Interregio (Germany)

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Interregio with a class 103 locomotive on the Rosenstein Bridge in Stuttgart (August 1993)

The Interregio (short form: IR ) is a former type of train that was introduced by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in 1988 as a long-distance train system and was supposed to replace the former D-Zug in the long run , which ran in individual timetable situations.

Regions and medium-sized cities should be connected to the long-distance network with fixed, intermittent lines, below the networks of Intercity (IC), Eurocity (EC) and, from 1991, the Intercity-Express (ICE).

The Interregio train type was discontinued in June 2006, individual federal states introduced the Interregio-Express train type (short form: IRE ) as a replacement at the request of the respective state government .

history

Interregio when approaching Magdeburg Hbf (2001)
Interregio at Berlin Friedrichstrasse train station (2001)
Train sign of the Interregio 2646

Conception

After the deficit of the Bundesbahn could be reduced by 250 million DM with the development of the intercity network in Germany, there was a need to make the still existing, high deficit express train traffic more attractive and profitable. The basic concept was to improve the market segment between local and long-distance transport in Germany with clocked trains and to offer city connections with direct contact with neighboring countries. Even if the Interregio was used on many highly frequented routes between large cities and in metropolitan areas, it primarily connected medium-sized centers and holiday regions with the existing IC / ICE network, for which there was basically a need for long-distance traffic, but a connection to the existing IC network did not appear profitable.

Due to the planned replacement of the express train, it was called "XD-Zug" during the planning phase. The two-hour service, the use of modernized express train cars, the catering in a so-called bistro and a distance of 20 to 50 kilometers between the stations should be characteristic of the Interregio. The idea was to create a "feel good train" for trips between 100 and 500 kilometers in length, with an emphasis on an average of 150 kilometers. In operation, it became apparent that these trains were used by commuters for significantly shorter distances, who appreciated the spacious interregios with their relaxed seating areas.

On the basis of a simulation, an economically optimized network of 18 lines was generated by means of traffic flow distribution. The timetable was based on an average travel speed of 90 km / h, stopping times of a maximum of two minutes, at least two-hour intervals and defined system stops with an average stopping distance of no less than 30 kilometers. These trains, with the exception of international trains, should gradually replace the D trains.

The Deutsche Bundesbahn's express train service continuously lost demand from 1979 onwards. The traffic performance fell between 1979 and 1986 by a total of around a quarter and in 1987 it ran a deficit of 600 million DM. Different quality characteristics were considered to be the cause. For example, completely different rolling stock was used, while the average distance between stops was between nine and 51 kilometers. The experience from the Intercity concept, which was able to show an increase in traffic performance of 84 percent in the same period, contributed significantly to the decision in favor of the Interregio.

Realization

The first IR line went into operation on September 25, 1988. At that time, the Federal Railroad planned to gradually replace the express train traffic with Interregios. To this end, 962 express train cars were to be converted by 1992. The construction of the network (with 18 lines) should be completed in the mid-1990s.

The first IR lines were set up in 1988 between Hamburg and Kassel and (on May 20, 1989) between Kassel and Konstanz . For the market launch , the new brand was advertised under the slogan “The new connections every two hours”, based on the Intercity cycle system. A television commercial was also launched under the motto “InterRegio. The new chapter in rail travel. "

The Interregio brand should stand for supraregional train services with superior comfort and varied interiors. With a top speed of mostly 160 or 200 km / h and scheduled stopping times of a maximum of two minutes, the travel speed in the Interregio system should be around 20 percent above the average of the express trains, with the values ​​on 200 km / h lines of the intercity system should essentially be achieved. At line speeds between 85 and 117 km / h, each train fleet and day should run around 1000 kilometers. At the same time, more passenger kilometers per year and vehicle as well as greater synchronization of long-distance and local transport should be achieved.

Together with the six existing Intercity lines, the two new IR lines in DB long-distance traffic offered 325 trains per day on eight lines.

Seven clocked IR lines were added to the 1991/92 annual timetable. In addition, seven express train lines were prepared for a changeover to IR rolling stock, which was not yet available in sufficient numbers.

In the 1993/94 timetable year, 12 lines in IR quality and 13 express train lines as IR forerunners were already operated (see line overview ). Control cars with bicycle compartments were also introduced.

High phase

Interregio control car in typical colors (1995)

From 1990 the interregional network was increasingly expanded to include the network of the Deutsche Reichsbahn , starting with individual pairs of trains on the Munich – Nuremberg – Leipzig route and an extension of the line from Düsseldorf via Bebra to Weimar . In addition, the first IR trains with IR cars were used in transit traffic between the Federal Republic and West Berlin from May 27, 1990 on the Cologne - Berlin route, after DB and DR had introduced 200 km / h fast D trains a year earlier .

Increasingly, individual IR trains were extended beyond the regular end point of the respective line or lines were connected, mostly to the holiday regions or abroad, but the Konstanz – Göttingen – Flensburg connection was also offered as a continuous train. IR trains temporarily came to Luxembourg , Innsbruck , Amsterdam , Padborg and Olsztyn .

As of 1991, almost all D trains were switched to regular and intermittent IR trains or to IR predecessors, which were still operated as express trains with conventional cars (see overview of lines ). The conversion to IR traffic was not completed until 1994. Nevertheless, some connections were retained as express trains, especially in military travel.

In 1992 the railway achieved revenues of 420 million DM with the Interregio , in the following year it was 744 million DM. When the timetable change in May 1995, season ticket holders (outside of transport associations) did not have to pay a surcharge for the Interregio. In its heyday, the Interregio served around 320 system stops (compared to around 80 in IC / ICE traffic).

