9 5 , ▁the ▁section ▁between ▁Fal ken see ▁and ▁Sp and au ▁West ▁was ▁re open ed ▁as ▁a ▁single - track ▁line ▁with ▁dies el ▁operation . ▁The ▁Berlin – H amb urg ▁line ▁was ▁restored ▁to ▁almost ▁continuous ▁two - track ▁operation ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁At ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁construction ▁work ▁travel ▁times ▁were ▁extended ▁by ▁ 4 0 ▁minutes ▁to ▁three ▁hours ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁minutes ▁for ▁the ▁whole ▁route . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁electric ▁train ▁operations ▁started ▁between ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁Nau en , ▁reducing ▁travel ▁time ▁between ▁Berlin ▁and ▁Hamburg ▁to ▁about ▁ 1 6 0 ▁minutes . ▁The ▁whole ▁line ▁was ▁operated ▁by ▁electric ▁trains ▁from ▁ 2 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁At ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁end ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁parallel ▁tracks ▁were ▁laid ▁to ▁separate ▁long - distance ▁and ▁S - B ahn ▁traffic , ▁although ▁east ▁of ▁Berliner ▁Tor ▁station ▁for ▁ 2 . 4   km ▁( from ▁the ▁ 2 8 2 . 2 ▁to ▁ 2 8 4 . 6   km ▁marks ) ▁the ▁second ▁long - distance ▁line ▁was ▁omitted . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁allow ▁traffic ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁Berlin ▁to ▁use ▁platform ▁tracks ▁ 1 1 - 1 4 ▁of ▁Hamburg ▁Haupt bahn hof , ▁an ▁additional ▁single - track ▁line ▁was ▁built ▁from ▁T ief stack ▁j unction ▁via ▁Hamburg - R oth enburg sort ▁station ▁over ▁a ▁new ▁Upper