▁and ▁Sp and au , ▁cost ing ▁approximately ▁Deutsche ▁Mark ▁( DM ) ▁ 6 ▁billion , ▁with ▁a ▁travel ▁of ▁ 6 7 ▁minutes ▁( with ▁a ▁ 3 0 0   km / h ▁speed ▁limit ), ▁or ▁ 6 1 ▁minutes ▁( 3 5 0   km / h ). ▁This ▁option ▁was ▁quickly ▁rejected ▁on ▁economic ▁grounds . ▁For ▁an ▁invest ment ▁of ▁about ▁DM ▁ 2 . 4 ▁billion , ▁an ▁upgrade ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁Hamburg – Ber lin ▁line ▁( allow ing ▁operations ▁at ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 2 0   km / h ) ▁was ▁considered ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁an ▁ 8 3   km - long ▁new ▁line ▁( 3 0 0   km / h ) ▁between ▁Bol zen burg ▁( near ▁Bü chen ) ▁and ▁K uh blank ▁( near ▁W itten ber ge ). ▁This ▁would ▁avoid ▁slow ▁sections ▁through ▁H agen ow ▁Land , ▁Ludwig sl ust ▁and ▁W itten ber ge ▁and ▁short en ▁the ▁length ▁by ▁ 1 6   km . ▁Tra vel ▁time ▁between ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁Berlin ▁would ▁thus ▁fall ▁to ▁ 8 2 ▁minutes . ▁Instead ▁the ▁German ▁Government ▁decided ▁on ▁ 2 ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁mag lev ▁line . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁was ▁included ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Unity ▁Transport ▁Project s ▁( Ver kehr s pro jekte ▁Deutsche ▁Ein heit ) ▁as ▁V DE ▁Rail ▁No . ▁ 2 ▁in ▁the ▁Federal ▁Transport ▁In frastr ucture