Problems and end

In 1996, Deutsche Bahn first considered converting profitable IR lines into IC lines and canceling uneconomical connections or converting them to regional transport (financed by the federal states). From 1996 onwards, some of the IR trains also ran in competition with regional express trains ordered (and paid for) by the federal states. Another major cause was the foreseeable end of the economic life of the modernized wagons. In addition, many routes did not allow for attractive travel times and suffered from falling passenger numbers from the mid-1990s at the latest. In 1992, for example, the average occupancy rate of the Interregios was only 44 percent. While the trains were overcrowded in metropolitan areas, they were almost empty on the fringes.

In July 1998, plans of the DB were announced to cancel around half of the Interregio trains in two stages by May 1999. The company cited a lack of demand as the reason. Due to public pressure, the plans were partially withdrawn. When the timetable changed on May 30, 1999, 30 interregional trains were canceled, including the entire line between Aachen and Berlin. Critics saw it as an attempt by Deutsche Bahn to increase the utilization of their IC and ICE trains.

In 2000, the transport performance of interregios and express trains fell year-on-year by 0.3 to 7.8 billion passenger-kilometers due to availability.

In autumn 2000, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would adjust the interregional train service to demand as part of the market-oriented service ( MORA ) for the timetable change in June 2001. This should ensure the long-term economic efficiency of passenger transport. The Interregio lines 15A as well as the Würzburg – Erfurt and Hof – Regensburg – Munich lines should be dropped. The offer should be reduced on lines 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 27, 28, 34, 36, 39, among others. A new pair of IR trains has been added between Hamburg and Berlin (via Uelzen and Stendal ).

The state of Lower Saxony was able to obtain two pairs of trains on the Berlin / Leipzig – Hanover – Oldenburg – Norddeich Mole route. To replace the discontinued interregional trains between Bremen and Cuxhaven, the DB set up a motorway express bus line as a pilot project.

The state of Baden-Württemberg was able to convince the DB to offer appropriate regional trains as replacements for their own account until the timetable change at the end of 2002. The state paid a grant of 29.5 million DM to modernize 170 local public transport vehicles. The states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland came to a similar agreement a little later.

The IR line between Magdeburg and Berlin was initially retained after negotiations between DB and the state of Saxony-Anhalt; the state made partial loss compensation for six of the seven train pairs, which, according to DB calculations, should amount to eight million DM annually. Numerous other interregional trains, for example between Berlin and Rostock, were replaced by regional express trains at the expense of the federal states concerned.

On the initiative of the State of Hesse, the federal states planned to put interregional traffic to international tender along the IR line between Aachen and Chemnitz . In mid-June 2001 the Regensburg – Hof branch on IR line 25 was also canceled.

Nationwide, 13,000 interregional train kilometers per day were lost for this timetable change; around 5,000 of them have been replaced by local transport.

According to statements from DB in mid-2001, the Interregio had an annual deficit of 300 million DM. The company wanted to withdraw from traffic by 2004. In mid-2001 Connex offered to establish a successor to the Interregio with the InterConnex . Repositioning is possible with start-up funding from the federal and state governments and a suitable marketing strategy. In order to be able to take up the offer to change the timetable on December 15, 2002, it was necessary to take over the necessary vehicles and employees from DB. DB AG rejected the offer. On March 1, 2002, the InterConnex, the first private long-distance train pair, started in Germany.

In spring 2002, Deutsche Bahn announced that it would discontinue nine interregional lines (lines 12, 15, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27a, 34, 36) and eight more via IC or ICE lines, if possible for the following timetable change to be replaced (lines 11, 14, 16, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29, 39). The eight daily interregional train pairs between Hamburg and Flensburg, which were omitted for this timetable change, were replaced by seven regional trains (operated by the Nordfriesische Verkehrsbetriebe ), one Eurocity train pair each Prague - Aarhus or Hamburg - Aarhus, one Euronight train pair Munich - Copenhagen and only one Fridays running IR Flensburg - Chemnitz replaced. The additional costs for the country would have amounted to 2.7 million euros; However, by awarding the regional transport services to a private provider, 1.5 million euros were saved compared to the corresponding DB offer.

The state of Bavaria ordered a regional train service from Deutsche Bahn for the Munich - Regensburg - Hof line. For the offer, which has been expanded to 1.7 million train kilometers per year, DB made the best offer with 5.5 million euros. When the timetable changed on December 15, 2002, interregional traffic was almost completely discontinued. On the same date, the blue-gray exterior design of the trains was also given up.

Due to the transfer of various lines to the Intercity Express traffic, capacities had become free on the Intercity trains, and the legal framework conditions had also changed due to the Regionalization Act . Most of the profitable route sections of the IR traffic were converted into IC lines, unprofitable routes were discontinued or converted into local transport lines - to be ordered and paid for by the federal states. In view of the fact that IR trains could be used in some transport associations (e.g. in the Rhein-Main transport association ) with association tickets, this resulted in a deterioration for commuters. The railway generated additional income if these commuters then bought tickets for long-distance rail passenger transport , which was flanked by the associations with attractive transition tickets .

The last Interregio, which operated as a so-called daily border train between Berlin and Chemnitz, was discontinued when the timetable changed at the end of May 2006. The last scheduled service was the IR 2282 on May 27, 2006, which drove from Chemnitz to Berlin-Schönefeld and was hauled by locomotive 101 136 . The replacement train IR 2800 ran from Schönefeld with ICE-Tz 1171 to the scheduled terminus in Berlin Zoologischer Garten.

