€78 million of federal funding for the new line from 2009. Operational concept The new line can be operated with all freight and passenger trains in mixed traffic. As the line is signalled exclusively with ETCS Level 2 without signals, it can only be used by vehicles equipped with ETCS. Original plans According to planning in January 1993, ICE services in 2005 would consist of two and a half trains per hour and direction. This provided for three ICE lines (Frankfurt–Leipzig–Dresden, Munich–Leipzig–Berlin and Frankfurt–Halle–Berlin). Interchange between these lines would thus be possible in Erfurt Hauptbahnhof. Moreover, there would be InterCity and InterRegio trains on the line. Between Frankfurt and Dresden, a journey time of three and a half hours would be possible in 1995. In early 1993, it was expected that about 150 passenger and about 100 freight trains would run each day. The traffic forecast for Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 1992 foresaw that there would be 56 distance passenger and 95 freight trains per day in each direction on the new line in 2010. In mid-1994, Deutsche Bahn expected that 48 long-distance passenger and 60 freight trains would use the line per day. The separation of fast and slow traffic (under a program called Netz 21) had not yet been adopted. In the mid-1990s, 24 IC/ICE trains per day were expected to use the new line in each direction between Berlin, Leipzig and Erfurt in 2000 (16 of which continuing from/to Nuremberg) and 16 IC/ICE trains per day and direction on the Frankfurt–Erfurt–Leipzig–Dresden route. On the existing route, three InterRegio lines would be offered with a total of 21 trains per day in each direction. Traffic forecasts made in 1994, for 2000, projected 40 or 43 freight trains from the Leipzig/Halle direction. Other traffic forecasts from around 1995, expected 289 trains per day between Erfurt and Planena junction (the sum of passenger and freight trains in both directions). Of these 141 would run to and from Halle and 148 would run to and from Leipzig. Traffic on the existing network would remain about the same. Commissioning of 2016 timetable The line was taken into commercial operation at the timetable change on 13 December 2015. Scheduled operation initially used ICE T sets, with a top speed of 230 km/h. These trains were equipped with ETCS for this purpose, with the modification of more ICE classes to follow. ICE 1 sets,