauer Enzian

Blauer Enzian

Prototype of Class E 03 locomotive
Overview
Service type Fernschnellzug (F)
(1951–1965)
Trans Europ Express (TEE)
(1965–1979)
InterCity (IC)
(1979–1987)
EuroCity (EC)
(1987–2002)
Status No longer a named train
Locale Germany
Austria
First service 1951 (1951)
Last service 2002 (2002)
Former operator(s) Deutsche Bundesbahn /
Deutsche Bahn (DB)
ÖBB
Route
Start Hamburg-Altona /
Dortmund Hbf
End München Hbf /
Klagenfurt Hbf /
Zell am See
Service frequency Daily
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 15 kV AC, 16.7 Hz
(Germany, Austria)
Route map
Routes of international train, Blauer Enzian: TEE (red), IC/EC 1979-1991 (blue), EC after 1 June 1991 (green)

The Blauer Enzian was an express train introduced in 1951 that linked northern Germany with Munich, Germany. After 1969 it also linked with Austria. It was operated by the Deutsche Bundesbahn / Deutsche Bahn (DB), and from 1970 also by the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

The train was named after the mountain flower Blue Gentian (blau, German for blue, and Enziane, the German vernacular for Gentiana, species Gentiana verna; German: Frühlings-Enzian).[1][2] The train's classification and formation (consist) varied over time. It ceased to be a named train in 2002.

Route

Over the years, the Blauer Enzian's termini and route were altered so significantly that there is no section of line over which it always travelled. However, the train always either originated, terminated, or reversed direction, at München Hbf, in Munich.

History

Fernzug

Observation car from one of the 1953 pair of trains
Observation car of one of a 1953 pair of Blauer Enzian trains

In 1951, the German Federal Railways announced the introduction of the Blauer Enzian as part of the then-new F-network.[3] It originally was planned that the train would begin service on 1 July 1951, as FT 55/56. However, the FernTriebwagen (long-distance multiple unit) trainsets planned for the new service were not yet available by then, and the train instead entered service in autumn 1951 or later with normal carriages.[4]

The route of this express train, Hamburg – Munich, included that of the first German high-speed railway, built later. Initially the train consisted of pre-war carriages and prototypes as UIC-X. From 1953 to 1959 the Henschel-Wegmann Train was used,[5] and after 1959 the train consisted of Schürzenwagen hauled by steam locomotives of class 01 and diesel locomotives of class V 200.[3]

Trans Europ Express

After the electrification of the railway lines around Hamburg in 1965, the Blauer Enzian was upgraded to a Trans Europ Express.[6] The train began using TEE coaches hauled by the prototypes of the class E 03 high-speed locomotives. In 1968, the Blauer Enzian was the first German train with a scheduled operating speed of 200 km/h. In 1969, through coaches to Austria were introduced,[7] with a final destination of Klagenfurt Hbf. These cars were hauled by an ordinary express train south of Munich, still called Blauer Enzian and first-class-only, but not designated as a TEE.[8] In 1970, the full TEE route was extended to Austria and the train was split in Rosenheim, with one part going to Klagenfurt and the other to Zell am See.[9] Although the Zell am See service had disappointing passenger numbers, it remained[6] in the timetable to serve the expected tourists related to the 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1973, the Zell am See service was withdrawn.

In the late 1970s, the Blauer Enzian was one of only three TEE trains running within Austria, the others being the Mediolanum and the Prinz Eugen.[10] Until 1977, the TEE Bavaria also ran through Austria, but for a distance of less than 20 km.

Intercity

On 27 May 1979, the Blauer Enzian was downgraded[11] to a two-class Intercity, no longer serving Hamburg, but instead, running southbound as Dortmund – Munich – Klagenfurt and northbound as Klagenfurt – Munich – Dortmund – Braunschweig.[12] The TEE service between Hamburg and Munich was taken over by the TEE Diamant.[12][13] By 1981, the northbound route was also terminating in Dortmund.

EuroCity

On 31 May 1987, the Blauer Enzian became part of the newly introduced EuroCity network,[11] with train number EC20 northbound and EC21 southbound[14] (later renumbered EC12/13).[15] Until the opening of the first German high-speed railway on 2 June 1991, the route remained unchanged. On 2 June 1991, the route between Mainz and Augsburg was changed, to run via Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Stuttgart instead of Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Würzburg – but still running Dortmund–Klagenfurt overall – and the train was renumbered to EC114 northbound and EC115 southbound.[15] The last day of service was 14 December 2002.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ↑ TEE, p. 24.
  2. ↑ Struwe, Lena. "Geographic places, companies, and other things named after gentians". Gentian Research Network. Rutgers University. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 TEE Züge in Deutschland, p. 109.
  4. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland, p. 110.
  5. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland p. 110.
  6. 1 2 Das grosse TEE Buch, p. 82
  7. ↑ La Légende des TEE, p. 236.
  8. ↑ "Stop Press" (changes taking effect). Cooks Continental Timetable (June 1969 edition), p. 6; also pp. 64, 314, 329. London: Thomas Cook Publishing.
  9. ↑ TEE Züge in Deutschland, p. 111.
  10. ↑ Nock, O.S. (1978). "Trans-Europe Expresses", in World Atlas of Railways, pp. 86–87. New York: Mayflower Books (original publisher: Artists House, London, UK). ISBN 0-8317-9500-X.
  11. 1 2 La Légende des TEE, p. 238.
  12. 1 2 Thomas Cook International Timetable (May 27–June 30, 1979 edition), pp. 6, 68, 340, 355, 361. Peterborough, UK: Thomas Cook Publishing.
  13. ↑ La Légende des TEE, p. 382.
  14. ↑ Thomas Cook Continental Timetable (May 31–June 30, 1987 edition), pp. 68, 472, 476. Thomas Cook Publishing.
  15. 1 2 Thomas Cook European Timetable (April 1991 edition), pp. 81–82, 516–519. Thomas Cook Publishing.

Bibliography

  • UIC (1972). TEE (in Dutch). Paris: Union International des Chemins de Fer. 
  • Hajt, Jörg (2001). Das grosse TEE Buch (in German). Bonn/Königswinter: Heel Verlag. ISBN 3-89365-948-X. 
  • Goette, Peter (2008). TEE-Züge in Deutschland (in German). Freiburg: EK-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88255-698-8. 
  • Mertens, Maurice; Malaspina, Jean-Pierre (2007). La Légende des Trans Europ Express (in French). Vannes: LR Presse. ISBN 978-29-036514-5-9. 
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