List of IR and express train clock lines as of June 2, 1991 (DB) / 1. June 1992 (DR)

IR
line 		Line course as IR
from 		Conversion or setting
off 		Remarks
11 (Norddeich–) Münster – Oberhausen – Cologne – Koblenz – Trier (–Saarbrücken / Luxembourg) 1994 December 15, 2002 today IC 35 Norddeich – Koblenz, KO – Saarbrücken / Luxembourg without long-distance traffic
12 (Flensburg–) Hamburg – Göttingen (–Fulda) 1988 December 15, 2002 today IC 26 Hamburg – Göttingen
14th Oldenburg – Bremen – Hanover – Hildesheim 1993 June 9, 2001 today IC 56 Emden – Leipzig
16 (Braunschweig– / Berlin – Stendal – Wolfsburg–) Hanover – Osnabrück (–Münster) –Bad Bentheim – Hengelo – Amsterdam 1994 December 15, 2002 today IC 77 Berlin – Amsterdam
17th Cologne – Essen (/ Norddeich) –Hannover– (Bad Harzburg /) Wolfsburg – Magdeburg – Leipzig (–Dresden) 1992 December 15, 2002 today IC 55 Cologne – Leipzig via Wuppertal and Braunschweig instead of Essen and Wolfsburg
19th Kassel – Gießen – Frankfurt / Main – Darmstadt – Heidelberg – Karlsruhe – Offenburg – Konstanz 1989 December 15, 2002 today IC 26 Kassel – Karlsruhe (–Konstanz)
20th Aachen – Krefeld – Duisburg – Essen – Hamm (Westf) –Kassel (–Bebra – Fulda) / (- Erfurt – Weimar) 1992 December 15, 2002 today IC 51 Duisburg – Bebra – Stralsund, Mönchengladbach – Krefeld – Duisburg long-distance traffic for the weekend + 1 IC Mon. – Fri.
21st Würzburg – Ansbach – Ingolstadt – Munich 1994 December 15, 2002 As IC 66 every 4 hours, from 2006 discontinuation due to the expansion of ICE 41
22nd (Norddeich–) Münster – Hamm – Hagen – Siegen – Gießen – Frankfurt / Main 1993 Discontinued December 15, 2002 Today IC 26 Gießen – Frankfurt / Main, Hagen – Gießen without long-distance traffic (RE 16 and RE 99), Norddeich – Münster IC 35 , Münster-Hagen RE 7
22B (Frankfurt / M–) Würzburg – Bamberg – Hof never * only until May 22, 1993; then served by express train and regional express
23 Norddeich – Emden – Rheine – Münster – Oberhausen – Cologne – Koblenz – Mainz – Darmstadt – Heidelberg 1994 December 15, 2002 today IC 35 Norddeich – Koblenz, long-distance traffic Koblenz – Heidelberg only via Mannheim instead of Darmstadt
25th (Berlin – Dresden– / Görlitz – Leipzig–) Hof – Regensburg – Munich (–Oberstdorf) 1993 Discontinued in 2001 On the lines Hof / Prague – Regensburg – Munich – Oberstdorf / Lindau regional traffic through the alex , on Berlin – Dresden IC 27 , on Dresden – Hof Franken-Sachsen-Express
26th (Trier–) Saarbrücken – Mannheim – Stuttgart – Ulm – Lindau (–Feldkirch – Bludenz – Landeck) 1991 (1990) Discontinued December 15, 2002 1990 with run Saarbrücken-Stuttgart (-Ulm), today IC 50 Saarbrücken-Mannheim and a train pair Stuttgart-Lindau-Landeck
27 Karlsruhe – Bruchsal – Stuttgart – Aalen – Nuremberg (–Coburg) 1991 December 15, 2002 today IC 61 (Basel–) Karlsruhe – Pforzheim – Stuttgart – Aalen – Nuremberg (–Passau)
28 Karlsruhe – Pforzheim – Stuttgart – Munich – Salzburg 1991 Discontinued December 15, 2002 today IC 61 Karlsruhe – Stuttgart and IC line 62 Stuttgart – Salzburg
29 (Trier–) Saarbrücken – Mannheim – Frankfurt / Main never * previously, three pairs of express trains supplemented the IC / EC Dresden – Leipzig – Frankfurt / Main – Saarbrücken – Paris every two hours; Today ICE / TGV line 45 Saarbrücken – Frankfurt and ICE 50 Frankfurt – Dresden (ICE-T)
31 Frankfurt (Oder) –Berlin – Magdeburg – Halberstadt never * only until 1994, today RE 1
34 Berlin – Chemnitz 1992 discontinued since May 28, 2006 from 1993 to 1996 from Schwerin, from 1996 to 2002 from Rostock, from December 15, 2002 as IR 14 Berlin – Chemnitz, today split into several RE lines
36 Berlin – Halle – Erfurt – Eisenach – Frankfurt (Main) 1993 Discontinued December 15, 2002
at the end of 2003		 only from 1992; from 1993 Stralsund – Frankfurt / Main; from 2002 to 2003 as IC 15 with the same route; today integrated into the line network in ICE 15 (Stralsund – Berlin – Halle (Saale) –Erfurt – Frankfurt (Main)) and ICE 50 (Erfurt – Eisenach – Frankfurt (Main)).
37 Frankfurt (Oder) –Cottbus – Leipzig – Erfurt – Kassel never * later discontinued
* "Never" means that this line was not converted to IR wagons or operated as IR during its existence

During Expo 2000 , between June and October 2000, the Flensburg – Hamburg – Hanover interregional line was extended to Kassel.

Number of interregional trips per day

year Interregios per year year Interregios per year year Interregios per year
1988 11 1995 502 2002 ?
1989 47 1996 564 2003 13
1990 76 1997 484 2004 12
1991 130 1998 521 2005 8th
1992 147 1999 428 2006 9
1993 234 2000 466
1994 380 2001 382

InterRegio bus

InterRegio bus in Würzburg in 1988

With the exception of Heilbronn , Paderborn and Remscheid , all major cities in the Federal Republic of Germany were connected by a network of long-distance trains at the end of the 1980s . Between May 30, 1988 and the summer of 1990, InterRegio buses ran between Heilbronn and Würzburg (eight times a day at two-hour intervals, alternating with the express trains on this route) and from 1989 also between Heilbronn and Mannheim (twice a day on the edge of the day) via the motorway in order to create connections to the IC network at the destination. The journeys were carried out by the Bahnbus Stuttgart division; they were listed in the Bahnbus course book under table number 1059. This was also written on the vehicles as a line number .

