Former East German luxury international train to roll again

The SVT Görlitz express train, once used to whisk privileged travellers from the former East Germany to Western destinations, will roll again in 2025 after years of restoration.

“The first journeys with passengers are scheduled for September,” said a spokesman for the eponymous non-profit organization behind the project.

Before the dissolution of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the prestigious train connected Berlin with Prague and Vienna, as well as some Scandinavian destinations.

In future, it is to make 40 to 50 journeys a year and can be chartered.

Die-hard railway enthusiasts collected donations and put their own efforts into the restoration of the historical train.

Test and training journeys are still scheduled in the next two months, as well as the remaining work and technical approval.

At a recent open day at the repair works in Halberstadt in eastern Germany, the interior of the refurbished train was presented for the first time.

Long queues formed for the occasion, with many people travelling from other regions of Germany to attend.

Like contemporary high-speed trains, the SVT Görlitz has a streamlined nose, which caused a stir in its day.

It was considered the flagship of the former Deutsche Reichsbahn railways in international transport.

Eight trains of this type are said to have been built between 1963 and 1968, only three of which have survived in parts.

The high-speed train was approved for 160 kilometres per hour, although the limit on the Reichsbahn lines was 120 kilometres per hour.