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First step for Deutsche Bahn’s high speed ICE services to London

ERA Report clears trains with distributed traction for use in Channel Tunnel / First of two issues for DB’s ICE trains resolved / Principal ICE approval by the Inter-Governmental Commission expected this summer

(Berlin/London, 22 March 2011) Deutsche Bahn (DB) has today welcomed the report published by the European Railway Agency (ERA) as an important milestone towards the introduction of ICE-trains in the Channel Tunnel. The report supports plans by the Tunnel Safety Authorities (the Intergovernmental Commission or IGC) to amend their safety rules that permit what equipment operators can use in the Channel Tunnel.

Details of planned amendments were published by the IGC in March 2010 and have now been found to be unobjectionable by ERA. Following the proposed new safety rules, the use of trains with distributed power is no longer prohibited in the Channel Tunnel. Also, no objection was raised to use shorter and coupled trains in contrast to today's 400m trains with a through corridor. After the ERA's advice, the formal implementation of the new safety rules by the IGC could occur imminently.

Ulrich Homburg, Member of the DB Management Board for Passenger Transport, said: "This is an important stage in securing the technical clearance we need to deliver new high speed passenger rail services to and from London on Europe's liberalised rail network. The report confirms that we are heading in the right direction with the IGC as we work towards clearance of our ICE-trains for the Channel Tunnel. Moreover, the report showed that the evidence we agreed to provide the IGC is sufficient to demonstrate the safe operation of our trains. However, we are only half way there to delivering the proposed services from 2013."

Further work by DB will focus on the characteristics of shorter and coupled trains. Two coupled 200m ICE-trains have successfully been evacuated in October of last year in the Channel Tunnel. In addition to that an independent Swiss Engineering Consultancy is currently compiling a risk assessment which will be handed over to the IGC shortly. This is the same Consultancy which assessed the safety of the longest rail tunnel in the world, the 57km long Gotthard-Tunnel in Switzerland.

"Due to the positive ERA Report and our ongoing collaboration with the IGC we are optimistic to obtain clearance for our ICE-trains by early summer this year and before the August break. Subsequently we will expect to start full implementation later this year of our project to connect London to mainland Europe from 2013" added Ulrich Homburg.

To be updated on the progress of the project bookmark the dedicated project news website www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/about/overview/ice-in-london.shtml

Deutsche Bahn appoints its first DB Agency in Wales

Rail specialist Ffestiniog Travel Ltd in Penrhyndeudreath, Gwynedd, Wales will become an officially licensed DB agency and offer DB-tickets and a wide range of other continental railway journeys from early April 2011 on. Ffestiniog Travel can be reached at 01766 772957 or at www.ffestiniogtravel.com.

Overall DB Bahn has currently licensed eight DB agencies in London, Yorkshire Cambridgeshire, Hampshire and Kent as well as running its own DB UK Booking Centre in Surbiton, Surrey. For more information about the DB Agencies in the UK, visit www.bahn.com/uk and click on 'contact'.

DB opens first children’s Lounge in Nuremberg's Main Station

CEO Grube: DB supports Germany wide launch of 5 children’s lounges with €575k // €95k will be invested in the Traveller’s Aid office Nuremberg.

The first of five children lounges opened its doors in the Traveller's Aid Office in Nuremberg Main station. Employees of the Travellers' Aid office with professional background in education will take care of children up to 14 years of age in a dedicated 40 square meters room of the Travellers' Aid Office.

The children will find an ICE shaped rest area, a climbing wall, a slide, drawing walls and a special dedicated baby area including changing table and nursing corner. Slide cars, parlour games and a game console are offered as well. This special service can be used by children travelling alone or families every day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Further lounges are planned in Essen, Frankfurt/Main, Düsseldorf and Cologne. DB supports the accommodation and the handling with 575,000 Euros.

More than 100 Travellers' Aid Offices with round 2,200 employees exist in Germany. The protestant and catholic accommodations help everybody immediately for free. DB supports the works of the Travellers' Aid Offices by providing adapted premises free of charge which are accessible to everyone and are also equipped to welcome disabled persons.

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