The two air-conditioned buses of the type Mercedes-Benz O 303-15 RHS had - like the trains - the blue and white Interregio color scheme, with the dark area of ​​the buses being arranged differently at the bottom. The vehicles had two classes, the first class with dark leather armchairs in the front and the second class with fabric seats in the rear. The trips were accompanied by a hostess who also served snacks and drinks at the seat. A car phone was already available for the passengers , as was a toilet and a washroom. If the bus was not too late, the driver contacted the train control center in Würzburg and the long-distance train waited if necessary. The bus connections were also integrated into the IC courier service .

InterRegio buses ran from Bremen to Cuxhaven from time to time in northern Germany .

Interregio car park

External appearance and equipment

Interior shot of the large area of ​​a 2nd class interregional car
Compartment in a 2nd class Interregio car

In order to find a suitable design and appearance, Karl-Dieter Bodack from the DB Design Center in Munich announced a competition between different designers. The winner was Jens Peters with the BPR team from Stuttgart.

From the outside, the Interregios could be recognized by their blue paintwork according to the product colors of the Deutsche Bundesbahn introduced in 1986 : The window band was in distant blue ( RAL  5023 ) with a thinner, 26 centimeter wide decorative strip in pastel blue ( RAL 5024 ). Other hallmarks of the trains in the first and second class were the combined open-plan compartment cars with interior colors in pastel shades, such as pink or mint green , according to the taste of the time , the room dividers and corrugated ceilings followed organic architecture . Furthermore, care was taken to have a wide side corridor for walking during the trip. The basic idea behind the car design was the freedom of choice for the traveler to choose between open-plan or compartment seating. Most of the interregional trains ran a bistro-café. Instead, a minibar was offered on individual lines and trains. There was also a child seat by the window in the 5-seater seating groups.

The IR cars were heated by a hot water system, which prevented the smell of burnt dust that occurs with normal car heaters. Except for the bistro car, the vehicles were not air-conditioned. Karl-Dieter Bodack was aware of this problem, which is why he looked at equipping all cars with an inexpensive air conditioning system from the coach sector, which, however, could not prevail. When newly built double-decker coaches with air conditioning were increasingly used in local transport at the end of the 1990s, the attractiveness of the interregios decreased compared to air-conditioned trains, especially on warm summer days.

Lockers for luggage and valuables were available in Interregio trains.

From 1992 the Interregio trains were equipped with passenger coaches that had a bicycle compartment (type Bimd (z) ). In brackets that were specially developed for this purpose, up to eight bicycles , or up to 13 for travel groups, could be transported. From 1995, a larger compartment for bicycles and bulky luggage was added on some lines (initially Karlsruhe – Salzburg, Lindau – Saarbrücken, Münster – Frankfurt / M.), Which was located in the newly acquired control car behind the driver's cab .

The folding tables in the open plan area were held in their upper position with magnets. Since these magnets were not installed in the backrest, but at the two front corners of the table surface, magnetic data carriers for objects stored there (e.g. hard drives for laptops and credit cards) could be at risk.

Production through remodeling

2nd class Interregio wagon (Bimz), converted from express train wagons of the Deutsche Bundesbahn

The entire development of Interregio trains was a specialty within vehicle construction in Germany. In order to save costs, former express train wagons built between 1968 and 1979 were converted for the Interregio, as they were no longer available for intercity and express trains . The interior in the style of the 1950s to 1970s was extended to give way to a newly developed room layout.

The renovation in the former Weiden / Upper Palatinate repair shop did not take place through conventional assembly line production , but in group work in so-called “master shops”. A group of different skilled workers formed a masterpiece. You were responsible for the complete conversion of a car from the first to the last work step. A more humane way of working with more personal responsibility and creativity was seen as an advantage of this method of production, which is why the system was carefully observed in the professional world and in business circles, since such a way of working was not common in large-scale industrial production.

A first prototype was made in 1985 after design studies had been carried out a year earlier. But only a few compartments have been redesigned. It was rebuilt in the AWst in Frankfurt am Main and then presented to the DB headquarters. In 1987 two more prototypes of the first and second car class were created. Except for the fixed and non-opening windows, they largely corresponded to the standard design, the production of which was also started in 1987 and 1988 respectively.

The delivery of the first car was celebrated on May 11, 1987 in Weiden. The guests included Federal Transport Minister Jürgen Warnke and Federal Railroad Chief Reiner Maria Gohlke .

In the former DB-repair shop, which is now under partner for vehicle equipment firmierte (PfA), were in pastures DB express train passenger cars of types At 203 , ABm 225 and Bm 234/235 to cars of first class Aim 260/261 and ARkimbz 262 (Bistro Car), as well as converted to second class cars Bim 263/264 and later Bimd 268 (with bicycle compartment). Before operations began, the PFA had converted a total of 34 wagons (eight Aim , 22 Bim and four ARbuimz 162 bistro wagons , converted from ABm ). Due to internal difficulties in the PfA plant, from August 1987 to 1990 some of the wagons were rebuilt in the DB Munich-Neuaubing repair shop . From 1990 the Neuaubing plant was only responsible for the acceptance of the wagons converted in Weiden.

Interregio car in the delivery condition, converted from compartment car of the Deutsche Reichsbahn

In order to be able to serve the network, which has been expanded into the new federal states, also with IR wagons, from 1991 in the RAW Halberstadt for the Deutsche Reichsbahn also express train wagons were converted into interregional wagons. The basis was partly as good as new wagons of the DR (years of construction 1984 to 1990) of the types Am 201 , ABom 222 and Bom 280 from Halberstadt production, which were equipped with type GP 200 bogies (Am 200 , ABom 226 and Bom 281 series ). After installing a magnetic rail brake, these were approved for speeds of up to 200 km / h.

