VDE 8 completely operational
The 500 km long new/upgraded Nuremberg-Berlin rail route, also known as German Unity Transport Project No. 8 (VDE 8), was approved by the German Parliament in 1991 in the form of a high-speed line (up to 300 km/h). It was embarked on in 1996 and following the completion of two part-projects in 2006 and 2015, will start operating over its entire length when the new timetable comes into effect on December 10, 2017. This signifies the closure of a gap in the European high-speed network. The 230 km new and 270 km upgraded sections comprising the VDE No. 8 with 27 tunnels (56 km) and 37 valley...