The conversion resulted in the series Bimz 256 (10 units), Bimz 259 (238 units), ABimz 265 (2 units) and Bimdz 267 (10 units, with bicycle compartment). A special feature of this conversion was that the DR cars were given new side walls (imagined twelve instead of the original eleven or ten compartments). As the number of windows now corresponds to that of the Bundesbahn wagons, the furnishings of the Bundesbahn wagons could be adopted without major adjustments. However, the vestibule and entry areas corresponded to the specifications of UIC type Z (DB: UIC-X) and were therefore larger than those of the DB wagons, while the compartments, on the other hand, were one percent shorter (length of the passenger area without entrance areas and toilet rooms: 20913 instead 21060 millimeters). What is noticeable about the Halberstadt Interregiowagen is the roof shape that differs from that of the wagons that were converted in Weiden and that was adopted from the donor wagons.

Only second class cars were converted from DR cars. The Reichsbahn took over 27 converted first-class cars (Aimz) and 23 on-board bistro cars (ARkimbz) by buying them from the Bundesbahn. Some of these former DB wagons were delivered to DB AG in 1994. In addition, Waggonbau Bautzen delivered 40 type Amz 210 compartment cars to the Reichsbahn, which were used in IR paint in interregional trains.

Some other cars were prepared for use on the new DB lines in 1991. These were the types Aimz 261.4 (28 pieces), Bimz 264.4 (113 pieces), ARkimbz 262.4 (13 pieces) and nine Bimdz 268.4 bicycle trolleys . These wagons received closed toilets, new water tanks (for which a locker segment was sacrificed) and the equipment for emergency brake override ( ep brake ). The train route signs were also relocated to the doors. Previously, the DB planned the construction of 50 first class cars, 160 second class cars and 30 on-board bistro cars in a pressure-tight design for new lines with many tunnels. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and for cost reasons, this project was discontinued in 1990.

In 1992, bicycle compartments with eight spaces each were set up in all Interregio trains. The 1992 plan was to build a fleet of 1,400 interregional cars. In 1992, 184 Deutsche Bundesbahn wagons and 209 Deutsche Reichsbahn wagons were converted, increasing the total to 901 wagons. In the same year, the procurement of new vehicles for the interregional network was planned, as the cars were only designed as a temporary solution for a limited service life of 10 to 20 years. At the end of 1992, the Deutsche Bundesbahn asked the industry to submit offers. This project was later changed due to changes in rail policy, which ultimately resulted in the ICE-T multiple units of Deutsche Bahn.

On May 28, 1993, the PfA handed over the thousandth Interregio car to what was then the Deutsche Bundesbahn.

While luggage lockers were built into the first Interregio wagons at each end of the wagon, this feature was generally left out in the last few years after the rebuilding of the ep wagons.

Most recently, in 1995, 20  control cars with the identification Bimdzf 269 ​​were procured in order to enable shorter turnaround times for trains in large terminal stations such as Munich Hauptbahnhof , Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof or Leipzig Hauptbahnhof . The cars were led by ABB Henschel with LHB , Alcatel SEL from the conversion of DR-coaches of the types Åbom 226 , a Bom 281 and two verunfallten Bimz 259 that were built from 1983 to 1992 for the German Reichsbahn.

Another twelve control cars of the type Bimdzf 269.2 were intended primarily for use on IC line 8, Munich-Nuremberg-Leipzig-Berlin-Hamburg. Six of them were painted in oriental red with stripes and six in traffic red and light gray. These control cars with IR equipment were designed without a coupling cover, as this proved to be prone to failure. The flap was also removed from the Bimdzf 269.0 later .

Other cars in IR paint were 40 Amz 210 from the railroad cars Bautzen in 1991, largely the Halberstadt design had corresponded and sliding doors. They never received an IR facility. These cars were later downgraded to mixed or second class cars and have now been parked or sold. Some of them can be found in a modernized form in the Bavarian and privately operated alex .

Two Bvmz 185 , four Avmz 107 ; and 16 Bpmz 293 from the IC car series were painted in IR colors for the FD 1980/81 Königsee , Hamburg – Berchtesgaden, even if the type of train and the interior of the car had nothing to do with the Interregio. Likewise, a first-class Y / B 70 car of the Reichsbahn was "accidentally", as it was called, painted in IR colors, without any adjustments to the interior.

List of converted interregional wagons (DB, DR and DB AG)

IR design origin Railway
administration		 number
Bimz 256 On 201 , ABom 222 DR 10
Bimz 259 On 201 , ABom 222 , Bom 280 DR 238
Aim 260 , Aim 261 On 203 , ABm 225 DB, DR 155
ARkimbz 262 ABm 225 DB 155
Bim 263 , Bimz 264 Bm 234 , Bm 235 DB 563
ABimz 265 On 201 DR 2
Bimdz 267 On 201 , ABom 222 , Bom 280 DR 62
Bimd 268 , Bimdz 268 Bm 234 , Bm 235 DB AG 132
Bimdzf 269 On 201 , ABom 222 , Bom 280 DB AG 20th
Bimdzf 269.2 On 201 , ABom 222 , Bom 280 DB AG 12
A former Interregio car, used here in the EuroCity from Warsaw to Berlin (2011)

In the 2000s and 2010s, some of the former Interregio cars were used in many Intercity trains in the current color scheme. While on some Intercity trains Interregio cars were only carried because of the bicycle compartment, on others the entire train - apart from the pure first-class cars - consisted of former Interregio cars. The former first-class cars were not used in intercity trains; most of them are parked. The bistro cars with first-class parts replace the dining cars and half-dining cars that were previously used in Intercity trains. The two mixed-class Interregio cars were downgraded to second-class cars.

For EC traffic over long distances and with medium-sized passenger numbers, the IR cars were ideal because of their seating area, but cars with air conditioning are required for EC trains, which the IR cars did not have except for the bistro car. Interregio wagons with bicycle compartments were partially used here to enable bicycles to be taken along .

It is noticeable that - apart from the first-class wagons - mostly the Bundesbahn wagons were still in use, while the Reichsbahn-based wagons were parked more quickly, despite their much younger substance. This was justified with corrosion problems that occurred as consequential damage due to the side wall of the DR car that was replaced during the conversion. Some of these cars in particular have been sold abroad, so you can see them in Turkey, for example - in the current Deutsche Bahn color scheme. In 2014, several cars from Halberstadt production were sold to Iran.

Former IR cars in use in the Netherlands

Former Bundesbahn wagons, on the other hand, were partially given to the Dutch Railways (NS), but the exterior paintwork was adapted to the current NS color scheme (yellow-blue), while the interior was left in the original IR design in pastel tones.

In the past few years, various media reported that a large number of former Interregio wagons had been scrapped at various DB company locations or via external scrap recycling companies. This is partly due to the old age of the former donor wagons: In the Interregio concept, it was assumed that the converted wagons would be used for 10 to 20 years.

Use the car today

Former Interregio car in the IRE Hamburg - Berlin (2016)

At the end of the 2010s, the former interregional wagons largely disappeared from the intercity trains operated by DB Fernverkehr . However, the former Interregio control cars, which have been extensively modernized from 2012 (Bimmdzf 287 ) and a number of bistro cars, which have also been modernized, are still fully in use in IC trains . Both types of car received completely new seating.

Some second-class IR wagons now run on Interregio-Express trains and are painted in the traffic-red livery of the DB Regio division. While the service in the Schleswig-Holstein-Express ended in the mid-2010s, the Interregio-Express from Berlin to Hamburg consists exclusively of former Interregio cars of Halberstadt origin. For this purpose, already parked cars with bicycle compartments (Bimdz 546.9 , previously called Bimdz 267 ) were reactivated.

Until spring 2020, the trains operated by the long-distance transport provider Flixtrain were largely made up of former Deutsche Bahn inter - regional cars , the equipment of which was largely original. In the middle of 2020, Flixtrain presented the most comprehensive conversion of Interregio cars ever: The cars were completely gutted and converted into open-plan cars. Thanks to the reinstalled corrugated ceilings and the retained window layout with translating windows , its origin is still recognizable. A total of 135 cars are to be converted by Talbot Services GmbH and serviced and repaired for 15 years.

Types of wagon (still) used today:

design type origin commitment Number of seats
ARkimmbz 288 Modernization from ARkimbz 262 Intercity of the DB long-distance traffic  33
Bimdz 546 Bimdz 267 IRE Berlin – Hamburg, special cruise trains  55 (+ 11 folding seats)
Bimmdzf 287.0 Modernization from Bimdzf 269 Intercity of the DB long-distance traffic  40 (+ 5 folding seats)
Bimmdzf 287.2 Modernization from Bimdzf 269.2 Intercity of the DB long-distance traffic  40 (+ 5 folding seats)
Bimz 546 Bimz 259 IRE Berlin – Hamburg, special cruise trains  60 (+ 6 folding seats)
Bmmz 264 Conversion from Bimz 264 Flixtrain 100
Bmmdz 268 Conversion from Bimdz 268 Flixtrain 100

Abolition of the Interregio

"The new way to travel" - Interregio advertising in Halle (Saale) Hbf - 2000

The German railway led the inherited from their predecessors tracks InterRegio offer initially continued and expanded it further, but soon began with the setting of individual compounds. However, the previous product concept was increasingly abandoned before that. As a first step, IR lines were no longer served in their characteristic two-hour cycle. Likewise, bistro trolleys and even modernized trolleys were often not used.

When the timetable changed on December 15, 2002, the Interregio lines were largely converted into Intercity lines. The IR lines 14 Chemnitz-Riesa-Berlin, 94 Dresden-Görlitz-Breslau as well as individual trains in holiday regions have been preserved. In the course of the price reform on the same day, IR season tickets became more expensive by up to 8.9 percent. The price of IC time cards was reduced by 6.4 percent compared to the previous level. There was a transition period for annual tickets: IR annual tickets purchased by December 15, 2002 were also valid in the IC at no extra charge. Until then, the Interregio was a popular, inexpensive alternative to the IC / ICE.

In the meantime, the regional tickets and similar offers of local transport had led to a significant decrease in the number of passengers, especially on the weekends. With the expansion of the ICE network, parallel traffic, which was often viewed as uneconomical, had arisen between the local traffic, which was significantly more attractive due to new vehicles, the IR and the ICE, which had to be disentangled. To make matters worse, the ICE traffic was still in deficit during the transition from the state railways to the Deutsche Bahn AG, while the Interregio was cost-covering.

The abandonment of the IR network in December 2002 and the associated cancellation of long-distance trains or the conversion to higher-tariff trains triggered major protests wherever entire regions were suddenly cut off from long-distance rail traffic. Some connections were dropped completely or in parts and were served by regional trains with significantly better capacity utilization, while on more profitable routes the IR trains were converted into more expensive IC or ICE trains without significantly increasing travel speed and comfort. Eliminating IR routes improved the number of passengers in local traffic, which thanks to new vehicles - despite often frequent stops - was able to keep travel times.

In November 2000, the PDS parliamentary group in the German Bundestag submitted an application to the federal government to maintain the Interregio.

The railway replaced the previous dining car on some IC trains with bistro cars from the Interregio. This actually customer-friendly measure of using the more pleasant and less expensive bistro operation in IC trains and offering passengers with medium and shorter journeys a suitable range of restaurants was generally interpreted as a loss of quality. Likewise, numerous IC trains run with former, externally repainted Interregio wagons or at least their control cars.

Initiatives and passenger associations - such as Pro Bahn , VCD , Bürgerbahn instead of Börsenbahn or DBV - as well as former employees of DB AG also doubt the information provided by Deutsche Bahn on the unprofitable routes, especially since Deutsche Bundesbahn or Deutsche Bahn AG a few years earlier still considered the Interregios indicated the trains with the highest demand by far before other long- distance trains such as the Intercity or Intercity-Express. The critics suspected that DB AG wanted to encourage the federal states to order and pay for replacement services in the form of local trains running over long distances . On the other hand, states like North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate wanted to increase local traffic without the route capacities being available. In many cases, a systematically implemented and deliberate deterioration in the offer, quality and maintenance / cleaning intervals on the part of DB AG is criticized, which, however, also resulted from the fact that DB had to reduce costs and rather unforeseen friction effects occurred.

And too high return targets in connection with the planned railway privatization are suspected in this context as a cause of IR settings.

Another consequence of the abolition of the IR network is a deterioration in the free transport offer for the severely disabled. In SGB IX a free transport of disabled persons in surcharge-free is provided express trains in the 50-kilometer radius from the place of residence and within the transport association. This regulation was extended to the IR if the IR was released for association tickets or if the holder of the card moved within 50 kilometers of the place of residence.

Rail boss Richard Lutz justified the discontinuation of the Interregio in 2019 with insufficient demand.

Continuation of the Interregio and replacement services

Despite the officially announced cancellation of interregional traffic, the train type was initially retained on two lines, even if these had neither a two-hour cycle nor a bistro: until December 11, 2004, IR trains were on the Dresden - Görlitz routes - ( Breslau ) and Berlin - Chemnitz until May 27, 2006 . When they stopped to change the timetable on May 28, 2006, the last remainder of the interregional network disappeared. In the timetable period from May 28, 2006 to December 10, 2006, Regional Express trains ordered by the states of Brandenburg and Saxony were used. These drove twice a day on the Chemnitz – Berlin route on working days. Among other things, IR cars were used, but, as had already happened earlier, they were repainted in the local traffic colors (mostly traffic red). A pair of trains only ran on Sundays.

Interregio replacement services

Interregio replacement traffic 2011

After 2002, at the insistence of the federal states, IR cars continued to run on some routes, but now as Regional Express or Interregio Express , such as the four-country express Munich - Marktredwitz - Hof - Gera - Leipzig (discontinued in 2007) or the Bayern- Bohemian Express Munich– Prague . On other routes, other types of train - sometimes also other RUs - are used. Here is a list of these replacement services:

Most of the time, however, the trains described do not represent a real replacement service. The reasons for this are, for example, the partially decreasing comfort, although many replacement trains have air-conditioning systems, the longer travel times depending on the connection, the thinning of the offers (fewer or non-synchronized connections), and the poorly coordinated existence, shape and quality of the various replacement trains. But there are also counterexamples. For example, the travel time between Dresden and Nuremberg decreased despite the necessary change in Hof due to the use of tilting technology vehicles between Hof and Nuremberg compared to the continuous locomotive-hauled interregional trains, even if since the discontinuation of the self-operated, continuous Franken-Sachsen-Express, this connection no longer interregional replacement traffic is.

Overview of the IR replacement lines

Surname operator Stretch) status
Alex Regentalbahn ( Netinera ) Munich - Buchloe - Kempten (Allgäu) - Immenstadt - Oberstdorf / Lindau
Alex Regentalbahn (Netinera) Munich - Landshut - Regensburg - Schwandorf - Hof / Prague
Schleswig-Holstein Express DB Regio Hamburg - Neumünster - Rendsburg - Flensburg
Interregio-Express DB Regio 1.  Karlsruhe - Pforzheim - Vaihingen (Enz) - Stuttgart
2.  Stuttgart - Göppingen - Ulm - Aulendorf - Ravensburg - Friedrichshafen - Lindau
3.  Stuttgart - Schorndorf - Schwäbisch Gmünd - Aalen
4.  Stuttgart - Backnang - Crailsheim
5.  Karlsruhe - Offenburg - Donaueschingen - Singen - Constance
6.  Basel Bad Bf - Waldshut - Singen - Friedrichshafen - Ravensburg - Ulm
7.  Berlin - Stendal - Uelzen - Lüneburg - Hamburg
Franken-Sachsen-Express DB Regio Dresden - Chemnitz - Zwickau - Plauen (Vogtl) - Hof - Nuremberg discontinued in December 2014, now change in Hof
Magdeburg-Berlin-Express DB Regio Magdeburg - Berlin discontinued on December 10, 2012
Harz-Berlin-Express Abellio Rail Central Germany Goslar / Thale - Halberstadt - Magdeburg - Potsdam - Berlin until December 2018 Transdev Saxony-Anhalt
Vogtland Express (discontinued) Vogtland Railway Plauen - Zwickau - Chemnitz - Riesa - Berlin between June 2005 and October 2012
Munich-Salzburg Express DB Regio Munich - Rosenheim - Traunstein - Freilassing - Salzburg discontinued on December 14, 2013, replaced by Meridian trains

literature

  • Karl-Dieter Bodack: InterRegio - The adventurous story of a popular train system . EK-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 2005, ISBN 3-88255-149-6 .

Web links

Commons : InterRegio (Germany)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Heinz Klein-Arendt: 10 years Interregio. A successful move on the siding? . In: Eisenbahn-Kurier , No. 321, June 2001, pp. 52–56.
  2. ^ Karl-Heinz Garre: InterRegio - a new range of services offered by the Deutsche Bundesbahn in long -distance passenger rail transport . In: Die Bundesbahn , 9/1988, pp. 775–780.
  3. ^ Josef Mauerer: Interregio start 30 years ago . In: Eisenbahn Magazin , 7/2018, pp. 36–45.
  4. ↑ a b Annual review 1988 . In: Die Bundesbahn , 1/1989, p. 65.
  5. ^ A b Horst Walker: InterRegio - a task for production planning . In: Die Bundesbahn , 9/1988, pp. 785–789.
  6. ↑ a b Bernd Wewezow: Product introduction InterRegio . In: Die Bundesbahn , 9/1988, pp. 781–784.
  7. ↑ Ursula Bartelsheim: Advertising on the Deutsche Bundesbahn 1949-1993 . In: DB Museum (Ed.): Go easy Go Bahn . Nuremberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-9807652-9-9 , pp. 150-189.
  8. ↑ The 30-minute guarantee on the ICE continues to apply . In: Die Bahn informs , No. 4/1991, September 1991, pp. 8-10, ZDB -ID 2003143-9 .
  9. ↑ Annual review 1991 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn . In: Die Bundesbahn , 1/1992, p. 43.
  10. ↑ The railway's gigantic catch-up race . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , No. 55, 1994, p. 25.
  11. ↑ Dialog . In: ZUG , No. 7, 1995, p. 3.
  12. ^ Karl-Dieter Bodack : Future for the Interregio - or the provincialization of entire regions . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 12/2000, pp. 567-568.
  13. ↑ DB balance sheet 2000 . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 7/2001, pp. 330–332.
  14. ↑ MORA gives Interregios the fatal blow - private providers as saviors? In: Signalarchiv.de. Retrieved on October 22, 2017 (from: SIGNAL , 8/2000 (December 2000), pp. 14-17).
  15. ↑ Message Unloved Interregio . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 11/2000, pp. 482–483.
  16. ↑ News update shortly . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 5/2001, p. 198.
  17. ↑ Timetable perspectives . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , Issue 4/2001, pp. 186–187.
  18. ↑ Announcement of the IR replacement concept in the southwest . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 3/2001, p. 100.
  19. ↑ Report of IR replacement in Rhineland-Palatinate . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 4/2001, p. 146.
  20. ↑ Report of the IR line to Berlin saved . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 5/2001, p. 196.
  21. ^ Announcement Berlin: MORA forces IR replacement by RE trains . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 7/2001, p. 296.
  22. ↑ Notification of IR replacement plans . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 7/2001, p. 291.
  23. ↑ a b c Notification of IR replacement in Schleswig-Holstein . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 10/2002, p. 444.
  24. ↑ a b c A chance for the Interregio . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 10/2001, pp. 466–467.
  25. ↑ Connex: Private railway operator wants to get into long-distance transport . In: Der Tagesspiegel , August 15, 2001.
  26. ↑ Notification of deletions in the inter-regional network . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 5/2002, pp. 210–211.
  27. ↑ Change of timetable . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 11/2002, pp. 498–499.
  28. ↑ Message Interregio car in traffic red . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 1/2003, pp. 2–3.
  29. ^ Daniel Hentschel: May 27, 2006: last Interregio
  30. ↑ a b c d e Review of the year 1992: Passenger traffic . In: Deutsche Bahn . No. 1, 1993, pp. 32-40.
  31. ↑ http://www.s197410804.online.de/Zeiten/1965.htm
  32. ↑ New times, new trains . In: mobile . May 2000, p. 10.
  33. ↑ Search in the long-distance traffic database
  34. ↑ Harald Bögeholz: Löschzug , c't 8/1998.
  35. ^ Stiftung Warentest: Blackout bei Magnetverschluß , test.de, 11/2000 (accessed on February 4, 2013).
  36. ↑ Ulrich Langer: Like a phoenix from the ashes . In: Die Bundesbahn , 64, No. 10, 1988, pp. 973-980.
  37. ↑ Klaus-Dieter Korhammer, Armin Franzke, Ernst Rudolph: Turntable of the South. Munich railway junction . Hestra-Verlag, Darmstadt 1991, ISBN 3-7771-0236-9 , p. 105 .
  38. ↑ Message "InterRegio - A success story on wheels" . In: Railway technical review . 42, No. 10, 1993, p. 680.
  39. ↑ New face for the InterRegio . In: ZUG , No. 9, 1995, p. 11.
  40. ↑ Flixtrain builds on Aachen Talbot: Darn good job with a green future , Aachener Zeitung , June 30, 2020
  41. ↑ Deutsche Bahn introduces mandatory reservations for ICE sprinters. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , October 1, 2002.
  42. ↑ Application by the MPs Dr. Winfried Wolf, Eva-Maria Bulling-Schröter, Heidi Lippmann, Uwe Hiksch, Dr. Uwe-Jens Rössel, Dr. Ilja Seifert and the faction of the PDS: InterRegio for the regions received (PDF; 56 KiB). Bundestag printed matter 14/4543 of November 8, 2000.
  43. ↑ Stefan Schirmer, Claas Tatje: "We fight for every minute every day" . In: The time . No. 44 , October 24, 2019, ISSN  0044-2070 , p. 23 ( online ).
  44. ↑ IRE Berlin - Hamburg supplements travel offer. Bahn AG, February 26, 2014, archived from the original on January 21, 2015 ; Retrieved April 15, 2014 .
  45. ^ Daniela Kuhr: Return of the Interregio. In: Süddeutsche.de. April 14, 2014, accessed on April 14, 2014 : "In any case, many see it as an event that the railway is putting a type of train into operation again for the first time since 2007, which countless railway passengers still mourn to this day: the Interregio."
  46. ^ Regional traffic: Magdeburg-Berlin-Express will be discontinued at the end of the year. Retrieved August 2, 2012 .